The Peruvian connection

 

​Sella & Saggia’s connection with Peru began in the early 1980s, when Dutch textile engineer Eduard van Brunschot worked there for a European textile trading company. In 1996, he returned to establish a ranch and riding operation in the Sacred Valley. Peru became his home for the next three decades.​​

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A textile heritage​​​

 

Peru’s story extends far beyond the Incas and Machu Picchu. Across its coast, Andes and rainforest, many cultures have shaped distinct traditions in food, music and craft.

 

Textiles hold a particular place in this heritage, from fine Pima and Tangüis cotton to highland alpaca fibre. Andean communities continue to pass down skills and patterns developed over centuries. Sella & Saggia works with selected Peruvian producers to bring their alpaca textiles to Europe.

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A different way of choosing​​

 

For much of the past century, the textile industry has pursued lower prices, greater volume and ever faster change. The result is familiar: more is made, more is bought, and much of it is soon set aside. The skill behind a fabric, the conditions in which it was made and its useful life have too often become secondary considerations.

 

We sense a change in how people think about the things they bring into their homes and wardrobes. There is renewed interest in natural materials, in knowing where a piece comes from, and in using it for years rather than a season. For us, that is a hopeful direction for textiles: one in which quality includes the lives of the people who make them.​​​