Welcome! We are Fernando Gonzaga and Mark Erwin, founders and owners of QISU. We love to travel, and we enjoy discovering items that reflect the culture of every area that we visit. Native people in every country take pride in their unique crafts, from clothing to dishware to jewellery and more.
On a trip to Fernando’s native Ecuador in 2019, we spent some time looking around a small open market, enjoying local wares. We are always on the hunt for beautiful gifts that would make perfect gifts for loved ones. At this particular market, we discovered beautiful alpaca throw blankets that had been handmade by native Ecuadorians. They were so soft and cuddly and gorgeous that we both knew these would make perfect presents.
At the time, the cooler holiday season was approaching, so we picked up a few of the heavy alpaca blankets for friends and family, plus extra to sell to help us fund our journeys. Those extra sold out in a week! On our next trip to the area, we found more varieties of these gorgeous throws and sold them back home. After a few rounds of successful sales, we decided to create QISU so we could offer these amazing alpaca blankets for sale to the masses.
Why QISU? We wanted to honor the native South Americans who put their hearts and souls and enduring culture into their products. We also wanted the name of the company to center on beauty, thankfulness and giving. So we turned to the history of Ecuador for our inspiration.
The Incas’ brief, 50-year reign in Ecuador left a lasting imprint on the nation’s traditions and culture, including language. “Qisu” is an ancient Incan Quichua word that means “one who appreciates beautiful things.” A perfect description not only for us but also for so many other people!
QISU offers the best alpaca throw blankets. The gorgeous designs on each blanket are designed by us and then created by artists in South America. We work with three different groups of native artisans to make these treasures, with almost 90% of them being indigenous women who are their families’ sole breadwinners.
The artists use a large, homemade loom to re-create our visions strand by strand, then each alpaca throw blanket comes back to QISU for edging and stitching. We proudly offer three different styles and sizes, each one just as breathtaking as the next.
In addition to helping South American communities through employment, QISU makes donations to the villages to raise the quality of life there for everyone. Back home, we support causes near and dear to us, including the annual Hill Country Ride for AIDS. Your purchases have allowed us to donate more than $6,000 over the past couple of years. Fernando also puts the pedals to the metal and has ridden more than 100 miles on the routes the past two years.
We are proud to offer these beautiful alpaca throw blankets to warm you and add a beautiful touch to your home. Every single blanket is handcrafted and brings a piece of a faraway land directly to you. Thank you for making QISU a part of your home!
Our Lovely Wool Blanket Throw
