Andean Collection Blog

Fave AC travel piece: tagua loop chain earrings

2012-01-25T09:55:00.001-05:00

Over the new year I traveled to one of my favorite places on earth, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina, a lakeside resort town in the Andes where the style is casual and sporty but also stylish. I brought along several AC pieces of jewelry with me, but the one I wore the most was the tagua loop chain earring in ivory. They are so easy to wear and they go with everything...

from a lakeside hoodie...

to a bikini (and smoked trout sandwich)...

to a simple lunchtime t-shirt. Gastronomic tourism at its best!

(they even would have gone with my hiking boots, if earrings made sense in the backcountry)

It's never too cold for farm to table

2012-01-24T11:03:00.003-05:00

I recently watched Food Inc. (a bit late I know...) and am loving all things local when it comes to food. So this weekend when I was feeling the mid-winter blues, my man and I decided to jump in his car and take a little day trip to explore NY's farm to table options.

Amanda at Stone Barns Farm in Tarrytown

We set off to Blue Hill at Stone Barns, an amazing working farm (even in the winter!) that has an incredible tasting menu. The catch is that you need to make a reservation weeks or months out, and it costs $85...for lunch! However, you can also just do what we did and eat in the less expensive Blue Hill Cafe on the grounds. It's not as fancy as sitting in the dining room of the old stone farm house, but you still get amazingly fresh food and our lunch cost $13.50 for two!

So if you are feeling cooped up this time of year like I am, head up to Stone Barns, take a long walk through the snow (or mud, depending on how quickly you get up there!) and think about how important it is to know where your food is coming from.

It's only a 40 minute drive from the city, or you can take the Metro North to Tarrytown, and then grab a taxi from the station. It's worth the adventure to get out of the concrete jungle!

Amanda Visits the Andean Collection Warehouse

2012-01-23T15:21:00.000-05:00

Hello from the Andean Collection warehouse!

Amanda at our new warehouse

I (Amanda) took off to Massachusetts this week to check out operations at our brand new warehouse. Did you know that Andean Collection is a family business? My aunt Hollis and cousin Dakotah, run our warehouse and have been ever since Andean Collection's day 1 in 2008. Below you can find the charming mother/daughter shipping duo!

Dakotah and Hollis

Dakotah and I are more like sisters since we pretty much grew up together. Our mothers both worked part time at our uncle's hardware store, now called Philips Design (which you need to check out if you are ever in Concord, MA!) and we spent the days together as one big happy family.

Dakotah & Amanda

Of course I pitched in with packaging the orders...

Amanda at the warehouse

...and in between packaging up orders, I had some fun with the colors of our new scarves! I love this new lime version.

Lime Infinity Scarves $58

Lastly, we caught Dakotah as she was busily entering all the orders from ENK. People are loving the new line, and the warehouse is one crazy busy place.

Dakotah in the warehouse office

Just thought you might like to see what happens on the other side of your Andean Collection orders! Of course, you know the more glamorous side, our online shop!

Behind the Scenes Video! Cayambe Photoshoot

2012-01-18T18:17:00.003-05:00

Check out our brand new behind the scenes video of our Cayambe Line photoshoot that was shot on location in Las Galeras, Dominican Republic. Our new styles were just launched this week! Click here to view our lookbook (which was being shot in the video) and shop the Cayambe line now!

Fun desert photoshoot!

2012-01-18T10:04:00.000-05:00

For the Christmas break I traveled to Bolivia and was fortunate enough to go on a trip to the Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat, with my girlfriend and her family. We went on a three day trip through the salt flat itself and the surrounding mountain range, which is absolutely breath taking.

Of course the Andean Collection came with us in the form of our wonderful infinity scarves. At some point during the trip through the Andean desert our van broke down and we had to wait for our drivers to fix it. With the spare time we decided to do a little Andean Collection fashion shoot : )

Rosa and myself showing off our Andean Collection infinity scarves Christmas gifts in lime and berry. Of course we could not do our beautiful model Guadalupe any justice, but we had a lot of fun!

These infinity scarves are also available in forest green, quarry, leaf green, sunset orange and chocolate.

Armando Takes on Imbabura!

2012-01-12T08:30:00.000-05:00

Last year the Ecudorian government, through the ministry of productivity (Ministerio Coordinador de la Produccion) launched a project called ‘Emprende Imbabura’, translating as ‘Take on Imbabura’. Imbabura is mountain next to Otavalo, and the name of the province most of our artisans work in.

The project is based on policies geared toward assisting small enterprises and seeks to promote dynamic and productive initiatives in the province

After about 6 months of assessing over 200 applications, the 9 winners of the project were announced in September 2011. Armando, one of our lead artisans in the area around Otavalo, was one of the winners!

Here a picture of the award ceremony. Armando is at the back.

Armando’s innovative idea is to establish an artisanal centre for tourists and artisans alike, with a new model for hosting and connecting with people. He has told us that this has been his dream for a while, now he will be able to put it into practice in San Rafeal de la laguna, where he lives.

In October 2011 Armando hosted our Andean Collection party at his house, he and his wife Carmita really know how to through a good party! On this picture you can even see Imbabura in the background, a view from Armando’s house. Armando and Carmita on the left standing out through his red t-shirt and her purple jacket.

The prize was $8.500, to be used for a business plan, market research and to establish networks of contacts that will help with carrying out the project. As part of the project the winners were also given training in these areas during the month of December 2011.

Here Armando is being interviewed by an Ecuadorian paper at the award giving ceremony. We usually don’t see Armando all dressed up for official business with the ministry, but he scrubs up well, don’t you think?

"If I were a bell, I'd be ringing!"

2012-01-11T12:06:00.002-05:00

Quoted from a sales guru who gives talks online about sales tactics at trade shows. In this case, this is how he answers prospective buyers when they ask him how he's doing. I'm going to definitely use this as much as I can over the next couple of weeks at Market (that's what insiders and cool people call trade shows). In fact, perhaps the rest of the sales team and I will have a contest to see who can use it the most. I'll keep you posted.

Speaking of rings, I got home on Monday from ENK and my affianced tossed me a box and said, "look what I picked up for you today." Inside was the bespoke engagement ring we had had made over the holidays! Woot Woot! Pretty cool, huh? We met the designer at the Union Square Holiday Market and went from there. It was really fun to be able to pick out exactly what shapes and designs we liked. And I think it looks perfect merchandised with our current ring collection...maybe AC should look into fine jewels. Or maybe not, perhaps I'll just keep it on my finger for now.

Guess which one is mine?

Ready, Set...GO! Trade Show season begins

2012-01-06T08:51:00.001-05:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Trade show season! The AC team is busy prepping for this season of tradeshows. Stop by for a peak of our awesome new line. Here's the full schedule:

ENK NYC
JAN 8-10
Accessories Circuit
Booth# 3457, Pier 94

AMERICASMART, Atlanta
JAN 13-17
Booth# 2802 building 3

NYIGF, NYC
JAN 28-FEB 1
Booth #6315

WWDMagic Las Vegas
FEB 13-15
Booth# 74943, Las Vegas Convention Center, Central Hall

It's Official! AC's lead artisans are coming to NYC

2012-01-05T19:13:00.000-05:00

Andean Collection is pleased to announce that our 6 original artisans; Olga and Cesar, Nancy and Carlos, and Viviana and Cristian will be visiting NYC this summer. We've had such a wonderful time working with them in Ecuador and we're thrilled to host them in the Big Apple.

Cesar and Olga showing off their brand new passports

We are so excited that our loyal customers and clients will have an opportunity to meet the men and women behind their jewelry. Just a small taste of what our amazing artisans have created:

Olga and Cesar

One our classic items. The acai necklace in multi. Gayle King is a fan! Check her wearing it on Oprah.

The Amazon Necklace. This is one of Olga's designs!

Nancy and Carlos

One of our best selling items, the tagua bib in sunset orange

AC's opera piece, the Cascade Necklace

Cristian and Viviana

Our best selling piece this holiday, the Classic Tagua Bracelet in quarry

An office favorite, the Polished Tagua Bracelet in berry

Many thanks to everyone who helped with the Visa and Passport process. Looking forward to summer 2012!

Andean Collection on Fox News: Fair and Balanced Trade

2011-12-30T16:37:00.000-05:00

Amanda Judge in the Fox News studio

Fox News took a break from its political coverage and profiled Andean Collection today. We are delighted we were able to spread the word about chic fair trade accessories with a national audience. Check out the video here.

New Year Giveaway! Win Our Honeycomb Necklace

2011-12-28T14:58:00.000-05:00

Start 2012 off right with AC's gorgeous Honeycomb Necklace. This necklace is made of individual hand carved pieces of tagua which are strung into a striking geometric pattern. We're giving away one Honeycomb Necklace on New Year's Eve. To be eligible visit our facebook page and share the link with your friends. The more friends you recommend, the higher your chances of winning. Thanks for supporting Andean Collection and here's to a great 2012!

Looking Back: My Favorite Looks from 2011

2011-12-27T13:10:00.001-05:00

"Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?"

I must admit, Auld Lang Syne always makes me a bit melancholy and nostalgic. As 2011 draws to a close I find myself looking back on everything from family and relationships, to health and politics. Since I'm feeling so wistful, I figure this is a perfect time to honor my favorite Andean Collection looks from the past year:

Oh Mariposa Necklace in quarry. Thank you for being such a light, versatile statement piece. Whether with jeans and a tank top, or over a sweater dress, you never failed to impress in your quiet way. I look forward to incorporating you into my new winter and spring wardrobe.

Piedra Bracelet in burnt sugar. Man, we had a lot of good times this year. You are so easy to wear, and you feel so good! Remember when I wore you to the Louis CK show in August? That was great.

I love you Lola Hat in Fuschia! Here I am wearing you at a Li'l Jon show in Vegas. It's tough to stand out in a Vegas crowd, but you got so many compliments that night.

And finally, my old stand by, La Palma in Periwinkle. Destined to be a classic, and one of my favorite pieces. Here I am wearing you to NYC's legendary steak house, Peter Luger's. Cheers!

Happy 2012!

Winter White: Beer, Bracelets and Blankets

2011-12-22T12:13:00.000-05:00

It's official. Today is the first day of winter. Here, in New York City, the streets are full of people wearing dark, heavy jackets and the bars are full of folks sipping deep red wines and dark brews. As the cold sets in, I'm fighting against the dying of the light and embracing winter whites.

