Just walk down one of the cobblestoned streets of Curiti, and you’ll quickly learn this town revolves around fique - fique workshops, boutiques, or plants around every corner. A thick, durable fiber from an agave-like plant, fique was once used for potato or coffee sacks, but it’s now used for anything and everything – rugs, bags, hats, even shoes.

Having grown up in a family of fique farmers, Gabriel knows the ins and outs of this incredible material. He walked us through each step of the process – combing, dyeing, drying, twisting, and finally, weaving – there’s no denying, he knows his fique.

His family home set up right across the street from his workshop, Gabriel’s work is a true family affair. In fact, it was Gabriel’s mother-in-law who taught him to weave almost thirty years ago. Since then, Gabriel has perfected the “trenzado” weaving technique, a method of looping rows and rows of knots together. Fast forward to today, and he’s an expert, able to complete around 6,000 knots a day. One look at his intricately woven rugs, and you know they’re the work of a true master.