The inspiring life and work of Berta Escobar Espinosa
Though she wasn't always a stitch designer, Berta Escobar Espinosa was always an artist at heart. After graduating with a degree of Interior Design from the Arts Institute in Peru, Berta married and became a mother of two. She had a good life, but she was restless. Her love of design, and her entrepreneurial spirit, needed to be expressed.
One day Berta's sister introduced her to looming and knitting. She was so excited about this new art form that she immediately began creating sweaters and collecting a library of books about stitch design. Her sister introduced her to a friend who had a local fashion boutique in Lima, and they began creating sweaters to sell. As demand for her unique designs grew, Berta met Patricia Roose, the founder of an artisan-based social enterprise that now works with INDIGENOUS. Patricia was so impressed by Berta’s talent and passion for design that she asked her to join her brilliant knitting team. Berta accepted, and she has now been working alongside Patricia for the past 25 years.
Berta's story has woven her into the INDIGENOUS family. Over the years she has created some of our most beautiful and unique knits. She loves that the designs she creates for INDIGENOUS bring economic opportunity to the Peruvian people. Through fair trade, those who are involved with all aspects of the process benefit from Berta's designs—from the organic cotton and alpaca farmers to the yarn spinners, to the talented artisan knitters.
Together, our passions bring positive change to everyone involved in our fair-trade supply chain. As Berta says, “with one stitch at a time, we can make a difference.”
0 comments