Who We Are: The Legacy Continues
The Legacy Begins — 1987 to 2013
From The Andes opened its doors in Taos, New Mexico, in 1987. It began quietly — with a single room and a clear purpose:
To offer the handmade.
To honor culture.
To connect through craft — and to do so responsibly.
Founded by Maria Isabel “Chavi,” the business grew thoughtfully. Over time, she opened six storefronts across the Southwest — including three in Taos, and one each in Red River, Crested Butte, and Flagstaff. Yet the soul of the business never changed. Every piece was hand-selected by Chavi herself. Every artisan was paid fairly. Every relationship was built with trust and respect.
She traveled often — to the Andes, the highlands of Guatemala, and villages in Nepal and India. She returned not just with textiles and carvings, but with stories:
Of women weaving in mountain light.
Of elders passing down sacred traditions.
Of heritage preserved through hand and heart.
From The Andes was never a marketplace. It was a bridge — a space where people could encounter beauty made slowly, intentionally, and with reverence for both maker and material.
Alpaca garments. Carved masks. Ceramics, silver, loomed cloth, retablos.
Always handmade. Always respectfully sourced. Always fairly traded — long before the term became standard.
Chavi ran the business for 26 years. She raised five children while doing so. She studied, she taught, she gave back — in Taos and abroad.
In 2013, she closed the final store. Not with sadness, but with grace.
But the story was never finished.
It simply waited.
A New Chapter Begins — 2025
Twelve years after the final storefront closed, From The Andes returns.
I was raised among the textiles. Among the scent of alpaca wool. Among the stories behind every carving and thread.
I watched my mother build something honest — a quiet bridge between worlds.
That legacy is now mine to carry forward.
This is not a rebrand. It is a continuation.
A quiet return to what matters.
Now reborn as a curated online gallery, From The Andes brings you rare, handmade works from around the world — carefully selected, ethically sourced, and offered in limited numbers.
The setting is digital. The care is the same.
Each piece is made by hand.
Each carries a story.
Each is chosen with reverence.
This is more than a relaunch.
It is a return — to the handmade, the intentional, the rare.
A legacy continued. A story still unfolding.