Natural Fiber Rugs from Colombia

This week, I’m delighted to dive into the craft behind fique rugs and to showcase the work of one of my Colombian partners who makes them. When I first traveled to Colombia many years ago, these are one of the products that really stood out. I’m excited to share for those of you looking for a new, chic line of rugs.

You might be wondering, what is fique? It’s a fleshy tropical succulent plant native to Colombia – you’ll often see it planted next to other crops as many Colombian families plant it to sell to their local artisan markets. The fiber takes three years to grow.

To process the fique, it is shredded into thin threads which are then dried under the sun. After drying, they either dye or leave as is, because the natural color is quite beautiful. Then, the fiber is combed so all the threads are laid in the same direction, which gives these rugs their soft texture. It’s a process that requires a lot of physical strength to stretch out the fiber delicately, so it gets as smooth as possible. Then the fiber is twisted to create the skeins of fique, which are ready to be weaved.

The rugs my partner offers are unique in their braiding and weaving technique, which was developed to make the most out of the natural fiber. As you can see from the photos below, it’s been beautifully transformed. The rugs are crafted by a family of five women and six men, one of whom is a master artist, Reinaldo Beccaro. Reinaldo learned to weave fique by making coffee packing sacks. He was taught by his parents and he continues to pass this knowledge to his children.

The fique fiber gives these rugs a wild, rustic feel which I love. They’re also really soft to the touch. I’m proud to be representing this group so be in touch for ordering and wholesale details. I can also share a full deck with all the goods available from my partners this season.