The Online Craft Store You Have To Know

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

If you love getting lost in the craft markets and buying unique pieces, but you don't have time and money to catch a plane and plant yourself in Coyoacán or Chichicastenango, this online store will delight you.

Nomadic Friends is the result of world travel by Daniela De Lara, a Brazilian fashionista and nomad based in Brooklyn (for now), where you can find incredible pieces such as these Guatemalan bags with recycled huipiles, precious Moroccan kaftans or some Brazilian bags straw that are being the hit of this summer. Read on to discover its history.

What were your first steps in the fashion world?

I worked for several fashion firms in Sao Paulo and New York and even in the financial sector, but I was always looking for a job with which I identified. My last job before starting Nomadic Friends was in the world of finance, at that time my mother was diagnosed with cancer and died in less than a month. My world fell apart and I realized that I had to change my life and do something that made more sense to me and the world we live in. I decided to quit my job and travel. I spent four months in Trancos, a small coastal town in Brazil, and there I got in touch with Araue, from the Pataxo tribe, who sells indigenous crafts; Solange, an artisan who created the iconic crochet bikini that you now find all over the world, and artisans from all corners whose work she wanted to show the world.

How did you decide to create your own online fashion and accessories store?

At first it was just an idea, but then I decided to turn it into a business. I put together some pieces from my visit to Trancoso and then my first trip in search of new pieces was to Guatemala and it was there that I discovered how the huipiles made and understood the process of making the fabric and how they use the plants to dye it. After that I went to Morocco, the jade market in Hong Kong, Bali and Vietnam. I realized that the way people consume is changing, now we are aware of how products are made and the social impact they have. Today we understand that the consumer has the power to change the world with their purchases.

What type of clothing and accessories are you looking for on your trips?

First I have to like the style, something ethnic that shows the cultural heritage of the country, but that you can also use in your day to day. I value products that are made by hand or produced with natural fibers and non-toxic dyes and if it is with recycled materials even better, more sustainable. Before traveling to a new place, I like to read about its culture and understand its trades and traditions. There is a quote by Paulo Cohelo that I love, he says”culture makes people understand each other better and if they understood each other better in their souls, it is easier to overcome economic and political barriers. But first they have to understand that their neighbors are like them in the end, with the same problems and the same questions.”

Do you have a favorite piece?

For me, history is very connected with each garment. I remember who made it, how it was made, the environmental and social impact it has. I love the Mayan bag that I brought from my first trip to Guatemala. I bought it from Renan at the Chi Chi market and it is made from recycled huipiles. He told me that he works with the Mayan women of the mountains. I also love Indigo jackets from the Red Dao tribe of Vietnam, they are dyed with plants and the embroideries are very detailed and very complicated to make, it takes months to finish. Or the bags of Fe Handbags, a Colombian brand that works with Tule and Embera Katio women in Colombia.