Üit – Wayuu Mochila Crossbody Bag

Üit – Wayuu Mochila Crossbody BagInspiration: Squash Ahuyama in Spanish it in Wayuunaiki) Cultural Significance: Squash is one of the most important vegetables grown in Wayuu communities, traditionally used in a soup that combines corn, beans and squash ("the three sisters") cooked in goat fat. Beyond nourishment, the squash also holds medicinal value for the Wayuu. In traditional healing, its leaves are used to prepare remedies for newborns. Designer: Carmelita Gonzalez, master

Inspiration: Squash / Ahuyama in Spanish / Üit in Wayuunaiki)

Cultural Significance: Squash is one of the most important vegetables grown in Wayuu communities, traditionally used in a soup that combines corn, beans and squash ("the three sisters") cooked in goat fat. Beyond nourishment, the squash also holds medicinal value for the Wayuu. In traditional healing, its leaves are used to prepare remedies for newborns. 

Designer: Carmelita Gonzalez, master weaver and mother of 6 from El Ahumao, a seaside Wayuu community near Camarones in La Guajira, Colombia.

About the Collection:  The Üit Mochila is one of 12 original designs that were created during a Product Innovation & Cultural Design course at our Yala’yalaa School for Women’s Empowerment and exhibited at the Regenerative Runway in December 2025. 

Every mochila in the Original Designers Collection was thoughtfully developed to tell a story about Wayuu culture and life in the “ranchería“ in La Guajira, Colombia.