While working on my senior thesis project at SCAD that focused on an industry overlap between the culinary world and textile/retail fields, I developed a keen interest in the realm of natural dyes as it relates to discussions surrounding material preservation and consumption waste. The more I learned about the possibilities of creative impact found within plant-derived pigments, the more eagerness I felt towards working closer with them in unique, post-grad settings
Following a brief visit to Oaxaca, Mexico in Summer 2022, my interest in natural dyes deepened further to understand not only the role they play within present-day Indigenous communities, but also what it means to honor and acknowledge the cultural significances often tied to these dye customs.
My first stop on this post-grad journey brought me to Quetzaltenango, Guatemala where I worked alongside Trama Textiles to help develop wholesale catalogs (footloom wovens and natural dyes) as well as contribute to e-commerce operations via Shopify.
As a female owned textile cooperative, Trama’s mission is to create fair wages for female artisans of Guatemala while preserving and maintaining native cultural traditions and artistry to share with the world.
My budding fascination with Textile Sourcing and Procurement began through my exploration into the business of natural dyes throughout Guatemala. Due to the scale of Trama Textiles as a small weaving cooperative, I was able to dip my feet into areas of Sourcing that I likely would not have had access to working with industry giants.
The memories I cherish most would be the times I traveled to the homes of our suppliers in Lake Atitlán to pick up natural dye plants to transport back to our main offices in Quetzaltenango. It was during these times that I got experience of what it looks like to maintain genuine relationships with suppliers and how supply chain transparency and traceability can truly be the fruit of those personable partnerships.
There are so many directions that I hope to expand on from this experience working with indigenously and domestically-sourced materials!
In between my time spent at Trama Textiles, I found myself using both weekends and free hours throughout the week to immerse myself in this new environment by expanding my awareness of Guatemala’s vibrant culture.
Whether it was engaging with locals at nearby markets, setting aside time to attend my daily Spanish lessons, or embarking on volcano hikes in Xela’s surrounding areas with my co-workers, I look back on these times abounding in gratitude and with so much inspiration for future creative projects!
With all that I was exposed to while living, working, and traveling throughout Guatemala, I can only hope that these lessons and experiences will be used for advancements beyond what I will ever see or know.