OUR STORY
Empowering Artisans & Future Generations
Together Connected uses fashion as a platform to empower women, preserve sacred traditions of handmade crafts, provide sustainable employment and fair wages to indigenous artisans. Each piece is handcrafted by our artisan partners using traditional fabric techniques of embroidery, dyeing, bead work, and weaving. All of our products are made with great love and full of positive energy because each purchase is also giving back to the youth of these sacred cultures!
Who We Support
We feature tapestries, embroidered clothing, and beaded jewelry that are handmade by artisans of the Shipibo tribe in the upper Amazon River region of Peru. Not only do our partners get paid a fair wage for their crafts, but proceeds from the sales go right back to the future generations through our partnership to support the Peruvian nonprofit art school for Shipibo children, Isa Weni Ong.
Our Story
In 2017 our founder Robin Kang, was introduced to Shipibo-Condo Tribal Elder Amalia Bardales Franco while visiting the northern Amazon region of Pucallpa, Peru. After spending much time together, Amalia learned that they shared a deep love for creating textiles, as Robin is a weaver and textile artist for over 10 years. Amalia decided to initiate Robin as her Shipibo Goddaughter and began to teach Robin many of the ancient textile techniques from her culture. Two years later, they decided to collaborate to create the Together Connected business to support the indigenous artisans in Amalia's family and community. Robin and Amalia are also passionate about helping to ensure the future of these sacred textile traditions is being learned by the next generation of Shipibo artisans. That is why Together Connected donates 10% of all sales to the local NGO, Isa Weni Ong, which is a traditional tribal school and cultural center with the mission of teaching tribal children the sacred arts and cultural traditions of their Shipibo heritage.
Patterns Of Prayer
The bold geometric patterns made by the Shipibo tribe are filled with ancient wisdom and prayerful intentions. These designs are considered healing to see, touch, and each correspond to a chanted prayer or song called an Ikaro. The elders say that the visual pattern and vibration of the healing song are one and the same. Embroidered textiles and beaded jewelry are worn not only for beauty or style, but also to attract the energies of the patterns, often calling in desirable intentions such as abundance, peace, joy, and health. By owning one of these sacred items may you life be blessed with these prayers!