Sit back, and cozy up with a white ale.
You may think Weissbier is out of season, but there are plenty of rich white beers which will keep you warm this winter. One of my favorites is Bell's Belgian style Winter White Ale, from Bell's Brewery in Michigan.

Adorn yourself with white bracelets
You can warm up any look with an unexpected pop of winter white. I pair these Andean Collection bracelets with my comfy woolen sweaters.


Classic Tagua bracelet in Ivory

Riverbed Bracelet in ivory

Snuggle up under a fair trade blanket.
I love this blanket from Nkuku, a fair trade company that works with artisans throughout Africa and Asia. This lambswool blanket was made in India. You can find it at one of our favorite eco-boutiques, Greenheart!

Stay warm in white this holiday season!

Spice up your holiday with Aji

2011-12-21T16:12:00.005-05:00

Aji (Ecuadorian hot sauce)

Holiday Greetings from the Andean Collection team! We wanted to share one of our favorite Ecuadorian recipes to spice up your upcoming holiday meals; Aji an Ecuadorian hot sauce.

Whenever we're in Ecuador we put this sauce on anything savory. It is the best!

Aji Peppers

Also, if you need a list minute gift idea for your friends or as a hostess gift for a holiday party you can bottle this sauce in a mason jar (super cute) tie a bow around the jar and voilá!

Just add a festive bow around the mason jar for the perfect holiday gift

Recipe:

4 hot red peppers (aji peppers or similar small hot pepper)

2 garlic cloves

1 medium white onion chopped

1/2 cup of water

2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

3 tablespoons of scallions, chopped

1 tablespoon of cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh coriander, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 lemon juice the juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon salt

Directions:

Combine the water, lemon juice, olive oil, aji peppers, garlic, 3 tablespoons of chopped tomatoes, onion, and cilantro in a blender. Puree until smooth.

Add the remaining ingredients to the puree and mix well.

Add salt to taste.

Joint Blog Post! Christmas Celebrations in Ecuador and New York

2011-12-19T10:16:00.001-05:00

Christmas in Ecuador

Chiara

Last week Andean Collection had a Christmas gathering with the artisans in Ecuador, the same day our New York team celebrated the festive season with a sample sale!

The artisans explained that like in the US the family gathers on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to celebrate and eat turkey. They exchange presents, and will often just give the children some gifts or biscuits. Living in Ecuador I have noticed a lot of Christmas events around town. Here we have a few examples.

Here we have a group of youth volunteers in Otavalo collecting money for their children's charity. They organize gifts and events for children in need around their town.

Children's parades, with all kinds of traditional outfits, so cute!

And our very own Sami, Olga and Cesar's daughter, singing in a Christmas choir on one of the Otavalo squares (second row from the bottom, third from the right).

Fernanda and Carlos, our fabulous hat makers, have put a lot of effort in their Christmas decorations, as you can see.

Holidays in New York City

Maureen

Andean Collection's NYC team has been super busy this holiday season with our pop up shops in the Grand Central and Union Square holiday markets, as well as finalizing our new line, which launches next month! So we were excited to just kick back and have some fun at our holiday party/sample sale.

Christmas lights up, food and drink are out--it's time to party!

We created a little shop in our office for the sample sale.


Our first guests arrived and went straight to our office pop up shop.

Our game "guess the number of pambil seeds" was a big hit! Our photographer Colleen guessed the exact number (68) and won herself an Andean Collection bracelet.

Cory bought herself an acai rope necklace in sea green and a polished tagua bracelet in sunset orange.

Emily models her purchase, an acai rope necklace in sea green.

Caitlin is happy with her new infinity scarf in forest green.

Marla looks festive in AC's tagua bib in sunset orange.

Jamar modeling our Lola Hat in electric blue. Um, I think he needs a larger size.

The final countdown...

2011-12-14T14:50:00.000-05:00

4,3,2,1....I can't believe it's 10 days until Christmas Eve!! While most people are getting ready for winter travel, holiday parties and chestnuts roasting on an open fire, I'm in lockdown mode preparing for the final push managing our crazy busy Holiday retail pop up shops at Union Square and Grand Central! The last 10 days are historically the busiest at these shops and it's a mad whirlwind of tissue paper, tagua, candy canes and elf dust! Ok, I made up the last couple, but you get the idea. All the shops at both locations are really fun and there are great gifts for everyone on your list. Swing by, say hi and pick up some sweet loot! Happy Holidays Everyone!!

Grand Central Station...we're just to the right around the corner!

Union Square Holiday Maze by night.

It's REAL!

Andean Collection at Green Drinks NYC

2011-12-12T20:07:00.001-05:00

Tuesday night, December 13th, Andean Collection will be participating in Green Drinks NYC's "Green Gift SHOP and SWAP". Snacks will be provided by Raw Revolution and Regal Vegan. Drinks will be provided by Brooklyn Brewery, Milano Green Vodka, and Zico Coconut Water. Other vendors include Mighty Wallets, Sustainable NYC and First World Trash. Stop by to say hello and do your green holiday shopping! It's going to be a blast.

Color of the Year: Tango Tangerine!

2011-12-10T14:04:00.004-05:00

We were delighted to hear that Pantone, the world's leading authority on color, named "Tango Tangerine" the hot color for 2012. According to Pantone, tango tangerine is a "fiery orange". Well, looks like we're ahead of the fashion curve, because that color has been a centerpiece of many of our spring and fall collections. Check it out!

Tagua Bib Sunset Orange

Infininity Scarf and Frida Earrings in Sunset Orange

Tropical Necklace in Tangerine

Acai Cuff in Coral


Accented Bracelet in Soft Gray/Sunset Orange

Honeycomb Necklace in Tomato

Standard Inspiration Belt in Burnt Sugar

Floresta Earrings in Sunset Orange

Polished Tagua Bracelet in Sunset Orange

Riverbed Bracelet in Tomato

Tagua Loop Chain Earrings in Sunset Orange

Toro Ring in Sunset Orange

Trapezoid Necklace in Sunset Orange

Tropical Bracelet in Tangerine

Mesa Ring in Sunset Orange

Christmas and baby preparation in Ecuador

2011-12-08T14:34:00.000-05:00

Christmas preparations are under way in Ecuador. For our lead artisans, Christian and Viviana, it had a lot to do with getting their house ready for the newest member of their family, who could join them any day now. In the last few months they have revamped their house completely, adding 5 bathrooms for their soon three children and a lovely large balcony to relax on in the evening.

This year the whole artisan team is playing Secret Santa for Christmas, boys picked girls and girls picked boys to give gifts to. Of course it's all top secret!

Here we have 4 generations at one table, Emily, her father Christian, his father in law Don Freddy, his mother in law, who will be the new baby's great grandmother! At this meal we had delicious shrimp bolones soup, all freshly prepared.

Everybody helping with the lunch preparations.

Andean Collection trunk show at Teich!

2011-12-08T13:51:00.000-05:00

TONIGHT! 4-8 PM at Teich in the West Village.

Holiday Gift Guide Madness!

2011-12-07T20:02:00.001-05:00

Thanks to everyone who included Andean Collection in their gift guides this holiday season. Every purchase benefits our artisans in Ecuador, and we appreciate your support so much. Give back this season! Check out these gift guides for more eco-friendly and fair trade trade inspiration.

Check out NY Post's holiday market gift picks, all under $75.

The eco-fashion experts at Ecouterre have green gift guides for every occasion. From cycling enthusiasts to Vegas accessories, you'll find lots of inspiration right here.

Fair Trade Federation's Holiday Gift Guide features artisans from all over the world, including Andean Collection. All of the gifts in FTF's guide are handcrafted and fair trade!

The National Audubon Society has been around since 1905, and we are so proud to be a teensy, tiny footnote in its long history. Their gift guide includes ideas for bird lovers, fashionistas, travel enthusiasts and adventurers.

Check out Huffpost Green for the latest in environmental news. Plus, their gift guide rocks!

Thanks to Shop Smart Magazine for featuring us in their "feel good gift" section. It IS smart to purchase gifts that give back.

Andean Collection Hearts Greenheart!

2011-12-05T15:50:00.001-05:00

There are so many reasons to love Greenheart, a beautiful, design forward boutique located in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. From bird houses and blankets to journals and jewelry, Greenheart exclusively carries eco-friendly and fair trade products. All purchases directly benefit the lives of artisans around the world, and are crafted with sustainable materials. Plus, Greenheart is more than just a boutique. The shop hosts weekly book club meetings, monthly meditative workshops and they even offer volunteer opportunities. Lets take a little tour.

All decked out for the holidays! Even the stockings are eco-friendly. They've been crafted with recycled coffee burlap sacks.

Andean Collection is beautifully displayed and fits right into the festive motif. Need ideas for your eco-friendly stockings? Browse our stocking stuffer suggestions.


Greenheart's multi-hued walls give the shop a warm and cozy feeling.

A selection of throws and pillows handcrafted by artisans from India.

More AC!

Sustainably made frames, book ends and door stops.

And yes, Greenheart even has a kitchen. I want to move into this store.

Take a trip around the world with this international earring selection. From South Africa, India, Peru and YES, Ecuador.

AC's Frida and square stud earrings.

If you're looking for unique gift ideas and live in the Chicago area, pop into Greenheart for their 12 Days of Christmas Sale!

Stocking Stuffers: Gifts Under $30

2011-12-01T11:35:00.000-05:00

Need a little holiday inspiration? Here are gift ideas courtesy of Andean Collection. These pieces are beautiful AND affordable. Plus, each item has a story behind it, and comes with a tag explaining the natural materials used to create the jewelry as well as a bio of the artisan who handcrafted it. Perfect for gift giving!

Tropical Bracelet $12
A bright, fun, one-size-fits all bracelet made from açaí seeds sustainably harvested in the lowland rainforests of South America. AC's Tropical Bracelet is available in 7 different mix and match colors.

Moon Sliver Earrings $17
These earrings are made from carved and polished tagua seed. Simple, yet elegant!

3-in-1 necklace $29
A light versatile necklace made of 55 inches of açaí seeds. It unclasps and can be wrapped up to 3 times to be worn as a long necklace or a choker.

Mesa Ring $18
Make a statement with our bold, vibrant mesa ring. It's carved entirely from tagua seed, comes in three different sizes and six colorways.

