One of my passions is supporting the small workshops and artisans who devote their lives to producing the world’s beautiful products, often using skills passed down through generations. Well-made products require honed skills and a little TLC, which a mass-production line cannot provide.

My company Belen Echandia supports the work of skilled artisans by having all our bags produced in Italy and Spain in small, family-run workshops, whose skills have been developed over generations. As a result all B.E. bags are the result of hours of attention to detail and made in very limited numbers. It is increasingly difficult to find such workshops because many have closed with the advent of mass-produced products. If this continues, the outcome will inevitably be the closure of many smaller upscale labels leading to a lack of well-made products and less consumer choice.

I love the high street but I also relish finding exclusives and little-known labels. As Drapers magazine editor Josephine Collins recently pointed out, the future could see a large percentage of fashion companies owned by a few big players. This would mean less diversity and a lot less consumer choice. With this in mind I recently began a project to scour the world for talent and fine workmanship, for the benefit of designers and consumers alike.

Nicknamed ‘Designer Travels’, the idea is manifold - a voyage of discovery and education about people all over the world and the traditions and skills they sustain, a giant global shopping trip in search of wonderful colours and fabrics and workmanship and the opportunity to collaborate with some of these artists to make some great new pieces for B.E. I plan to write about what I find for your benefit and theirs.

I set up this site to chart my journey and report on the things I come across on my travels and during my life as the Creative Director of Belen Echandia. I am going to have a lot of fun, meet some wonderful people and see some great things. I hope I can somehow make a difference and keep you entertained in the process.

My first trip took me to Ecuador accompanied by Rachel Foster, one of my favourite travel writers who currently writes for the Observer. Abercrombie and Kent sponsored the trip with a wonderful itinerary full of details of artisans and artists from different disciplines. Armed with our new digital SLR and a borrowed video camera we set off to interview the Ecuadorian people and video our finds. More of that later.

Ecuador was enchanting from the moment we arrived. A country of charming contrasts and contradictions from the unpredictable weather to the clear distinctions in dress, culture and lifestyle, it is a land of exciting discoveries steeped in culture and tradition. Beauty is everywhere; in the landscape, the people and the designs. We saw some amazing things in 8 days and met some very talented artists.

I travelled to Ecuador with two main aims � first to discover the nature and extent of the art and design on offer and investigate how individuals and companies are faring in light of the current trend for mass-produced, throwaway items. My second objective was to get inspiration and seek collaborations for the BE range. Rachel was interested in following me on my journey to capture the story because that is her job but we found a common love of art and beautiful products and our journey really was a joint one.

Casa A. Le Noyer

We flew into Quito and the first place we stayed was Casa A. Le Noyer a new boutique hotel near the Mariscal area. A&K had arranged for us to be whisked from the airport by our guide Fernando straight to our new ‘home’ and the moment we arrived we were greeted by the most genuine, friendly people who made our stay really special. Above is a picture of the beautifully designed hall.

The next morning we were once again whisked from hotel to airport and put on a plane to Cuenca, where we were greeted by our Cuencan guide. The plane was tiny and it shook quite a lot, which I didn’t enjoy very much. Rachel loved it. I have to admit the views from the plane were amazing.

Travel Bag

I wasn’t sure which of my bags to take as hand luggage. I wanted something light, roomy and stylish that I could carry on my shoulder so I finally chose the large Stroke Me in chocolate brown matt leather. It was PERFECT. There is enough space for your passport, make-up, hair brush ‘essentials’ and also a light sweater and jacket. Stuffed full it was still light and comfortable, which is just what you need when you have several other bags full of Ecuadorian inspirations to struggle home with.

Cuenca Market

In Cuenca we visited craft villages and workshops. Many women work in their homes producing high quality hand-made items which are sold all over the world. Near Chordeleg we found a Macana workshop, in which two ladies spin and weave Macana shawls from beautifully soft sheep’s wool in a variety of patterns. The dyes used to make the colours are almost all 100% natural and come from plants, vegetables, fruits and living creatures. It was fascinating to see a shawl made from different coloured onions.

In Chordeleg the highlight was a store whose artisans produced and sold items made from brightly coloured straw. There are mobiles with multi-coloured straw butterflies, sombreros and Ecuadorean figures. The shapes, colours and ideas are unique and the lightweight items contrast well with BE�s current leather collection.

I bought a fabulous mobile - the simplest design - which encompasses butterflies and coloured balls. It will look amazing hanging on a white wall or over a window or mirror. Rachel bought a lot of weaved baskets and boxes for her Primrose Hill flat.

