Aracari Travel, the pioneer in high-end, sustainable travel to Perú, Bolivia and Galapagos, founded by Marisol Mosquera 25 years ago, recently launched a brand extension called Aracari Shop, a new way of traveling without leaving home. The concept and curation were led by Marcella Echavarria.
This is the first online retail experience of its kind. It is a platform for premium Andean luxury, including art, textiles, fashion, and homeware – giving a global audience privileged access to some of the highest quality craftsmanship of Perú and Bolivia.
Aracari Shop offers the possibility of shopping with purpose in a similar way to Aracari´s core mission of traveling with purpose. The idea behind the shop is to support local communities by sourcing directly from partner artists and artisans as well as giving them credit on an international platform. ‘I think there is something special about building something where the aim is to promote our culture and communities, and sharing that vision with the world’, comments Marisol. ‘Finding hidden attractions and unveiling them to our guests, encountering savants and master craftspeople, and being able to create a market for them to share indigenous knowledge with grateful and appreciative travelers has been deeply fulfilling.’
"The high aims of the project can be seen in the appointment of Marcella Echavarría, a leading authority in the luxury and sustainable arena, as its curator. Echavarría, who has worked with the company since 2018, has led consulting projects for the United Nations, UNESCO and USAID among others, and her clients include individual creators, artisanal brands, textile-related brands and retail concepts as well as travel companies. ‘Craft is no longer a peripheral or isolated area of specialist interest,’ she insists, ‘it is now firmly established in the mainstream. The growth in the public’s desire for authenticity, for experiences, for ethical and sustainable consumption have helped fuel an interest in making and in handmade objects.’
The stated aim of Aracari Shop is to focus on the art and design that gives a vision of Peru and Bolivia away from the usual folkloric trinkets and souvenirs. The curation will initially feature over thirty premium pieces that embody authentic Peru and Bolivia, with artists and artisans including Peruvian photographer Billy Hare, Bolivian textile artist Gaston Ugalde and master weaver and designer Alessandra Petersen.”
-Lucy Upward, COVER Magazine
