Our clothes are handicrafts that identify in some ways the Otavalo community all over the world. Specially the ponchos that are garments emblematic of this indigenous culture. It takes about a month to make one single poncho.
Otavalo citizens work as a family as a form of entrepreneurship, each family has their own work shop and they usually specialize in two or three types of garments (poncho, sweater, scarves, bags, blankets, etc.). In this way, they assure quality of each garment.
Then they sell their products in the "Plaza De Los Ponchos", a well known place in Otavalo, easy to reach, where the artisans have a stand to display their products.
The ancient artisans made the clothing on wooden looms, currently these were replaced by modern ones that use chairs and other implements.
During the Colony, the color and shape of the poncho was what differentiated one community from another.
The patterns and models that are made in ponchos were found in the tombs of their ancestors.
The clothes can be made of sheep's wool, alpaca or yarn