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shopping in lima, peru

By 5/16/2017

in april, anna, jessica and i made a quick trip to peru to attend lima's artisan exhibition downtown, and do some shopping (and eating!). it's true - lima is a world of rainbow pom poms, brightly colored rugs, neon textiles and furry alpacas. every corner was a treasure trove of suprises. the people of peru were warm and welcoming, the food scene was hip and happening and the shopping was maybe the best yet of all of our travels.

piles of frazedas as far as the eye can see
strands of pom poms greet you around every corner
gorgeous peruvian leather bags trimmed in signature fabrics from cusco

vibrant woven baskets were a favorite find - i picked up several to use as containers to organize my bathroom
the colors weren't limited to the vendors' wares - lima is a bustling city full of eye-candy
i kept meeting schnauzies in the city.  this one was a 9-week old babe.

loads of cusco trim, used to line the traditional skirts the ladies where.  each trim tells the story of the particular woman who wears it - where they're from, if they're married, what their family does.

watching surfers catch the wave break in barranco

stringing hand-sewn pom poms into garland

another friend i made in a vendor's stall

as if any of us needed more pouches, it was too hard to resist the amazing neon colors

traditional hats woven in neon colors, aceented with beads - i brought one home to add to my gallery wall.

lunch at huaca pucllana overlooking the ruins

we all brought back bags - these with the shoulder strap are perfect for daytripping in the city

we stopped by the mario testino exhibit at the mate museo

what an amazing view in burranco overlooking the water

we choose a few of our favorite hand-sewn cards and turned them into framed pieces - check out the charming scenes here
a textile-lovers dream
the testino exhibit was extra-fun.  

we spent two days at the marcado indio, and probably could've done more!

one-of-a-kind traditional vests made it back with us - perfect with jeans and a white tee

impossible to pick just one

another traditional costume accessory, i picked up a few strands of these furry rainbow garlands

pouches with traditional peruvian embroidery

long beaded strands became bracelets 

never enough pom poms

we watched these fruits take shape as the artist weaved them in his booth at the market

a magical corner in the market

we each scored a rug - frazedas are perfect for upholstery projects. 

the extra large embroidered scenes would be perfect custom framed 

if there's a ledge, a corner or a door knob in my house, most likely i have a tassel hanging from it

pretty bags woven from neon fabric 

how cute is this beach scene?

i picked up a few pairs of these rad sneakers woven from peruvian fabric

i can't describe how amazingly fluffy and luxurious the baby alpaca fur is.  i wanted a whole herd.

trimmed and beaded, these vests were one of our favorite finds.

the colors of peru are fantastic 

we had an amazing lunch at astrid y gaston

and of course of few of these guys made the trip back with us - they made a much more manageable herd.
photos by anna routh

7 comments

  1. Love this Post-! For someone like myself - who loves COLOR - It was a FEAST-!!

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  2. i want all the things! how were you not overwhelmed by all the choices, tho??
    b

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  3. I am totally in love with all those beautiful colours.

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  4. Great photos of the beautiful colors of textiles and fabrics in Peru

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  5. Great photos of the beautiful colors in textiles and fabrics available in Lima :)

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  6. Loving all the colors and your photos are great :)

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  7. LOVE this post! I'm going to Lima and Ayacucho this summer, and as if I weren't inspired enough, this blog post sent me over the edge! Can you share with me the kinds of prices to expect? Like the strands of poms, that beautiful vest, those amazing shoes, a small leather purse, and those adorable alpacas? Thanks so much!!!

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