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"My name is Raquel Iriarte de Brenner and I was born in the province of Piura. I describe my work as... read more
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Raquel and Gregor alpaca accessories
"My name is Raquel Iriarte de Brenner and I was born in the province of Piura. I describe my work as an art form, and I've been dedicated to it along with my husband, Gregor. Our garments carry the name 'Sillpa,' which is an ancient Aymara word that implies 'softness,' 'comfort,' and 'pleasure.'
"What draws me to weaving is the opportunity to work with natural fibers by rescuing ancient Inca weaving techniques. The greatest challenge I have faced is to educate my children in the right path so they may have a professional career. As far as work is concerned, the greatest challenge has been to present our work to people from around the world."
"My name is Gregor Brenner Knoch. I come from an artistic background, therefore the world to me seems more about creativity than technology. Each person is an artist at heart, I think we only need to let our 'artist' out.
"What motivates me to do this kind of work is to see natural fibers transformed into garments. We use as reference natural colors, including those you see in the Andean landscape, the jungle, and the coast.
"We use natural materials including alpaca wool, fine cotton, and silk. We help an Andean community by employing weavers on traditional looms who then help us finish each piece by hand. Sillpa is dedicated to preserving Peru's millenary weaving traditions.
"We would like to give our thanks to everyone. We would like to thank you for supporting our art, which in turn, will benefit many Peruvian families."
"What draws me to weaving is the opportunity to work with natural fibers by rescuing ancient Inca weaving techniques. The greatest challenge I have faced is to educate my children in the right path so they may have a professional career. As far as work is concerned, the greatest challenge has been to present our work to people from around the world."
"My name is Gregor Brenner Knoch. I come from an artistic background, therefore the world to me seems more about creativity than technology. Each person is an artist at heart, I think we only need to let our 'artist' out.
"What motivates me to do this kind of work is to see natural fibers transformed into garments. We use as reference natural colors, including those you see in the Andean landscape, the jungle, and the coast.
"We use natural materials including alpaca wool, fine cotton, and silk. We help an Andean community by employing weavers on traditional looms who then help us finish each piece by hand. Sillpa is dedicated to preserving Peru's millenary weaving traditions.
"We would like to give our thanks to everyone. We would like to thank you for supporting our art, which in turn, will benefit many Peruvian families."
Raquel and Gregor Lima, Peru
"My name is Raquel Iriarte de Brenner and I was born in the province of Piura. I describe my work as an art form, and I've been dedicated to it along with my husband, Gregor. Our garments carry the name 'Sillpa,' which is an ancient Aymara word that implies 'softness,' 'comfort,' and 'pleasure.'
"What draws me to weaving is the opportunity to work with natural fibers by rescuing ancient Inca weaving techniques. The greatest challenge I have faced is to educate my children in the right path so they may have a professional career. As far as work is concerned, the greatest challenge has been to present our work to people from around the world."
"My name is Gregor Brenner Knoch. I come from an artistic background, therefore the world to me seems more about creativity than technology. Each person is an artist at heart, I think we only need to let our 'artist' out.
"What motivates me to do this kind of work is to see natural fibers transformed into garments. We use as reference natural colors, including those you see in the Andean landscape, the jungle, and the coast.
"We use natural materials including alpaca wool, fine cotton, and silk. We help an Andean community by employing weavers on traditional looms who then help us finish each piece by hand. Sillpa is dedicated to preserving Peru's millenary weaving traditions.
"We would like to give our thanks to everyone. We would like to thank you for supporting our art, which in turn, will benefit many Peruvian families."
The Andes Fulfillment Hub
Maker BadgeWorking with Disabilities
Among the quality control assistants at Raquel and Gregor's workshop is one who is profoundly deaf. The rest of the team takes great pride in the way they have learned to communicate with her. They treasure what she has taught them about communicating with her and with each other.
Maker BadgeJob Creator
Raquel and Gregor are able to provide work for a number of people, 90 percent of them women.
Maker BadgePreserving Traditions
Raquel and Gregor are dedicated to preserving the traditions woven into Peruvian culture from pre-Incan times. Like many before them, they learned their textile craft from elders in the community and they pass their knowledge to the younger artisans who work with them. Each piece produced in their workshop is woven on a wooden floor loom and finished by hand. Created from natural fibers - alpaca, cotton and silk - their work echoes the natural colors of the Peruvian landscape, reverberating with the rich hues of the mountains, the jungle and the coast.
