For over twenty years, I have dedicated my life to design and the environment, inspired by cultures, nature and the beauty around us on a personal and professional level. However, my soul has been reaching for deeper meaning.”
After working for six years as senior designer at Patagonia, my own collections and other companies since 1989, I dedicated much of 2009 to my inner journey. In the stillness, I listened for insights that would guide me to my true purpose and mission.
Born in Peru, raised in New York and educated at the United Nations International School and the Fashion Institute of Technology, I was immersed in a richness of cultures and global awareness. Although I adopted a green consciousness early in my personal and professional life, it was no longer enough to create earth friendly goods or live ‘green’. I was moved to incorporate my values and skills in work with indigenous Amazon communities. These are not uncontacted communities. They are communities threatened by development, with high quality forests in their ownership seeking to use markets to add value to their forest while protecting it.
In 2000 I took a break from fashion and worked for Amazon Watch, which works to protect the rainforest and advance the rights of indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin. Since then, I have continued to support and be involved with them. It is through Amazon Watch in 2010, that I connected with the Cofán in Ecuador to work in partnership with the artisans to promote their arts and crafts by creating quality goods for discerning and conscious consumers while promoting sustainability for communities. The same year, as a member of the Deep in Forests network in Perú, I connected with the Awajún and other partner indigenous communities.
When we align ourselves with our true purpose, all the pieces fall into place effortlessly and the real work begins. As responsible global citizens, we can create a better world by living consciously and making choices that will enhance our experience on Earth and protect the place that is our home.
Love & Light
Vio
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