I recently returned from an amazing trip to Guatemala. Its purpose was to identify opportunities for collaboration between artisans, designers, and institutions.

Organized by Pacunam, a non-profit that works to support Mayan culture and CoutureLab Coalition, a group of us – CFDA members Donna Karan and Naeem Khan, along with Carmen Busquets, Livia Firth and Pacunam CEO Marianne Hernández among them –  started our travels by visiting artisans that are based on Lake Atitlán– a  beautiful volcanic lake in the Western Highlands of Guatemala surrounded by indigenous communities.

The local artists are part of collectives formed to preserve the heritage and culture of the region and to create sustainable economic opportunities through their work. They demonstrated the hand spinning of yarn from locally grown organic cotton and we saw, up close, the hand-weaving of colorful garments. The colors all come from natural dyes harvested from plants, bark, and nature.

There was also a visit to a ceramic studio and a presentation from Pintando el Cambio, a non-profit with a goal to paint 850 houses in the town of Santa Catarina Palopó.

Afterwards, we spent two days at a conference in Guatemala City where I was joined by CFDA Director of Education Sara Kozlowski. The conference kicked off with a private tour of Museo Ixchel del Traje Indígena, Guatemala’s museum of indigenous dress. Donna Karan and I spoke on stage about her work in Haiti and at Urban Zen, with Donna offering one of her favorite and most powerful statements: “We must dress to address.”

I also moderated a panel with Nest Founder and CEO Rebecca Van Bergen featuring artisan leaders in Guatemala and funders including Fundacion Pepsico. Naeem Khan spoke on his experience on craftsmanship in haute couture, and we heard  from Carolina K. designer Carolina Kleinman and Figue designer Stephanie von Watzdorf about how they built their brands. Both are leading the way with globally-produced businesses.

We had wonderful dinners, including a traditional Guatemalan meal at the home of Rodman Primack and Rudy Weissenberg, as well as a lake front dinner at the home of Harris Whitbeck. On the last night, attendees wore traditional Mayan clothes for a closing dinner.

At CFDA, sustainability in fashion is a core pillar of our work and the conference was a learning step as we seek opportunities that link artisan communities to American fashion brands.