Café Creative Guatemala: Algodones Mayas

Café Creative is a series of interviews with designers and other creative minds who use their art for good.

I recently got to visit the amazing country of Guatemala. While I was only there for three days (two and a half, really) I was able to explore Antigua and learn more about the architecture, culture, and religion of the early colonial period.

The highlight of my trip was, without a doubt, visiting Algodones Mayas, a boutique of artisanal cotton products. The company was founded 25 years ago with the goal of preserving Guatemalan culture, its land, its natural colors, and its fabrics. To do that, they grow and cultivate Ixcaco-Cuyuscate cotton and preserve the natural color of the cotton. Algodones Mayas works with artisans around the country to create refreshing, contemporary versions of traditional patterns and methods. I had the chance to sit down with Luisa Villavicencio, second-generation owner and creative director of Algodones Mayas, about inspiration, motivation, and cultural collaborations.

Tell me about the mission of Algodones Mayas.

The mission is to preserve the tradition of the weaving in Guatemala. That was the original vision of my mother. My father wanted to preserve the brown color of the cotton which the Mayan people used to weave their clothes. Together, they combined their visions to create Algodones Mayas. So my dad started growing the cotton, developed the green cotton, and worked with someone who made it into yarn. What he did then, which is what we still do now, is to give the yarn directly to the artisans and provide a steady job for them. Over the years, I got to know all of the artisans—we have about 250…

All over Guatemala, or from specific regions?

From all over Guatemala. What I do is, I design with them. With their patterns. So I had to learn all of their patterns and now I work with them to make contemporary items, such as home decor, accessories, etc. We’ve participated in trade fairs in Paris and New York, we export our product, and work with designers in U.S., Portugal, France, Switzerland. We also do a private label, in which we collaborate with designers to adapt with their patterns to ours. You know, it’s a back-strap loom, so you’re not going to be making circles or anything like that. As for the colors, we don’t have bright reds, etc. We just have natural colored cotton and recycled denim. That’s all we use. It’s all sustainable and eco-friendly.

I love that. Seeing a company that is so culturally-focused but also ecologically-focused is a really good example of how design can make a difference.

Yeah.

So, you took over your parents business. What does that mean to you? How have you added your own contribution to the mission of Algodones Mayas?

It feels so good. It’s so important that we’re supporting other families. For me, for us, the most important is to always give them a job, so they teach their children to weave. Their children don’t have to come here [to the city] to find a job, they can learn the traditional craft and make a living. We’re now having third-generation weavers, so I think we’re doing something good for the country!

In our catalogue, you won’t find anything too traditional. Every day we’re changing. I design with them, and all our products are modern and adapted to the international markets. I’m very passionate for my job.

I can tell!

I really am! I love my artisans, they’re like my family. Some of them have been with us for 25 years. They work so well, the quality is so high… we’re always innovating.

Have you incorporated innovative ideas from the artisans themselves into your business?

Oh yeah. We have to adapt a lot of what we do, because we’re limited by the handmade technique. But I have to say—when they come back with designs, I’m always amazed… We design here—they come here, we work together, and when they come back with the new designs, it’s amazing. I can’t believe what I see!

So tell me a bit more about the design process. When you get together with an artisan, how does that process of coming up with a new pattern or product look like?

Well, I make sketches when I have an idea, with the colors and sizes. But I have to wait, because it’s not going to be exactly as I originally see it. From the day we meet and decide on the design for a new collection, it takes about two or three months for them to adapt and make enough samples until we get to the final thing.

It’s a collaborative effort.

Yeah. And now that they have Whatsapp, and smartphones, it’s a lot easier. We exchange photos, etc, and that saves us all a lot of time.

Has there ever been a time when you envisioned something, gave an artisan a sketch, and they made something different from what you imagined but that was even better?

That happens a lot! Very often.

So they know they can take some creative liberties with what they’re given.

Of course. For example, that one [pointing to a new product] was created between an artisan and myself. We made it for an exhibit in Taiwan, and it took us about a month to come up with what we wanted. A lot of our products are things that they design themselves, too. I always ask them to be inspired—to take our sketches and be inspired. Because if they put their creativity into it, it’s better, because they are real artists.

I’d love to hear more about the colors, because when people think about Guatemalan textiles, they think of the bright pinks, blues, etc. You mentioned the cotton itself is brown and that your dad wanted to preserve the natural colors.

It’s true! You know, we’re the only one with these colors.

So how did you arrive at these colors?

We don’t use any dyes. We just use the natural color of the cotton. You’re gonna be amazed at this [pulls up photo of cotton plant with a rich orange cotton ball]. This is the color of the cotton!

Oh! Wow, even the blues and the greens?

Not the blues. The blues are recycled denim. The New Denim Project is new in Guatemala, recycling all leftovers from mills that make jeans. They recycle it and make new yarn. I love that color, and I love that project. It fits really well into our vision. I introduced it two and a half years ago, and it was very good for business because that color is for everyone.

It is! And the color of denim complements the rest of your color palette very well, and it’s a nice pop. So even the green tone is natural?

Oh yeah, let me show you a picture.

I had no idea that cotton came in so many colors. That orange one is beautiful! So where is the cotton grown and spun?

It’s grown in Escuintla, another area near the coast.

Sounds beautiful. One of the things that really jumped out at me when looking through your catalogues is that your collections strike a really beautiful balance between traditional textile patterns and modern, contemporary styles. How do you reach that balance?

Well, I’m always traveling, reading, studying design. It’s very clear to me that if you don’t innovate, you break down. A lot of people do what we do, and thank God there’s a lot of work for our artisans. But for me to be in the trade fairs I’m in, I need to have innovative designs that are aligned with international trends. So I’m always thinking about how to do that. And the artisans all know this, and are willing to adapt their weaving as much as possible.

So it’s a group that’s somewhat self-selecting then, right? If you have potential artisans who want to strictly work with traditional patterns, it wouldn’t be a good fit.

Yes. I don’t have any of those. All of the artisans we work with are very excited to change, innovate. Part of my job is to motivate them and their creativity. It’s my commitment to maintain our reputation of high quality and design.

So the artisans you work with don’t necessarily see adaptation as a negative thing, that tradition is lost when things become more contemporary?

Not at all. They love and understand the concept. It makes them happy to know their work is contemporary, and they love seeing photos os how far their work has gone—in trade shows around the world, etc.

It’s an evolution of tradition, not a departure from it.

Exactly. The designs are all theirs. All I do is simply to help them adapt to make any kind of product with international appeal. I study traditional patterns all the time, and over time I’ve learned what the the techniques can and can’t do, and work from there.

So is there a particular region or style that inspires you the most?

No. I’m inspired by all of the different traditions. Of course, it depends on the season too, what the trends are, etc. So sometimes I work more with some artisans during one season and more with others on the next one. But our goal and our commitment is to make sure they all have work. I’m always sharing the work as well as I can so I don’t lose them. It’s an emotional thing, and also a matter of pride.

How many collections do you make each year?

It depends. At least two a year. One has lighter colors for spring and summer, and one has darker colors for the fall and winter. This is for the trade fairs and exhibits, but if you go to our store in Antigua you’ll find a bit of everything.

Lastly, what collection are you working on right now?

We have two trade shows coming up, one in Paris and one is Guatemala— the New World Trade Show. It features the best designers in Guatemala and has buyers coming in from all over the world. In Paris, we’ll in Maison&Objet.

Thank you so much for chatting with me, Luisa!

Thank you, for choosing Algodones Mayas!