Patricia Zambrano Rincón

Patricia Zambrano Rincón, an interior designer from Bogotá, discovered her true passion for weaving since moving to Iza, Boyacá, five years ago. Inspired by Muisca ancestry, she has made it her mission to revive and promote this beautiful tradition through her brand, Lanosso. Her products, ranging from rugs to blankets and pillows, are made with only the finest sheep's wool and feature exclusive designs that capture the breathtaking landscapes and vibrant colors of this region. She calls this series of products "Nido Verde de Boyacá” or the “Green Nest of Boyacá”.

A mutual friend recommended Patricia to me, and last week, I went to Iza to take photographs in her studio. While shooting, she said, "You look very familiar, but I don't know why." As we conversed, she mentioned that her daughter used to live in Minnesota before moving back to Iza. It gave me goosebumps to hear this, as if I had heard the story before.

As many of you may know, I journal daily about my travel experiences. With a few keywords, I was able to recall the date June 18, 2014, my first visit to Iza. I was in a restaurant with some friends when a woman came over to our table and asked us where we were from. "Wisconsin? My daughter is living in Minnesota. Small world". It was significant enough for me to jot down this detail in my journal that day. Despite living in Bogotá at that time, Patricia used to frequently travel to Iza to build her house and run a restaurant in the plaza on weekends, which was the very restaurant where we had “accidentally” met almost a decade ago. This beautiful coincidence made our paths cross once more, collaborating together to create beautiful home décor products.