AG LAUNCHES COLLABORATION WITH SEVENTH-GENERATION WEAVERS

by John Russel Jones

 AG has launched its Chimayó collection, a special collaboration with Irvin and Lisa Trujillo, seventh-generation weavers in New Mexico. The collection yields beautiful examples of traditional artwork framed in AG’s denim jackets, all handmade in the USA. The limited-edition collection includes six jackets, three women’s and two men’s styles, ranging in price from $650-$685 retail.

The cinematic dreamscapes of Northern New Mexico and the historic Rió Grande inspire the vivid hand-woven artwork on each unique piece, embodying the rich cultural heritage of the Chimayó region and some of the most acclaimed weavers in the country. The collection honors the heritage and labor-intensive process, making for a truly special offering. Vibrant colors and geometric shapes appear to dance, conveying a motion that celebrates the traditional craft, one that is centuries old and passed down through generations.

This is a story of beautiful tradition and the passion to carry it on, a ranch of Navajo-Churro sheep, a husband and wife who painstakingly boil, process, spin, and dye the yarn, and the artisan hands that meticulously weave the traditional patterns.

The yarn used is that of Churro sheep, which arrived in New Mexico with Coronado’s expedition in 1540, a hardy breed prized for their wool that has a luster that attains an almost silky look with age. By the 1800s New Mexico was home to a substantial industry of sheepherders, spinners, and weavers.

Seventh-generation master weaver Irvin Trujillo and his celebrated weaver wife, Lisa, opened their gallery in 1982. Irvin’s work can be found in numerous museum collections, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and has earned him the Spanish Market Lifetime Achievement Award and the prestigious NEA National Heritage Fellowship.