Each of our Oaxacan textiles carries a weaving heritage preserved by generations of Zapotec artisans. More than a textile, each piece reflects history, culture, and daily life, sustaining a deeply personal craft tradition that continues to define the community today.
All of our textiles are made from 100% sheep's wool, sourced in Mexico - and are created entirely by hand, without the use of any electricity (AI could never). Our artisans process the wool step by step with washing, drying, carding, and combing the fibers. The raw wool is hand-spun - ensuring the quality and consistency of each strand. The yarn is then wound into skeins (or bundles) in preparation for dyeing. We aim to prioritize natural dyes over synthetic dyes, with approximately 80% of our current dyes coming from natural plant sources such as Indigo, Marigold Flowers, Pomegranates, Nutshells, and Cochineal. We’re aiming to work exclusively with natural dyes by 2027. Our artisans truly prefer natural dyes as it's a deep part of their cultural traditions, using locally available materials that are gentle on their surrounding environment. However, as climate change has affected the availability of local natural resources-some materials that were once produced locally must now be sourced outside of the region. LOOM is committed to transparency and learning as we keep a pulse on how this process evolves for our artisans and their community.
Weaving takes place in home workshops on heirloom treadle looms. Cotton warp threads form the quiet architecture to create a strong foundation for each textile. These traditional floor looms use foot pedals (or treadles) to raise and lower the shafts that control these warp threads. By pressing different combinations of treadles, the weaver creates precise openings through which the weft (wool yarn) is passed.
Every textile tells the story of its making, from the natural variation of the dye process to the unique patterns woven by hand on the loom.
Each of our wood furniture pieces is shaped by Appalachian craft, handwork, and a deep sense of place. We partner locally in Western North Carolina with a fine woodworking and furniture craftsman who works out of his third-generation workshop.
Ash is the foundation of each piece, a light-colored, smooth-grained hardwood that grows throughout the East Coast. Within each design, the wood tells its own story - revealing natural patterns and variations in grain and color as the piece takes shape. The designs incorporate heritage woodworking techniques throughout, including finger joinery, lathe-turned elements, and mortise-and-tenon construction. Every piece showcases intentional design, skilled craftsmanship, and the natural beauty of its materials.
LOOM Imports was founded on a commitment to social impact and to preserving and elevating heritage craft traditions. The people behind each piece have always guided our work, shaping how we build capacity, reinvest in communities, and use business as a force for good. As a Certified B Corporation, we are part of a global community of businesses committed to high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability, balancing profit with purpose.
What does this look like in practice? It means building strong working relationships with our artisan partners, understanding their livelihoods, their goals, and how they work. We implement detailed artisan agreements on a yearly basis to outline our working partnership, expectations, payment, and production details, ensuring transparency for all parties. We engage in fair pay, guaranteeing that production costs are covered and a fair wage is earned. We aim to strengthen our partners’ capacity through operational tools, business skills training, and design opportunities that support their growth and development. As a small social enterprise, we also provide targeted financial support to our partners, including loans for workshop materials and looms. We are deeply committed to promoting and protecting the cultural identity and craft of our partners.
As we navigate recertification under B Lab’s New Standards for B Certification (V2) in the coming months, we will continue to fine-tune our goals and practices around Fair Work, Environmental Stewardship, Climate Action, and Human Rights. We look forward to bringing our customers and supporters along on this journey as it evolves.
