shopping in lima, peru

in april, anna, jessica and i made a quick trip to peru to attend lima’s artisan exhibition downtown, and do some shopping (and eating!). it’s true – lima is a world of rainbow pom poms, brightly colored rugs, neon textiles and furry alpacas. every corner was a treasure trove of suprises. the people of peru were warm and welcoming, the food scene was hip and happening and the shopping was maybe the best yet of all of our travels.

piles of frazedas as far as the eye can see

strands of pom poms greet you around every corner

gorgeous peruvian leather bags trimmed in signature fabrics from cusco

vibrant woven baskets were a favorite find – i picked up several to use as containers to organize my bathroom

the colors weren’t limited to the vendors’ wares – lima is a bustling city full of eye-candy

i kept meeting schnauzies in the city.  this one was a 9-week old babe.

loads of cusco trim, used to line the traditional skirts the ladies where.  each trim tells the story of the particular woman who wears it – where they’re from, if they’re married, what their family does.

watching surfers catch the wave break in barranco

stringing hand-sewn pom poms into garland

another friend i made in a vendor’s stall

as if any of us needed more pouches, it was too hard to resist the amazing neon colors

traditional hats woven in neon colors, aceented with beads – i brought one home to add to my gallery wall.

lunch at huaca pucllana overlooking the ruins

we all brought back bags – these with the shoulder strap are perfect for daytripping in the city

we stopped by the mario testino exhibit at the mate museo

what an amazing view in burranco overlooking the water

we choose a few of our favorite hand-sewn cards and turned them into framed pieces – check out the charming scenes here

a textile-lovers dream

the testino exhibit was extra-fun.

we spent two days at the marcado indio, and probably could’ve done more!

one-of-a-kind traditional vests made it back with us – perfect with jeans and a white tee

impossible to pick just one

another traditional costume accessory, i picked up a few strands of these furry rainbow garlands

pouches with traditional peruvian embroidery

long beaded strands became bracelets

never enough pom poms

we watched these fruits take shape as the artist weaved them in his booth at the market

a magical corner in the market

we each scored a rug – frazedas are perfect for upholstery projects.

the extra large embroidered scenes would be perfect custom framed

if there’s a ledge, a corner or a door knob in my house, most likely i have a tassel hanging from it

pretty bags woven from neon fabric

how cute is this beach scene?

i picked up a few pairs of these rad sneakers woven from peruvian fabric

i can’t describe how amazingly fluffy and luxurious the baby alpaca fur is.  i wanted a whole herd.

trimmed and beaded, these vests were one of our favorite finds.

the colors of peru are fantastic

we had an amazing lunch at astrid y gaston

and of course of few of these guys made the trip back with us – they made a much more manageable herd.

photos by anna routh