Tips for exhibiting at Trade Shows!

While at the NY NOW show this past summer, I stumbled across a booth called Stitchwallah. I was immediately drawn into the booth for two reasons: the name, which seemed to pay homage to Mumbai’s Parsi community; and the beautiful Orrisi Ikat and Rajasthani block prints on display! Hilary Niederer, founder of Stitchwallah, was most […]

Artesan Profile: Songa Designs, Rwanda

Based in Kigali, Rwanda, and San Diego, California, USA, Songa Designs works with artisan cooperatives throughout the country and creates jobs for skilled women to enable them to earn economic independence. The Artesan Gateway spoke with country Director Gilbert Kubwimana to learn more. AG: Tell us about Songa Designs. GK: We currently employ close to […]

Higher Ground Nepal receives inaugural IIX-N-Peace Innovation Challenge

The Artesan Gateway was thrilled to learn news that Higher Ground Nepal, was one of six organizations to receive the inaugural IIX-N-Peace Innovation Challenge.   Focused on organizations based in Asia, the challenge identifies and supports organizations that are deemed “Impact Enterprises” who “work to empower women, engage youth and catalyze innovation and technology” and support […]

An Appalling Silence on Gun Control

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Marketing Tips

Over the years, a common query I’ve heard from artisan groups  and organizations time and time again, is around marketing. Attracting the right audience and effectively portraying one’s organization and products is one of the keys to success. What makes it tricky is that marketing is more an art than a science. As many artisan’s […]

Artesan profile: Higher Ground Crafts, Nepal

Higher Ground Crafts (HGC), a part of Higher Ground Nepal, is a social enterprise that was formed in 2008. Established to provide skills, training and a source of income for low income women, Higher Ground employs single mothers, orphans and widows including several from the sex-tourism industry. The Artesan Gateway recently caught up with Oliin […]

Design Trends for 2016

Earlier this week I talked shared a link about fashion trends for 2016 and I thought I’d follow it up with a link on design trends for the next year. Design in and off it self, is simply the strategy, drawing and/or agreed upon norms of an object or plan. It requires the designer to […]

Fashion trends for Spring/Summer 2016

With the year drawing to a close, those in the fashion and accessories retail industries have their Spring and Summer lines for 2016 wrapped up and are beginning to plan for Fall and Winter 2016. However that doesn’t mean it’s too late for artisan groups to plan their lines based on these trends. For inspiration […]

‘Tis the Season!

Yes, you read correctly and no, it isn’t too early to be thinking about Christmas and the Holidays – at least, not if you want to tap into the retail industry! Christmas and Holiday shopping in the West is typically the most profitable season for the retail business, and whether or not the excessive consumerism […]