Hand-painted Floral Cotton Shawl from Costa Rica, "Midsummer Sun"

Wear this wrap any way you like — as a shawl for cool summer nights, a cover-up for sunny beach days, or get creative with it and turn it into a top to pair with jeans and flowy pants. Carmen Fuentes hand-paints this cotton shawl with a floral design using all-natural vegetable dyes. The yellow blossoms pose on a background that melds from light green to Caribbean blue.

Carmen has transformed her love of painting into creating wearable pieces of art. She uses materials that are recycled, reclaimed, or locally sourced, and colors them with all-natural pigments. Outside of her art, Carmen has dedicated her life to educating people on the importance of preserving Costa Rica's rich natural resources through her work for local environmental non-profits.