Why One New York Designer Traveled to Bolivia to Craft the Perfect Sweater Inline
Photographed by Matthew Sprout1/16Working with the artisans in the workshop in La Paz, Bolivia.
Photographed by Matthew Sprout2/16An artisan hand-knitting pattern pieces that were later linked together.
Photographed by Matthew Sprout3/16Portions of the sweater pattern pieces are linked together on this machine and then they are finished by hand (like the cuffs of the sweater).
Photographed by Matthew Sprout4/16A smiling craftswoman. When you don't speak the same language, design becomes a universal language, and a smile or laugh is often the only form of expression.
Photographed by Matthew Sprout5/16Several women working on linking the sleeve cuffs to the sweater sleeve by hand.
Photographed by Matthew Sprout6/16Fruit for sale on the street of the Sagarnaga Market, or Witches Market.
Photographed by Matthew Sprout7/16A local woman in traditional dress at the Sagarnaga Market.
Photographed by Matthew Sprout8/16The view of the surrounding mountains from a street at the market.
Photographed by Matthew Sprout9/16A view of the area surrounding Valle de la Luna, or Moon Valley, in La Paz.
Photographed by Matthew Sprout10/16The countryside surrounding the Illimani mountain.
Photographed by Matthew Sprout11/16A local family in a village at the base of the Illimani mountain.
Photographed by Matthew Sprout12/16Sheep traveling a mountain road in the surrounding area of the mountain.
Photographed by Matthew Sprout13/16To get from La Paz to the Illimani mountain, it’s a three-hour ride on these dirt roads.
Photographed by Matthew Sprout14/16Local children en route to a water ceremony in a nearby village near the mountain.
Photographed by Matthew Sprout15/16Behind-the-scenes photos from our Fall 2016 campaign shot near the Illimani mountain with model Michele Ouellet wearing the Bolivian-made sweater underneath a handwoven blanket made in Ethiopia.
Photographed by Matthew Sprout16/16Taking photos with children from the local villages in the Illimani mountain.