Jean Wayúu Mochila Crossbody Bag

There are blues that go with everything. This one happens to mean something, too.

Hand-crocheted by an Indigenous Wayúu artisan in La Guajira, Colombia, the Jean Mochila takes the traditional drawstring bag and covers it in shades of a color deeply connected to Wayúu culture, where blue evokes the ocean, the sky, and the spirit of the ancestors. The intricate geometric pattern and richly woven strap give it plenty to look at, while the tonal palette makes it surprisingly easy to wear, which is useful because a bag this good shouldn't require an outfit-planning committee. Its roomy drawstring shape handles the everyday collection of phone, wallet, sunglasses, keys, and whatever else somehow becomes essential by noon. Each mochila is crocheted individually by one artisan using techniques passed between generations, so variations in pattern, stitching, and dimensions are part of what makes each one its own. 

The Details

• Traditional Wayúu mochila crossbody bag
• Hand-crocheted by Indigenous Wayúu women artisans
• Made in La Guajira, Colombia
• Blue tonal design
• Blue holds cultural associations with the ocean, sky + ancestors in Wayúu culture
• Traditional geometric pattern
• Drawstring closure
• Handwoven crossbody strap
• Each mochila is made individually by one artisan
• Variations in stitching, pattern + dimensions are inherent to the handmade process
• Gentle machine wash
• Do not tumble dry, bleach or iron
• Made by One Thread Collective

About the Brand:  One Thread Collective

One Thread Collective started because the women making the bags knew exactly what they needed:  more people to buy the bags. Founder Jackie encountered Wayuu communities while working in La Guajira in 2018 and 2019, where families were facing poverty, food insecurity, water scarcity, and limited access to international markets. The women she met weren't asking for another charitable intervention. They wanted help selling the mochilas they already knew how to make. One Thread Collective grew from that fairly important distinction. Today it works with 120 artisans across 10 remote Wayuu communities, connecting generations of weaving knowledge with a larger market while reinvesting 100% of profits into educational programs for Wayuu women. The organization also provides interest-free microloans, and 10% of every purchase supports a community project chosen by the artisan herself. The objective isn't to rescue a traditional craft. It's to make sure the people who already possess that craft have considerably more power over what it can provide for them.