ALICIA MINI CROSSBODY BAG

DESCRIPTION

 

UNIQUENESS – HANDMADE

Each of Mayella’s products is beautifully unique. We are proud that no piece will be exactly the same as another, since they are all handmade. A product that is not factory fabricated, that has human touch and is special, a real masterpiece! Please be aware that some of our products may have natural markings and imperfections, which should not be considered a fault. These imperfections make the piece special and a human art, they are appreciated.

 

ETHICAL IMPACT 

We support the Guatemalan community with purchasing their beautiful handmade textiles for fair prices from the weavers on the local markets. It is very important to us that the they are paid fairly for their hard work. That’s why the artisans themselves set their price. We are giving you - the consumer - the opportunity to show social responsibility by shopping in Ethical Stores like Mayalla. Read more here.

 

SUSTAINABILITY

We have sustainably sourced all our textiles from our local weavers in Guatemala on the markets in Chichicastenango, Antigua and Panajachel.

 

EMBRACING CULTURES

We want to show the world the rich Guatemalan culture by sharing its indigenous handcrafted fabrics and traditions with the world. And explaining the meanings of their traditional textiles and other ancient traditions. Many people have never heard of Guatemala, so we see it as our challenge to change that!

 

Please note that due to different color settings on the device displays, the color of the leather and textile that you receive may not exactly match what you see on your screen. However, we try our best to provide accurate photos of our products that closely match their actual color.

 

DETAILS

 

TEXTILE

“Corte” The Guatemalan Skirt – Handwoven Textile

 

 The textile of this bag is called “Corte” meaning skirt and Is still worn until this day by the indigenous women in Guatemala. It is woven in 1 – 4 months’ time by hand on a foot powered treadle loom. It is made of high quality, durable and fade-resistant colored cotton. The patterns and hemlines of the “corte” are complex and vary from village to village. Corte with fine thread can easily cost a 2 months’ salary of a local woman. Sometimes it is decorated with an embroidered seam.
 

 

“Corte” is a single long rectangular length of hand-woven fabric and is a universal element of every woman’s traditional outfit in Guatemala. The term comes from the Spanish verb “cortar” (meaning “to cut”). It has its name because its fabric is usually produced in large pieces of fabric and then cut to the needed lengths of each women. Traditionally, every village has a distinct skirt design that is worn with its huipil (traditional handwoven blouse). It is worn as skirt around the woman’s waist in form of a tube, secured at the waits by a faja (Guatemalan handwoven belt). Just like the huipil (traditional blouse) the typical “corte” of a village can be identified by the pattern and colors which carry the Mayan symbology.

 

 

It is made of un-mercerized cotton that was dyed various shades of indigo blue or black and has frequently incorporating thin light blue or stripes, which identify the village of origin. It has variations in many different colors such as white, blue, black, purple, pink and green. The ancient weaving technique Ikat (meaning to knot) is used to create it, in which the threads are tie-dyed before placing them on the loom. Guatemala is one of the few places in the world where this intricate textile art is still being enthusiastically practiced. This work is done by women and men alike. Weavers create “cortes not only to preserve the ancient weaving traditions but also to sell them on the markets as a source of sustainable income.

 

MEASUREMENTS

H: 16 cm - 6.3 in

W: 26 cm - 10.2 in

D: 7 cm - 2.7 in

 

SHIPPING

Free Shipping to the USA for orders over $100 and Free Shipping to the rest of the world for orders over $250. Learn more here.