Join the Fair-Trade Ethical Fashion Movement

We began our initial La Peony collection with an exploration of Mexico’s rich artisan culture. When we discovered the Unión de Artesanos de Santo Tomás Jalieza - nestled among a population of 10,000 in the Santo Tomás community - we knew we had found something truly special. Since the 1960s, this vibrant social cooperative has preserved a legacy of handwoven art. Today, more than 50 artisans labor side by side to transform 100% cotton thread into beautiful textiles, just as they have done for centuries. 

Each year, cooperative leadership is passed on to a new generation, ensuring its ethos is protected, while all work and opportunities for income are divided equally. Skilled artisanship serves as the area’s primary means of economic opportunity, and cooperatives like the Unión de Artesanos de Santo Tomás Jalieza provide vital structure for financial stability.  

When you adorn yourself with La Peony, you join in a partnership with this fair-trade network of skilled Mexican craftswomen. Every purchase helps to preserve their handmade textile traditions while supporting a livable wage for cooperative members. Together, we are part of a global movement empowering women artisans to provide for their families. We honor the longstanding heritage of Oaxacan traditional ceremonial textile weaving, and we support the preservation of a centuries-old way of life.

Sustainable Style That Honors Indigenous Tradition 

Indigenous communities across Oaxaca first created handwoven, hand-embroidered garments for sacred ceremonies and daily wear alike. Naturally plentiful resources such as plant leaves and cotton fibers produced durable, comfortable fabrics tinted with a spectrum of plant or mineral-based dyes. Colors or symbols were often chosen according to the wearer’s status or based on cultural beliefs. For example, certain colors were associated with a particular geographical area, and butterflies commonly symbolized an individual’s soul or spirit.  

Although the dyeing techniques of today’s artisans incorporate modern materials and innovative designs, the area is still well known for its extraordinary “folk art” that showcases brightly colored fabrics produced according to traditional methods. Each cooperative artisan carefully works the yarn on a backstrap loom or pedal loom, producing bold accent pieces that speak to old-world practices while incorporating modern trends and contributing to a worldwide “maker economy.” As they perfect their distinctive hand-made techniques, these anciently-derived skills serve to make our limited collection of sustainable hemp fabric designs truly one of a kind. 

La Peony is Women Empowering Women

Colorful handwoven accents represent the rich history of Mexico and the enduring power of matriarch-driven community-building. The Oaxacan textile tradition filters down through generations, involving both men and women but mostly nurtured by close connections between grandmothers, mothers, and daughters - community caretakers and keepers of a timeless craft preserved through the power of relationships. Likewise, our signature La Peony collections are established on the relationships we’ve built with our distinguished artisan partners and created to honor us all as a global community of women.

We honor one another and ourselves as we insist on fair-trade practices in support of the Unión de Artesanos de Santo Tomás Jalieza. Together, we are making a positive impact on our planet and working toward a brighter, successful future for all women. Wear La Peony proudly - may these pieces adorn your life with beauty as you look within and find your beautiful.

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