An Exclusive Collaboration with Tucker Robbins
Back to Roots Collection Discover the beauty of Guatemalan craftsmanship
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Renowned furniture designer Tucker Robbins has partnered with DARA Artisans
to introduce Back to Roots, his new collection of handmade accessories and home decor
from Guatemala. This collection represents the fruits of Tucker’s collaborations
with Guatemalan artisans, as well as the core ideals upon which DARA was founded:
a successful symbiosis of global community, artisanship,
commerce, and social responsibility.
Vintage Cochenille Dyed Textile $950
sitting on an iconic robbins mortar stool
Red Stripe Day Bag $175
The vintage textile used in this day bag
recalls the elegant simplicity of traditional Guatemalan
weaving. Woven in the town of Todo Bantos with
a local pattern, the textile has been paired here with chestnut
brown suede handles and details. It’s the perfect bag
to toss in your day’s essentials.
weekender bags $395
Washed Crimson Shoes $225
white checked scarf $125
Not only is the collection a return to Tucker’s roots, the origins of his career
as a furniture designer, but it is also a return to the roots of Guatemalan craft, featuring
traditional handweaving and hand-dying techniques. Tucker encouraged
local artisans to stop using modern chemical dyes and instead reintroduce traditional
dyes like true indigo. Many pieces from the collection also showcase
the centuries-old, traditional ikat dyeing method.
God's Eye Ikat scarf $125
Guatemalan weavers are renowned
for both their skill and their love of pattern and color,
and this gorgeous indigo-dyed Ikat scarf
doesn’t disappoint. Dyed in an indigo bath using a
traditional Ikat technique to create subtle gradations,
the threads are then woven into the God’s Eye
pattern that Tucker Robbins developed
with a local women’s cooperative.
Numerous local groups contributed to this collection, reinforcing the
connection between artisanship and unity that both Tucker and DARA Artisans
espouse so deeply. All the textiles are handwoven and dyed by
women’s weaving cooperatives and independent female weavers throughout Guatemala.
The shoes are handmade by a shoemaker in San Pedro with reclaimed
rubber tire and upcycled handwoven cloth. An employment workshop for the
mentally disabled in San Juan provided macrame tabs to
decorate the weekender bag zippers.
Natural Burlap Weekender Bag $395
Vintage Cochenille Dyed Textile $950
vintage blue Totonicapan textile $750
Vintage indigo stripe textile $450
coasters (set of 4) $39
Cubist Chest on Steel $17,310
Indigo Diamond Shawl $175
"Artisans are the keepers of their history and the stories of their ancestors.
They are the protectors of their environment and culture. By bringing them to the
international marketplace, the indigenous arts are recognized and preserved.
When people are engaged in this way, for the greater good of their community,
there cannot be war or social injustice."