Kakaw Designs

Name: Kakaw Designs
Address: 1a Avenida Sur #4B, Antigua, GT
Telephone: +50251911991
Price range: ££
Rating: 5

Casa
Antigua
Kakaw Designs

- named after the cacao tree

Supporting traditions with roots as deep as the chocolate tree
(4)

Supporting traditions with roots as deep as the chocolate tree. Focused primarily on textiles, incorporating other handmade traditions. We currently partner with 10+ local artisan groups throughout Guatemala to make our and custom designs come to life. Since 2020 offering independent products direct from our artisan partners on our site.

26/11/2024

What a great start to our Embroidery Week! We began with a visit to Sumpango, where our instructors Claribel and Anita are from. We'll be stitching our own güipiles throughout the week 😀

25/11/2024

Casually letting y’all know that we’re running a 15% off jackets and vests sale. Code JACKETSALE is valid through Saturday, November 30th.

We’re taking a step back from general discounts and aligning promotions with our production capacity, inventory, and margins. All very slow made with mucho amor, from designing, dyeing, weaving, sewing, packaging and sending off you to. 🤚🏽 🤚🏽 🤚🏽

21/11/2024

"This set of earrings are gorgeous. The detail is exquisite . They are a gift for myself. Very happy indeed!"

Thank you, Tina, for this review!

As the holiday season approaches, please remember that we have lovely gifts, including carefully handmade earrings.

https://kakawdesigns.com/search?q=earrings

20/11/2024

A rural textile adventure is more than *just* textiles. Maybe we should have titled the upcoming itinerary to the Cobán region “Chiles, Cacao, and Gorgeous Textiles, Too” 🤣

This trip is now full and we hope everyone is ready to try new flavors on the adventure. I can’t wait! Yummmmmmm chile cobanero 🌶️ here we come! Images by taken during a recent community visit.

17/11/2024

Our newest collaborative artwork is finally live! Find the Tierra Top and Trousers on our website as of TODAY. And learn about some of the veeeeery slow and cherished processes behind these garments in Sedona's blog:

https://www.sedonarigsby.com/musings/behind-the-scenes-tierra-top-amp-trouser

13/11/2024

I head back to our sweet hometown, la Antigua, tomorrow. It’s quite a voyage from Austria, but we’re so looking forward to taking in some sunshine and color. This will already be kiddo’s third season in Guatemala — how time flies! We first traveled when he was 3 months old, when he was basically just a potato. And then the next season, he was much more active and took his very first steps while in Antigua. Now, he’s walking around and I am curious where he will like to spend his time around town. ¡A ver! Much to figure out. 🥑

PS: we are *finally* releasing this outfit!!! This beautiful collaboration with .rigs coming live on our website on Sunday.

This image was taken back in August, when we were finalizing the prototyping process. It took several rounds, but it was all worth the work and wait. We’re so excited to share the results with the world.

12/11/2024

Some recent captures from Alta Verapaz by , who went to the communities to confirm details with our partners for our upcoming trip in January. One last spot still available for the adventure 🧶 🌶️ 😋

11/11/2024

Aaaand here is the final result after a week of weaving! Jaime accomplished so much in just five days. All with master weaver Doña Vilma’s instruction. Three students, three teachers… one-on-one is the best way to learn backstrap weaving, just like how a mother, an aunt, or a grandmother passes on the heritage tradition to the next generation. Generally-speaking, this is how this art form is taught and learned.

Thank you for joining us, Jaime. We’re so glad you could make it. ♥️ 🧶

09/11/2024

Truth is, I’ve been waiting for the elections in the US to pass. It’s been an exhausting time and I know that many people haven’t had the bandwidth to even dream about international travel.

Well, the dust is settling. And if you’re now dreaming of a vacation away, immersed in cultural exploration, full of hands-on textile opportunities in good company — we’d love to host you. Select spots available for:

🌱 Cobán Textiles + Cloud Forest: January 9-17, 2025

🧶 Sumpango Embroidery Course: March 3-7, 2025 hosted in our beautiful Antigua Guatemala

🌸 Weaving and Culture during Semana Santa: April 12-20, 2025 in our beautiful Antigua Guatemala

07/11/2024

Today is Day 4 of our Backstrap Weaving Week. Jaime from has already warped her design, set up her backstrap loom, and started weaving. We can’t wait to see how her project progresses!

🧶 🧶 Meant for weavers looking to really absorb this traditional art form, this intensive week features 15 hours of one-on-one instruction from master Kaqchikel weavers. This week’s session is led by Doña Everilda 🙏🏽 and participants started the week with a home visit that included a home-cooked meal (and a wonderful view from her house!) 😋

06/11/2024

Today, we wish our one and only Sucy a very happy birthday!!! May it be a special day full of love, weaving fun, and of course, cake 🎂 😆

Sucy preps all our online sales shipments, handles a lot of the coordination for classes at our studio, and is one of our main models for our website ♥️ That’s all when she’s not studying law in university 📚 She is such an integral part of the Kakaw team!! (And I still remember her as a little girl, haha it makes me feel old but it’s great to pass on the torch a bit!)

