Bogotá, Colombia

Mola Sasa

Mola Sasa works hand-in-hand with artisan communities across Colombia, honoring ancestral techniques and native materials while reinterpreting them through a modern lens.

Colorful fibers form the circular base of a woven basket.

Two craft workers sew patterned fabric together at a table.

Each piece is handcrafted in small batches, supporting sustainable employment and long-term relationships with the communities behind the craft.

Hands position cream fabric with black geometric mola appliqué patterns across their laps.

Sustainable Technique

Gunadule Textiles

Gunadule textiles are traditional textiles made by Guna women of Panama and Colombia, best known for molas, intricately decorated panels created through reverse appliqué. Artisans layer brightly colored cotton fabrics, then cut away sections of the upper layers and hand-stitch the edges to reveal contrasting colors beneath, forming detailed geometric patterns and designs inspired by nature, daily life, and Gunadule cultural traditions.

An artisan arranges long brown and green fibers across a woven textile by hand.

Sustainable Technique

Chimichagua Weaving

Cinta weaving produces narrow woven bands, traditionally worn as hair ornaments, using a specialized loom in Chirijquiac, Guatemala. The bands feature intricate multicolored patterns and may incorporate words. Foot-loom weaving uses a larger loom operated with foot pedals, allowing artisans in Chuaperol to produce wider textiles, including tablecloths, more efficiently.

Bundles of orange fique fiber, wooden rings, and scissors rest on a weathered worktable.

Sustainable Technique

Maguey (Fique) Weaving

Maguey, also known as fique, weaving uses strong natural fibers extracted from the leaves of the fique plant to create durable textiles and handcrafted products. Artisans extract and prepare the fibers, twist them into threads or cords, and weave or interlace them by hand to produce items such as bags, baskets, mats, and other accessories.

A woman guides pale fibers into a pink woven basket while holding a child.

Sustainable Technique

Caña Flecha Weaving

In Colombia, indigenous women have long employed the fibers of their region to create baskets and jewelry unique to their group. The Zenu use a grassy plant called caña flecha to weave by hand many Ibu cuffs and napkin rings.

A woman weaves pale iraca palm fibers across a wooden frame, working the strands by hand.

Sustainable Technique

Iraca Palm Weaving

In Colombia, the fibers of the iraca palm, also known as toquilla or jipijapa, are harvested and woven by hand into one of the country's richest and most delicate crafts. The palm yields an enormous range of goods, including hats, placemats, napkin rings, purses, and decorative accessories. For many families, the craft has become a sustainable livelihood and a cornerstone of the local economy.