Minimalism as a life statement. Design with purpose, use more and close the cycle. Simple life, simple bags. That is the motto of Tigre de Salón, a Colombian brand that uses its origins as inspiration to create modern products for today’s society.
Handcrafted, top materials, and unique design. This brand, founded in 2014 in Medellín, Colombia works with the guiding principle of sustainability. They create every bag to be timeless and essential, a forever piece.
With awareness of its environment and the things that happen around it, Tigre de Salón gives life to stories through its bags and appreciates what nature has to offer to nurture every piece.
The brand embraces the value of ancient crafts and talks about respect for simple things that have inhabited this planet since its origins. Tigre de Salón works with four Colombian indigenous communities that live in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the Kogui, Arhuaco, Wiwa, and Kankuamo.
The brand was born out of passion. Veronica Franco, the creative director, felt in her gut the need to follow her heart and founded Tigre de Salón with the intention of having a positive impact in her country and Colombian indigenous communities.
“I believe with my entire soul that creativity and love can change many things, that design and what you do every day can make positive changes in all areas of life, from nature to our communities,” stated Franco.
Moved by an interest in learning about their roots, Tigre de Salón is inspired by the natural laws followed by these communities, that work under the principle of exchange, giving back for what they take as well as being deeply spiritual and seeing themselves as caretakers of this sacred place they call the heart of the world.
Touched by the fascination for design, simple and functional objects, the brand works hand in hand with the communities in projects that contribute to the development and maintenance of their cultural traditions.
Weaving, the connection
To connect into a collecting whole, to lace together. Weaving is one of the oldest crafts used by humans with decorative, utilitarian or ceremonial purposes, amongst others. For the indigenous communities in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is their identity. It’s the way they connect to each other, it’s a way of education, it’s a way of communication.
When the time of new creations comes the team of Tigre de Salón gets immersed in the culture of these communities to understand what they want to transmit with their crafts. The brand works with indigenous women that master this ancient technic and thread every day from dawn to sunset.
By Daniela García G.
Aluna, the source of light
As a result of this immersion into the culture of the communities the Aluna bag was born. Created with handwoven wool, this backpack has in its threads the essence of the Arhuaca weaving technic and the wisdom of centuries of this ancient craft. Aluna in the indigenous vocabulary means the state of darkness within which everything was created, it means spirit and thoughts.
Tigre de Salón creates pieces that respect tradition and origins, but every bag has a deeper message, it’s a statement that talks about a simple lifestyle. A bag that becomes more than an accessory, it goes back to its basic function of collecting and communicating, an element of keeping, to keep.
By Daniela García G.