Riverbed Bracelet $26

An Andean Collection office favorite! The one-size-fits all riverbed bracelet is made from finely polished tagua seed and comes in 16 different colors.

Order now for guaranteed delivery by the holidays. Happy shopping!

Cute Baby Overload: Bienvenidos a Sophie!

2011-11-30T18:24:00.001-05:00

Big news in the Andean Collection family. On November 20th, Cristina, AC's production coordinator in Ecuador, had a daughter! Felicidades to Cristina and her husband Fransisco on their first child. Her name is Sophie and she is beautiful, just like her mom. Finally, we have photos to show you!

Just a day old!

Sophie takes a little rest in her mom's arms.

Cristina's mom Patricia. Proud to be an abuela.

Preciosa!

Francisco's grandmother, and Sophie's bisabuela.

Freshly painted nursery.

Chiara, AC's Non-Profit and Environmental Resource Manager, shows her maternal side.

I think Sophie may be sick of the paparazzi.

From Wives to Grandmas: Five Gift Ideas Under $40

2011-11-28T14:49:00.002-05:00

The holidays are here! If you managed to avoid the Black Friday crowds and are still looking for gift ideas, look no further. Andean Collection has gifts for every budget, and is great for wives, daughters, moms, sisters and grandmothers. And best of all, every purchase gives back to our artisans in Ecuador. Here are our five favorite gift ideas under $40

For Mom
Accented Tagua Necklace $35
This necklace is striking, light, easy to wear and it's adjustable!

For Sister
Tagua Loop Chain Earrings $26
Show your sister you love her with these stylish earrings, made entirely from tagua seed.

For Wife
Acai Rope Necklace $39
AC's eco-friendly take on a strand of pearls. A stunning full 75 inches of açaí beads that can be wrapped several ways or paired with other colors for heightened drama.

For Grandma
Classic Tagua Bracelet $26
This is one of our best selling pieces for a reason. It's popular with the younger generation, but is perfect for grandma too! It's light and easy to wear, plus it looks and feels great.

For Daughter
Piedra Bracelet $24
This hip and versatile bracelet is a wonderful gift for any daughter. The accent is pure tagua and the soft leather wrap makes a bold statement.

Happy holiday shopping!

Go Green! Eco Friendly Gift Wrap Ideas

2011-11-21T19:21:00.000-05:00

The holidays are upon us and at Andean Collection we've been busy helping customers at our pop-up shops in Grand Central and Union Square. We're surrounded by lots of creative local artists and fair trade vendors and I'm planning on buying all of my gifts at NYC's holiday fairs. So I'm going green with my purchases, but how can I maintain my "green"-ness when I wrap my presents? I did a little research, and here are some of my favorite ideas.

#1 Furoshiki AKA Cloth Wrapping

The Japanese practice of wrapping gifts in cloth, Furoshiki, has been traced back to the 8th century. In 2006 Japan's environmental minister pushed to have the practice brought back into main stream society, not only to preserve a part of Japanese cultural, but to fight against wastefulness as well. Have you out grown a great patterned shirt? Pants got a hole in them? Don't throw them out! Save your britches for Christmas.

#2 Layer Up!
Reuse a variety of paper products for a gorgeous, multi-media gift wrap.

Leave it to craft maven Martha Stewart to come up with such a brilliant idea. Her wrapping is a work of art in itself. She encourages folks to layer different types of repurposed paper in different textures and colors to achieve this striking effect. The photo above includes old maps, discarded wall paper, and food menus. Oh Martha! If I could only have a sliver of your talent.

#3 Stamp It!

This is something that I HAVE done. It's super simple and good for the environment. If you have extra paper shopping bags lying around your home or office, just wrap the gift in it and go to town on it with festive stamps. Homemade wrapping paper in a jiffy. Gotta give a shout out. I get my stamps at the Ink Pad in NYC.

#4 What's Black and White and Read All Over?

photo courtesy of simplemom

Wrapping paper! As long as you make the corners neat and sharp, you can wrap presents in anything. I love the addition of the stark black ribbon and charm.
Enjoy your holiday shopping! Need gift ideas? Just visit our online shop!

Baby shower in Otavalo

2011-11-15T09:58:00.000-05:00

On Saturday we had the great pleasure of attending Cristina’s baby shower. Tomorrow will be her last day of work before she goes into maternity leave, and we are really looking forward to having her back once she is ready!

There are some specific traditions that go with childbirth in the Otavalo area, as Nancy, one of our artisans, and Patricia, Cristina’s mother explained to us. There were a couple of interesting discrepancies between the indigenous and mestizo culture. Among the indigenous community the women usually stay in bed for a month after giving birth, and previously women would not leave the house for about three months. A specific diet is given to the women during the first month after childbirth, made up of mainly ‘caldo de gallina del campo’, or organic chicken soup. The chicken are often kept at home for months in preparation. Nancy explained that in the indigenous culture relatives come to visit the mother bringing her food. In both traditions the grandmother of the baby will usually cook for the new mother during the first week after the baby has arrived, and Patricia explained that five meals are prepared each day, some of which are thick milk and egg based drinks, to help the mother with breastfeeding.

Having baby showers is a fairly new tradition in Ecuador, but the people I have met have really embraced it. Some games were played with the guests and there was plenty of food. At this baby shower relatives and friends of the soon-to-be parents came, with men and women celebrating together.

Here a picture of Christina and Francisco at their wedding earlier this year! They are a lovely couple and it was so nice to see the whole family getting excited about the baby coming. They have already given her a name Danna Sophia. I can't wait to meet her!

Looms and Scarves and Belts...Oh My!

2011-11-14T17:07:00.000-05:00

I was never much of a belt person, but Andean Collection's inspiration wide belt in leaf green has changed my outlook on waist accessories. Yeah, belts are great for holding up your pants, but sometimes it's fun to throw a belt over a simple shirt or dress.

Guadalupe rocking our inspiration wide belt.

I love wearing my AC belt because I know its been made with great care. I recently had the opportunity to visit the textile workshop where our lead artisans, Luzmila and Segundo, intricately craft AC's belts and scarves.

The workshop has a room entirely dedicated to spools of different colored yarn and string.

Luzmila and Segundo working on one of our top secret spring designs :)

All of AC's belts and scarves are hand-loomed. Here, assistant artisan Yolanda, gets a hand preparing the loom. Simply spooling the fabric takes upwards of 90 minutes. In order to create intricate patterns, the colors have to be spooled in a specific order.

Luzmila and Segundo's workshop also utilizes hand and foot cranked wooden looms. They currently have 8 assistant artisans working with them.

Looms in action! As you can see, it's a team effort.

Belts in progress. Just a tagua buckle and they're ready to go.

Many of the indigenous women in Ecuador wrap these traditional textiles in their hair as well. Here, our assistant artisans Yolanda and Alicia model their "fajas".

After a lot of TLC the belts are ready. Wear yours with pride!

Hiking in Ecaudor: Ruta del Condor

2011-11-08T10:29:00.002-05:00

Living in Ecuador the past year and a half has allowed me to appreciate the mountains in new ways. Growing up in a small beach town in northern California, trips to the mountains were generally limited to winter ski trips at crowded resorts. South America has opened my eyes to a vast landscape where one can truly find solitude—and just a few hours from Quito!

For the long weekend for día de muertos, my husband and I set out for a 4-day trek on the Ruta del Condor. Departing from El Tambo near the Papallacta hot springs and heading south, then west to Cotopaxi National Park, this 60km route traverses isolated páramo and high mountain passes, requiring orienteering, trailblazing, and quite a bit of endurance. We were beat after carrying heavy packs over such rugged terrain at 4000 meters, but we did luck out with incredible weather and amazing views. See below for some of Ecuador’s finest scenery!

Lago Timinguino, Day 1

Heading toward Volcán Antisana, Day 2

A quick rest at Volcán Antisana

Camp 3, Quebrada Shutog looking toward Sincholagua

Heading toward the Sincholagua pass, 4400m

The approach to Cotopaxi National Park, Day 4

Andean Collection Loves Teich!

2011-11-07T16:36:00.004-05:00

Tucked away in NYC's East and West Village, Teich is a veritable treasure trove of eco-design. Beyond the fact that they've been carrying Andean Collection, pretty much since our launch, there are so many reasons to love this boutique. Teich's owner and handbag designer, Allison Teich McGowan, is deeply committed to sustainable fashion. Her own line of bags are handmade locally from recycled and vintage materials.
Here, her vegetable tanned-leather evening wallet is displayed alongside our Lola hat.

Both shops were carefully designed and developed with sustainability in mind, making use of energy-efficient lighting, environmentally friendly paints and repurposed fixtures. Below, Allison cleverly reuses an eyeglass display case and vintage bottles to showcase AC's Mariposa and Acai necklaces.

Looking for creative ways to display accessories without breaking the bank? Allison transformed a vintage 1920s knife display into a striking jewelry case. The peg board beautifully exhibits a variety of Andean Collection necklaces.

The only thing that isn't recycled at Teich? Allison's adorable son, Leo.

Inside Armando's Workshop: The Man Behind AC's Rings

2011-11-04T12:15:00.008-04:00

During our latest design trip to Ecuador we visited our lead artisan Armando in his ring making workshop, set in a gorgeous village outside of Otavalo. Andean Collection's Mesa and Toro rings are all hand crafted with sustainable materials from Ecuador, including tagua seed and no-kill bullhorn. Armando comes from a long line of ring makers and carvers. As you can see (below) he has learned to utilize nearly the entire bullhorn.
First, he carefully carves out pieces of the horn to be used on our toro rings, and proceeds to transform the tip of the horn into a pipe which he then sells at the market. Below, Armando explains the malleability of bullhorn.
Around his shop you'll find rings in various states of progress.
Once the ring is carved to the appropriate shape, Armando then polishes it. Yes, he uses recycled denim as a buffer! One of Armando's masterpieces, a ring with a wooden finish.Armando also uses coconut shell in his work. This is a great way to draw from natural resources and preserve the Ecuadorian forests. Perhaps we'll incorporate it into some of our new designs? Just wait and see!
Just a few of the many creative ring designs Armando has developed in his workshop.
Not only is Armando a brilliant jewelry designer, but he's also an avid gardener. This is just a small portion of the lush garden surrounding his workshop.

