Meet the Makers

Mexico is where Siesta began! Chris and Les met whilst teaching in Mexico City over 40 years ago. Instead of bringing their wages home, they decided to export some of the beautiful wares they had found on their travels. Back in the UK, everything they had bought in Mexico sold well and the rest is history!

One of our best selling products, the Mexican baja hoodie, or jerga. Available in a large range of sizes and colours and made with almost 100% recycled materials it is a great outer garment for all seasons. Brightly coloured serapes and versatile falsa blankets are made in the same way.

We also have a large selection of ceramics from Mexico. Beautifully intricate catrinas in elaborate dress are an ode to ‘Día De Los Muertos’ and we have many more traditional pieces influenced by the Mayan and Aztec civilizations reflecting the rich cultural history of modern day Mexico.

The Indonesian island of Bali is well known today as a holiday destination, but is also a haven for handicraft production and home to many talented tailors and traditional woodcarvers. We have visited Bali on a regular basis for over 30 years, and in that time we have got to know many of the producers and their families very well and we love visiting them and experiencing the traditional cultures and arts that are so important to the island.

Woodcarving is a traditional Balinese craft, but sadly, as time goes on and tourism takes over, it is becoming less common as a means to make a living and traditional techniques are being slowly lost. We are fortunate to work with several suppliers keeping this skilled craft alive and we offer a wide range of carved wooden products produced by small family run workshops.

Much of our popular Balinese clothing is decorated using the batik or 'wax-resist' process; we have fabrics using traditional motifs but also unique modern compositions created by our in-house designer. From kimonos and kaftans to our very popular wrap tops and loose trousers, we have cuts and styles to suit everyone.

We have bought high quality musical instruments made in Ghana for many years now and have recently expanded into some beautifully beaded and unique Ghanaian masks as well.

Our most popular product from the region is the djembe drum of which we stock several sizes. These authentic and robust instruments are made in Accra by a team of 30 African musicians who are keen to promote and preserve their celebrated musical traditions, The drums are made using Tweneboa, a West African cedar wood. This fast growing, top grade wood is then carefully carved with geometric patterns or Adinkra symbols before being fitted with a strong skin which gives a satisfyingly deep resonant sound.

We also stock a large array of percussion instruments made using natural and recycled products, such as gourds, seed pods and even bottle caps!

We have worked with the same family group in Guatemala for well over 20 years. This family, who are from indigenous Mayan origins, have been producing textile handicrafts made using traditional methods for nearly 50 years. They have created work for other Mayan families and most of our products such as worry dolls, huipils, and friendship bracelets are made by women based at home, living in the villages that surround lake Atitlán, providing much needed opportunities for work which can fit around daily life. The work provided has been vital to many, especially during years of government brutality towards the indigenous peoples of Guatemala.

Guatemala is a lush green country steeped in a rich tradition of weaving. Women have hand-woven their clothing on a back strap loom for centuries and this tradition has been passed down through the generations to create richly embroidered ‘Huipils’ (blouses) and decorative belts (Fajas). They start with raw wool or cotton that they wash, comb and spin. They then stretch the threads along a warping board and attach it to the loom.

When a huipil is finished it is a work of art and can sometimes take months to complete. Each piece is unique and the designs symbolise where each individual maker comes from. Each huipil can last up to 30 years and at the end of its life will often be recycled into a handbag or purse.

India has an incredible variety of traditional handicrafts due to its vast size and medley of fascinating cultures and traditions. We hold a large assortment of Indian crafts including sculptures, paintings, instruments and beautiful textiles.

Much of our incense is also produced in India. Often used as an aid to well-being, incense can be employed to create an ambience which will gently facilitate relaxation and harmonisation with the present moment. Perfect for use during meditation, we offer a wide range of scents to choose from, allowing personalisation to suit your individual taste.

Our Indian clothing range incorporates many traditional styles and materials such as kantha and sari. Many of our products made from these fabrics were previously traditional sarees and have been recycled and repurposed into new clothing and accessories.

We have been buying products from Thailand for over 20 years and look forward to visiting almost every year to catch up with our suppliers and to look for exciting new creations!

Most of our products are made in and around Chiang Mai, a beautiful area in the north of the country known for its cooler climate, spectacular scenery and where a wide range of craftspeople heavily influenced by the numerous hill tribe cultures within the region can be found.

We have a diverse collection of Thai items available, from beautiful handcrafted paper products to ceramics, furniture and unusual musical instruments - including the ever-popular frog guiro. We also sell a huge variety of fabulous Thai clothing. From our best selling elephant trousers to our elegant Thai weave designs, there is something to suit all styles.

All our Kenyan products are sourced by a BAFTS supplier member who has worked with the same producer groups for several decades. Although many of our products come from Nairobi, our trade also supports rural villages, where each individual workshop employs around five people.

Due to increasing popularity, we have expanded our range of polished and coloured soapstone carvings in recent years and we now offer products for all seasons and occasions. Much of the world's soapstone originates from the Kisii district in the western highlands of Kenya and many of the best soapstone artisans and carvers are found there. Soapstone is a metamorphic rock primarily composed of talc, which is perfect for hand carving and polishing and it can be used to create beautiful and unique designs including some large statement pieces.

We also offer an array of gourd homeware items from bird feeders to planters. Gourds are a very important crop in Kenya, they are used for storage, measuring and fermentation; they are dried in villages before being transported to Nairobi where they are hollowed out, painted, and carved with scenes that reflect the beautiful surroundings of savannahs and National Parks.

Other Kenyan products we haven include our range of Kenyan earrings made by small workshops in and around Nairobi using recycled copper wire, bone and soapstone.

We have been sourcing products from Nepal for over 30 years and remain captivated by this breathtaking country. From spectacular Himalayan scenery to an irresistible plate of momos washed down with delicious chai, we love returning to Nepal as often as we can. We have worked with one supplier through two family generations- both for them and Siesta - and we consider them firm friends.

We stock an impressive assortment of Nepalese articles, from knitwear and summer clothing to intricately etched singing bowls and traditional prayer flags. One of our largest and most popular collections is our recycled sari range, produced in Nepal by members of 'Fair Trade Group Nepal’. Material is delivered to the homes of women in the community who then fit the work around their own life and family, providing opportunities to some who wouldn't be able to bring in an income otherwise. This fair trade group also produce some of our longest standing and best-selling products, the classic stripy shirts and trousers.

Nepal has a rich culture of décor, ritual and prayer. We have many unique and intriguing works from Kathmandu and beyond, including elaborately painted Tibetan furniture, hand-carved masks, wall-mounted prayer wheels and gongs.

Peru boasts an abundance of beautiful and unique handicrafts, each a testament to the country's diverse cultural heritage and artistic legacy.
From soft alpaca knitwear, to bright ceramic ocarinas and intricate retablos we sell an impressive collection of products made in Peru.

We have been importing from Peru for over 20 years and have a longstanding relationship with our agent there who has taken over his family run business from his father before him. He is proud to be working to keep the handicraft industry of Peru alive and bring the cultures of his country to the European market.
Bright colours, geometric patterns and tiny traditional scenes are easily identifiable on our collection of delicate Cusco beads. We have a large collection of earrings using these beads, as well as earrings with brightly dyed tagua seeds made by women's groups in the isolated jungle regions of Peru.

Alpacas and sheep are central to life in Peru and we sell an array of soft alpaca mix clothing and accessories including jumpers, ponchos and socks. Our sheep's wool bags and purses are also very popular.