Artisan Highlight: Vida Nueva - Mexico

Nestled in the little village of Teotitlán del Valle, just outside of Oaxaca, you can find Vida Nueva — an all-women weaving cooperative. They employ 114 Zapotec women who, utilizing large floor looms, weave pillows, rugs, and other home decor items.

The beauty of Vida Nueva is not only the patterns and techniques that have been passed down through many generations, but also the heart behind the Co-Op. In 1996, Pastora Asunción Gutierrez Reyes began Vida Nueva (meaning “New Life”) as a way to provide job opportunities for women who were single, divorced, widowed, or left without a family to care for them. Pastora was a trailblazer when she began this endeavor because traditionally weaving was a male-only craft. Now, over 20 years later, Pastora and Vida Nueva are not only providing ethical jobs for women, but they are also continuing to preserve and honor the indigenous Zapotec traditions through their weaving. In addition to weaving, Vida Nueva also serves the community through a variety of programs and events, such as tending to elderly women on Mother’s Day and providing special stoves that reduce smoke from traditional wood-based cooking.

“We work, laugh, and raise our children and grandchildren together. We push each other to create new designs with rich colors. It is hard work but we find inspiration in our community.”

— Pastora, Cooperative Founder

We loved our visit to Vida Nueva because we were able to watch some weaving on the large looms, as well as watch a demonstration on how they naturally dye all of their wool. From vibrant traditional colors to rich neutrals, it was amazing to see how each dye was created. We can not wait to continue to work with Vida Nueva and to design some Zapotec inspired Travel Patterns products very soon!