AND he has a tree swing!Armando was kind enough to invite AC's NYC team to visit his workshop and family "whenever we want". I may just take him up on the offer and stay a lonnnng time.

Postcard From Our Spring Photoshoot

2011-11-02T17:00:00.005-04:00

Hola! We just arrived in the Dominican Republic and we're getting prepped for our spring photo shoot of our spring line, which starts bright and early tomorrow morning. Our new collection is all about bright colors, glamour and fun making this an ideal spot to capture it.
Amanda, hard at work in the DR.

A sneak peak at some of our fun new spring items.

Happy Halloween! What to wear to Sleep No More?

2011-10-31T14:38:00.013-04:00

photo courtesy of NYTimes
Boo! Did I scare you? Yes, it's All-Hallows-Eve, and in just a few short hours the streets of New York will be filled with boisterous revelers dressed to the nines in spooky attire. Tonight, I am celebrating Halloween by attending Punch Drunk's production Sleep No More, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth. The interactive play takes place over 6 floors in a giant warehouse in Manhattan, and all of my friends who have seen it have been absolutely blown away.
I don't have a costume to wear, but fortunately attendees have been asked to simply dress "predominantly in black, inspired by your darkest nightmare". I have black jeans, a black shirt, and black boots and just need some accessories. Andean Collection to the rescue!
Here are some of my favorite noir pieces:

Riverbed in Onyx
Frida Earrings in Onyx
Toro Ring in Midnight Teal
Honeycomb Necklace in Onyx

Andean Collection to the Caribbean!

2011-10-28T15:14:00.005-04:00

The mood is great here at Andean Collection's office this fine Friday, as the sun finally came out after a deluge of rain. We are doing the final preps for our SS12 photoshoot, which is happening next week in the Dominican Republic!

My favorite outfit for the shoot - check out the sneak peak of our awesome new necklace:

We chose to do our Summer 2012 shoot in the DR this year because we needed a warm place to play up the fun beachy colors of our next line. Surprisingly, Ecuador is not very warm! (...due to the altitude and even on many low lying coastal areas there is a heavy fog...think summers in San Francisco!)

However, we wanted to keep the latin feel in our catalog, and Dominican Republic is one of three Spanish speaking island in the Caribbean (DR, Puerto Rico & Cuba).

DR is also one of my favorite spots in the world. Working on various development projects before I started Andean Collection, I have traveled a LOT. And I can say that the DR is currently my favorite place. Of course, it's best to avoid resorts and check out local beaches. Here is one of my favorite spots in Las Galeras, Dominican Republic.

Yeah, I think we can get some nice shots there...

And after the shoot is all over, hopefully we have a few hours to relax. I am very good at relaxing when the time is right...point in case, my feet below.

Display Inspiration in Dallas

2011-10-27T18:23:00.004-04:00

So, I just finished up my first day at FIG's spring market in Dallas. For those who aren't familiar with the trade show circuit, basically each brand gets a bare booth and has an opportunity to showcase their line. An important part of the set up process is how items are displayed. You want to draw people's eyes to your product and have the display tell some sort of story.
I love the color story Andean Collection's bracelets tell, and my favorite part of trade show season is setting up our bracelets. I love deciding the order of colors for each style and I tend to switch around the colors throughout the day. Here are our Riverbed Bracelets at 5pm CST
Our polished tagua bracelets (as of 5:10 CST)
Another great part of displaying the bracelets, is that I constantly discover fun new color combos. Here are some of my favorites (from today)
Riverbed in Pink Grapefruit, Midnight Teal and Quarry

Accented Tagua Bracelet (midnight teal) with Riverbed in nude
Riverbed in Incan Sun with Onyx
And if you like any of our displays, they were handcrafted by Amanda's dad in Northern California, and you can purchase them!

Happy Birthday Picasso!

2011-10-26T16:25:00.014-04:00

Just this past Tuesday was Pablo Picasso's birthday, so I have decided to post a quick tribute to him. Although Picasso's name has become almost cliche over the years, I am not ashamed to admit he is still one of my absolute favorite artists. His body of work is astounding, and his talent overwhelming. I honestly never tire of looking at his work - especially in person. I went to see the de Kooning exhibit at MOMA on Saturday, and I couldn't resist peeking into the permanent collection to see a couple of my Picasso favorites.

But I'm not limited to those - here are a couple more that I love:

Joie de Vivre, 1946

The Two Saltimbanques (Harlequin and His Companion), 1901

His use of color always inspires me (and thus the AC!) and this is especially apparent in The Two Saltimanques, where he pairs bold oranges with muted blues and teals.

Here are some of our blues and oranges.
Honeycomb Necklace
Infinity Scarf and Frida Earrings in Sunset Orange.

Tales from a Vegetarian wannabe.

2011-10-25T14:56:00.001-04:00

I know a ton of posts have already been done about furless/non leather fashion but not by me, so now it's my turn! First off, let me preface by saying that I am NOT a vegetarian and I wear leather (more boots, less pants). But I am vegetarian curious and am totally open to non leather options for bags, boots, and other accessories. I also am a huge Oprah fan. HUGE. That's right, I've somehow totally turned into that woman in her 30s who adores mother O. Anyhow, while I was reading this month's Oprah Mag (cover to cover of course), I found this article: http://www.oprah.com/style/Animal-Friendly-Fashion-Why-Oprah-Doesnt-Wear-Fur_1 I was definitely won over by the darling pig who was the star of their shoot!

Ok, not the actual pig in the shoot but how cute is this PIGLET?

For the entire shoot no leather or any other animal products were used. It got me thinking a little bit more of how I approach animal products. I'm definitely not ready to convert to vegetarianism again (did it for a while in my teens/twenties. I was ruined by rabbit in Italy) but one of my coworkers Jess is a "vegetarian until dinner" and I think I could go for that. It's all about moderation, baby. And like I said above, totally cool with vegan accessories. In fact, for years my two favorite handbags were vegan. The designer works out of Seattle and her bags are so amazing! Check out her website here: http://www.crystalynkae.com/ Here are the two bags I own:

They look like leather, but they aren't...snap!

So this coming month, I'm all about moderation. I'm challenging myself to eat veggie until dinner and only buy vegan accessories/clothes! Want to join me? You can start by sampling a couple of my favorite vegan AC pieces:

Above: our beautiful Mariposa Necklace in Berry, below: our Accented Bracelet in Soft Gray

Urban Inspiration in Quito and Brooklyn. Our first joint blog post.

2011-10-21T18:34:00.000-04:00

With an office in NYC and another in Quito, Andean Collection is truly an international brand. And although our team is split between two different continents, the urban landscape outside our offices is strikingly similar. Two of our staff members, one in Quito and the other in Brooklyn, documented the graffiti as they walked to work. Just look at the parallels. It's clear why Ecuadorian and NYC aesthetics mesh so well in our designs!

Quito, Ecuador
Chiara

Quito has really surprised me in terms of graffiti art. I always enjoy seeing interesting graffiti in cities I visit and the graffiti scene is vibrant here. The following pictures all depict graffiti I see on my way to the Andean Collection office in Quito and some of the characters and styles used here are recognizable in other parts of the city too.

Like everywhere, some of the graffiti around Quito also carries political messages, like here we have a stencil image of two men making out and the Ecuadorian president talking...well, you see it! Not sure about what the message behind Rhianna and the baby DJ is, maybe there is none.

'Ocho y medio' is a great little cinema and bar right around the corner from our office in Quito. It just got totally revamped and they added this new graffiti art work to the exterior design.

Brooklyn, NY
Maureen

There's lots of exciting graffiti outside our office in NYC as well. All of these pieces are within a 6 block radius of Andean Collection's NY headquarters.

"Cereal Killers". This mural is an oldie, but a goodie. It's been in the neighborhood for at least 4 years. Fortunately no one has painted over it yet.
I pass this mural whenever I head out for lunch. It's nearly a block long, but I couldn't quite capture its grandeur with my i-phone. It was painted by Look Out Crew.

This colorful piece is located along a relatively desolate street across from an industrial warehouse. I love the vibrancy it brings to the block. All throughout New York you'll find street artists who incorporate stenciling into their work. The British artist Banksy often utilizes this technique. Although this particular piece isn't his, I still love it.
There's a machine shop directly across from our office building. No need for a sign when you have that image spray painted on your business.
New York street art pays tribute to the city's police officers and firefighters.

How to throw a party...Ecuador style

2011-10-19T10:17:00.010-04:00

Our spring design trip has ended! In celebration Armando, one of our ring makers (and bull horn master), helped Andean Collection throw a big goodbye party on his gorgeous property outside of Otavalo, Ecuador . Here's a checklist of how you can throw your own great fiesta.

Check 1: Find a gracious host (like Armando)
Check 2: Beautiful view of a snow capped volcano
Check 3: Find a tent so you can protect friends from a chance of rain
Check 4: Serve a delicious home cooked meal and pair it with Cerveza Pilsener. Our hat makers Fernanda and Carlos chatting with Oriana and her husband Devon. Lead artisans Mercedes, Jose Luis and Nancy enjoying roast chicken, potatoes, salad and chicha de maiz (a sweet boiled drink made from corn)Check 5: DANCING! Armando hired a band, Gran Integracion, to play some traditional Ecuadorian jams. Bria and Armando bailando.
Check 6: Soccer. Don't let these sweet little kids fool you, they could PLAY.
Check 7: Family time. Assistant artisan Alicia joins Olga, Cesar and their daughter Sami.

La Familia de Luz Mila and Segundo, along with their assistant artisans.

Check 8: Adorable children

Mercedes dances with her precious little girl.
Luz Mila's daughter Chasca decked out in a traditional costume for the feast of San Juan Bautista. St. John the Baptist's feast day is celebrated in June, but the artisans put together a mock version just for us!

Olga and Cesar's children Justin and Sami enjoying Armando's tree swing.
Mercedes and Jose Luis' adorable son Luis Gabino.

Check 9: Set aside some "dude time". Our original lead artisans Carlos, Cesar and Christian hanging out and talking dude stuff. The dudes of Luz Mila and Segundo's workshop striking manly poses. There you have it. 9 simple steps for hosting a great Ecuadorian fiesta!