The start of a Panama Hat, Cuenca

The finished article

The next day we went to see Panama Hats being produced. It is a laborious process beginning in the villages around Cuenca and Manta where the straw is produced. The hats are woven entirely by hand. They are finished by experts in Cuenca and Montecristi.

Ceramics, Cuenca

The most famous ceramics are made at the taller of Snr. Veqa, a distinguished ceramicist and designer who has worked and trained in his art for over 25 years. He showed us sketches and explained the process from start to finish. The colours, technical skill and attention to detail are awe-inspiring. Snr Vega makes pieces for universities and important buildings the world over. I would love to commission a unique piece to add colour and a touch of art to my own house.

Arte con sabor a Cafe (Art with a taste of coffee) is a distinctive jewellery concept store owned by accomplished jeweller Simon Cordero who exhibits worldwide. Progressive and unique in Cuenca, Simon and his partner have designed the store as a �door to the world� for Ecuador�s artisans, who have struggled to exhibit their wares to international buyers since the only trade exhibition closed down.

We found it encouraging that experienced Ecuadorean artists and businesses are taking steps to protect and promote the art of its people and that businesses are thriving with their help and support. All items are made by Ecuadorean artisans and include Simon�s jewellery, which is all made in his workshop at the back of the store, wonderful bamboo home ware and colourful butterflies and wooden statues, which all caught my eye.

Panama Hat weaving

When we arrived in Manta we visited the dusty villages where world-famous ‘Panama Hats’ are made. It was actually very sad. This old lady is 85 and she spends a lot of time in this position, weaving panama hats. She can only work in the mornings, since her sight is very bad and she is paid around 15 dollars per month for the work she can do. Seeing where and how these people live is a humbling experience.

Traditional wooden masks

In Tigua we visited the family workshops of the Tiguan Indian artisans to see the lamb skin canvases depicting scenes of the Quicha people and the scary wooden masks, which are traditionally made for festivals and fiestas. Olga Fisch was one of those responsible for encouraging the indigenous peoples to continue to produce paintings and make a living from their art and today business is thriving. Here are a couple of wooden masks. Rachel bought a couple but I didn’t, which I later regretted when we saw the very same ones in a museum in Quito. They are a good investment.

Totora Sisu

The Totora Sisu project is dedicated to supporting the many home workers who use the Totura plant to make mats and furniture for world export. The market for natural products is growing and it was amazing to see the process from start (the reeds in the river) to finish as well as to meet the artisans (the girl in the picture is just 5 years old) who make the products. I bought two mats since they are rumoured to aid restful sleep.

Otavalo Market

In Otavalo we visited the famous market. It wasn’t as interesting from a design perspective as the other things we experienced since its main focus is tourism. But the colours were fantastic and we did see some interesting things. I really enjoyed chatting with the artisans. This lady spends all day knitting and weaving different fabric bags.

We saw a couple of nice bags, but the quality of leather, workmanship and design in general was far behind Europe.

This man was selling the pretty Tiguan plates I bought from the Artisans in Tigua. Mine were cheaper!

One of the most charming aspects of Ecuador is the fact that people respect tradition and wear wonderfully colourful traditional dress.

The ‘belts’ below are actually used to swaddle babies! Even babies are colourful in Ecuador.

Luis Potero

Imbabura is famous for wood carvings, which is the main source of income in many towns. The hand-carved pieces include both pictures and sculptures and inspirations come from nature and family scenes. Despite the inaugaration of a training college in Ibarra, Luis Potero, an acclaimed sculptor and store owner I interviewed, explained that the lack of outside influences in teaching and inspirations has resulted in a stagnation of creativity. Still, if you have never seen them before they are wonderful. I bought a small mahogany carving.

We saw this procession in a village on the way to lunch at Hacienda Zuleta. If only every lunchtime could be so interesting!

Hacienda Zuleta

Zuleta is a working Hacienda. The original owner, a former Ecuadorean president, was renowned for re-educating and supporting the indigenous peoples. Today it runs various projects. We were interested in the embroidery project, which gives local women fabric, thread and a place to sell their wares to encourage traditional embroidery techniques.

Zuletenan weaving

The industry is flourishing, which contrasts with the situation in Europe where traditions are dying out as new generations move to cities to join other professions. Girls as young as two learn at home with their mothers and start to work on their own embroideries around the age of four or five. Here is one of the most beautiful pieces. It was also the most expensive…

The Zuletenan designs are beautifully made. They are traditional but very stylish and colourful. I think they would sell well abroad, especially in the US and UK where a lot of embroidery is now done by machines and consumers place a high value on hand-stitched quality. I bought 3 of these bread warmers, which will be great for our country house in the Swedish Archipelago.

