Furniture, fabrics and home accessories. Allusions to the cultural heritage of Colombia are the common thread in the product range of the German brand Ames, founded by Colombian-born Ana María Calderón Kayser in 2006. With her project Ana María wants to preserve and revalue traditional Colombian processing techniques. Sustainable production methods and the use of natural and renewable resources are meant to create optimal working conditions.
“Ames’ production is based on the experience of our master craftsmen and the choice and availability of the employed materials: the fique, iraca palm or werrengue fibers used in the processing are not always available. Sometimes we have to wait up to 24 month to obtain material that meets our standards. Ames is all about sustainability. This includes also a close and lasting relationship with our Colombian artisans. Our collaboration is aimed at improving their living conditions, and those of their families.” – says Ana María Calderón Kayser.
Ames’ 2019 collection features the Par rugs and the Cielo and Maraca chairs by Sebastian Herkner as well as the Killa mirrors and the Mecato bench by Pauline Deltour. Colorful combinations and a melange of different textures define the Par rug. The multicolored yarn is made of up to 28 single strands, carefully selected and attuned before knotted, one by one, by the hands of a master weaver.
The PAR rugs is made from the long and highly resilient natural fibers of the Furcraea andina or ficque, a wild plant that resembles — and is often confused with — the better known agave. To make its componsents usable, the plant is subjected to a complex manufacturing process: fibers are cleaned and left in immersion for 15 hours; then they are dried and finally brushed by hand.
To the stackable chairs of the Cielo family has been added a new lounger, available both with high and standard back. The powder-coated tubular steel structure, manufactured exclusively by a small Bogotá based company, harmonizes perfectly with elastic plastic belts assembled by hand and according to the traditional Momposino weaving technique.
New forms for the Maraca lounge chair: inspired by the colorful hammocks that for centuries have been woven in Bolívar, region of origin of the loungers. Sebastian Herkner has manged to match the informal nature of the material with the classic design of the hammocks.
For the summer season Ames presents also a limited edition of Maraca hammock, tinted in the typical maraca colors. According to tradition, the hammocks are solely made by Bolívar’s artisan women. In the region’s villages every woman owns a weaving loom. Before the actual weaving, the cotton yarns are tinged with natural dye which subsequently is fixed using salt and starch.
