 Handweaving a manta at CTTC in Cusco, Peru Join PC in exploring the vital traditions of weaving, spinning, dyeing, and knitting in Peru’s highland communities. Nilda Callañaupa of the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco, Peru (CTTC), along with Catherine Joslyn, author of “Children of the Inca”, will conduct a public lecture at 6:30 pm on Thursday, January 9 in the Atkins Auditorium of Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
Mark your calendars for Friday, February 7, for a unique Trunk Show of handwoven CTTC textiles, plus ‘El Mercado’, highlighting local artisans and various Latin American goods: Mattie Rhodes Center, 6-9 pm.
‘Tis the season to give…and to receive! Whether you’re looking to stuff their stocking or your own, we’ve got the perfect little something. Wrap them up in our memorable scarves, legwarmers, and gloves! Adorn them in sparkling arm candy, handcrafted wearable treats and cozy giftables! We’ve got it all!
When the snow is falling and sleigh rides are calling, you can never go wrong with a coveted cozy—from legwarmers to artsy knit sweaters. You can go wrong with sizing though, so unless you’re absolutely positive of their size, stick with sizeless giftables like scarves, hats and other accessories.
Throughout the years, our Plaid Baby Alpaca Scarves have proven to be one of the best selling gifts around—for him or her! They’re addictively soft, surprisingly affordable and timelessly stylish! Make sure to order one for yourself, because you won’t want to give it away once you get it!
Or there’s our shoulder-wrapping Chandra Shawls. They are handwoven in a cozy double-faced weave and then adorned with gorgeous hand-embroidered leaves in colorful space-dyed yarns. At $110, these wearable works of art are a steal!
Our whimsical chullo is a fabulous topper and a great conversational piece—handloomed by Peruvian artisans in a blend of alpaca yarns. A traditional hat of the Andean people, Chullos provide more than warmth for natives—the various colors and types carry different meanings.
Legwarmers make a wonderfully unique gift. They can be hard to find elsewhere, so stock up on our wide array of exclusive handloomed legwarmers. What’s more, you don’t have to worry about sizing—they stretch to fit any size leg! Our Market Wool Legwarmers and Geo Wool Legwarmers are knit of hand-painted space-dyed yarns for an unbeatable spectrum of color (which is a great little story to tell them once they’re unwrapped!) .
Let’s not forget sparklers and beaded treats—what girl wouldn’t love a special piece of jewelry in her stocking? We offer utterly unique pieces that are created by artisans across the globe…from Peru to Thailand to Portland. No matter what age you’re looking to please, we have glittering headbands, stacks of bracelets and outfit-making necklaces. Here are some of our favorites:
Our Fair Trade Bead Bracelets are fabulous for anyone on your list. They come as a set of 6, but they can be divided up! These glass bead bracelets are hand woven in Nepal—profits go to support the local Nepalese communities, not only by supporting their local economy and artistry, but also through the erections of schools, hospitals and more!
If you’re looking for some authentic Peruvian goodies, check out our handcrocheted Ashbury Necklace (pictured way above) or the Topanga Necklace (pictured immediately above). These pieces embody cultural traditions that have been passed down for generations—the elaborate handwoven textiles and gorgeous crochet stitches!
And, of course, if you’re looking for a stocking to fill, check out our handwoven Peruvian Christmas Stockings! They are handwoven and then handembroidered in colorful, folkloric florals! They’re large enough to hold just about anything! Happy Holidays!!
The holidays are just around the corner, and so is the holiday party circuit: business lunches, festive get-togethers, chic soirées. More than likely you won’t be receiving invites like Kim Kardashion’s “all white” party or Capote’s famous masked party that give explicit instructions on what to wear. Instead, you’ll have to crack the dress code—“Festive”? “Creative Black Tie”? But don’t worry, we’re here to help!
Cocktail Attire
The look here should be sophisticated and chic, with a bit of fun! Stick to tasteful, knee-length options paired with sexy heels or stylish ankle boots. Think of that perfect LBD—like our Natalia Sheath. Or that favorite taffeta party dress—our Claudine Sheath, Borealis Dress or Marilyn Party Dress are sure to impress! Complete the look with a beautiful clutch and some sparkling jewelry.
Business Attire
Business attire is a glammed-up version of what you would wear to work. Although it’s still a suitable option (pun intended), these days we can go beyond the polished suit set. Say, a beautiful pencil skirt with a nice top—like our Marais Pencil Skirt or East-West Skirt. Go a little bolder with the jewelry and accessories. Stacks of bangles, a statement necklace or pretty scarf add an elegant touch.