Report From Otavalo: Finalizing Spring Designs

2011-10-14T08:59:00.013-04:00

Today was a big day for Andean Collection. Amanda, AC's founder and our "jefa", arrived in Otavalo to help select final designs for our spring line. It was also a big day for Ecuador because Volcan Imbabura was capped with an unseasonable amount of snow. Everyone in town was talking about it, and the news made the front page of Ecuador's paper El Universo.

Here's Amanda with Nancy's daughter Huayra, in front of Imbabura.

The AC team gets down to business. Amanda has been helping design from NYC and now has an opportunity to assess the final designs in person.
Our original lead artisans (and cousins) Nancy and Olga offer their artisanal expertise and creative input.
Yeah, the workshop was pretty busy.
Bria and Nancy collaborate on a final design.
Nancy and Carlos' assistant artisans Cecilia and Yolanda hard at work, or gossiping...or both!
Assistant artisan, and workshop jokester, Hector. He is also one of AC's scholarship recipients and is studying accounting.
Break time with adorable children! Olga's son Justin, Maroni and Huyra pose for the camera.

Nancy and Carlos' recently acquired a gently used loom. Here, assistant artisans Roberto, Hector and Yolanda demonstrate how to prepare the loom.
Nancy's assistant artisans Hector, Yolanda, Alicia and Anita strike a pose in front of Volcan Imbabura.
And LUNCHTIME! Nancy's mom Rosa has helped prepare a delicious meal.
The beef is braised in large pots over an open flame. It takes a lot of cocineras to feed the AC team.
The feast consisted of Sambo de Dulce, a traditional Ecuadorian soup; salad, avocado, braised beef, potatoes and corn.

After lunch Olga's daughter Sami practiced the melodica for her music studies.

What a wonderful way to end the day. Tomorrow we visit our scarf and hat makers. To be continued...

Olga and Cesar's Workshop...and why women rule the world

2011-10-12T17:18:00.023-04:00

Yesterday we had the pleasure of visiting Nancy and Carlos' workshop, and today we traveled a few miles up the road to Olga and Cesar's workshop to finalize more pieces in Andean Collection's spring line. Nancy and Olga are cousins, so not only is Andean Collection fair trade, it's a family business too!

Olga displays a multi-strand necklace she has designed.
Olga's husband, and lead artisan, Cesar with a brand new version of one of our classic pieces, the Acai Necklace in multi. Bria, Jess and Olga discussing potential designs and colors. AC's creative process involves lots of collaboration. Jess tries on a design-in-progress. This is an integral part of the design workshops, to ensure each piece achieves perfect look and fit.
Assistant artisan Janneth using the quemera technique to finish AC's Mariposa necklace. Artisans in action! Assistant artisan Sandra, one of AC's scholarship recipients, has just returned from school to help out in the workshop.
Assistant artisans Sandra (Olga's sister) and Patricia (Cesar's sister) decked out in their school uniforms. I love the intricate embroidery of their traditional blouses.
Ever wonder how all of those AC labels are attached to our necklaces and bracelets? Patricia lends a hand and meticulously ties the Andean Collection label onto each acai necklace.
My favorite part of our design workshops, lunchtime!
Our delicious lunch included braised chicken legs, corn, potatoes, cheese, rice and aji criolla (aka Ecuadorian hot sauce).
Aji criolla is typically made with fresh tomato, onion, hot peppers and cilantro.
During lunch we talked about feminism and the power dynamic between men and women. With Olga's help we concluded that women pretty much rule the world. Sorry Cesar!
Co-conspirators Bria and Olga.
Another super woman, Olga's daughter Sami. Although she's only 9, she's decided that she doesn't want to get married and is studying to become a business woman.
It was truly amazing to visit Olga and Cesar's workshop and see the difference fair trade practices have made in their lives. Working with Andean Collection allowed Olga and Cesar to build up financial savings, and they recently used a portion of these savings to purchase a plot of land next to their home (on the right). They plan to turn the plot into a garden and exhibition space for their work, as well as the work of other local artisans. Tomorrow we return to Nancy's workshop to make final decisions on our spring collection. Hasta pronto!

Report from Otavalo: Inside Nancy and Carlos' workshop

2011-10-10T17:48:00.034-04:00

We arrived in Quito late last night and spent our first day in Otavalo finalizing some of our spring designs at Nancy and Carlos' workshop. Lets take a little tour!
As you walk up toward Nancy's workshop you pass a ledge with an amazing view. Here is Imabura Volcano. Don't worry, it's been inactive for at least 14,000 years.

This is what you'll see as you enter Nancy and Carlos' workshop. It's bustling with creativity, beautiful colors and gorgeous materials.
Once inside the workshop we had a chance to look at some of the new colorways our artisans have been working on. What can you expect for our spring line? Lots of vibrant colors! Bria and Jess collaborating with Alicia, one of Nancy and Carlos' assistant artisans.Look! Our palma and tropical necklaces will soon be available in new color ways. Here are just a few. Christina, ACEC's Assistant to Production in Ecuador, shows off the new palette and her adorable baby bump. She's due next month!Yolanda (AKA co-madre) and Roberto (AKA co-padre) stringing beads.
Alicia puts the finishing touches on a necklace Nancy has been developing. This technique is called "quemera", and involve burning the edges of the design strings for a cleaner look and feel.
Te gusta?
Yolanda stringing acai for a new bracelet design. Sorry you can't see it, this is just a tease. It's going to be amazing!
Alicia, another super talented assistant artisan, hard at work.
Alicia lends Carlos a hand as he creates a new look for Andean Collection.
Artisan in training? Huyra, Nancy and Carlos' adorable 3-year old daughter takes in the scene.
Or perhaps Huyra is destined to be an accountant. Looks like she's already crunching numbers!No workshop is complete without a guard dog. Here, Nico protects AC's precious beads.

Nancy's mom "la abuela" prepared a delicious lunch for us, complete with carne, avocado, rice, roasted corn nuts and a fresh tomato salsa.
She even prepared a special plate for Bria, Andean Collection's resident vegetarian!
What an amazing day. It was great to see the creative collaboration between our Ecuador and New York City team in action. Tomorrow we're off to Olga and Cesar's workshop! Hasta luego.

$39,000 for a backpack? How about some fair trade options.

2011-10-07T10:10:00.010-04:00

The Olsen twins hit the billion dollar mark in their fashion empire last March, and they've decided to add to their bounty by releasing a line of $39,000 alligator skin backpacks. Perhaps even more shocking than the insanely high price tag, is the fact that the bag is selling out! Here at Andean Collection, we think it's ridiculous, and we've come up with a list of possible fair trade/eco friendly back packs that won't break the bank, hurt an alligator or require insurance.

Ganesh Himal Trading's Hemp and Cruelty Free Leather Backpack

Ganesh Himal Trading has been working with Tibetan artisans since 1984 with a goal of improving the lives of Tibetan refugees, women and children. Their bags are made with durable hemp and "no kill" leather.

Conserve India Rani Bag

Although it doesn't look like it, this cute bag was made from discarded plastic bags in Delhi, India. The plastic waste is literally taken off the streets, washed and pressed into a textile-like material that is then turned into bags and other accessories. Conserve India is currently employs hundreds of people from disadvantaged communities in Delhi, making for cleaner streets and better lives!

The Pangolin Backpack from Cylon

First great thing about this backpack, it looks like a pangolin. In addition, this bag is entirely handmade in Colombia from recycled rubber tires. Now that's something to feel good about!

The STOPstart Cambodia backpack

A great backpack for kids who are heading back-to-school. STOPstart Cambodia aims to eradicate human trafficking and their goods are all produced by formerly trafficked women and children. This backpack is constructed from recycled rice and feed bags, making it not only a fair purchase, but an ec0-friendly one.

Looking to go on a hike?
Try this backpack from Ecogear.
It's made from recycled water bottles and non toxic dyes.

Bottom line, don't spend $39,000 on a backpack. The Olsen twins don't need your hard earned cash. Better yet, DONATE one!
You can do it here:
DONATION

Fashion Spotlight: Hot Brazilian Sandals!

2011-10-06T16:06:00.003-04:00

Today I went out to lunch today with a totally fabulous woman named Marla who is currently starting her own business bringing some downright amazing Brazilian sandals to the American market. We had a great chat over some salads on a seriously beautiful Thursday afternoon and I am so excited about these shoes! I want every pair! Oh, and they're socially conscious to boot (no pun intended)....something we here at AC can definitely get behind. Here's some pics and info about the company but you can find all you need to know here: http://marlandiashop.com/index.html

Could you die?? This is the "Cruzada" style and my absolute fave!

Silvinha Oliveira (the founder of the company that makes the shoes, "Retalhos Cariocas") started a free sewing workshop, with the goal of empowering women from the favela community with job skills while helping them earn a living. These shoes are the end product.

How fun are these? Perfect for vacationing in warmer climes this winter!

I definitely expect to see these sandals all over the place very soon. I know I'll be wearing them as soon as I can get myself a pair!

Super Fashion forward and super cute!!

Ten British Celebrities AC Wants to Dress!

2011-10-05T16:49:00.022-04:00

Our NYC office is buzzing with excitement because we just found out Andean Collection is growing in the UK. Our fearless founder Amanda Judge has been hitting the cobblestone streets of London and we'll have some exciting news to share very soon. In the meantime, I am in our Brooklyn office dreaming of the British starlets who could wear Andean Collection, and how I would dress them.

#1 Princess Kate...aka Kate Middleton...aka Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
Yes, Kate can rock a custom made Sarah Burton wedding gown, but look how effortlessly chic looks in a simple white t-shirt and jeans. I think Kate should wear our tagua bib in midnight teal.

#2 Pippa Middleton
Pippa, sassy younger sister of Princess Kate, is a bit bolder when it comes to fashion. It seems the British tabloids can't stop talking about her, um, assets. I think Pippa would turn heads in our hip layered chain necklace

It's daring, yet fashionable and gorgeous. Much like Pippa herself!

#3 Naomi Campbell
Throwing phones aside, Naomi is a fashion icon. She's not afraid to try the newest styles and boldest colors, and she always looks flawless. I think Naomi would look amazing in our Amazon necklace in Eucalyptus.

#4 Sienna Miller
Such a trendsetter, and pretty much responsible for launching the "boho look" into the mainstream. I think Sienna would look lovely in our cozy infinity scarf in quarry.

#5 Kate Moss

OK, first we need to convince Kate to stop wearing fur. Perhaps if she wore some of Andean Collection's Riverbed Bracelets, sustainably made from tagua, she'd start reconsidering her fashion choices and go totally eco!

