Your Red and White Kaftan X-X

https://www.instagram.com/natkelley/

Dear Nathalie,

Here I will recount for you the adventure of discovering your Kaftan which I bought in pieces on the day and left it with a reliable Woman I have worked with over the years to complete for me and ship to me back in Mexico City in time for me to leave with it for Australia. Sadly it didn't arrive until the 11th hour after I had begged her for days and days for this to be in my hands in time for me to pick it up and ship it home to Australia “Oh Latinos!!”

So the journey always begins with me traveling on all types of land transport and positioning myself in a town that is the closest I can be to my Artisans without relying on them, they always offer for me to stay, but i'd rather be free in the evenings back at my hotel to do my work and communicate with the outside world.

My days have no dates nor weekends or days for rest although if I have time I always find a way to stop in at a beach or a lake or a National Park to nurture my soul and keep my equilibrium if there is such a treasure on the way.

After a couple days of travel to the area, I began visiting my regular suppliers to pick up orders and search for new weavers and stock, on this day I had been asking the locals and came across a couple who were in town to pick up essential supplies (like rice and sugar) my friend stopped them bc she knew they wove beautiful pieces and were part of her extended family.

Then we all decided to share a wonky taxi ride as it had been raining torrentially in the previous days and the dirt roads were quite rutted to say the least, I chose to sit in the front seat so I could look as the driver took on a fjord I didn't think we would make it thru, and inclines only possible with a 4WD not a clapped out old Mexico City Taxi!!

After an hour of driving we were thick in the forest but on a peak with all kinds of humble homes and curious kids, the family proudly led me to their home which consisted of various buildings, bamboo huts and a type of outdoor kitchen and then a recent building on the same land, I heard that had been built by volunteers which came to the town in 2017 following the two Earthquakes and offered manual labor and rebuilding skills to so many of the locals helping them rebuild their lives & homes.

The view was spectacular and as they showed me around people arrived mostly Women and children holding bags and baskets of their work, heaps of people had assembled behind me and I quickly worked out that Spanish was not the common language but with smiles and intentions we got along fine, I have searched for photos of this moment but think they are on the old phone that was stolen last year I am sorry but will attach some from the region and the other I sent to you by Instagram are from here.

The negotiations are easy in these cases as there is a common price paid in the area for these garments established by the women themselves.

I saw so many pretty products that made my heart sing, I watched women weaving and shared any treats I had in my bag with the children and began my outbound journey via the home of the intermediary I had to complete the garments.

These moments are always hard because for me it is regretful that I have to leave, but I always know ill be back again soon to support them some more.

Some families I know very well and make sure I say goodbye to them as I leave and are offered food and the warmth you know only Latinos can offer.

Of course I cant wait to go back and see them again soon but I am always aware of how dangerous these areas are, close to the poppy growing fields of Gurerro which are run by another kind of regime, each time I thank my lucky stars I am on my way home again or to a more neutral town.....to another town, another journey, another type of Artisans garment, it has been my work for 23 years now and I cant wait to do it all again next month xxxxx

con mucho cariño Zara xxxx