Festive
No, this doesn’t mean donning a holiday sweater with a 3-D Rudolph or light-up Santa. Probably the most elusive of all dress codes, Festive attire falls somewhere between business and cocktail attire. Think of something special and fun, but still sophisticated, with a touch more opulence than normal—like our Zelda Dress or Organza Skirt and Top. Try adding in some sparkle—like we did on our lurex-laced Priya Dress.
Creative Black Tie
Think formal, but with a trendy, creative twist… a modern touch to the traditional. Instead of a floor-length satin dress, go for a lacy handcrochet number—like our Edwardian Dress. Or even a long skirt with a gorgeous topper.
Black Tie Optional
You don’t have to wear a long evening gown (but you can if you want to). You can also wear a formal cocktail dress, a dressy pantsuit, or even a long full skirt with an elegant sweater. Just keep it classy and elegant—try to think if you’d be embarrassed standing next to someone in their sparkling floor-length evening gown. We suggest our Stardust Dress or the Portia Lace Dress.
Dressy Casual/Elegant Casual
This means just what it sounds like: relaxed, yet polished and pulled together. This could mean something as simple as an elegant sweater-dress with cool accessories—like our Cambridge Dress. Or you could wear a crisp pair of our Coated East End Jeans with a cool jacket or dressed-up sweater, like the Burnished Moto Jacket or Kelmscott Cardigan.
Casual
This doesn’t mean wear your sweats, but it does mean relaxed. For evening, a pair of jeans with a pretty top or nice sweater would be appropriate. Don’t over-think this one too much—wear whatever makes you comfortable!
One last thing to remember: An event during the evening is always dressier than one during the day!
After we returned from the Holiday photo shoot in England, my mind kept drifting back to sticky toffee pudding—the perfect amalgamation of cream, caramel and dates! Since I couldn’t find it on any dessert menus back home, it didn’t take long for me to whip up a version of my own. Without further adieu, I present to you….
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Grease an 8” x 8” square cake pan.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 1/3 Cup evaporated milk (or regular milk), 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 8 oz chopped dates. Bring to a boil, but watch closely so it doesn’t burn or boil over. Boil for a couple minutes, until the mixture thickens and the dates seem nice and soft. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine ½ Cup brown sugar, ¼ Cup sugar and 1 stick of butter (1/2 Cup), softened. Beat with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs and beat for another minute. Then add 1 ¼ Cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon salt, beating just until it’s combined. Lastly, add the date/milk mixture and beat again just until it’s combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. I start checking after 25 minutes, testing it with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean.
While the cake bakes, prepare the caramel (toffee) sauce:
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 stick of butter (1/2 Cup) with 1 cup of brown sugar and a small dash of salt. Once it boils, you’ll want to stir it almost constantly with a wire whisk. Continue boiling for 2-3 minutes, then add ½ Cup heavy cream (whipping cream), without turning off the heat. Return to a boil and let it cook for a minute longer, whisking almost constantly. Finally add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract just before removing it from the heat. Set aside.
Once the cake is done, it only needs to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. You want it to be warm! While cooling, whip up some fresh cream for the top. All you have to do is pour about ¾ cup heavy whipping cream into a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric beater until thick. When it’s close to the perfect thickness, turn off the beaters and add a small amount of powdered sugar (confectioners sugar), about ½-1 tablespoon depending on how sweet you like it. Keep in mind that the caramel and the cake are both very sweet, so the cream does not need to be as sweet as normal.
To serve, cut the warm cake into squares and top individual servings with a heavy stream of caramel and a dollop of cream!
The inspiration behind some of our Holiday 2013 prints took us to far-flung places spanning oceans and even decades, while others didn’t take us further than the backyard! Take a peek at how we re-imagined real-world objects into wearable landscapes…
Sometimes you need to travel to far-away lands! The ornate stylized designs in Morocco have inspired countless patterns here at Peruvian Connection. In our Holiday collection, we were especially thrilled about this fanciful Moroccan scrollwork painted on ceramic tiles. We colored it and played with different fabrics ranging from printed jerseys to velveteen and devoré—and then re-colored it some more!
Other times you need a little fancy paper! For these lacy-print pants, we started with a pattern inspired by this lavish gold-leaf paper, then “ate away” at the print for an abstracted, decayed lace look. We loved this print on the Paloma Pants so much that we reinvented it on the bohemian Bolinas Skirt.
Then sometimes time-travel is the only way! For our Antique Scrolls Tee, we drew from the ornate aesthetic found in 18th century Romanticism. We gave it a contemporary look by making it more graphic and using rich jewel-tone coloring.
And sometimes all you need is to look out the back door! If you didn’t know by now, the Peruvian Connection headquarters sit on a gorgeous landscaped farm, complete with chickens and all! The print on our Sketchbook Dress was created from images and drawings of garden flowers in our very own back yard. Then we layered on washes of watercolor to bring you this artsy, close-to-home print!
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