Founded under principles of legacy and longevity, we enhance everyday clothing with traditional techniques used by tribes of the Andean Mountains.

Born in Colombia, co-founder John Bocanegra dreamt of making clothing with a difference. Yet when he turned 11 years old, he and his family were forced to flee the country. Narrowly escaping the ensuing guerrilla warfare, they were able to start a new life in Austria - where John’s avidity for fashion grew.

His passion was cemented with a place at Vienna’s prestigious Hetzendorf Fashion Institute. After three years, he decided to return to Colombia to study fashion design in his native city of Ibagué. John wished to incorporate the ancient techniques of the Andean tribes in a more luxurious context, combining the cultural heritage of both cities he had lived in. His mantra ‘give the past a future’ embodied his commitment to reignite diminishing local art forms and techniques.

By 2017, he had co-founded Chirimoya. Joining forces with an Austrian start-up investor based in London, he set about designing modern, functional garments embellished with artisanal detailing. Inspired by its vibrant art scene and proximity to the indigenous artisans he had studied, John decided to establish the brand in Ibagué – which remains to be the creative home of the brand to this day.