Bufandy

Behind accessories brand Bufandy, is the entrepreneurial and principled spirit of Dorien Straathof, a Dutch tour guide turned business owner. Having spent much of her career in the South American Andes, Dorien regularly met local artisans at highland markets, and it was here that she discovered the region’s age-old textile tradition. She launched Bufandy in 2013 as a way to support local makers and share their beautiful hand-crafted products with the world. The brand specializes in luxuriously soft scarves and shawls made from alpaca wool sourced from remote farms in the Andes mountains, spun in Peru, and woven in Ecuador – a process which requires the skill of more than 20 craftsmen, with whom Dorien has built close, long-term relationships. Thanks to the natural insulating properties of alpaca wool, these scarves are astonishingly warm making them the perfect antidote to the winter chill.