Posts Tagged ‘alpaca clothes’

DOCUMENTARIES! LEARN TO MAKE ONE & FILM PERU

Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

In Chicago? Need something fun to do? Always wanted to make a documentary? I know I have and here at Mayu, we love documentaries!

If you answered yes, we have good news! A world-class filmmaker, story editor and consultant, Fernanda Rossi is holding a weekend workshop “Doing Your Doc: Diverse Visions, Regional Voices” in Chicago from 25th till 27th February. Fernanda Rossi has been a story consultant to over 300 films including two Academy Award Nominees, and author of the book Trailer Mechanics.

The workshop is highly recommended by Mayu’s friend and filmmaker (we always blog and talk about Mitch’s film, Soy Andina — watch it under your hand-knit, fair trade alpaca throw knit by Mayu’s artisans),  Mitchell Teplitsky. Mitch recently returned from a visit to see Mayu’s hand-knit, 100% alpaca shawls, scarves, hats, and more in production. Like us, Mitch and Fernanda have a great love for Peru. They  worked together in developing “Soy Andina,” a documentary about dance, and Peruvian and American cultures.

“Doing your Doc” is designed especially for media makers in the diverse and local communities of Illinois, preparing participants to receive production funding and apply to national professional programs while developing your unique stories and views. If you have a personal documentary idea, or social change community project that needs development, this seminar will be the right choice. The seminar is supported by grants, thus the participation fee is only $100 ($50 for students).” If I were in Chicago, I’d definitely be attending! Would love to document the Mayu story! Read more about the event!

For more,  find us on Twitter, and Facebook, and hear more stories from the field on our Blog!

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MAYU’S ALPACA YARN: NATURALLY STRONG

Saturday, February 5th, 2011

Mayu Customers have repeatedly prized us for great looking accessories that also have the distinctive characteristics as “cozy”, “warm” and “luxurious” (Read customer testimonials here). Beyond our lifestyle designs, handmade nature and overall coolness of our alpaca hats, scarves, hoodies and wraps, part of the credit should be given to the excellent material that Mayu’s artisans use – the alpaca fiber.

The Alpaca Research Foundation recently conducted a study on the properties of alpaca.  Fiber samples were taken from over 600 US alpacas, and compared to cashmere, wool and other materials. The results showed, without getting too technical, that compared to wool of similar fineness, alpaca was higher yielding, more heavily medullated (a distinctive feature of alpaca), longer, and therefore, considerably stronger.

Because of these positive properties, alpaca is an increasingly popular material for apparel and interior design and Mayu is proud to use the highest quality, 100% pure, eco-friendly, alpaca fiber in our hand-knit, fair trade winter fashion. Read more about the fiber here or experience it yourself by choosing some of our hand knitted, 100% Peruvian alpaca accessories (with free shipping till Valentine’s Day).

For more,  find us on Twitter, and Facebook, and hear more stories from the field on our Blog!

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PERU IS A GROWING (WITH THE HELP OF THE US?)

Monday, January 31st, 2011

So, lets talk Economics 101 as it relates to Peru. As I’ve said, each time I return to Peru (read more about my travels on our blog) to visit Mayu’s knitters, I am amazed by the rapid growth and ever changing financial climate in Peru. Although these changes are not always as evident in the Andes Mountains where our knitters live (compared to Lima), there definitely has been an impact in the development of infrastructure and transportation.

And the US role? According to the World Bank, the US has allocated $120.4 M for Peru to promote democratic institutions, successfully convert the advantages of economic openness into broad social benefits, and expand and strengthen state control over its territory.  Nearly 70% of the aid will supplement Peru’s counter narcotics budget. Other main support sectors include economic development, good governance, primary education and environment.

Peru has one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America. It experienced 8.7% growth even in 2010. Notable accomplishment is also the country’s growing middle class. At the same time, Peru is only 15th country in the region ranked by the GDP per capita, and income levels are highly unequal between Lima and rural areas of Amazon in Andes. I’m not going to get political, just throwing out the facts…

Along with foreign governments, social enterprises like Mayu help to build prosperity in disadvantaged regions of Peru. Learn more about how the creation of Mayu’s hand-knit, fair trade, ethical fashion accessories contributes to Peru’s growth here.

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PROTESTS & MINING CONTRACTS IN ANCASH, PERU

Saturday, December 11th, 2010

A few days ago, I wrote a post about the protests and strikes currently taking place in Ancash, Peru. Unfortunately, Mayu’s artisans are stuck in Chiquian and are having a tough time getting to Lima to send our products. One of Mayu’s friends, Hilmer Reyes, is up in the region now and he was kind of enough to pass along these pictures –
One of Mayu’s knitters was about to walk four hours to the nearest functioning bus but we advised her against that…

The protests are a result of a new mining contract that is going to pollute Lake Conaccocha (about 40 minutes from Mayu’s knitters), which is an important source of water for the region.

To see MORE PICS of this situation, click HERE.

