The Wonderful Treasures Inside Peruvian Connection

There are many special places in the world and my birth country, Peru is certainly tops my list. This amazing nation has incredible food, warm and loving people and not to mention wonders like Machu Picchu, the Amazon and the Sipan ruins.

But now let’s bring it back to fashion and style because as y’alls know, this is what it’s all about in this dog-and-pony show. Another wonder this South American gem is its textiles which are cozy, soft and perfect for pretty much any climate. Now there is no need to travel endless hours to wear some alpaca sweaters, because Peruvian Connection has it all at your fingertips.

This store, which started nearly 40 years ago by Annie Hurlbut as a mail-order service is now in the U.S. and U.K. and also has a booming e-commerce site. A few weeks ago, I spent the afternoon at their San Francisco store and I must say, it kind of transported me to the artisan markets I used to visit as a child in Lima.

The ladies are super friendly and know every detail about all of the merchandise. Brenda, the store manager, shared terrific stories about craftmanship, the many villages so many of these pieces come from and design. Though this venture started out with sweaters and knits from my beloved home country, it quickly grew into a multi-nation enterprise that now features items from around the globe.

Everything is carefully curated and top-of-the-line. There are gorgeous textiles, fantastic fedoras, eye-catching jewels and even bags made from recycled materials in Mexican farms. Let’s just say it was hard for me to walk empty-handed, but I have a slight feeling I’ll be back soon and getting a few goodies for the summer.

Let’s just say this place is like having a little bit of Lima’s charm in the middle of San Francisco and with that, I raise a Pisco Sour glass and say ‘salud’ to Peruvian Connection and may many milestones come your way!

Ryzenberg On, is Signing Off