 Ilaria at LIF Week, photo©Juan Martin Cabrejos Peru is one of the top silver producing countries in the world, and Ilaria is a leading Peruvian silver jewellery brand.
Ilaria's show at LIF Week was built around the theme of 'Magic night in Venice': models were wearing carneval masks, and the Italo pop soundtrack created a light and happy atmosphere. Hey mambo!
The new collection featured some heavy earrings, cuff bracelets and elaborated necklaces combining silver with other materials, such as Murano glass. Models were mainly dressed in dramatic black and white, and wearing shoes from Lola.
Here are some of the pieces that caught my eye at the collection:
 Ilaria at LIF Week Photo ©Juan Martin Cabrejos  Ilaria at LIF Week Photo ©Juan Martin Cabrejos  Ilaria at LIF Week Photo ©Juan Martin Cabrejos  Ilaria at LIF Week, photo ©Juan Martin Cabrejos  Ilaria at LIF Week, photo ©Juan Martin Cabrejos  Ilaria at LIF Week ©Juan Martin Cabrejos At the end of the show, the designer herself, Italian Ilaria Ciabatti, appeared on stage:  Ilaria Ciabatti at LIF Week ©Juan Martin Cabrejos
When I travel, I usually like to go shopping for some local crafts or artesanal work. I mean, when I travel OUTSIDE of Europe, where everything handmade has an insane price tag. On the other hand -as most women know - 'shopping' does not always equal buying, although it often leads to buying. Last time I had a craft shopping experience was when I was visiting a small town called Lamas near Tarapoto, in San Martín region, some months ago.  Hello World! I'm in Lamas! Lamas itself is quite interesting place. It has at the same time very 'authentic' (whatever authenticity means these days...) feeling, and yet it has it seems like a tourist attraction. The latter perhaps because there are many souvenir shops around, and the indigenous people of Wayku community are performing music and dances at the central plaza. We were passing the group when they were having their lunch break and I wanted to buy a piece of watermelon. The musicians immediately waved us to join them and have a chat. We met them with a little bit of suspicion, knowing that for example in Cusco, a couple of words or a photo with someone in a traditional outfit usually costs you some soles. But Waykus were more curious than greedy, and we had a nice chat eating tamales (them) and watermelon (me).
Lamas being the capital of indigenous art in San Martin region, I could not leave the place without visiting the women's artesanal center and NGO called Waska Waska Warmi Wasi. It is a place where you can not only buy ceramics, but also follow the process of fabrication.
 Waska Waska Warmi Wasi ceramics What you see in the picture above is the general style of pottery found in the center. Some of them have the text 'Lamas Peru', which gives them a tourist kitch touch, but not all of them had it. There were also pots that can be used for cooking. And prices were very attractive: starting from one USD for a small deocrative pot!  Pottery in making at Waska Waska Warmi Wasi  Unglazed pottery in Lamas Before walking back to the village, I asked if we could use the toilet there. "Quieres hacer una caquita? Is it for a little poo?" the friendly saleswoman wanted to know. No, no, it's for that other thing, we assured her, wondering if that was part of their routine questioning. Turned out not to be: there was just a little problem with the toilet! Because for a moment, I thought that maybe they collect human poo to make those pots...I ended up buying four, out of which two survived to Lima (that is not a bad score, as I am pretty clumsy). I hope to get an excuse to visit Lamas soon again to buy some more!Ps. I have been a little bit absent-minded this week, and forgot to promote my writing in Expat Blogs Writing Contest! Check out my entry here, and don't hesitate to leave a comment! There is a prize for the author with best reader comment ;)
 Beach season in Lima starts generally in December and lasts until April, although you can see all year round brave surfers at Costa Verde, the coast of Lima. The best beaches are outside of the city: I have already talked in my blog about Punta Hermosa, Chilca and Pulpos. This time I want to share some photos from Asia beach, where we spent a weekend with friends some weeks ago. Asia is located at the kilometer 97,5 on Panamericana Sur highway. It is supposedly "the posh beach" of Lima, but also the beach for young and party people, as throughout the summer season all kind of festivals and concerts are organized there. You will also find there a big, open air shopping center called Boulevard de Asia with most of the shops you find in the malls in Lima. This can be handy if you came to spend a weekend at the beach, but forgot your bathing suit or just realized that your old one looked unfashionable ( and -a free tip to European men: no Speedos on Peruvian beaches, thank you. Boardshorts are the only option for a self-respecting male). And once you are done with shopping, you can relax in game areas, outdoor cafés, restaurants and night clubs. But the beach itself is where most of the movida takes place. At the time of our visit, there was a Nike Skatefest, and we got to admire some young and talented skaters...