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MAKING PROGRESS ON PERU’S FIRST GREEN CLINIC

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

A few months ago, I blogged about the Yantalo Foundation, created by Mayu’s close Peruvian friend, Luis Vasquez. Luis’s foundation is in the process of creating the first green clinic in rural Peru. The foundation works in a small community, Yantalo in the Peruvian jungle. Although having lived in the US for the majority of his life, Luis is very connected to the community because it is the birthplace of his parents.

I wanted to share an updated video that I recently received from Luis about the project. Congratulations to the Yantalo Foundation, you are making great progress!

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STARTING AN ALPACA IMPORT BUSINESS

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

A couple months ago, after returning from Peru, I wrote the following guest post about the history of Mayu for a great website, Living in Peru. I thought I’d share…

Starting an alpaca export business in Peru

By Kate Robertson

As I write this, I’m laying in bed with my netbook under four alpaca blankets in a rural village in Ancash, Peru. The altitude here is 3,800 meters (12,464 feet) and because there is no heat, my hands are so cold that I can barely type. I’ve just finished a three-hour meeting  with Mayu’s artisans (during which we indulged in American pretzels and sweet, Peruvian pastries). I’m wondering why I’m not wearing a pair of alpaca gloves, the fingerless ones, so I can still type! I look forward to morning when I can bask in the warm sun and take in the magnificent view of the Cordillera Huayhuash.
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I-DEV INTERNATIONAL – BRINGING MARKET BASED SOLUTIONS TO PERU

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010

Mayu believes in empowering individuals so they can help themselves. We do this by providing our artisans with small-business education and a  market to sell their alpaca accessories. Our organization simply would not function if both sides were not benefiting from our transactions. Another development-based firm that shares this philosophy is I-Dev International, an organization that is working in Peru (and has seen lots of success!).

“At I-DEV, we aim to achieve True Sustainability, in which “underserved” populations have adequate resources at their disposal, and are empowered to effectively use those resources to permanently improve the standard of living for their families, their communities , and their country.”
-Jason Spindler, Managing Director

I met the founder of I-Dev, Jason Spindler, while in the Peace Corps.  He was high in the mountains of Cajamarca, Peru — about twenty hours from where I was working with Mayu’s artisans in Ancash. Us Peace Corps volunteers just can’t get enough of Peru! We share our education with those with whom we work in Peru and are excited to be instrumental in the growth of Peruvian farmers and artisans. Check out I-Dev and you can even volunteer with them. It will be an unbelievable experience, I promise. I-Dev has just started a project related to Fair Trade in Peru and Mayu can’t wait to learn more about it.

For more on Mayu, find us on Twitter, see us on Facebook and to hear more stories from the field, subscribe to our e-news and follow our Blog!

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TRANSPARENCY & ETHICAL SOURCING AT MAYU

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

Here at Mayu we are excited to announce a new addition to our website! We’ve added a page that will educate consumers about the origins of a Mayu product. We’ve been very careful and outlined the process from knitting to the arrival of your purchase at your doorstep. As transparency and traceability are primary principles of Fair Trade, we wanted to share our process. We’ve got nothing to hide so here it is!

Click HERE to read more or find the link on all of our SHOPPING PAGES.

For more on Mayu, find us on Twitter, see us on Facebook and to hear more stories from the field, subscribe to our e-news and follow our Blog!

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BRINGING HOME MAYU’S ALPACA CLOTHES & ACCESSORIES

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

Have you heard of “Cintas?” Traditional Peruvian women adorn their braided hair and outfits with Cintas, which are bright and colorful ribbons that can be purchased at the local market. Kate of course had a better idea and used several cintas to create a new strap for her broken suitcase. Check out this video and watch as Amancio, Kate’s friend, works to find a solution to the busted handle on her suitcase.

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START-UP, ETHICS, & FAIR TRADE IN THE WORLD OF ALPACA ACCESSORIES!

Monday, October 18th, 2010

Earlier this month,  I was interviewed by Natalia Sylvester, blogger for Sharp Skirts. Natalia is Peruvian and naturally, she was interested in Mayu and the work we provide to Peruvian artisans. Read to hear my thoughts on ethics, Fair Trade and starting a business

Starting a business can be tough, but starting a business that’s out to change the world? That’s lot of weight on a person’s shoulders, and many women are proving that it’s not only possible, but worth it. Just ask Kate Robertson.

After spending two-and-a-half years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru and forming friendships with a group of local artisans, Kate wanted to find a way to help them make their skills marketable. So she founded Mayu, a clothing/accessory line of eco-friendly, hand-knit alpacas produced by a community of artisan women in the Andes. The principle behind Mayu was simple: women from all parts of the globe should have the chance to work for fair wages and be independent.

The company is a member of the Fair Trade Federation, which means that it pays fair wages, ensures that there’s no child labor, and is committed to environmentally sustainable practices. We spoke to Kate about the responsibilities that come along with having a cause-driven business and how running a social enterprise has its own unique challenges and rewards.

SS: What advice would you give someone who wants to get Fair Trade Federation certified?

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