Ponchos Rojas

Ponchos Rojas is a textile brand dedicated to the preservation of weaving traditions in the high Andes. The textiles of the Bolivian Andes have an unbroken chain of tradition that has been passed through generations. 

Founders Ana Catalina Rojas and Greg Merkel work with Bolivian communities to create new designs based on old traditions.

Ponchos Rojas is currently working with four communities in Bolivia.

The Mollo community  located north of La Paz, in the province of Munecas, predates the Inca civilization, and are thought to be the direct descendants of the Tiwanaku civilization. Mollo weavers have a rich tradition of embroidered and woven fabrics and are well known for their triangular patterns representing rivers, mountains, and stars, as well as their detailed embroideries that capture both the sacred and everyday symbols of life. They were the weavers for the Inca royalty.

They also work with the community of Livichuco located in the province of Avaroa, in Oruro. They start with the raw fibers from the alpacas, llamas and sheep they raise. Then the wool is washed, cleaned and hand spun, and finally it is dyed with thola, lampaya and cochinilla. They use a loom called pampa away, which is a 4 stake ground loom used to weave the llijllas or aguayos  (square cloth )and to add finishing touches, they use a back-strap loom to weave the awakipa or chinchilla that can be represented in different designs.  They are believed to be the eyes of protection, or seeds of life protects the edges of the textile and the person that owns it.  In Potosi, they work with the Marcavi and Turqui communities that specialize in alpaca and llama wool woven on pedal loom with a type of weave called a bayeta (baize).

​Proceeds from the sales go back directly to the local Bolivian communities and further help protect the art of Bolivian Textiles with education projects aimed at new generations of weavers