First, we would like to thank you for supporting our brand and weavers during this particular time. Whatever the situation, Coutume is committed to creating inspiring and timeless objects. We will continue developing our collections and keeping our partners in business worldwide.
If the last few weeks of lockdown have taught us anything, we are searching for a life of meaning and humanity. By slowing down, we have appreciated the simple things again.
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We took the time to write to our loved ones, call old acquaintances, and take care of our family and health. Everywhere, we have noticed a spirit of solidarity. We feel the urgent need to be together again and, more than ever, become aware of the importance of our community.
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Today, we want to honor the history of our artisans, who weave, embroider, or make our collections. We have not waited for a global crisis to favor human relationships; they are the essence of our project and why everything started. We are proud to create beautiful objects, hand in hand with these women and men, artists and entrepreneurs, who share with us the same desire to pass on ancestral and rare know-how. Through these collaborations and constantly reinventing ourselves, we hope to grow more as a sustainable company.
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Coutume works with eight communities across Central America. Our partner work with specific techniques for their village and culture. They are mainly women who work from their homes, surrounded by their families.
For more than five years, we have been constantly inspired by their authenticity, strength, and talent. These artists are close friends or collaborators and our most significant source of inspiration. Like their mothers and grandmothers, they continue to work with their hands. They master complex weaving techniques, brocades, or fascinating natural dyeing techniques. All this while caring for their families and encouraging their children to continue their education.
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The associations we work with are committed daily to preserving the integrity and character of their ancient traditions, which are slowly disappearing... Because the weavers are becoming less numerous in Central America. Fast fashion is replacing the traditional costume with jeans & t-shirts, costing much less, and natural dyeing methods with chemical techniques.
Artisans and makers have been invisible everywhere in the world for too long. Yet they are at the heart of creation, developing the beauty of everyday objects surrounding us. At Coutume, we need to share their backgrounds, workshops, and tools.
Weavers from Chuacruz & Nahuala in Guatemala. These women work with cotton on a Mayan back-strap loom. In Nahuala, the graphic patterns of the textiles represent small stars that embody the strength and courage of women.
Women artisans in Santiago Atitlan & Chichicastenango in Guatemala. In Santiago, our partners are committed to preserving local textile traditions and creating employment for 35 talented women.
Artisans from Teotitlan del Valle in Oaxaca, Mexico. Coutume collaborates with a family-run workshop, working on shuttle looms. Our weavers use 100% natural materials for the rugs: virgin sheep's wool and biodegradable dyes.
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