Taller de Diseños María: the voice and art of over 3,500 women weavers from Sandoná

With more than 80 women weavers directly involved and an impact that reaches over 3,500 artisans throughout the municipality, Taller de Diseños María, led by María Estela Cabrera, has become a symbol of women’s empowerment and the defense of artisanal culture in Nariño.

The workshop specializes in working with iraca, a traditional palm from the region that gives life to hats, bags, and accessories featured on major national and international runways. However, behind that prestige, Cabrera reminds us that the original creators are often left invisible:

“Our creations are used on the world’s most important runways, but the artisans are neither recognized nor paid what they truly deserve. Our work deserves dignity, justice, and to be acknowledged by name,” she stated.

With 56 different weaving techniques passed down from generation to generation, the workshop not only preserves the cultural heritage of Sandoná but also promotes it as a driver of economic development.

For Cabrera, the path goes beyond design and fashion: “True empowerment comes when a woman can live from her art, support her family, and be recognized for her talent. We don’t want charity ,we want justice and opportunity.”

Taller de Diseños María has thus become a platform for social transformation. From raising the visibility of artisans to creating training opportunities, its mission is clear: to weave a future in which the ancestral art of iraca is recognized and valued just as much as the creativity of the major brands that showcase it.