Maker BadgeMoving On Up
Raquel and Gregor are deeply committed to building a sustainable workshop that offers a flexible supportive environment for the people who collaborate with them, most of whom are women. They have a special room at the workshop for the women to breastfeed or otherwise care for their children. Many of these women work solely for the purpose of being able to educate their children. Raquel and Gregor also have a deep respect for the environment and have installed solar panels in their workshop, a rarity in Peru.
Maker BadgeMicrocredit Financing
Raquel and Gregor has received 9 microcredit loans with 0% interest from Kiva and Novica, the first for $1400 and the most recent for $2850. Proceeds were used to buy more silk, cotton and alpaca wool for her shawls and accessories.
Chestnut and Maroon Subtle Patterns Alpaca Blend Woven Shawl 'Subtle Current'
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Comments
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1 more comment
Melody Thank you SO much Rachel and Gregor for this beautiful shawl. It is so soft, warm and positively wonderful. I appreciate every bit of work that went into creating it and brought into to my home -- and your postcard too! Thank you!
45 Reviews for
Raquel and Gregor
February 12, 2021
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Laura L.
Beautiful colors and quality wool shawl. I will enjoy wearing it for years.
Reviewed itemJanuary 2, 2021
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Mary
I got this for my Dad for Christmas. He likes it very much! He enjoys taking longs walks and this scarf is warm and toasty!
Reviewed itemApril 27, 2023
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Jane
My mother loved this shawl. I thought it was very elegant, and nice for a chilly night out. She lives in Florida, where normally it's warm, but at night it can get a bit chilly. What's nice is you can take it off if you get warm and stick it in your handbag. I like the fact that its made from alpaca wool, which is a rarer wool. Also, the color is very pretty and neutral; it pretty much goes w... read more
Reviewed itemNovember 14, 2020
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Joy
This was a gift and the recipient loved the color and texture. It felt hood to support a talented artisan from Peru as well!
Reviewed itemApril 30, 2020
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Carla
Love the scarf. Colors are so pretty. Not quite as soft as expected but still very nice.
Reviewed itemMarch 4, 2023
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Susana
Bought two for Christmas gifts. I saw my friend wearing it, looks beautiful!
Reviewed itemFebruary 19, 2020
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Debi
This scarf is absolutely beautiful, and soft to the touch. We ordered it just a couple of days before my sister's birthday, and it arrived right on time. I was very impressed with the service. The free gift wrap and the ability to add a note was definitely appreciated and an extra added attraction. Thank you so much. I plan to be a repeat customer!
Reviewed itemJanuary 16, 2020
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Matthew
This scarf is most definitely of high quality making. So soft and now precious one for my wardrobe. The skill the artist uses is truly amazing! Thank you so much to the ?Artist? as I will now refer to you!!
Reviewed itemFebruary 15, 2023
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Melody
Thank you SO much Rachel and Gregor for this beautiful shawl. It is so soft, warm and positively wonderful. I appreciate every bit of work that went into creating it and brought into to my home -- and your postcard too! Thank you!
Reviewed itemFebruary 14, 2023
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Kimberly
This scarf is beautifully made, warm but not bulky - highly recommended.
Reviewed itemDecember 7, 2019
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Janice
Perfect for an evening out. Flattering color and quality workmanship. Thank you!
Reviewed itemNovember 24, 2019
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Virginia
I'm so pleased with this scarf. The colour is a deep rich red, and exactly matches the coat I bought it to pair with. It's not a heavy scarf, but on the thin side. Yet it's warm and comfortable to wear, even as an accent piece. Happy customer!
Reviewed itemNovember 19, 2019
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Cody
Lovely quality, color and feel. Just the right length and size for me. The herringbone pattern is more visible than in the photos which I think makes it even nicer.
Reviewed itemJanuary 23, 2023
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Joyce
I’m pleased with the simple beauty of this scarf, the rich color and the obvious quality of the weaving.
Reviewed itemJanuary 12, 2023
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Kathleen
I gifted this to a family member who found it too overly "scratchy" to use.
Reviewed itemJuly 25, 2019
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Tricia
I love this shrug it's very soft and looks really nice on. Hangs great on me. I wear a 2x and this fits very nice. Happy with this purchase and will definitely be buying other colors.
Reviewed itemJuly 13, 2019
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Kathy
Absolutely beautiful! So soft, so colorful. I didn't notice in the picture the nubbiness of the weave where the different colors come together, but it is definitely a lot of texture - very pretty.
Reviewed itemFebruary 15, 2019
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Angela
The shawl is very beautiful. The color is vibrant and the quality of the materials and weave is superb. This will be a cherished piece for a very long time.
