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ECUADOR

It all started in early 1997 when I traveled to Otavalo, Ecuador to study fibers and fiber applications in clothing. Friendships were made and nurtured during this time and the idea of doing some work together grew organically out of many hours of dialogue with these new friends. I returned to the USA at the end of 1997 with garments we had produced as an experiment to test the market. And it worked! Our cotton and sheep’s wool sweaters and jackets were well received here, though a long ways from the standard we have attained over the five years of working together.

Now I return there each year to participate in the design and production of the work for the following season. Life in Ecuador is sweet and simple. The people have opened their hearts to me and I have become a part of the life of the community.

I have a godson, Santiago. His mother is an Otavalan Indian and a single parent. Life is a constant struggle for them. I also have a goddaughter, Amrita. Her parents, artisan-entreprenuers in tagua (vegetable ivory), moved to Ecuador from Colombia because of all the strife in their country.

I live in Otavalo with a local couple who have an extra bedroon because their two sons are grown and living in Quito, the country’s capitol, two hours south of Otavalo. Margarita and I have become very close.

None of my friends speak English, so I am constantly being called upon to think in Spanish, in order to communicate clearly and precisely, both in business and personal areas. To see the photographs from my 2006 visit, click here.