At Jenny Krauss, every piece begins with an original hand-drawn design created by Jenny herself in the U.S.—but it’s in the hands of skilled artisans in Ayacucho, Peru, that these designs are brought to life through vibrant color and intricate embroidery. The palettes used in our belts, straps, and pouches are deeply inspired by the Andes: not only by the dramatic landscape, but by generations of textile tradition and cultural symbolism.
Nature as a Guide
When Jenny first traveled to Peru over fifteen years ago, she was immediately captivated by the landscape—the vivid colors of wildflowers, handwoven market textiles, and the richly embroidered garments worn by women in the highlands. That visual language of color left a lasting impression and continues to influence her hand-drawn belt designs today.
Once a design is finalized, it’s sent to our artisan partners in Ayacucho, where the outlines are hand-printed onto fabric and the real transformation begins. Artisans carefully dye their wool yarns using traditional methods, drawing inspiration from their surroundings. The golden hues of marigolds, the rust-colored soil of the Andes, the blues of the open sky—these natural tones are interpreted and translated into rich, saturated embroidery threads. Though the color placement comes from Jenny’s design, the depth and nuance of the final piece owes much to the artisans’ dyeing expertise and their deep connection to the Andean landscape.
Symbolism in Every Stitch
Color is more than visual beauty in the Andes—it’s storytelling. Many indigenous Andean communities use color symbolically: red for Pachamama (Mother Earth), green for growth, yellow for sun and harvest. Though our products are contemporary in form, the craft remains rooted in a tradition where color speaks. When artisans begin hand-printing and embroidering Jenny’s designs, they follow her detailed color and pattern drawings—yet each piece still carries the subtle individuality of the hands that make it, shaped by cultural memory and generations of skill.
Vision Meets Tradition
While the creative process starts with Jenny’s drawings, the artistry comes to life in the embroidery rooms and home workshops of Ayacucho. Once the design is printed onto fabric, artisans use their own hand-dyed wool threads to fill in each motif—adding texture, depth, and their own interpretive flair. The result is a rich collaboration: an exchange of design and tradition, joined together by a shared appreciation for craft.
Wear the Story
When you wear a Jenny Krauss belt or carry one of our embroidered straps, you’re not just wearing a beautiful accessory—you’re carrying a story of landscape, tradition, and cultural expression. Each piece is infused with meaning, made possible by the creative bridge between one artist’s vision and the skilled hands of hundreds of women keeping ancient techniques alive. Explore the artistry here!
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