Sencilla Wayuu Mochila Crossbody Bag

Minimalism gets considerably more interesting when someone actually made it by hand.

Crocheted entirely by hand by an Indigenous Wayuu artisan in La Guajira, Colombia, the Sencilla pairs a restrained beige and navy pattern with the traditional mochila shape that Wayuu women have been making for generations. The neutral palette makes it remarkably easy to wear, while the hand-crocheted texture, woven strap, and subtle geometric details keep “easy” from becoming anonymous. Its drawstring bucket shape holds considerably more than its tidy proportions suggest, making it the sort of bag you can carry across town, through an airport, or basically anywhere your phone, wallet, sunglasses, and several objects you don't remember packing need to go. Each mochila is made individually by one artisan, stitch by stitch, so variations are part of the story rather than something production tried to eliminate. The bag may be simple. Making it absolutely is not.

The Details

• Traditional Wayuu mochila crossbody bag
• Hand-crocheted by Indigenous Wayuu women artisans
• Made in La Guajira, Colombia
• Beige + navy design
• Drawstring closure
• Long woven crossbody strap
• Available in Small, Medium + Large
• Each bag takes approximately 5–10 days to crochet
• Each mochila is made individually by hand
• Variations in stitching, dimensions + details are inherent to the handmade process
• Gentle machine wash
• Do not tumble dry, bleach or iron
  

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.