Reviewed itemJanuary 1, 2019
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Belinda
Bought this scarf for my sister as a xmas gift...way more beautiful than in the picture. Radiant color...highly recommend...craftsmanship is exceptional!She love it....
Reviewed itemDecember 26, 2022
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Patricia
A wonderful scarf. The colors are beautiful. The scarf is so soft and very well made.
Reviewed itemOctober 22, 2018
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Joanne
Beautiful shawl. It's more olive with iris highlights. It will go with just about any other colors in my closet. It's thin and not bulky. Thank you for this gorgeous alpaca wrap.
Reviewed itemSeptember 28, 2017
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Beverley
I wear this little shrug from autum through to spring - so handy and easy to wear - love it
Reviewed itemAugust 15, 2022
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E.G.
This is my fourth or maybe even fifth alpaca shawl from Raquel and Gregor -- they are all soft and beautiful and get lots of use. You do need to take care of them, as they will snag. But the alpaca fibers are strong and just need to be tucked back in now and then.
Reviewed itemAugust 13, 2022
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Cheryl
Beautifully made and gorgeous colors. It was a gift and very well received.
Reviewed itemJuly 7, 2022
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Angelica
I got this scarf for my husband because he loves black scarves (very basic taste) and I love alpacas. He used it this past cold spell, and loved it!
Reviewed itemMarch 28, 2022
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Susan
This shawl is so beautiful and I get tons of compliments on it! It's lightweight so good for Fall and Spring weather.
Reviewed itemMarch 23, 2022
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Judith
I've worn this poncho with a white blouse and jeans and it is very comfortable. Plus, I've gotten a lot of compliments on the colors. It is very soft to the touch, but I wish it was a little bit longer in the back and front. Excellent workmanship!
Reviewed itemMarch 12, 2022
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Carolyn
This was purchased as a birthday present and the recipient absolutely loved it.
Reviewed itemMarch 8, 2022
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Susan
I purchased this scarf as a gift for my sister; it is exquisite and very well made and will be a perfect gift.
Reviewed itemDecember 23, 2021
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Teila
This is a spectacular poncho! The colors are amazing, and it's extremely well-crafted, soft, and lightweight! Not really a winter poncho for where I live, Central Ohio— Better suited to a chilly but dry spring or autumn day. I love the postcard, which will also be a keepsake. Also, it arrived well ahead of schedule! For fit purposes: I am 5’3”, US size 10, approximately 30” waist, US 36DD chest, a... read more
Reviewed itemDecember 10, 2021
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Cindy
This shawl is a perfect size and weight for my needs, and I love the subtle colors and weave pattern. Beautiful and versatile!
Reviewed itemNovember 21, 2021
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Marian
I am very happy with this artistic, soft and light scarf. De colors are so beautiful...
Reviewed itemNovember 11, 2021
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Lynda
This piece is absolutely breathtaking. It is so soft. The detailing is amazing, and you can tell the artist really took her time creating this. This will be a great staple piece for the holiday season and something I can pass down to my daughters.Thank you so much.
Reviewed itemOctober 19, 2021
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Adela
The shawl has a great warm color, stylish, beautifully crafts work
Reviewed itemSeptember 2, 2021
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Susan
This is a beautiful shawl -- soft, well made, exquisite weaving. I'm trying to decide whether to keep it. I bought it because a previous review commented it was more olive with iris highlights. The purple is a cool tone and is the dominant color. As such, the color isn't great for me. But, it is a beautiful piece.
Reviewed itemJuly 6, 2021
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Penelope
This is an exquisite scarf I received from Raquel and Gregor. I gave it as a gift to my sister who absolutely loves it.
Reviewed itemMay 19, 2021
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Sally
This was as pretty in person as it looked in the catalog. I love the colors and the . is so soft! I wish I lived in a cooler climate so I could wear it more
Reviewed itemApril 27, 2023
J
Jane
My mother loved this shawl. I thought it was very elegant, and nice for a chilly night out. She lives in Florida, where normally it's warm, but at night it can get a bit chilly. What's nice is you can take it off if you get warm and stick it in your handbag. I like the fact that its made from alpaca wool, which is a rarer wool. Also, the color is very pretty and neutral; it pretty much goes with everything.
December 23, 2021
T
Teila
This is a spectacular poncho! The colors are amazing, and it's extremely well-crafted, soft, and lightweight! Not really a winter poncho for where I live, Central Ohio— Better suited to a chilly but dry spring or autumn day. I love the postcard, which will also be a keepsake. Also, it arrived well ahead of schedule! For fit purposes: I am 5’3”, US size 10, approximately 30” waist, US 36DD chest, and this poncho fits perfectly!
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