Artisanal adventures
January 20, 2022 - "Click & collect" or "consider and cherish", how do you consume? Artisan markets at Six Senses Ibiza. Traditional Portuguese artists at Six Senses Douro Valley. Rise Beyond the Reef at Six Senses Fiji. All are places to purchase with purpose.
Cherish the Past for a Better Future at Six Senses Douro Valley
Learn the fundamentals of traditional Portuguese arts and crafts at Six Senses Douro Valley. In line with our brand value of crafted experiences – sometimes unusual, often unexpected – we’re proud of the quality and diversity of experiences featured in our artisan calendar.
The journey started last October when a weaver from the nearby Montemuro mountains, the heartland of Port production, brought in a beautiful handmade wooden loom to weave linens. In November, local artist Inês Peres showcased a collection that draws inspiration from geometry and ancestral and indigenous cultures. The values she transmits with her mask painting are unity, a celebration of diversity, and human relationships in harmony with nature. In December, resident artist Helena Ferreira, who offers regular tile painting classes, encouraged guests to channel their creativity using the macramé “knotting” technique.
We start this year showcasing Bisalhães black terracotta pots. Designed for decorative and cooking purposes, the traditional practice that features on the village’s coat of arms has been an important part of the community’s identity, with old methods still used today to create pieces resembling those of the past.
In February, local joiner António Silva will be crafting Portuguese guitars, mandolins, and violas. The first mandolin he built at the age of seven is still with him – he can’t bear to part with it.
In March, we’re inviting you to learn how to apply paint finishes to revive old pieces of furniture. Gilding, craquelure, and decoupage are techniques that, with a bit of creativity and perseverance, bring unloved household items back to their former glory.
Mercado Artesanal at Six Senses Ibiza
Since October, the Agora,a new fashion retail concept at Six Senses Ibiza, has dedicated the last Friday of every month to its Mercado Artesanal. The terrace is stacked high with an exciting and authentic collection of Ibizan crafts including handmade toys, ceramics, jewelry, and crystals.
Item by item, Agora is redefining the notion of luxury around four chapters. “Fashion is confidence and self-identity, imagination and fantasy. It is seduction and empowerment, comfort and joy. Gradually, the fashion and luxury industries are coming to terms with their impact on the world (and it is not inconsiderable), and beginning to turn themselves around: reframe their supply chains, reconsider their materials and the communities that produce them,” says co-founder Tiffanie Darke. “At the Agora we have arranged our stories into four chapters: recycle, restore, rent, and reduce. These we believe are the ways we can all shop more sustainably.”
Rise Beyond the Reef at Six Senses Fiji
We work with NGO Rise Beyond the Reef to support women and girls in remote Fijian communities, teaching them to create and market beautiful homewares and crafts using traditional skills. This breaks down the barrier between a life of poverty and possibilities through greater access to markets.
Products vary from children’s games and toys to fashion items such as necklaces, pouches, and bags. Homewares include placemats, coasters, and wall hangings woven from a material called kuta – a reed harvested from lakes, and then dried out to use for weaving.
We love these items and use them to decorate our villas and restaurants. You can also browse the latest collections in our boutique and via the online store. Each item has a story, and all profits go to supporting the artisan and their rural community.
“It’s not about helping the poor, it’s about creating value around the important role remote communities play in our world’s whole picture; it’s about valuing rather than extracting. It’s about supporting rather than directing. It’s about seeing our collective future. That’s when we all rise together.” Rise Beyond the Reef.
Source Locally at Six Senses Yao Noi
Six Senses Yao Noi, together with the Women’s Club of Koh Yao Noi, invites you to learn the art of batik-painting. The activity involves painting on sarongs, t-shirts, greetings cards, and canvases designed by the women on the island. Allow two days for the painting to dry and be ready to take it home as a souvenir.
You’ll not only be enjoying a one-of-a-kind authentic experience. You’ll be helping this 5,000-strong island community generate income to preserve its way of life in this unspoiled paradise that has steadfastly maintained its natural beauty and local Thai culture.
Winter Escape
If winter isn't your favorite season, Six Senses Douro Valley will change your mind. Our Winter Escape Offer is all about renewal and staying with us will warm your heart.