Hi!
I’m Maura Sacach and I am the Founder & Designer of AURA MAYA, offering and honoring unique indigenous textile designs from Mayan Guatemala. I was born in San Marcos La Laguna, on the shores of beautiful Lake Atitlan, and am the daughter of a large Kaqchikel family that resides in the mountainside of our home village.
This social enterprise that I share with you carries my heart and soul. I was born and raised in a small Mayan community and grew up wearing the traditional clothing (the ‘típico’) of our village, hand-woven by my mother on her ancestral backstrap loom in our very humble home.
One of my earliest and fondest memories, from when I was just 4 years old, is of my mother weaving traditional patterns with a fine cloth using her simple wooden backstrap loom for hours on end.
Our very modest house had walls of corn stalks and a straw roof. We did not have electricity, so at night it was my responsibility, as the youngest daughter in our family of 11, to hold up an old oil lamp so my mother could see what she was weaving. My mother was a weaver by choice but also by necessity - she had no choice but to weave to sell her beautiful cloth creations in our small village in order to put food on our table. Her weavings were to sell, not for us to wear; we had hardly any clothes at all, and we could not afford shoes for the younger children. I had two sets of traditional Mayan clothing: a corte, or skirt, and a huipil, or blouse. I wore my 2 cortes and two huipiles until they were threadbare. Despite our profound poverty, I am proud and privileged to bring these beautiful traditional Mayan patterns, created on the backstrap loom, to the wider world.
I AM PROUD TO BE A WEAVER'S DAUGHTER AND TO HELP ALL THE BACKSTRAP WEAVERS OF MY VILLAGE TO EARN A DIGNIFIED WAGE WITH THEIR BEAUTIFUL CREATIONS. I AM 100% MAYAN!
When the first Western travelers visited Lake Atitlan around 30 years ago, I was so intrigued by their western clothing. I was later blessed with the opportunity to travel in Europe and the United States, which continued to broaden my horizons and my ideas about fashion. I soon realized and truly appreciated the incredible beauty and authenticity of the Mayan arts and crafts, including the indigenous textile designs that are still worn by the women of my village today. These artisanal creations come from long-standing and deep-rooted traditions that are so worthy of upholding.
It is my vision and privilege to share our Mayan culture with you, and with the world, through the offerings of AURA MAYA. My passion and drive is to provide fair work opportunities and a dignified living wage to the women of my village. I am Mayan. I am a weaver’s daughter. I am very proud to present AURA MAYA garments and accessories lovingly made from the hands and hearts of our AURA MAYA family.
I created AURA MAYA in 2020 to share my cultural heritage with you!
Many blessings.
Thank you! Gracias! Maltiox!
Maura 🤍