hOW WE WORK

We help you facilitate relationships with small workshops and individual artisans in Guatemala. How is this different from working with a traditional factory?

  • Lower Minimums - each workshop or cooperative sets their own minimums which can vary depending on technique

  • Less Waste - we work with partners who have low minimums, so we only order what you need for your products, and we make a plan together of how to use any waste so that it doesn’t become the burden of the producers

  • Fully Transparent Pricing - you will be quoted directly from the workshop or artisan partner

  • Large Impact - you can help small workshops grow and increase economic opportunities within their communities

  • Direct Communication - our English speaking facilitator in Guatemala will be the only person along side you and the head of the workshop or artisan.

  • Exceptional Eye for Quality - we choose to work with the best in the business. The benefit to working with small workshops is that the owner is likely to personally oversee your product, ensuring a higher quality standard. For good measure, we give each product a final inspection as well.

  • Flexible Services - only pay for what you need. Instead of adding a markup on your products, we charge a separate service fee which can evolve as your business needs change and never impacts the amount going directly to the artisans

  • Shorter Terms - the workshops and artisans we partner with mostly work contract to contract, so we have shorter net payment due

 

OUR TEAM

 

Averie Floyd - Owner, Co-Founder

Averie went to Guatemala for the first time in 2014 to study backstrap weaving and learn about her Guatemalan heritage. She fell in love with the textiles and the weavers and found herself starting a fashion brand with her textile soul mate Rachel in 2016. Averie loves to nerd out on production calendars and collaborating with clients to realize their designs alongside the talented artisans Casa Flor works with.

 

Floridalma Perez - Director

Flory is a third generation backstrap weaver, and has overseen artisan production in Guatemala for 18 years. She is our guide when discussing dignified wages for the artisans, their capacity, and how we can provide stability for them through sustainable work. Flory is the jefa, but the kind we all want to have; one who is kind, patient, and sees the potential in each member of our team.

 

Rachel Ross - Co-Founder

Rachel Ross was forced to go on a hike that was too long by Averie in Panajachel, and to entertain herself on the hike she asked Averie what type of artisan brand we could create together. So here we are! Rachel is currently acting as a marketing advisor for Casa Flor and pokes her head in to make the artisans laugh whenever she can.

 

artisan managers

Irma Sofia Gomez - Owner of Sofia Cris Sewing

Irma sewed Casa Flor’s first collection in 2016, and since then has grown to own a business herself and employ her two sisters and daughter full time. She runs her own high end sewing workshop and strives to create a safe space for female seamstresses in her community. Her quality control blows our minds.

Lidia Serech - Weaving Manager

Lidia’s store room is like walking into a Wonderland. She loves to experiment with tapestry and highly textured techniques. She tells us many stories of how prevalent weaving was 20 years ago in Guatemala and together we are working to revive it.

Gudiel Perez - Weaving Manager

Gudi is the youngest weaver we work with, and he is leading a generation to preserve the technique of weaving. He oversees his own workshop in his family home with 4 footlooms. Gudi is adventurous, creative and ambitions.

Alirio Garcia - Weaving Manager

Alirio leads a workshop along side his father that provides work for many people in his community. They invent some of most incredible weaving techniques we have ever seen. The complexity of these textiles is hard to wrap your mind around. As is the kindness of the Garcia family.

 

oUR VALUES

At Casa Flor, our goal is to create sustainable employment for artisans and makers who work from their homes. Our approach is simple and based on collaboration and integrity.

 
 

Wages:

The artisans set the rate they determine as fair, we don’t negotiate down. This rate is always higher than what they can charge in the local market and working with other middlemen. In 2022 we did a study to ensure that the foot loom and backstrap weavers we work with receive the Guatemalan minimum wage per hour.  The main sewing workshop we collaborate with is a Guatemalan registered business that pays minimum wage. When you work with Casa Flor Designs we provide you with two invoices, one for our services, and one that states the exact amount you are paying the artisan. 

Certification:

We are a network of small workshops, cooperatives, and individual artisans. We aren’t certified. We believe that certifications are important in the fashion industry, and were built to hold large corporations accountable. 

Design Integrity:

Maya Textiles are owned by the Maya. We provide credit and financial compensation where due when co-designing textiles based on native motifs. We will not source “used”, “upcycled”, or “recycled” handwoven textiles for you. We only develop new textiles that provide work today. 


Sustainability:

Let’s work together to decrease the environmental impact of your product! Here are a few ways we can work towards sustainability:

  • Natural Dyes

  • Weaving with Natural or Recycled Materials

  • Collecting Scraps and creating Upcycled Products

  • Tree Planting Collaboration in Guatemala

  • No Individual Poly Bags for Shipments

Conscious Marketing:

We understand that sharing the incredible amount of work that goes into the products you sell is important to your brand. We have seen a lot of poor examples of artisans being exploited for a poorly designed marketing strategy. We have built a system in collaboration with the artisans themselves and photographers we trust to help your brand share the story of the products you make in a conscious way.