...and then listening to a local reggae band called Laguna Pai. All photos ©Juan Martin Cabrejos
Ps. If you are in Lima and need a plan for this weekend, I recommend a new bar that just opened last Wednesday in Barranco. It's called Victoria, and it is located in a beautiful mansion built in 1903, called Casona Cillóniz. Good selection of drinks including Belgian beers and a nice patio!
Have a nice weekend!
 Mathieu Reumaux Today's interview is with a Frenchman, Mathieu Reumaux, who currently lives in Lima, Peru. He is the co-founder of design studio Ma+Go. I met Mathieu in his office in Miraflores, at the headquarter of magic.What is Ma+Go about?
"The name comes from our first names, MA for Mathieu and GO for my Peruvian business partner José Antonio Mesones, known as Goster. Mago also means a magician, the one who creates magic" explains Mathieu.Mathieu's first contact with Peru was back in 2001, when he visited the country for a school project, while studying at ESSCA business school in Paris. "I was fascinated by Peruvian culture, and I also found this vintage esthetic in traditional clothes that I later wanted to develop into a clothes brand". In 2002 he met Aurelyen, and together they Misericordia, a brand that offers ethic, quality clothing for men and women. "Back at the time, it was the beginning of the fair trade trend in clothing industry, and our first client was concept store Colette in Paris". Since 2006, Aurelyen is alone in charge of Misericordia and Mathieu has worked on other projects being away from Peru for some time. In 2009 he met Goster.
"Goster was one of the founders of Peruvian surf and culture magazine Aqua, and he has been working in many international art and graphic design projects. He has also received a special prize for his design of Peru Mucho Gusto book, from the jury of Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. He proposed we should create a studio together, and so we did." In 2009 Mathieu also met his future wife, and he decided to stay in Peru.
"We have colaborated with many musicians. We made, for example, the record cover for Grammy nominated Peruvian group Bareto. When dub artist Mad Professor (best know for his colaboration with Massive Attack) came to Peru to record with Arequipan cumbia band Los Chapillacs, we designed their album cover. We are also behind the poster of the world music festival Siete Mares."
"At the moment one of our important projects is Art Latino. It aims to promote and develop Latin American contemporary art and provides a virtual platform and an online magazine presenting works of Latin American artists."
In addition, Ma+Go is also creating a new image and designing the boutique of Peruvian surf and skate clothing brand Dunkelwolk, and working with Peruvian photography collective Supay. "With Supay, we are making a photography book, which will be sold -among other places -at MATE (Fundaçion Mario Testino) store in Barranco."
How it is to start an enterprise in Peru, as a foreigner? What are the challenges and the advantages?
"There is much to do here on the creative side. Peru is inspiring because it is visually different, there is a relatively easy access to resources and for example in our field, printing is more accessible. But there comes the challenge, too: if you only look for the cheapest materials and production costs, you are likely to encounter some problems with the quality of your products. So you need to pay attention to that, to the quality, and perhaps pay a little bit more to make sure your products meet the quality standards. Also, as we sell in Europe in euros, and here in Peru the currency is eiher Peruvian nuevos soles or US dollars, you have to keep an eye on changes in different currencies. Sudden changes in the rates can make you lose lots of money."
Any other advice for people who want to start a business here?
"Yes, find a good accountant! He can be your best ally. There are many complicated laws related to business, and a good accountant knows about them and can also be your advicer, whereas a bad one can make you lose money. Not on purpose, but simply as he does not know enough. So don't hesitate to spend more money to find a skilled accountant."
How about Lima: where to eat, what to do, where to shop?
"As a Frenchman I must of course recommend the French restaurant Hervé in Miraflores (Calle Atahualpa 195). Their tasting menu is probably the best I have tried here. It costs I think about 180 soles and you have to book it in advance, but it's worth it! I also like their plate Magnet de pato d'Oxapampa."
"Bodega Verde in Barranco (Sucre 335) is a nice place to have a coffee or tea."
"For buying French products such as cheese, I recommend DeliFrance (several addresses in Lima; see website) and you can also find good cheese at Bioferia organic market (every Saturday Calle 15 de Enero, also in Surco in Parque de la Amistad). Oh, and in Bioferia they also sell these blue potato chips made of native potatos, they are delicious!"
"Bodega Verde in Barranco (Sucre 335) is a nice place to have a coffee or tea."
"For art, I recommend the classic, Museo de Larco (Av. Bolivar 1514, Pueblo Libre), and the new Modern Art Museum, MAC (Av. Grau 151) in Barranco, whereas for shopping I really recommend to visit the outlet store of Misericordia, La Cabaña de Alta Costura (Mariscal las Heras 658, Lince). It is more than a showroom, you can really get to know the fabrication process there."
And if you want to spend a day or two outside of Lima? Where would you go?
