Ethical fashion production: 7 things you should know about Handmade Stories

Today we want to share a bit of what goes behind the scenes at Handmade Stories, why we do what we do, and why we think it's important.

1️⃣ Weaving is an important tradition in Quechua families but is unfortunately disappearing. We are working with a group of women in the Peruvian Andes to keep this tradition alive and help them get economic independence.

2️⃣ We follow the World Fair Trade Organisation's guidelines to ensure our practices are fair and improve the lives of those who work with us.

3️⃣ All our clothes incorporate traditional Andean motifs handmade by women. We pay them a fair wage and help the ones that want to set up their own local businesses. We also dedicate part of the profits to undertake development projects chosen by the women in the communities.

4️⃣ Our clothes are tailored in a small family-run factory in Lima. We only work with small factories that respect workers' rights and treat them with the love and respect they deserve.

5️⃣ Each motif has a meaning. They represent different aspects of life in the community, like the mountains, the lakes, the animals, and the tools they use to work the land.

6️⃣ And the beauty of it is that each woman may weave the motifs slightly differently so the ones in your clothes might not look exactly the same as the ones in our product pictures. This makes every piece unique and special.

7️⃣ We only make 100 pieces of each, making our collections exclusive. A luxury item, without the price tag.

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