Artesan Profile: Fiber Resource Center, Bangladesh
We were delighted to be introduced to Fiber Resource Center Bangladesh (FRC), an organization that produces fabric and textiles by recycling pineapple fiber and thrilled to have Ummaima Dawood, Director of FRC Bangladesh, share their fascinating story here. FRC Bangladesh, as the name implies, is an organization that researches and develops plant based fibers with […]
Unique dishes : Papier Mache bowls that look like crockery!
Social entrepreneur and papier mache aficionado Paul Dass has come out with series of new papier mache products that we couldn’t wait to share! These papier mache bowls and dishes look just like crockery and could have fooled us. Paul is the founder and director of proVision India, a nonprofit that develops practical, sustainable ways […]
3 models of social entrepreneurship
Through our work in this sector, we routinely come across highly talented and passionate social entrepreneurs dedicated to developing the skills of the marginalized and disenfranchised through craft production and/or preserving traditional crafts. Their work is often immense as they are not only developing a workforce but running a business too. Many struggle with […]
The Fashion Industry & Sustainability
With our minds and attention still very much focused on “sustainability”, we were pleasantly surprised to see a sign at a well known high street retailer, announcing that they “…believe in forever fashion…” as opposed to “fast fashion”. This implies that they believe their products are built to last, so to speak, but as we […]
The potential of migrants and ethical fashion
Simone Cipriani, Head and founder of the International Trade Center’s Ethical Fashion Initiative recently shared his thoughts and experiences about the potential of migrants working in Ethical Fashion in an article on Huffington Post. Through his vast experience working in the sector to create market frameworks for micro producers in Africa, Cipriani provides great insight […]
Notes from the field: reflections on working with big retail
by guest blogger Sarah Sternberg For many producer groups and artisans, getting an order from one of the big retailers is the dream. We wanted to learn more about what it takes to achieve that goal and reached out to our friends at Songa Designs to learn more from founder Sarah Sternberg. Three years ago […]
Eco Fashion Prediction
With ethical fashion and “conscious consumerism” on the rise, there is a desire to learn more about global business practices and an hunger for transparency in these transactions. Ecouterre recently published a great article on the Eco Fashion Predictions for 2016. Learn more about what some of the leaders in this burgeoning field are […]
The start of many beautiful conversations
by guest blogger Mary Louise Marino Artesan Gateway friend and supporter Mary Louise Marino has recently embarked on a three month journey in Asia, in part to enable the launch of Indigo Lion Artisan Boutique. We are delighted to share her reflections at the start of this journey. In these past two weeks, still at […]
Artesan Profile: Prokritee, Bangladesh
Late last year, we featured Swapan Das (Executive Director at Prokritee and Chairperson of ECOTA) as he shared his thoughts on Fair Trade. We caught up with Swapan recently to learn more about Prokritee, a fair trade company in Bangladesh that supports over 1,500 artisans in rural areas. Founded in 2001 as a an auxiliary […]
Artesan Profile: Amarella, Mexico
We recently caught up with Lina Moreno Velez, founder of Amarella to learn more about how she was inspired to set up an organization that supports and preserves Mexican artisans and their culture. Originally from Colombia, we were intrigued by her story and vision and wanted to share this with you. The idea to set […]