Felix Fuentes and Xzenia Palacios

"Guatemala is beautiful, by its nature, by its history, and by its people who are always happy no matter the difficulties. We are proud to have been born here and to have the opportunity to share with the world a little of all that is good here."<br><br> Felix Fuentes and Xzenia Palacios are artisans born in Guatemala in 1979 and 1980 respectively. They started in the business 20 years ago, just when they were planning to get married; it was a way to get ahead. When they left school, they began to dedicate themselves to leather crafts and the first piece they made was a backpack-type bag. These artisans have come a long way, filled with lessons and many complications. However, their faith in God and the support of those around them have made them succeed with their business.<br><br> Their business has been an opportunity to get ahead and show the beauty of the traditions and culture of Guatemala. Felix and Xzenia learned this art on their own, practicing and reading more about the techniques. They have taught many of their co-workers and artisans who have passed through their workshop. The material used for the products is leather, which must be chosen according to certain characteristics, and textiles, which are a bit more difficult to find. The textiles are dyed with natural dyes that do not harm the environment and are part of slow fashion. In the workshop, the different activities for the creation of the products are assigned to the workers. They always look for artisans who have a desire to learn, have passion for what they do and seek excellence; those who are not satisfied with ?good enough?.<br><br> Leather articles are what a frame is to a painting; they show off the beautiful textiles that are made with ancestral techniques transmitted from generation to generation by Guatemalan artists. Leather work, also an art in Guatemala since ancient times, is currently one of the stronger industries that provides work to many families.