bags for books

Specializing in leather handbags and accessories, Lima native and apparel designer Patsy Chang creates this refined shoulder bag ideal for a Sunday outing or evening dinner downtown. The bag features an adjustable leather strap, Incan motif wool trim on the leather exterior and a polyester-lined interior closing with a zipper. Studying fashion design and seeing her designs sold in boutiques around Lima gave Patsy the confidence to succeed and thrive in her professional and adult life, after a childhood riddled with bullying, bouncing between Peru and Japan.

Inspired by the archaeological treasure that is the Sacred Valley of the Inca, the artisans of the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco create this beautiful shoulder bag. They use a traditional loom to weave the bag from a alpaca and sheep's wool blend yarns. Inca-inspired motifs decorate the bag as well as the shoulder straps. The fully lined bag features an interior zipper pocket.

Patiently handwoven on the backstrap loom, ancient motifs recall the splendor of the Inca empire, when such textiles were more highly prized than gold. Artisans of the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco craft a handbag of timeless beauty, combining blue and with two shades of red on a dark blue background. They name their design for Chinchero, where time seems to have stood still for centuries and the Quechua language is spoken and seek to keep the old textile traditions alive.

The community raises and cares for its own alpacas. The fleece is washed, carded and spun by hand using a pushka, or drop spindle. The dyes come from plants, nuts and tree bark. The next step is one of the most important, as the artisan prepares the warp, or vertical threads for the backstrap loom. This determines the size of the textile, the color combinations, and the patterns that will be woven.

The intensity of color can vary depending on the hardness of the water, the altitude and the local dye sources, making each textile a unique piece of handcrafted art. The bag is fully lined and opens to reveal a convenient zipper pocket.