"To spend some time in the nature, I like Nor Yauyos-Cochas Landscape Reserve at Lima region. It's a protected area, and you can hike there. You will find lagoons and waterfalls."
Très bien -merci beaucoup, Mathieu!
 MaGos visit cards. Each card presents a different project. Photo © Juan Martin Cabrejos "Magic is the illusion of the impossible, and there is always an element of surprise, a surprise hit, a modest revelation. But in magic nothing is left to chance." Ma+Go website  Mathieu Reumaux, photo © Juan Martin Cabrejos  MA+GO, photo © Juan Martin Cabrejos |  MA+GO, photo © Juan Martin Cabrejos |
What do I have in common with the soon-to-be ex-Pope? Not much, generally speaking, but we both wear shoes made in Peru!
I recently heard from an anonymous but reliable source, that the (ex) Pope used to have his shoes made specially for him here in Peru, in Trujillo! I wonder if he ever had similar experiences than I had last year with my drunk made boots? Probably not -I could imagine that if you were honoured to make pontificial footwear, you would make sure to make an extra effort to stay sober until the job is done! There's only one Pope, after all. Whereas for the rest of us, the average consumers...Quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi.
Anyways. This year I had better luck with my almost made on measure summer shoes. I went to a shop called El Closet de mi Hermana in Miraflores, and was checking out sandals. When I found a nice model from a Peruvian brand called Warmi, they told me I could customize the colour and even the material -it coud be leahter or suede. They showed me sample pieces of many colours to choose from and to combine as I wish.
I chose mint colour in leather, and I was told within 10 days I could get my shoes. That was not very convenient, as I was about to leave on holidays soon...But no problem, they kindly arranged that I could get them in a week. And after all, they were ready even earlier, and the colour was just perfect!
And for sure they are at least as comfortable as the Pope's episcopal sandals...  WARMI sandals
Here comes the first post in a new series Entrepreneuring Expats! This series is based on interviews with foreigners living in Peru with an interesting business or artistic project. Carolina Restrepo is a designer originally from Colombia and creative director of her own brand, Puro Corazón. Carolina has lived in Peru for seven and half years, with her Belgian husband. I met Carolina in her lovely showroom in San Isidro, Lima.  Puro Corazon Showroom Photo © Juan Martin Cabrejos  Photo © Juan Martin Cabrejos "Back in Colombia, I used to design swimwear" Carolina says. Her Belgian husband's work in development sector brought them to Peru seven and half years ago, and as many expats, Carolina had to find her own way in her new home country. She fell in love with Peru's very rich artesanal tradition, but found that in Lima there were not many shops for the kind of products she had in mind. When she first met the group of Peruvian women with who she still currently works, she fell in love with their brodery work, but she wanted to mix it with more contemporary designs, shapes and materials. She then designed her first bags and took them for sale in Dédalo (art gallery and shop in Barranco neighbourhood). Even to her own surprise, the first bags sold out within a couple of months, she needed an enterprise register number in order to pick up her pay check and that is how her enterprise was born! "Not knowing much about entrepreneuring", Carolina adds. Carolina's Tips for Lima:As her husband is a big fan of Peruvian food and gastronomy, Carolina usually takes her visitors somewhere where they can eat well, such as La Buena Muerte (Luis Aldana 127) in downtown Lima: a traditional cevicheria offering copious portions. Or to Amaz (La Paz 1079), a jungle restaurant with Amazonian fusion kitchen in Miraflores. "You never actually know what they will serve you, you just discover the plate when it's served to you". For good bread she would go to El Pan de La Chola in Miraflores (La Mar 918) and to eat churros, La 73 (Av. El Sol Oeste 175) in Barranco. Carolina also loves to shop for organic products in Bioferia organic market (in Miraflores and in Surco, on Saturday mornings).
For shopping, she loves to explore the neighbourhood around Calle Capon, where you can find everything from silver jewellery to old eyeglasses. And as Carolina loves fabrics, she does not miss an opportunity to browse some vintage fabrics in this part of Central Lima. She also likes a store called La Quinta in Larcomar (Larco 497), where you can buy t-shirts with all possible brand prints -made in Peru, of course! As her favorite Peruvian designer she mentions Andrea Llosa.
On cultural side, she suggests to get a group of four or more, and make an appointment for a tour in Galleria Enrico Poli (Lord Cochrane 466), a private collection in San Isidro. Why? "They have their own very special version of history"How about Peru? Where to travel? Carolina loves the region of Ayacucho, where her bags are made. "Paracas is a beautiful city, and I also like to go to Ica for sandsurfing."
Any advice for other expats? "Living in a new country allows you to see things that people native to that country do not see. Make most of your 'new eyes' and be open minded. Let the country or city talk to you, and you can get new ideas"
That sounds like a good advice, thank you Carolina!!!
