Slow
I am the kind of person who likes to move slowly. I like to wake up early and take the time to appreciate the sun’s rays before stepping out of bed. I sit outside and ritually sip my morning coffee, slowly whilst taking in a new day. I love living near the ocean and not having to rush through busy city streets or compete for parking spaces. I enjoy setting my own pace and feeling free.
Cielo Collective is an extension of this. Each piece is made slowly, by hand. On our last trip to Mexico and Guatemala, we sat and watched women work in rural villages, surrounded by trees and birds singing. Life was peaceful. There was no technology, no electricity, no hectic deadlines and certainly no rush. I thought to myself, that these women had life figured out. They come together each day, by foot and sit in circles with their children by their sides, weaving their textiles whilst having honest conversations. No distractions, just the loom and their loved ones.
In such a fast paced world, I had found the people I was longing to work with. They welcomed us into their homes, their safe spaces and taught us a way of life I will never forget. To see women create their art slowly, with intention and by feeling every stroke of the hand loom was so special. They bring creations to life that hold so much meaning, purpose, tradition and history. To think that they were so grateful that we were interested in their creative process, brings to light just how much disconnect there is in this mass produced world.
The life they lead does seem picturesque from an outsider's perspective, however in reality without someone to sell their handmade designs to, this life becomes a struggle. We hope that by selling their beautiful pieces, we can support them to continue creating. The fact that we are donating 5% of the profits from each sale to Mision Mexico Refuge, not only makes us ecstatic, but also makes each artisan proud to know that their work is helping others.
At Cielo, we don’t have hundreds of identical pieces, instead every single piece is unique in some way. One day we may have a collection of many styles, the next day we may not. When our online store is looking a little bare, we wait patiently. We wait as our artisan partners sit in circles and have honest conversations with their loved ones, whilst they move their fingers rhythmically to the feel of the hand loom. We believe that this is how life should be, free of pressure and lived slowly with well being valued above anything else.
Welcome to Cielo Collective, we hope you love each design as much as we do. But most of all, we hope that you value the makers. We hope you learn to love the women and men who make threads come alive, transformed into pieces that are treasured in your home or on your body for years and years.
To understand more about the artisans we work with, visit our Artisan page and our Blog. To read more about Cielo, visit our About Us page and to learn more about the amazing Mision Mexico, visit their page.
On behalf of Moacir and I, thank you for finding your way here,
Skye.
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