#6 Keith Richards
Full disclosure, I am not speaking on behalf of the entire Andean Collection staff, but I am a huge Rolling Stones fan and an even bigger Keith Richards fan. He's still a rock star at the age of 67 and continues to dress like one. For Keith, definitely AC's Lola Hat in electric blue with a peacock feather.
#7 Adele
photo courtesy of adele.tv

She has such a powerful voice. In fact, we often listen to her in our office. I think our Frida earrings would pair wonderfully with her mod style.

#8 Kate Beckinsale
photo courtesy of Golden Globes

Yup, ANOTHER Kate to fill the trinity. In an interview with UK's Daily Mail, Kate said "I love to feel comfortable, especially if I'm running after my daughter." Fortunately, Andean Collection accessories are super comfortable. She could easily wear our Acai Rope necklace at the playground or the red carpet.

#9 Cheryl Cole
photo courtesy of sevenmonday

I love how she experiments with color blocking and isn't afraid to throw on bright hues. For Cheryl, I would pair our accented tagua bracelet in onyx with a polished tagua bracelet in berry.

#10 David Beckham
photo courtesy of David Beckham blogspot

Actually, we can't think of anything for him to wear, but he sure does look nice!

90210 Time Machine

2011-10-04T11:10:00.018-04:00

Today marks an important day in history. 20 years ago today, Beverly Hills 90210 debuted on Fox. Oh, how I loved to hear those opening chords! Remember the Peach Pit? The Brenda-Dylan-Kelly love triangle? Valerie and her bad girl ways? The time Emily Valentine drugged Brandon? In celebration, Andean Collection is offering a retrospective of some of the best, and worst, fashion moments from Beverly Hills 90210.

Brenda Walsh
HIT:
This photo captures Brenda's natural beauty and feisty spirit. Her hip bangs are on trend, and Ms. Walsh was clearly embracing the summer stripes trend.

MISS:
Ummmm...'Nuff said. Maybe she could try one our Lola Hats.

Kelly Taylor
HIT:
Kelly is on trend in her denim shorts and crocheted top. Who knows, maybe Ms. Taylor inspired current fashionista Alexa Chung:

MISS:
Rule #1: Kelly, DON'T wear the same dress as your best friend to the spring dance.
Rule #2: Too many accessories! Dangling earrings + a blinged out necklace + giant bow +
a corsage = too busy
Rule #3: Don't scowl. You live in Beverly Hills and you're having a fling with Dylan.

Donna Martin
HIT:
Love how Donna combines cut-off denim shorts with a retro style, red & white checkerboard bikini top. Timeless pattern.

MISS:
Donna got all dressed up, and all wasted, for her senior prom. She fell to the ground, caused a scene, got thrown out of prom and never had a chance to show off her glam look! Poor form. Donna Martin GRADUATES!

Andrea Zuckerman
HIT:
Love her crisp whites and the pop of color her headband brings to the look.

MISS:

Oh Andrea, you overachiever. This beige look is screaming for a little color. May I suggest Andean Collection's riverbed in coral?

Valerie Malone
HIT:

Cute bob, cute make up, cute overalls. Love it.

MISS:
Valerie got a little too vampish here. The sleeveless, backless leather shirt is a bit overkill.

Countdown to Ecuador

2011-09-30T12:55:00.013-04:00

Andean Collection's NYC team is heading to Ecuador in a week for a design workshop. We'll be collaborating on a fresh new spring line. Expect some awesome new looks! Here's a peak at our artisans in action...
Nancy and Cesar making the Brooklyn Necklace
Olga putting finishing touches on our Cloud Forest Choker.
Cesar, Olga and Jess at work designing our Antisana collection.

Patricia, Olga's sister smiling radiantly.
Cesar and Amanda posing for the camera.
So much more to come after our trip. Can't wait!

Ecuadorian Slang

2011-09-29T10:49:00.004-04:00

The Andean Collection NYC team is heading to Ecuador next week and I have been busy practicing my Spanish for the trip. In an effort to sound like more of a local, I've started studying some Ecuadorian slang. I found these slang terms on the internet, so who knows! I could either sound really knowledgeable, or wind up being a laughing stock. I'll let you know how the artisans respond. Here are some of my favorites:

Buenaso-really good
Chachos- jokes
Farra- party
Tener leche- to be lucky; literally "to have milk"
Viela- beer
Chevere- cool
Prenda el foco-to think; literally "to turn the lightbulb on"
Chapudo- red cheeks and face
Cabeza de huevo- bald; literally means "egg head"
A precio de huevo- inexpensive; literally means "the price of an egg"
Estar con la leona- hungry
Melindrosa- picky eater
Chuchaqui- hungover

Lets hope I sound "chevere".

What October means for us at AC

2011-09-28T20:00:00.005-04:00

It's hard to believe it's October as it's still as hot and humid in New York as ever...but the pace in the office is certainly picking up which means that it must be almost October! In October and April each year our NYC staff head down to Ecuador to work with the artisans and our Ecuador team to finalize designs for the next collection, and to just hang out and get to know all the new artisans we have started working with since our last visit.

I was doing a little reminiscing about our last trip and thought I'd share some photos, courtesy of my iPhone.

The view from one of our favorite dinner spots in Quito.

Cool shot I took from our tiny plane as we were flying from Quito to Manta, en route to visit tagua workshops. Amazing!

This is a cool house in Manta on the coast in Ecuador. It looks like it could actually be in New Orleans!

Stay tuned for more posts from Ecuador in mid-October!

Report from Ecuador: Back to school!

2011-09-27T20:04:00.000-04:00

Like in the US and Europe, young people in Ecuador have been going back to school this month and as the Andean Collection is running a comprehensive scholarship program, we were also present for the madness. Buying school supplies, making sure the right uniform is chosen and talking to all the people involved in the students' life, from professors, to parents and employers (the lead artisans). We provide scholarships to youth and adults who are working at the artisan's workshops, but also youth from the community who would not be able to go to high school without our scholarship. We started this scholarship program to ensure that all the youth who work in our workshops receive an education while working for us part-time. Youth refers to anyone over the legal working age of 15 and under 19 years old.

One of the most important principles of our scholarship program is to jointly create a work, life and study balance for the students. To achieve this we are in constant communication with the above mentioned individuals. We go to the students' homes, their work place and schools on a regular basis to check on progress and see in what ways we can help achieve that essential life balance for everybody involved.

Here we are at this year's scholarship meeting to mark the beginning of term. At this meeting we set the ground rules for the coming year and talk about expectations, responsibilities and, very importantly, hopes.

Alicia and three of our scholarship recipients Anita, Andres and Hector trying to play it cool.

Not playing it too cool there : )

Hope you are having as much fun as we had going back to school, even if it just means buying new outfits for the school of life!

Family Time

2011-09-23T14:03:00.001-04:00

It's been a busy week both personally and professionally here in NYC. Family, family, family! First off, my fabulous brother and his amazing wife have been visiting all week, and it's been a blast having them here. Secondly, Oriana (part of the AC family) was in the office and it was so fun getting to know her!

Living in NYC has definitely shaped my views of what family is. Now that I'm so far from home and my biological family, it's become more and more evident that my little social circles are my new family. Not that one replaces the other, but you get what I mean. Today I'm spending time with my sister in law, Alex and despite the wretched weather, we're doing what sisters do best: shopping!! I might even drop by the office so she can pick out a new piece from our Antisana Line (she's a huge fan). And then later Amanda will be joining us for some later in the day fun!

Here's some pics of me and my family (chosen and otherwise):

My brother, Alex.

My boo, Brandon.

My Amanda, Amanda.

Bro and Wife, Alex. Yep, Alex and Alex May.

Oh and speaking of families, we're currently looking for some new people to join our ACNYC team: Check out our note on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/notes/the-andean-collection/work-with-andean-collection/10150299602166697

Friday Office Mix...

2011-09-22T16:50:00.010-04:00

As the work week draws to a close, we let our hair down in the Andean Collection office. As the unofficial ACNYC office DJ, I'd like to celebrate this Friday (being Friday) and share a compilation of my favorite tunes of the week... a Friday mix, if you will. Nothing like some good tunes to pump up the creative juices! It basically comes down to the fact that I recently saw Drive, which as you all probably know, stars the one and only Ryan Gosling.

image courtesy of MS Magazine

While I relished each of those 100 minutes of his beautiful face on the big screen, I didn't anticipate how much I would enjoy the soundtrack as well. So here it is, the ACNYC Friday Mix - with highlights from Drive:

College feat. Electric Youth – A Real Hero
Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks
Chromeo - J'ai Claqué La Porte
Portugal. The Man - The Sun
Cut Copy - Saturdays (Reprise)
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
Angus & Julia Stone - Just A Boy
Grouplove - Naked Kids
DESIRE / UNDER YOUR SPELL
Cults - Go Outside
Arcade Fire - We Used to Wait
Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal

This wear the party starts:

Countdown to Autumn

2011-09-21T17:22:00.015-04:00

For some reason I thought fall officially began TODAY, but I did a little research and apparently it officially begins this Friday, September 23rd. I must say, even though I am a summer gal at heart, I love those early autumn days. The light changes, the temperature cools, the air smells crisper and for some reason everything feels fresh and new.
In celebration of the arrival of fall, I am pulling out some of my favorite Andean Collection autumn looks.

#1 La Palma in Periwinkle.
Here I am wearing it at Peter Luger's Steakhouse in Brooklyn. Seriously, I am in love with this necklace and can't wait to pair it with a snuggly sweater.

#2 Infinity Scarf in Leaf Green
(For the record, this is our gorgeous model Guadalupe, sadly I don't look like her)

This is a perfect transitional piece for fall. It's great to wear under a jacket, but light enough to wear indoors.

#3 And, it's time to switch to a new Classic Tagua/Riverbed bracelet combo. I know I said I was going to continue to wear this combo. Eh, I changed my mind! Now I'm all about earth tones.
Classic Tagua in Ivory Riverbed in Burnt Sugar

Andean Collection's Mediterranean Themed Dinner Party

2011-09-21T11:34:00.013-04:00

All this week Andean Collection NYC has been hosting Oriana, our Production Manager in Ecuador. Having Oriana in our office has been a total blast. Sadly, Oriana is taking off today so last night we said goodbye with a Mediterranean themed potluck dinner at Amanda's casa.