Ps. If you feel like visiting Puro Córazon Showroom in San Isidro, you will find it in Calle Manuel Gonzales de la Rosa 235.
 Carolina Restrepo Photo © Juan Martin Cabrejos  Entrance of Puro Córazon Showroom Photo © Juan Martin Cabrejos
September in Lima is filled with events, and at the moment everybody is talking about Mistura Gastronomy Fair that kicks off today and goes on until September 16. I am planning to go there too, and will eventually blog about it later.But now to an another type of event I went last week. My friend Pamela and her lovely colleagues invited me to the second edition of Look Book Lima. It is a showroom for young, independent, local designers who can make their clothes and accessories know through the event and sell to the customers directly. We arrived to the event early enough, getting a clear advantage over other fashion hunters. As almost every piece sold there was unique, the thumb rule was "you snooze you lose"!
The prices were correct and the bar offered ice cold beer and chilcanos, so the context was more than ideal for some compulsive shopping. I discovered new brands, and went home with a dress from 11:11, a purse from Hachiperry and a skirt from Camote Soup. The only minus side of the event was the fitting rooms -no light and too small: in these conditions trying on clothes was a difficult exercise. But I'm sure they will improve this for the Vol. 3, which I do not want to miss!
Fashion at the end of the tunnel
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Selection of brands at Look Book Lima
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 Every Saturday there is an organic market, Bio Feria, in Miraflores neighbouhood of Lima.
This week I visited the market for the first time, with a mission to find some tahini to make hummus at home. Mission accomplished! I found hummus and many other things too: organic coffee made of Peruvian coffee beans, discounted natural cosmetics (and I noticed that here in Peru it is apparently totally okay to sell cosmetic samples as 'travel size' creams and lotions), discovered a notion of "psychosomatic nutrition" and ate the prettiest vegetarian sandwich I have ever had in my life: it had an orange flower in it!
Another sociological observation: go to an organic market on a Saturday morning (or, okay, it was already afternoon) and you will see pretty much same type of characters: the vegetarians, the yogis, the trendy types and the health concerned geriatrics.
After the market, it was time for Saturday's art splash. This time it was an exhibition named "Vigilar y Castigar" - "Discipline and Punish", like Foucault's famous study on governmentality. It was about the censored art in Peru. One painting particularly caught my eye:
According to the description, the artist sees a "bisexual sensuality" in Mao's lips, which he has exaggerated in the large painting, whereas the bar codes at the background refer to the political context of the time.
I have a little weakness for eco gadgets: all little things that are natural and supposedly good for the planet.
 Fish scale nail file, Amazonia Spa Of course I know that the best way to protect the environment would be to not to shop at all, but how realistic is that? A wise old Indian woman told me once in Delhi: "Shopping is a natural right for women", and I totally agree!
Shopping brings out our gathering instincts, and the best thing is when you find something new and suprising. So you can perhaps imagine my happiness when the other day while on a shopping tour in Barranco I found a new eco gadget that nobody in my entourage has yet: a nail file made of a fish scale. So cool!
The product is described like this: "Each natural nail file is made from a scale of the gigant fish "Arapaima", packed in an amazonic hand painted loom with natural dyes painted by native "shipibos" of the Peruvian Amazon and it's adorned by a sterling silver application."
The brand is called Spa Amazonia, but when I googled it I didn't find their web page. However, it's pretty with a little delicate silver decoration and it came in a bag that is decorated with ayahuasca pattern. It's quite thin, so I suppose that if I will travel I should stuff that little bag with cotton or something similar, to protect the file from breaking. I once had a glass file, but dropped it on the bathroom floor once and that was about it then! This one will not get broken if you drop it, but it looks like it can break in your bag if you leave it unprotected. I will make sure I am going to treat it carefully so it will last long.
How ecological it is? Wikipedia tells us that Arapaima is a living fossil and one of the largest freshwater fishes in the world. It is also one of the most sought after fish species for food, and considered as a delicacy. It is indeed huge, as one individual can give 70 kg of meat! Ecology point for these nail files:at least something useful is created from the leftovers. If the file lasts long (we will see about that!), then it is a sustainable product, and if not, it will at least dissolve into the nature where it came from.
And is it good to use? Seems like it is. You use the white part for filing your nails, it has a little bit rough surface, but it still feels much softer than industrial disposable files. It is actually very gentle. The time will tell how good buy it was, but as any eco gadget, it will surely make a great conversation starter!EDIT May 16: I got this File from Dédalo, which is a nice art gallery/shop/café in Barranco. It costed 39 nuevo soles, which is around 12 euros.
Happy Earth Day!
To remember all the gifts Pachamama -Mother Earth - generously gives us every day, I am posting today, on international Earth Day, some photos I took at the food market in Urubamba in the Sacred Valley. Remember the Earth every day!
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