San Luis de Otavalo Dolls

Otavalo is a northern city of Ecuador, also called San Luis de Otavalo and known as the Ecuador’s Intercultural Capital because of its cultural heritage. Is the place of origin of the Quechua people of Otavalo, famous for their textile skills.

The “Otavaleños” are very proud of their typical dress, especially women. These garments are handmade with colored embroideries and natural designs that symbolize their believes, nature and culture.

The typical woman dress is made of 10 pieces. Let’s start with the most important part, not because its significance but for the manual work that requires the piece: the blouse. This characteristic piece is made in white cotton and it is like a canvas where thousands of beautiful colored flowers at chest, back and shoulder level are hand embroidered by the women themselves. Then there is the skirt which is called “Anacos”. It is a big black rectangle rolled all around the waist with another white rectangle under it, both fastened by two girdles one called “mama chumbi” which is the widest one in red and, the less wide plain with no colors or ornaments and  is called “wawa chumbi”. In their heads they wear the “humaguatarina”, a folded fabric with the addition of colored strips give their faces a special brightness. The footware is called “alpargatas” and are like espadrillas. The outfit is complemented with the “reboso o rebozo”, a fabric that is crossed under the arm and knotted on the shoulder and with the “fachalina”, a piece of fuchsia cloth that married women wear on the front and the unmarried ones wear it on the shoulder. But no outfit is completed without the jewelry, the “walcas” a golden collar made with “mostacillas o abalorios” which are small beads made of glass and gold that represents “Inti”, the Sun, one of the most significant deities of the Quetchua natives and, finally red bracelets because the red color protects them of bad spirits.

Today buying this typical dress can cost a lot of money, in fact Otavalo men say that supporting an Otavalo woman is too expensive and really it is, but, at Snowdrop we find that this costume is one of the most genuine representations of one of the oldest civilizations of Latin America, especially because it has managed to keep their traditions intact in today’s life, therefore we found a very delicate and particular way to give to our followers the possibility of having some of this culture through Dolores, Maria o Ana, just to mention some of our friends. They are Rag dolls made with much love and pride by Otavalo women who want to show and offer the world the opportunity to know their culture ……. So we invite you to know some of this sweet girls in our cotton section.