Look at this beautiful table. We keep it classy! Love how Amanda color blocked the linens. And here's another burst of color; a beautiful Greek salad with fresh feta, cucumbers, olives AND tomatoes and dill straight from Amanda's patio garden. What Greek potluck would be complete without olive tapenade, tzaztiki and pita. Thanks Jess!

And I prepared one of my favorite dishes for the gals, homemade spanakopita.

Perhaps all of the vibrant Mediterranean colors inspired us, because after dinner we busted out some pambil, tagua and acai beads and played around with designs.

Or maybe it was the wine Jane brought...

Bienvenidos a Mirta!

2011-09-19T19:28:00.012-04:00

Hi to all! This is my first blog post so allow me to introduce myself.

My name is Mirta Evi and I´m the Product Development Coordinator and Designer for Andean Collection in Ecuador. I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and grew up in Ecuador. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been interested in fashion and design. In fact, when I was just 6 years old I sewed a dress for my Barbie. Um, it wasn't quite this professional...

Since then I haven’t stopped, and even have a degree in design. I am constantly experimenting and designing with felt, embroidery, paint, recycled materials and silk. I also draw and paint on canvas. For me, fashion is imagination come to life. I love my position at Andean Collection because it allows me to apply my passion for art and design to sustainable fashion. I get to create new looks, play with color, meet new people and work in a team. So here, are a few of my personal favorite Andean Collection designs:

The Mariposa Necklace, I love how it combines different textures.

The simplicity of the Polished Tagua Bracelets

The mod Frida Earrings

The color combination of the Quarry Infinity Scarf

And the bold structural shapes of the Honeycomb Necklace. In NYC and Ecuador we are hard at work developing new and exciting designs. Can't wait to work on the next one!

Andean Collection is chic at ANY age

2011-09-14T18:38:00.006-04:00

My dear college friend Jen is stopping by the Andean Collection office tonight to do a little birthday shopping for her mom and sister. Her mom is turning 60 and her sister is turning 39 next week. She selected the style and entrusted me to pick the colors. As I was choosing the colors I was struck by the realization that our pieces really appeal to women across the ages. I wear it, my mom wears it, my mother-in-law wears it, my sister wears it...even my 4-year old niece rocks an Andean necklace. Here are the colors I chose for Jen's mom and sister.
Jen's mom is a true New York fashionista. She is always decked out in the latest trends, so we decided to get her our fashion forward Honeycomb Necklace for her 60th birthday. I can totally imagine her hitting the NYC Opera in it. I've narrowed it down to the tomato and sea green. I'll let you know which one she picks!
Jen's sister is also a flawless dresser, but her style is a bit softer and more organic. We thought our Tagua Bib would be a perfect 39th birthday present. It's bold, yet feminine. I set aside the midnight teal and lavender.
And finally, Jen treated herself to La Palma necklace. Her 33rd birthday isn't until next July so this is a very early birthday gift.

Workshop improvements: Manabí

2011-09-12T12:43:00.013-04:00

Andean Collection artisans Christian and Viviana of Manabí are very committed to growing their small business and offering jobs to people in their community. Just a few years ago their home was quite small, and all of the workshop equipment for processing, dyeing, and polishing tagua was literally inside their house. They have since invested their earnings in a major home remodel, moved the machine shop to a separate, enclosed workshop, and invested in materials and equipment to make their work safer and more efficient.

Christian & Vivi's house, nearly finished! The machine shop has been moved to the shed at the far right to keep tagua dust from entering their living space. The workshop is middle right, and the dyeing equipment is around the back with drying space on the roof.

Christian demonstrates use of his newest equipment investment: a tagua polishing machine. Dyed tagua pieces are put into the chambers--one for light colors and one for dark--with polishing paste imported from Italy.

The machine spins for several hours, producing beautifully polished tagua pieces for AC bracelets and necklaces!

Honeycomb necklace in berry

Polished tagua bracelet in pacific blue

Fashion's Night Out for Andean Collection

2011-09-12T10:19:00.013-04:00

Fashion's Night Out took Manhattan by storm, but Andean Collection had its own agenda as we flitted off to Westchester to make a special appearance at Everything But Water at The Westchester in White Plains, New York. Our Tagua Bib Necklace, Riverbed Bracelet and Polished Tagua Bracelet are on sale at many Everything But Water stores across the country.

This particular store was doing a Fashion's Night Out event, with a special feature on our jewelry! Many people who came into the store to browse were very excited to find jewelry “that they would actually wear along with their beach and vacation apparel.” One man was walking past the store and our Tagua Bib Necklace in Teal caught his eye. He rushed in excited to learn all about the unique material and design.

As you can see in these pictures, our colorful jewelry fits right in with all of the fabulous patterns and styles of the swimsuits and cover-ups. We owe a huge thank you to Everything But Water for hosting such a fun event during such an exciting week in New York.

Now it’s just time to plan that trip to the Caribbean we have all been daydreaming about…

Diane von Furstenberg at FABB!

2011-09-12T10:06:00.016-04:00

A special guest at Lucky FABB this year was the one and only Diane von Furstenberg. Her fabulously feminine designs and signature animal prints have made her one of the most sought after and successful designers of our time. DVF not only offered us the chance to feast our eyes on her perfectly put together ensemble, but she also shared her essential life mottos.

The captivated audiences listened carefully as she spoke phrases, such as “the most important relationship is the one you have with yourself.” She is the ultimate advocate for women entrepreneurship. She professed that her ultimate inspiration behind all of her designs is women and her motivation is to make women feel comfortable and beautiful.

With nearly 280,000 followers on Twitter she has also become quite the social media maverick. Her Facebook page is frequented by many, and what seems to drive much of the traffic is a promotion she offers, “Wrap of the Month”, available exclusively to her dedicated Facebook followers.

This month’s dress is bold and bright and I thought to myself, what would go better than our very own Polished Tagua Bracelet and Frida Earrings in Ivory? These two accessories are effortless and chic, a perfect punch of mod and understated sophistication. Who really says you can’t wear white after Labor Day?!

We Can ALL Go Back-to-School Shopping

2011-09-09T08:49:00.000-04:00

It's back-to-school time! Yes, this is me in Kindergarten circa 1985.

As I was walking to work this morning I passed a group of girls on their way to the local middle school. They were all decked out in fresh sneakers and shiny new backpacks, and I suddenly felt a wave of nostalgia. It's been a long time since I had a "first day of school" experience, but I distinctly remember that feeling of jittery excitement. Who will I sit next to in homeroom? Will I get the nice Geography teacher? And what should I wear?
Every year my mom took me to Marshalls to buy some new duds. Brand names for less! I loved browsing the racks for new looks, and thanks to my mom I'm still a bargain hunter. Although I'm way passed my carefree days of youth, I decided to do a little "back-to-school" shopping of my own. I call it "still-in-workforce" shopping.
First, I hit up Andean Collection and got myself a wrap belt in teal...and La Palma necklace in periwinkle.
Then I browsed online at Etsy and purchased this snazzy vintage jacket.
As I explained here, I will wear "spring" colors this fall. Finally, I visited the Shoe Market in Williamsburg, BK and rounded out my back to school collection with a pair of Minnetonka Kilty Suede Moccasins.

I don't know about you, but I am SO excited for the first day of school...I mean, I'm excited to return to the office in my awesome new looks.

Fiesta del Yamor, Otavalo, Ecuador

2011-09-08T11:00:00.000-04:00

This is a photo of Olga and me in traditional otavaleño clothing. As an indigenous artisan, Olga wears these beautiful clothes proudly every day. She recently let me in on the tradition for a town festival, the Fiesta del Yamor in Otavalo. The Fiesta del Yamor is an annual celebration held in Otavalo for almost 60 years now. The festival takes it's name from Yamor chicha, a traditional corn drink of Incan origin. The festivities are a mixture of indigenous and mestizo traditions, offering music and dance, food and drink under the tagline “la fiesta más alegre, en la ciudad más amable del país”.

The blouses are delicately hand embroidered and paired with wool skirts and woven belts, the inspiration for the Andean Collection belts you see on our website. Accessories include sandals, bracelets, and hualca necklaces of golden beads. is worn daily by Otavalo women, but for festivals and special events they bring out their best, newest, most elegant blouses, skirts and jewelry.

In a country where ethnic diversity has led to cultural richness as well as conflict, these town festivals are a wonderful time to embrace and celebrate unity in multiculturalism.

Andean Collection's Fashion Week Tip of the Day: BE AUTHENTIC

2011-09-07T16:37:00.011-04:00

It's NYC Fashion Week and the city is buzzing with hot designers, inspiring new looks and tons of interesting events. Andean Collection hit up Lucky Magazine's FABB (Fashion and Beauty Blog) Conference today. The event featured fashion superstars such as Diane Von Furstenberg, model/activist Coco Rocha, designer Rachel Roy, photographer Phil Oh and the omnipresent Kardashian sisters. One of the major points all of the speakers stressed was authenticity; the importance of maintaining authenticity in your voice, your style and your life.
Perhaps the most authentic speakers of the day was Rachel Roy.
She spoke candidly about growing up in a lower income household, and explained why she feels it is important to make fashion accessible to a wide demographic. "You don't need to buy off the runway to be fashionable. Style comes from within. It's about being confident, about having a strong point of view, not about spending the most money..." Couldn't agree more.
Canadian supermodel Coco Rocha, who has actively campaigned for child rights throughout the world, talked about being true to her activist roots through her modeling.

"I started a blog because I wanted to get beyond the photo and inspire people to care about issues that are important to me."
And finally, Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian talked about their approach to fashion. Kim's #1 tip? "BE AUTHENTIC!"

To me, Andean Collection epitomizes authenticity. We are fair trade, we work with sustainable materials, our looks are designed in-house and hand crafted by super talented artisans, and our entire team believes passionately in AC's mission and our accessories. Doesn't get more authentic than that!
And the Kardashians are leaving the building:

Rainy Day Blues

2011-09-07T13:54:00.002-04:00

Anyone here in NYC knows it's been a rainy last couple of days. The city is shrouded in fog and mist but everyone is still super stylish in sporting their most fashionable rain gear. While rainy weather certainly isn't my favorite, I find a certain comfort in staying in and being cozy when the weather turns gray. While this may be my conditioning from living through so many winters in Seattle, I try to embrace gloomy days. I like to drink hot tea, make soup, and read my book and I don't tend to get the blues. And really, what's wrong with "blue" anyway? As we keep mentioning, Gem Tones are HUGE this fall! Why not combat the drear with a bright cobalt blue! Take this amazingly fabulous fall coat from DVF.