Olga�s design store in Quito was one of the highlights of the trip. The store is 65 years old and the current owners specialise in using their expertise to help Latin America�s talented artisans modernise traditional methods and sell their designs. Every piece is commissioned by the store and made with the help and design speciality of its owners. I bought a colourful sheep�s wool wall-hanging by Margara who trained at Parsons and takes her inspiration from Ecuadorian nature.

Magnus and I went to Mexico in 2004. Despite the sad fact that much of its fabulous Colonial architecture is run-down and neglected, Mexico is a charming, colourful country and its citizens are warm and friendly people.

The colourful backdrop provides a lot of photo opportunities, so I was happy!

We travelled around a lot starting in Mexico City, where we almost choked jogging around the city and travelling East through Oaxaca, home of stringy cheese balls, to Tulum, a Caribbean paradise. This is me on the top of Teotihuacan, the pyramids just outside of Mexico City

A lot of haciendas have beautiful patio gardens in their courtyards. We found this one so relaxing that we had to eat breakfast there!

The service in this church was one of the most extraordinary things I have ever experienced. The ‘altar’ consisted of a lot of radios and wind-up mobiles playing strange tunes. In the main part of the church tens of families sat around huddled in groups. Each one was sacrificing a chicken and held a bottle of coke. Afterwards we read that coca-cola has made at least one family in the village very rich after they marketed it as a way to burp out evil spirits, thus eradicating them…

Last summer I travelled to the south of Spain for some meetings and afterwards we had a bit of time to relax. The Hacienda de San Rafael, which is owned by a friend of a friend, is a gem of a hideaway in the Andalucian countryside between Seville and Jerez.

I am always a sucker for a long, winding approach and anything involving rows of delicious Olive trees but this particular road is something special. It leads to a beautiful former olive farm in serene grounds, a place I really didn’t ever want to leave. Our room was beautiful and peaceful. For extra luxury you can even hire your own ‘casita’ (little house) like this one, complete with exclusive garden and swimming pool.

Relaxing in the Andalucian silence, enjoying breakfast on one�s private verandah is a truly restful experience and I highly recommend it. Sadly, despite my pleas for a kitchen job with the fabulous chef they calmly chauffeured us to the airport and put us safely on the flight to London.

“I studied and trained as a lawyer for 7 years and then decided to become a handbag designer” always wins a few blank stares or open-mouthed looks of astonishment. Two and a half years ago I decided that a law office in the city of London was definitely not the place for me. At the end of 2004 when I was finally ready for qualification, I left my job to concentrate on my growing fashion business Belen Echandia. I love it. Here I am (on the left in white skirt) with Rachel on our trip to Ecuador, picking the plants that are used to make the straw for Panama hats. That was never in a day’s work in the city!

I set up my accessories business Belen Echandia whilst I was working as a lawyer. It wasn’t so much a passion for handbags as a passion for business and I wanted to be creative. I had noticed a gap in the market for a company focusing on well-made products, attention to detail and above all, service. There were some beautiful accessories out there but they all seemed to be over-priced, mass-produced and sold by impersonal companies. Since I prefer value for money, limited edition and there is nothing like a warm, personal touch, I decided to start my own.

What’s in a name?

I prefer simple colours and designs, nothing too fussy and that is clear from the pieces I design for Belen Echandia. The bags are practical, easy to wear and made from really soft leather. One of the best parts of my job is receiving emails from happy customers. A common theme is handbag stroking - the leather is so soft it makes women want to stroke them! That was the inspiration for the ‘Stroke Me’ collection, shown below.

Stroke Me

It took me a long time to name my collections. Everyone was calling their bags after girls and women, but I wanted to do something different. The names are inspired by romantic gestures and friendly affection, since women often have an affinity with their hand bags usually saved for a boyfriend or a childhood friend.

This season we have a lot of pretty colours, like aquamarine and tan and metallics like gold, which is flecked with copper and black. I think it gives a more sophisticated look than straight flash gold. This aquamarine bag is one of my all-time favourites.

Stockholm became my second home when Magnus came along and swept me off my feet. Ahem. I have grown to love its beautiful scenery, laid-back chic and lovely, w.arm, friendly people. But only in the summer.

The Archipelago is beautiful when it’s sunny. It is the opposite of London; peaceful and silent with cleaner-than-clean air and absolutely no people.

I have grown to love the ocean almost as much as Magnus does.