Weaving Stories: The Essence of Allwina’s Artisanal Creations
people • DESIGNERS
In this interview, Allwina shares how weaving becomes a philosophy—one rooted in presence, purpose, and quiet innovation. Working alongside skilled textile artists from Argentina, Peru, and Uruguay, the brand reimagines ancestral techniques through ethical production and thoughtful collaboration. From llama wool’s rare brilliance to river-powered looms in Salta, the conversation reveals how care, resilience, and cultural storytelling are interwoven into every piece. Step into a dialogue that challenges how we define impact, aesthetics, and the future of design.
WEBSITE: allwina.com INSTAGRAM: @allwina.rugs
Words: designeers
MARCH 2025
DESIGNEERS
How would you describe what you’re creating in one sentence?
Allwina
We are the first and only company to successfully gather the full range of natural fibres from the Andes foothills into a single high-end collection, working directly with artisans to achieve the highest product performance but also ensuring respectful, ethical production and competitive prices, since there are no intermediaries. London-based and serving a global client base.
DESIGNEERS
The name “Allwina” comes from a Quechua word for handloom—what does that cultural connection mean to you personally and to the brand’s philosophy?
Allwina
It’s about how we engage with the world through what we create. For me, my practice is less about tradition and more about a way of being—about presence, awareness, and the ability to truly see and feel. A deeper sensitivity to the spaces we inhabit, the materials we touch, and the people we share them with. It’s about coexistence, care, and the quiet impact of considered choices.
DESIGNEERS
Allwina is more than just a brand—it’s an impact-driven project. What does that look like in practice? How do you ensure artisans are truly supported beyond just selling their work?
Allwina
Impact isn’t an add-on; it’s built into how we work. We collaborate directly with artisans, not through intermediaries, which means we understand their realities, challenges, and strengths first-hand. This allows us to create long-term opportunities, ensuring fair pay, sustainable working conditions, and a process that respects their time, expertise, and way of life.
DESIGNEERS
If you had to describe Allwina’s aesthetic in three words, what would they be?
Allwina
Raw, refined, honest.
“My practice is less about tradition and more about a way of being—about presence, awareness, and the ability to truly see and feel. ”
Allwina
DESIGNEERS
Do you have a personal favourite piece or collection? What makes it special to you?
Allwina
Llama rugs are among my favourites—the fibre has a rare dual-layered quality, with long white strands that retain their natural white brilliance even when dyed, not present in any other natural fibre. I’m also drawn to our handwoven textiles from northern Salta, where women artisans ingeniously use the river’s current to power their looms.. These textile artists bring generations of knowledge and quiet innovation to each thread. This quiet innovation spares their strength for the steep mountain walks they take daily, carrying tools, children, heavy clothing—pure resilience and genuine innovation!
DESIGNEERS
What’s the most unexpected source of inspiration you’ve ever had for a textile or pattern?
Allwina
The Puna's raw beauty (northern Argentina) and the people who live there can be the most compelling inspiration. There’s power in its contrasts—the way life persists in an extreme landscape, the textures carved by time, the colours softened by dust and light. It strips everything back to its essence, much like the best design.
DESIGNEERS
If you could collaborate with any designer, artist, or brand, who would it be and why?
Allwina
We’ve been lucky to collaborate with designers we once dreamed of working with—Ilse Crawford, Bernie de Le Cuona, Jake Arnold. There are many designers we admire, such as Pierre Yovanovich, Vincent Van Duysen, Rose Uniacke, Christian Mohadedor, and Maria Sigma, along with many emerging talents reshaping the industry. It’s impossible to name just one—there are so many whose work we find truly inspiring
DESIGNEERS
If you had to choose one city or place that embodies the spirit of Allwina, where would it be?
Allwina
London—fast, structured, and outward-looking. San Isidro de Iruya—remote, slow, raw, and deeply rooted. Two opposites, both essential, are embedded in how we see and create.
DESIGNEERS
What’s your guilty pleasure when it comes to design or fashion?
Allwina
I’m drawn to the bold, layered aesthetics of Stephanie Barba Mendoza, Linda Boronkay, and Charlotte Rey—their rich colours, textures, and eclectic compositions feel effortlessly opulent yet considered. A world apart from my own minimalist, monochromatic approach, but it is impossible to resist.
Photography credits:
Hamilton House project Anna Stathaki
Profile Image Maggie Viegener
Behind-the-scenes and production shots from Northern Argentina Esteban Pereyra
