Launching this month (November 2021), Aracari Shop will be the first online retail experience of its kind. It will become a platform for premium Andean luxury, including art, textiles, fashion, and homeware – giving a global audience privileged access to some of the highest quality craftsmanship of Perú and Bolivia.
It is the first time an assorted curation of work from several revered Latin America artists, artisans and designers will be available to shop in one dedicated space. Aracari Shop will therefore become a new way to travel, to experience the essence of Perú and Bolivia, without leaving home.
The brand-new venture is an extension of the Aracari Travel brand, a Perú based company and a leading pioneer in tailormade luxury and sustainable travel to Perú, Bolivia and Galapagos founded 25 years ago by Marisol Mosquera. Aracari Shop will lean on Mosquera’s extensive connections with leading creatives in the region, a network built from decades of coordinating purposeful travel itineraries. Mosquera has always endeavoured to connect Aracari clients with unique and authentic experiences, meeting leading artists, master weavers and acclaimed designers.
The launch of Aracari Shop will mean a global audience will now be connected to the same meaningful travel experiences in Perú and Bolivia but from the comfort of their home.
Marisol Mosquera, Aracari Travel Founder, said: “We have always sought out hidden attractions and unveiled them to our guests, encountered savants and master craftspeople, and being able to create a market for them to share indigenous knowledge with grateful and appreciative travellers has been deeply fulfilling.”
Marcella Echavarría, a leading authority in the luxury and sustainable arena, has been charged with curating the pieces to be showcased in the Aracari Shop. Echavarría has led consulting projects for The United Nations (UN), Unesco and USAID amongst others, and her clients include individual creators, artisanal brands, textile related brands, retail concepts, and travel companies. Indeed, the Aracari Travel brand enlisted Echavarría’s expertise three years ago for the company’s rebrand in 2018.
Marcella Echavarría, Chief Curator of Aracari Shop, said: “The handmade is no longer a peripheral or isolated area of specialist interest: it is now firmly established in the mainstream. The growth in the public’s desire for authenticity, for experiences, for ethical and sustainable consumption have helped fuel an interest in making and buying high quality sustainable handmade products.”
Aracari Shop will focus on the art and design that gives a vision of Peru and Bolivia away from the usual folkloric trinkets and souvenirs. The curation will initially feature over 30 premium pieces that embody authentic Peru and Bolivia, following the same philosophy Aracari Travel is built upon. To do this, Aracari Shop will represent a careful selection of 10 artists and artisans – those such as Peruvian photographer Billy Hare, Bolivian textile artist Gaston Ugalde and master weaver and designer Alessandra Petersen.
Aracari Shop goes beyond being simply an e-commerce outlet for Andean luxury. It will showcase the rich stories of the artists and artisans and provide insight into the practice of the indigenous craft itself. This will in turn support local communities and help to preserve traditional artforms for future generations. Artisanship in Latin American has been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and the subsequent lack of tourism in the region, so positioning these artists and artisans on an international platform will make a significant difference to both exposure and revenue. Aracari Shop will only source works directly from partner artists and artisans.
Marisol Mosquera, Aracari Travel Founder, said: “I think there is something special about a project where the aim is to promote our culture and communities, and sharing that vision with the world”.
Aracari Shop will bring the premium handmade wears of Peru and Bolivia to doorsteps all over the world, just in time for the festive season.