Wool handbag, 'Crossing Paths'

NOVICA, in association with National Geographic, searches the world to work directly with the finest artisan designers. Teófilo Huayanay designs a fascinating handbag influenced by the millenary art of the Inca culture. Huayanay makes the bag the same way his Inca ancestors did. He first dyes the wool in the desired colors and then combines two weaving techniques, as he uses a pedal loom and a belt loom. This elegant bag is lined and features a small pocket inside. Artisan Info: "My name is Teófilo Huayanay Laura and I was born on 3 November 1953; I am from the Ayacucho region. I owe my artistic formation to my parents ? it is their legacy to me. My work comes from my own creativity and I would like to transmit what my parents taught me, who in turned learned from their own parents, and so on. I also want to transmit my own ideas and designs, which are based on ancient Inca cultures. "To me, the most important aspect of the elaboration process is the selection of quality prime materials such as wool. This ensures the quality of the final piece. After that, we wash and dye the wool, mainly with natural products with the intention of having a little piece of nature in each product. Then I proceed to make the bag and ensure the colors and motifs are in place. "Quality is very important to me, and I see it as my daily challenge to ensure bag is of the finest quality."