Unique pieces, from fair trade
Traditional Wayuu crafts are an ancestral art. It is passed down from generation to generation, from mother to daughter.
Time, unique know-how and passion: these are the secrets of Wayuus’ original creations.It all starts with the choice of “plato”.
The Wayuu weaver decides, imagines and makes the bottom of the bag (or "plato") that she wants for the bag that she creates between her fingers. It is his personal and artistic choice.
Each of the Mazonia bags has a bottom
which is unique to him!
A Mazonia bag is thus a unique piece due to its artisanal side but also due to its very own patterns. No two are the same.
In addition to the plato, the weaver herself chooses the technique and pattern of the shoulder strap (or “gaza”) and the drawstring.
The bag is crocheted in one piece all the way to the top. It is started in a spiral from the bottom and rises as the weaver advances. It takes up to 2.6 km of thread to make a bag.
For a Camilo model, it takes Nerys, Reyita or Simira 7 to 15 days of work. For Geometric models like this Angélo , it takes 3 to 5 days.
A spiritual work
Wayuus bags are commonly called "Mochilas". A mochila is much more than just a bag. It represents the mother's womb, the beginning of life.
The first mochila a mother weaves is her child. The central point at the bottom of the bag, the first stitches, represents his navel.
We use paper and pencils to express ourselves, the Wayuus use threads and needles. It is on the body of the mochila that the Wayuus tell their lives, their paths, their territories but also all the nature that surrounds them. A bag thus carries the story of the woman who made it.
All Mazonia bags carry a label with the name of the weaver who made it.
The humanization of purchasing and manufacturing with dignity are the heart of the Mazonia project.
What are Mazonia’s fair trade practices?
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The WAYUUS have UNIQUE know-how and weave very high quality bags.
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They
are also a Native American community threatened with extinction. |
The wayuus make bags, or “mochilas”, of excellent weaving quality. These 100% handmade bags belong to an ancestral culture, passed down from generation to generation.
Children of the Wayuu community. La Guajira, far north of Colombia
5,000 children have died from water pollution in recent years.
What is Mazonia’s social project?
Behind each Mazonia bag, a Wayuu weaver is paid three to four times the market price:
Four times for the Premiums and the Mini; three times for United and Geometric.
PRESERVING WAYUU CULTURE
Mazonia then encourages the maintenance of culture through work and the practice of ancestral crafts.
Furthermore, Mazonia ensures a union of different communities around the same project dealing with their heritage, strengthening people's awareness.