Behind pampeano's namesake

All over the world, pampeano has become well known and celebrated for our top quality genuine Argentine polo belts; our name even becoming synonymous with the traditional polo-inspired accessories. Furthermore, pampeano's wider range of premium leather accessories have also become a popular addition to the discerning wardrobe, being featured in publications such as Horse and Hound, The Lady, Country and Town House, and more. But although countless eyes have laid on our company name, many people are uncertain about its meaning. What does the word pampeano mean? In short, pampeano means "from La Pampa", a beautiful region of Argentina. But why did we take our name from such a place? And how do we channel inspiration from this breath-taking part of the world into our designs? Read on and discover all about pampeano's namesake.

 

 

One thing lots of people ask is how do you pronounce pampeano? pampeano is pronounced how it's spelled, like pamp-eya-no, rather than like pampeano as if there was just an 'e' in the middle of the word. But why pampeano? La Pampa is a wild, natural region of Argentina, filled with sun-bleached estancias (Argentine farmland), grasslands, and most importantly, polo fields. La Pampa is a stunnning region, as its extremely flat nature gives the most incredible views, with the beautiful Andes mountain range always in view on the horizon. There is an incredible range of flora and fauna to see, as well as vibrant culture among the people. La Pampa is not only the birthplace of pampeano, but also the birthplace of the sport of polo as we know it. When British settlers brought the ancient sport over from Persia, the local Argentine people - natural horsemen - became very adept at polo indeed. They formed their own local teams, and denoted their team colours with vibrant hand-stitched belts decorated with pampa diamonds, an ancient Aztec motif reflecting those Andes mountains they could see during their games. These belts became polo belts, that remain popular in the game as well as out, and in Argentina as well as worldwide. Given that the polo-inspired pampeano belt has always been our most iconic product, it made sense to give the company a connection to the history of the leather accessories we provide, as well as our own history. 

 

 

However, we didn't want to be "pampeano" in name only. We wanted to carry the responsibility, heritage, and cultural legacy that the name signifies. We do this in so many ways and are proud to uphold the cultural significance of the La Pampa way of life. Firstly, we are intensely Argentine in our manufacturing process. All our materials come from local sources to our workshop in Argentina, and they are handpicked for their quality by our local artisans. Then, they are treated in the most traditional ways which are handed down through generations of craftspeople. The leather is treated in a traditional vegetable-tanning process which is of high quality and environmentally conscious compared to chrome tanning. Then, with the Argentine spirit of hard work and attention to detail, each of our pieces are hand stitched: a process that can take up to five hours per belt. We also take inspiration in the designs of our accessories from the natural world seen in La Pampa. From the ancient patterning to the natural tones, to the naming of our products after mostly natural phenomenon seen in the wild La Pampa countryside, we want to proudly display our heritage to the world.

 

 

We hope this journal entry has informed you about our namesake, and got you inspired to explore more about us right here on our website.