This hand-knit alpaca clothing social enterprise, is the result of Chicago native, Kate Robertson's time spent working in Peru as a Peace Corps Volunteer in a rural community high in the Andes Mountains. Falling in love with the artisans and their amazing skills, I decided to start Mayu in hopes of continuing to support the Artisans as her time with the Peace Corps ended. Through Mayu, the Artisans have been given the opportunity to earn fair wages and become more independent while doing what they both enjoy and excel in - knitting. The Mayu product line includes luxurious, hand-knit accessories made with the highest quality pure, eco-friendly alpaca fiber and the company is a  proud member of the Fair Trade Federation.

The name Mayu, or river in Quechua (the native language of Mayu's artisans), represents the beauty of family and the preservation of environment. While in the Peace Corps, my Peruvian sister's name was Marijiori; she was nickenamed Mayu for short and in the valley just below her adobe  home passes the blessed Santa Ainin river. For pictures of Mayu and other exciting shots, visit our Flickr page.

We spent many years forming a business relationship, and more importantly, friendships with our artisans. This business has been mutually beneficial. The artisans have been taught valuable business skills and are earning fair wages, while still being able to be with their children. They have given us a stronger awareness of struggles women have in developing countries to provide for their families, thus feeding our passion to keep Mayu growing and growing. Read to learn more about the process of knitting one of Mayu's accessories.

"As an accessory addict and a Mayu devotee, I believe that once you wear a Mayu product, you will not want to take it off! Our items appeal to sophisticated, yet fun and informal individuals who are socially conscious and looking for one-of-a-kind pieces." Read reviews of our products.

Enjoy!

Kate Robertson