!!!

27/10/2024

We had a great time hosting the Barriletes Embroidery Class with Doña Claribel yesterday 😊

please share your progress when you can! We’d love to see your stitching 🧵 🪡

23/10/2024

Newly woven and handcrafted into the sweetest cards ♥️ This batch was made with naturally-dyed cotton yarn and is full of traditional brocade motifs from the Ixil weavers’ hometown. Stay tuned, they’ll be available online in two colorways in time for the holiday giving season.

Thank you, Pedro, for bringing the talented weavers’ work to our studio all the way from San Juan Cotzal.

18/10/2024

Updated list for the season! DM to receive more info or go to our website through link in bio.

If you’re wondering about prices, our week-long courses are kept affordable at just $625-650 per person with all materials, small group instruction, and more. Stay in Antigua affordably by adding a week at our studio guest room for just $300. We think this is a great value for creative travelers! And participants can be proud to support a women-owned and managed small business that reinvests in local artisan production — your support through our classes and travels allows us to continue working with our diverse network of artisan partners.

15/10/2024

Perfectly asymmetrical 🤎

Textile designed by .rigs, crafted into a new cropped jacket.

14/10/2024

Our bestsellers are our ready-to-weave backstrap loom kits. Great for beginners, and we offer several different versions - for kids vs. adults, for making brocade figures, and even for working with handspun natural cotton.

Shipping worldwide directly from Guatemala.

11/10/2024

“Where should I stay in Antigua Guatemala?” To answer this frequent question, I put together a list of recommendations that is now up on our blog!

This is our neighborhood 👋🏼 Those of you familiar with Antigua can probably tell exactly where Sucy and Kelly are standing — you can find the historic Iglesia San Francisco in the background as well as an iconic bar on the side 😉

Accommodations in the blog post include hotels, a home stay, and a boutique hostel all just one or two blocks away. Link in bio.

10/10/2024

Doña Cristina and Doña Claribel have spent many months preparing the bases of the huipiles that are now waiting to be embroidered by students. We can't wait to see the end result!

- Last call to stitch together with us this Thanksgiving Week in Antigua, Guatemala 🪡
- Next session will take place March 3-7, 2025

DM for more info :)

Dirección

1a Avenida Sur #4B
Antigua

Teléfono

+50251911991

Página web

http://www.kakawdesigns.com/, https://linktr.ee/kakawdesigns

Notificaciones

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Videos

What an end to a fantastic time. Thank you International Folk Art Market! Hasta pronto, until next year, Santa Fe! #IFAM2024

We're getting started with IFAM activities today. I had a last-minute thought that we should document these beauties all together, while we still can. Rebozos made just for the market. Five new color ways, only 3 units of each... Come and see (and get!) these treasures while they last! Booth 82 this weekend at the International Folk Art Market. #IFAM2024 #naturallydyed #ikat

Indigo Dance!

Indigo is the most magical of all the natural dyes... And we think we've figured out an important key to its practice... Dance! 💙 Next chance to learn and practice these steps is this December during our Colors of Guatemala trip, all about - you guessed it - Natural Dyes. Gracias, Aiko!

Backstrap weaving setup in Antigua Guatemala

Master weaver and teacher Doña Everilda patiently guides the backstrap weaving student as she prepares the string heddle (called "chocoy" locally) in our studio garden in Antigua Guatemala. We love the beautiful spring hues the student has chosen for her loom! 🌸 🪻 🌷 #backstrapweaving #telardecintura #antiguaguatemala

Setting up the chocoy / string heddle on a backstrap loom

In my opinion, this is the hardest part of setting up a backstrap loom! And because of the details, the most challenging to capture for online classes. That’s what we found out when we launched online weaving classes on in 2020. Learning and practicing in-person with us in Guatemala has its advantages 😉 This video was taken during last month’s From Fiber to Fabric itinerary at Lake Atitlán 💙

Our studio opens up to a lush garden 🌱 which is where we hold our workshops! You can see Doña Everilda demonstrating here, and Sucy greeting visitors ♥️ A fantastic mother-daughter duo that we’re lucky to have on our team! #antiguaguatemala #kakawdesigns

Spinning Day 🧶 It’s always a pleasure to work with Doña Marta, but I must say today’s traditional malacate spinning class was extra special with all participants REALLY getting into it ♥️ The energy is contagious when we have spinner Alisha from Fiber Circle Studio as the facilitator! #textiletravels #fiberlovers

We are all about backstrap weaving right now as we are hosting our very first Intensive Backstrap Weaving Week. Day 1 was all about warping (and cooking and eating! 😋). Tomorrow, we will finish setting up our looms, and then begin weaving from there.

Backstrap weaving demonstration and a little garden market today! Join us next Saturday to make your own holiday ornament, it’s going to be another fun afternoon! 🪡 #antiguaguatemala #handmadeinguatemala

Atajos

Kakaw Designs

Supporting traditions with roots as deep as the chocolate tree. Handmade in Guatemala by talented textile, leather, and silver artisans using traditional techniques.