Our mission
Our mission is simple: to help communities underserved by society have a better future.
We work with three groups of people: men in prison, artisans and women in rural communities in the Andes. They all share similar challenges: they don't have access to conventional jobs. We partner with them to provide them with a source of income that's fair.
Thanks to them, we now make beautiful, quality clothing and jewellery using traditional Andean techniques, so each piece is unique and has an extraordinary story behind it: the story of the person that made it and its traditional significance.
How stories are made
Handmade Stories isn’t just about what we make—it’s about who, how and why we make it. We believe in slow, thoughtful fashion that values craftsmanship, culture, and community. Here’s what makes our process different:
Designed in-house, made by hand
We create each design and garment in-house, working directly with the artisans who create them. Every pattern, stitch, and motif is infused with history and meaning. Unlike mass production, our pieces are crafted in small family-run workshops and by independent makers—each one with unmatched experience and their own story to tell.
Limited edition by design
Our collections are produced in small batches. The intricate process behind each piece means that every design is available only in limited quantities. When you own a Handmade Stories piece, you hold something truly unique—crafted with intention. You’re not only supporting stories, you're living them too.
Fair Trade
We follow WFTO's principles, ensuring that every artisan is paid fairly and in full—before production even begins. Our artisans set the prices for their work, ensuring that they get paid in a way that truly reflects their skill and effort.
Supporting communities, their way
We actively invest in training programs and community development initiatives. Rather than dictate what artisans need, we listen. The communities we work with decide where our funding goes—whether it’s education, workshops, or infrastructure. Because they know best.
Preserving traditions, protecting the future
Many of the techniques we cherish—like traditional weaving—are at risk of disappearing. By supporting these crafts, we ensure they don’t become forgotten skills of the past, but thriving techniques of the present.
How our story started
Hi, I'm Elena Brook-Hart Rodriguez, founder of Handmade Stories, and I'd like to tell you how this all came about.
I went to Peru in early 2020 after working in the advertising industry in London creating strategies for big brands. I'd been struggling with my mental health for a while and decided it was time to take some time for myself to decide what to do next. So I signed up to a volunteering programme and off I went!
Then the pandemic hit and the organisation closed operations and told us all to go home. But I was there thinking: what are we doing here then if we’re only here to help during the “fun” times? What’s going to happen to the people we're helping now things are about to get even tougher?
So I decided to stay and start what's now known as Handmade Stories.
It's been a hell of a ride! But so far I've helped women in rural communities get their feet on the business ladder, a family of jewellers re-open their workshop, and given jobs to men in prison whose families were struggling. Although I started in Peru, my dream is that with time I can improve the lives of people in many other places.