Why it matters: founded in 1987 by Maria Teresa Leal (with roots reaching back to 1981), Coopa-Roca is a textile cooperative built to let women in the Rocinha favela earn income through skilled needlework without leaving their households and children behind. Over four decades its artisans have produced patchwork and crochet pieces for fashion names including Christian Lacroix and Carlos Miele, and today the cooperative’s own Centro storefront sells the totes, beaded bags and crocheted jewelry its network of artisans makes. Stop by for a one-of-a-kind bag or necklace, and look for the raw-edge patchwork technique that is the cooperative’s signature.
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Rua da Quitanda, 50 - Loja C · women artisan textile cooperative from Rocinha · weekdays, shop hours