Alilia is a company devoted to the design, creation and sale of textile pieces hand woven in a traditional horizontal loom.
Behind the name Alilia is me, Alicia Valle (Madrid, 1966).
I have a degree in biology and have worked for many years in science-related museum projects. I am also a textile creator, weaver and artisan, an avid observer of the world around me and a nature lover, with a spirit very much inclined to the slow life.
Towards the end of the last century, in 1996 to be exact, I began learning the art of weaving as a hobby, in one of the few workshops still found in Madrid at the time. That is how I developed a love for the craft and the specialized techniques that have been consolidated over time and have reached our day.
Since then, I have not stopped weaving and learning. My passion for fabric and everything handmade has continued to grow, leading me to create my own line of products in 2015. The dedication and practice I acquired over the years by weaving gifts and special items for friends and family allowed me to perfect my technique and also sparked my interest in other fields, such as textile design and creation, fashion and clothes making. But, above all, the years have brought my spirit into perfect harmony with the patient practice of weaving, with the beauty and wisdom of working carefully, of paying attention to details and of doing things right.
In all of my designs you will observe an ideal that blends innovation and the creation of refined products using traditional and entirely manual techniques. Tradition joins hands with the contemporary to generate singular textile creations that transcend time: pieces that are current and original, practical and comfortable to wear, timeless and exclusive.
The pieces are woven slowly and deliberately, not just because of the tempo of the artisan process but also because, in my small workshop, I do not allow myself to be caught up in the hurried pace of our times
At Alilia my highest priority is the quality of the products I weave. The nature of the process, and of the raw materials I use, make it essential that I put great care into every detail of my creations. Silk, linen, cotton, baby alpaca, merino wool and bamboo are just some examples of the fine materials I choose when planning my textile projects. The result: pieces that envelope us and embrace us, that connect us with the natural world, that make us feel special and unique.
At times irregularity will sneak into my creations as a characteristic inherent to handmade items. We should view possible imperfections as part of the intrinsic quality of pieces woven by hand: this is the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi: “the beauty of imperfection”
Seeing the happiness my clients feel when they acquire my creations always brings me great pleasure and reinforces my belief that I am on the right path.
Alilia designs and produces all of her pieces herself, in her workshop in Madrid, Spain.