Now, you might not want that much blue so consider a little pop of color instead by accessorizing with this bold hue. I'm totally obsessed with this clutch from Stuart Weitzman!

And of course, I have to give a shout out to AC's take on the classic Lapis Lazuli gemstone. Here's our Polished Tagua Bracelet in Pacific Blue.

So whether you decide to embrace the weather, combat it with a little color or use both strategies (my fave), I hope you stay as dry as possible and keep a smile on your face!

Here's me enjoying a little break from a rainy work day with a hot cuppa wearing one of my favorite navy blue blouses (accented with cobalt of course) and two stackable AC Riverbed Bracelets in lovely fall colors Leaf Green and Burnt Sugar.

Mmmmm....tea.

Yes, I WILL wear white after Labor Day!

2011-09-05T11:03:00.001-04:00

Happy Labor Day! My favorite Andean Collection bracelet combo is the Riverbed Ivory with Classic Tagua in Sea Green. but now that it’s Labor Day do I have to pack them away?

To me the “no white after Labor Day” rule is silly and antiquated, but it got me thinking about the origins of the tradition in the US. Why does this “rule” even exist? Come to find out, there is a practical explanation. In the days before air conditioning folks wore white during the summer because it was simply cooler. Plus, those Puritans didn’t have the luxury of strolling around in rompers so fabric and color mattered.

As fall approached and the weather cooled, people could return to darker colors, a more practical choice considering the grime of rural life and the lack of washing machines.

But with any long held traditions, there are other theories. Some historians believe that in the early 20^th century the “no white” rule was a way for the upper class to assert cultural elitism. According to Laura Fitzpatrick of Time Magazine, the wealthy had the opportunity to flee the cities during the summer and could wear all the white they wanted; when they returned it was back to “urban” colors. Those who wore white after Labor Day were immediately recognizable as “uncouth”. Silly commoners! Here are the Kennedys vacationing in Massachusetts.

And still others believe the origins are militaristic, because Labor Day is when the Navy switches from white to blue uniforms.

But is there a hard and fast rule? According to Miss Manners “Nothing is ever black and white except the rule that white shoes may be worn only between Memorial Day and Labor Day.”

Well, what does Miss Manners know about fashion? Coco Chanel wore wore white all year round so I say, if you want to wear white GO for it! And I’m not setting aside my bracelet combo.

Ethical Fashion in Paris. Yes, this is a BARK dress!

2011-09-03T23:25:00.005-04:00

Bonjour! Amanda here with another report from Paris. I took a break from our booth at Eclat de Mode to check out the Ethical Fashion Show today. This was the 8th Ethical Fashion show, and it exhibited over 100 designers from all over the world. It was a beautifully curated affair and parts felt more like a museum than a typical commercial trade show. Here is one of the most spectacular pieces I saw. Yes, these are tree dresses, made from actual fallen bark!
The show featured artisans and designers from all over the world working in some sort of ethical material. I even ran into a brand I recognized from the time I spent designing alpaca knits in Peru, Sumaq Warmi. A very sweet woman, Eva, designs the collection. From my Peru days I remember that warmi means woman in Quechua, but I forget what Sumaq means! I wish her good luck in expanding her collection outside of Peru!
The Ethical Fashion Show was truly inspiring and it's great to know there are other designers working with sustainable materials. Maybe Andean Collection can add a bark necklace to our next line :)

A Peak Into a Paris Trade Show

2011-09-03T10:18:00.007-04:00

Eclat de Mode has started! Amanda and Bria have been busy getting Andean Collection's booth ready for the show and here is the finished product. First, check out the red carpet entering the show. Or shall I say, tapis rouge.

Here is Andean Collection's spot. Nice work ladies!
I love the way our infinity scarves are displayed. A single birch branch is a simple and elegant way to hang them. And yes, Bria traveled all the way from NYC to Paris with that branch.

One of my favorite shots from our Antisana Collection photo shoot. Love the Honeycomb Necklace against the Manhattan skyline. And finally, our Lola Hats! More to come from Paris...To be continued!

End of summer colors

2011-09-01T18:34:00.010-04:00

It’s now officially September, which sadly means that summer is coming to a close! But since it’s not yet Labor Day, I’m going to rock some end-of-summer colors this weekend… by stacking a mix of Riverbed and Polished Tagua Bracelets. And I’ll make it “transitional” by pairing neutrals, like ivory (yes, fitting in some white before Labor Day is a must!) and chocolate, with my favorite brights, like some cool blues that make me think of the beach, and warmer hues like sunset orange and incan sun.

My bracelet color palette for the weekend.

I'm headed to Block Island this weekend, so I think this bunch of bracelets should tide me over there! (I guess 10 bracelets is enough...)

Block Island, located just off the coast of Rhode Island. (One of my favorite places ever!)

Hope you all have a relaxing and colorful Labor Day Weekend!

Best Way to Beat Jetlag? The Jardin du Luxembourg!

2011-08-31T16:52:00.009-04:00

Bonjour! Amanda and Bria reporting from Paris! After a 7 hour red-eye flight, we had a little time to kill before we could check into our hotel rooms, so we spent a few hours strolling through the Luxembourg Gardens; one of Paris' finest green spaces.
The park was commissioned by Marie de' Medici in 1612, shortly after the assassination of her husband King Henry IV. Apparently, she felt a bit nostalgic for her Italian roots, and based the design of Luxembourg on the Boboli gardens of her hometown of Florence, Italy.
Here is a photo of the spectacular Palais du Luxembourg. It was designed and constructed specially for Marie de' Medici in a Florentine style. She lived here with her son, the future King of France, Louis VIII. Not a bad place to live. Just a couple of fun, and not so fun, facts. The Luxembourg Palace is currently the seat of the French Senate, but was also used as a prison during the French Revolution.

The Parisian air was cool and crisp and our stroll through the gardens immediately relieved us of any residual jet lag. Look, Amanda even had a chance to wear Andean Collection's Infinity Scarf.
Au revoir! We're off to drink some Sauvignon Blanc.

Bon Voyage! Andean Collection is off to Paris!

2011-08-30T13:28:00.004-04:00

Andean Collection is heading off to Paris to exhibit at Eclat de Mode, a trade show that features jewelry designs from over 35 countries and attracts visitors from nearly 100 countries across the world. We are so excited our Ecuadorian designs will be in the international mix! If you happen to be in the area, drop your baguette and visit us at booth #E100. We'll be there Friday, September 2- Monday, September 5.
photo courtesy of t-travel

Seattle Sunshine!

2011-08-29T13:29:00.021-04:00

While the East Coast was getting drenched by that crazy gal Irene, I was happily playing in the Northwest sun! I'm actually "stranded" here due to the fact that all these flights were getting canceled and mine happened to be one of them. I can think of worse fates. Let me tell you, when it's sunny here in Seattle, there is almost nowhere else I'd rather be! I've had, and will continue to have until Wednesday, a fabulous time over the last week and a half. Barbeques with friends, floats down the Spokane river, family time and some good old fashioned summer reading on the beach. I brought my favorite pieces from Andean Collection and wore them out almost every single night. Below are some of my truly favorite pieces from the collection along with my truly favorite things to do in the Northwest.

Check out this sunset over the Olympic Mountains! And I love me a ferry ride across the sound.

When in Seattle, there are a few "must eat at" restaurants. Here are two of my faves; La Spiga which offers delicious northern Italian food from the Emilia Romagna...

And Pocquitos, a fun and fabulous Mexican restaurant run my friends Matt and Dustin.
Continuing my journey of food, a BBQ with friends and family is a must! I'm in the background with my AC Tassel Necklace and one of my many Riverbed Bracelets (which you can't really see).

Here's a close up of the Tassel and the Riverbed...these are two of my all time faves from our collection. I wear a different Riverbed (or 2) almost every single day and the Tassel is super on trend, fun and oh so versatile!

I also floated down this river with my dad (but not this exact part for obvious reasons):

Then I read this book on the river's grassy and sandy beaches (warning: NERD ALERT):

All in all, a really great time was had all the way over here on the left coast. The Big Apple is calling me home though and I can't wait to find out what's next on the AC agenda!

Trend Alert: Color Blocking!

2011-08-26T13:37:00.020-04:00

One of my favorite things to do is flip through fashion magazines, quietly taking in all of the beautiful advertisements. I am always inspired by the aesthetics of magazines such as Vogue for how they are so carefully and creatively composed page to page. This weekend, I was particularly captivated by the September edition of Vogue. One trend that is highlighted and featured in many more magazines this month is "color blocking". When I fell upon two pages in Vogue (which I tore out and photographed for you to see below!) I couldn’t help but think of one of my personal favorite AC pieces—the Amazon Necklace.

Talk about the perfect piece to complement your color-blocked clothing palette this fall. Get yours today to stay on trend!

What Should I Wear?

2011-08-24T17:37:00.005-04:00

Bria and I are enjoying our last day at WWD Magic Show in Vegas. Tonight we're hitting the club to see Lil' Jon spin at the Wynn and I definitely want to wear the AC Lola Hat in fuchsia. But what do you think, should I wear it with or without the floresta necklace?

Help me choose, with or without the necklace?

Family time with Andean Collection!

2011-08-24T16:55:00.004-04:00

There is a whole other side of the Andean Collection that us gals in New York don't see very often - and that's the shipping and receiving of all our accessories. Our warehouse is located in Massachusetts and run by my aunt Hollis. That's right - Andean Collection is a family business! I came home to visit and to help with one of our incoming shipments from Ecuador, and was lucky enough to time my visit with my cousin Ada from DC, who's 7 (and 3/4 she tells me).

Ada and I were talking the previous school year and she told me that she did a presentation on Andean Collection for show and tell! Ada tells me: "I said that Amanda was my cousin and she was the owner of the Andean Collection. I brought some of the jewelry in to show the class and found out that some of the kids actually had heard of Andean Collection! Only a few though."

And of course I had to get some shots of Ada posing in her favorite pieces. She likes the pollen color, and wears it well!