dutzi employs 23 indigenous Mayan artisans – most of them women – from Valladolid and the surrounding communities. Given a chance to employ their skills and earn an income for their families, the sense of empowerment that dutzi affords its artisans is fundamental to Ariane’s business plan. “Just to see these artisans’ expressions,” she says, “to give them hope and give them their dignity back: It’s all worth it.”
The materials that dutzi uses are eco-friendly, as well. The majority of Ariane’s bags are made from recycled burlap that she has spent years sourcing from all over Mexico. No mass production is involved: each bag is individually sewn and one-of-a-kind. Even the mecapál straps are hand made by one of the last families in the region trained in the traditional technique.
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