Ugly Dolls
The central market in Otavalo, Ecuador, is a riot of color, texture, sound, and experience. We spent lots of time looking for the new and interesting during our stay in the city last January.
I don’t know why the ugly dolls (as we started calling them after my first sighting) caught my attention. Ragged and worn looking, they have the appearance of being loved a little too much. Or perhaps, they charmed me for having been born from nothing, just scraps of this and that sewn together into a form recognizable to everyone.
I brought back a few for the shop. They remind me of the essence of Fair Trade — taking what you have and creating something new and wonderful out of it.