North Georgia transplant Claudie Berck , originally from Monterrey, Mexico, is brightening up Ringgold with her business, Ayelet's Style, offering colorful handmade clothing and accessories from Chiapas, Mexico.
The online and pop-up business purchases clothes and accessories made by Chiapas' indigenous people and sells them in the Ringgold and Chattanooga area. The pieces are often woven using an ancient South American art form called waist looming, in which one end of a crude loom is fastened to the weaver's waist.
One blouse that recently became available through Ayelet's Style took 40 days to make. It intricately details milpas (corn) figures in bright orange, blue, red and purple thread. Farmers in the region have been cultivating corn since prehistoric times.
Shopping date
Ayelet’s Style will be at the local opening day for this year’s Vintage Base Ball season, being held at the 6th Cavalry Museum March 24. Up first, the Cumberlanders of Nashville will take on Mountain City at noon, followed by the Lightfoot vs. the Maroons of Nashville at 2:30 p.m. The museum is at 6 Barnhardt Circle in Fort Oglethorpe.
Berck came to America 13 years ago with her American-born husband, Ken. Unable to speak English, Berck struggled to adjust to her new life. Ultimately, she not only learned to communicate with her new countrymen, but also found a way to remain connected to her heritage.
When her friends begged her to sell some of the clothes she'd brought back from Mexico, she realized she had a way to combine her homeland with her adopted one. Berck searched Facebook for artisans she could connect with to sell their work in the U.S.
Roxana, a woman in Chiapas, Mexico, met Berck 's budget. Elated to have her work sold in America, Roxana was even willing to give Berck a deal.
Her pieces don't look cheap by any means. Roxana puts in an average 40 hours to craft dresses, tops, handbags and more, which Berck sells for $20 to $65.
Friends and customers tell her she should be selling these pieces at a higher price, she said, but Berck "wants people to be able to buy them."
Her business has grown in just a year and she hopes to open a store in the near future. In the early days, Berck said she struggled to find events willing to let her set up shop. Now, Ayelet's Style is invited to multiple events, she said. Berck believes it is local Americans' love for the colorful culture of her homeland that has made her business a success.
She remembers a time when a woman shopping came up to her and said, "Thank you. Thank you for bringing this art to the United States."
Email Alexandra Farmer at afarmer@timesfreepress.com.