The idea for a curated men’s collection inspired by the sacred artwork of ancestral medicine cultures has lived in me for years. My personal work with these Indigenous groups, the Shipibo of the Amazon and the Quechua of the High Andes was the main inspiration. I have devoted most of time in recent years, studying these cultures, their traditions, and the medicines of the plants they carry. I fell in love with their textiles and embroidery work they do. Not just the beauty of their designs, but the meaning each one carries.
My passion for fashion and design began long ago. In a previous chapter of my life, while working in the film industry in NYC, I occasionally designed and produced custom embroidered workwear — pieces intended to be durable, comfortable, and timeless.
My admiration for the visual beauty and symbolic depth of Shipibo designs, often seen in ceremonial garments, along with the weaving traditions of the Quechua people throughout the Sacred Valley, gradually evolved into a personal practice of custom embroidery. I began transforming my own clothing into pieces that felt richer and more meaningful, infused with the heritage of the cultures I have grown to respect and love.
I observed that while there was an abundance of ceremonial clothing available for women, there were very few high-quality options for men — particularly garments made from fine linens and cottons. My mission became to unite well-tailored, long-lasting fabrics with the profound artistry of these cultures, whose designs carry heritage, prayer, and sacred meaning far beyond aesthetics.
Expanding beyond traditional ceremonial wear and merging my appreciation for durable workwear and casual clothing, I set out to bring these designs into everyday attire — and Awasqa was born.
At Awasqa, every pattern and weave we use is honored with deep respect for its roots.
I’ve spent time learning how these fabrics are created—both in the Andes and in the Amazon—immersing myself in their traditions and processes. Our designs often feature classic Andean cintas, fabrics with origins that predate the Incan Empire. Each are hand-woven from sheep, llama, and alpaca wool using drop spindles and four-post looms. Natural dyes—extracted from native plants, roots, minerals, and insects—bring these pieces to life.
The patterns tell stories of cosmology, agricultural cycles, identity, and ancestral wisdom.
In the Amazon, we collaborate with the Shipibo-Konibo people, whose distinctive hand-stitched embroidery known as Kene (literally vision/art in Shipibo language) is well known around the world,
specifically as the unofficial aesthetic for Ayahuasca.
Their textiles are used in mesas—altar cloths for ceremonies—and their intricate geometric patterns (Kene) are visual representations of icaros: sacred songs sung in ceremony to call upon spirits and move energy.
Each design is unique, carrying its own prayer and intention.
While Shipibo and Andean patterns sometimes appear on clothing, access to high-quality fabrics and tailored fits is rare in these parts of the world.
That’s where we come in—bridging the world of slow, intentional fashion with the sacred art of these communities.
We produce several styles: Hybrid pieces, combining Andean cintas with Shipibo back-panels. Fully hand-embroidered pieces, stitched directly by Shipibo artisans.
Creating the latter is a labor-intensive process. Garments are sourced internationally, shipped to Lima, Peru and then flown deep into the Amazon—to Iquitos, Pucallpa, or remote villages up to six hours beyond. Once there, each piece is hand-embroidered by a single artisan. One hoodie, for example, may take three weeks or more to complete. Multiple families and villages collaborate to meet demand, dedicating countless hours daily to each one-of-a-kind work of art.
This is slow fashion at its core—infused with intention, time, and fair practice. None of our pieces are mass-produced and prices reflect the difficulty of sourcing and transporting garments into the jungle, as well as the artisans’ devotion, time and incredible skill. For many, a single finished piece represents a month’s salary. Supporting them through this work is a central mission of our brand.
I spend time with these families in their homes because knowing their lives, process, and struggles matters deeply to me. Many live without electricity or running water; some sleep in tents as they work toward building proper structures. Sales from these garments help fund education for the artisans’ children and support community projects, like building homes and in particular, a ceremonial maloca.
When you purchase a piece, you aren’t just buying bespoke clothing—you are helping sustain families, preserve ancient traditions, and honor the sacred artistry of the Andes and the Amazon. Each garment carries a story, a prayer, and the love of the hands that made it. The prayer behind each piece is the most important element of our brand, and it’s why we specialize in one of a kind pieces.
Wear The Prayer!
Ethan June
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Founder