Daydreaming About Guatemala

We're daydreaming about the lush lakes, colorful architecture, and beautiful people of Guatemala. We'll be revisiting the magical city of Antigua for an upcoming shoot and we couldn't be more thrilled. In the meantime, take a peek at our SS12 look book shot in Guatemala.

Guatemala: A Land of Abundant Inspiration

While it is commonly known that many of our bags are handmade ethically in Guatemala, the rich connection our line has with the country, traditions and people may not be such common knowledge. Our owner and designer Jess has spent a great deal of time in the country, living there on and off for a number of years. For those of us who have had the pleasure of spending time in the country, it is easy to see how it can inspire an entire label, such as Stela 9.

One of the many interesting things one can stumble upon in Guatemala are the weaving traditions of the indigenous Maya people. The textiles created through the weaving process can be seen everywhere: on the huipils, which are the traditional blouses the indigenous women wear, being sold at market stands on the streets and as decoration in homes, stores and restaurants. These textiles are either made on a traditional treadle loom which is powered by a foot pedal or the mobile Maya backstrap, which uses a simpler technology. Often times as you walk through the city streets of the lovely Antigua (a small town in Guatemala which is known for its surrounding volcanoes and tourist attractions) you can see Mayan women working on their weaving in front of shops or even in the middle of the park. Antigua is a favorite travel location of Guatemala and where Jess spent much of her time. As Stela 9 bags are known for their patterns, colors and textures it is easy to see where some of this inspiration comes from in Guatemala. Homes are painted in vibrant shades and covered in vegetation. Women walk through the streets covered in intricately weaved huipils. From the surrounding nature, to the beautiful jade stones, hand crafted leather and textiles, to the simplicity of the colorful decorations in a family's home, there are endless things to be inspired by. 

Market selling huipils, souvenirs and textiles

pattern play

textiles

The streets of Antigua

The Mayan ruins of Tikal

The doors of a hostel in San Marcos, Lake Atitlan

Lace head scarves

Little girl in the park in Antigua

Vibrant colors

patterns and textiles

Little girls playing 

Women at work

A lovely display of bags and textiles

Textile creation

Man biking in Antigua

Antigua skies

Clearly, it is hard not to be inspired. In recent years we even returned to Antigua, Guatemala to do an on location shoot for our Spring/Summer 2012 Lookbook. 

The architecture, the people, the nature, the textiles, the patterns, the weather and much more of Guatemala have all been a little piece of the puzzle that created Stela 9.

These are a few of our favorite things:

It seems like these days everyone is on a budget of some sort and it can be difficult to stay up to date with the ever-changing trends of the fashion world. There are also those days when getting dressed is such a challenge. You look in your closet and see a motley collection of the same old, same old and feel it will be impossible to look chic in these old duds. Well, we took to one of our closets and pulled out some old and some new, fairly inexpensive pieces that are great go-tos this summer. There are some essentials most can probably dig out of their closet and the other pieces you can probably find at your local H&M.

These are a few of our favorites for day:

From left to right: last year Gypsy 05 dress from Planet Blue, bag from Guatemala (not Stela 9), Vintage Dress and Forever 21 necklace, H&M Eyelet Lace top, American Apparel Denim Circle Skirt, FP One Pacific Trails Pant, Brandy Melville Striped Gisele Crop Top, thrifted necklace above, H&M necklace.

For night, our faves get a little darker:

From left to right: Vintage Dress, Flea Market necklace, BLQMKT jacket, Stela 9 Pacaya Crossbody Bag, H&M leather skirt.

If you dig hard enough, you can probably find a couple sweet summer dresses, lace, a circle skirt, crop tops, and a few exciting going out numbers you haven't had the guts to wear in a while. So go on and conquer that closet and you might just find the treasures you've been looking for. 

STELA 9 X THREADSENCE INTERVIEW

ThreadSence, known for its "free-spirited fashion for the indie-inspired lifestyle" recently interviewed our very own Jess, designer and creator of Stela 9. Jess discussed the other career possibilities she had lined up, such as pro snowboarder and mesoaserican archaeologist, what inspires her designs, her time in Guatemala and a few words of wisdom for those out there aspiring to work in fashion. We are so excited to be featured on such an awesome site so make sure to check out the interview at the link below!

images courtesy of Threadsence

Interview

Also be sure to check out our great bags ThreadSence has in stock here. 

Guatemalan Huipiles

Images by Josh Ballinger and Jessica Bercovici 

Above Image by Edgar Guzman

Weaving in Mayan culture was, and still is in many parts, an important part of daily life. The traditional blouses worn by the women, called huipils, consist of intricately woven patterns on a large piece of cloth with a hole in it for the head to go through. Each town has its own unique style, which is customized by individuals to represent their own artistic abilities. Today, in addition to the daily wearing of the garments by local women, the textiles are eagerly sought after by tourists and can provide a source of income for the Mayan women who make them. It is not unusual to see a woman weaving an elaborate textiles the porch of their house. Reportedly, a single huipil can take several weeks to complete. Its labour intensive process a source of pride for the manufacturer. The above selections are from Todos Santos Cuchumatan, as well as a couple of our own Stela 9 bags that are handmade with huipiles from Santa Maria de Jesus, Nahuala and Santa Caterina Ixtahuacan . 

STELA 9 SS 2012 Lookbook

A few weeks ago our team flew down to Guatemala for about a week to shoot our Spring/Summer 2012 lookbook and to meet with our Guatemalan artisans.  While there, we traveled through church ruins, ran across cobblestone streets, jumped into rainbow color chicken buses and climbed up fantastical tree houses.  

When piecing together this collection we looked at old archaeological journals and sketches for inspirtation.  Because all of our textiles are handloomed and the leather is handworked we wanted this lookbook to have that same organic feel.  

Thank you to our good friend, Joshua Ballinger for shooting the images and creating a beautiful video for us (coming soon) and to our model, Kelly Jacobik, for beautifully representing our aesthetic.  Also, thank you to Earth Lodge for providing us with tree houses, green fields, delicious meals and many laughs. 

I hope you enjoy our journey. 

Available for purchase at Nasty Gal and Pink Mascara