My Sustainable Closet – Chris Bouwer
As President of Facilitators International, a nonprofit that provides support for organizations that work in the area of anti-human trafficking in Nepal, Chris Bouwer is an avid supporter of Higher Ground Crafts . Over the years Chris has sold Higher Ground Craft accessories by hosting jewelry parties and to local retailers in Michigan. In addition to […]
Artesan Profile: Yabal
A conversation with Yabal founder, Allison Havens. Origin Yabal is a k’iche’ word which means “hope”. We began in 2005 to support two indigenous communities that were destroyed and subsequently displaced in the aftermath of Hurricane Stan that affected many areas of Guatemala during that time. Yabal began as an organization to help these communities […]
Artesan Profile: Amano Artisans, Colombia
A conversation with founder Carolina L. Pastrana. Background I started Amano Artisans 6 years ago. “Amano” means hand-made in Spanish and so I chose a name that would represent the artisans with whom we work: hand-made by artisans. The company was born out of a pure love for jewelry and accessories, I would go […]
Kisaku Gives Back
Earlier this week we were introduced to the brand Kisaku – an online platform specialising in modern heritage-infused fashion and home decor collections, which are carefully curated from Indonesian artisans and craftmakers. Founders Felicia and Lenny continue their story here, sharing with us how they invest in the lives of the artisan producers. Kisaku has […]
Artesan Profile : Kisaku Heritage
Kisaku is an online platform specialising in modern heritage-infused fashion and home decor collections, which are carefully curated from Indonesian artisans and craftmakers. It is a space where traditional techniques (such as those used in hand-woven ikat and batik, hand weaving of wicker products, bark cloth products, etc) meet modern styles. Kisaku works with passionate […]
Artesan Profile: Juta Shoes
Juta Shoes is a community development enterprise born out of St. Hilda’s East Community Center (St. Hilda’s) in East London. The handmade espadrilles are made by women who are socially isolated and face several barriers to work. We were intrigued to learn more about this enterprising grassroots community organization in the heart of London and […]
Friends of Basha – Supporting the women behind Basha Enterprises.
Social businesses that work within the artisan sector, often establish a separate nonprofit to support the socio-economic needs of the producers whom they employ. We recently caught up with founder, Robin Seyfert to learn more about Friends of Basha, and how it supports many of the women who work at Basha Enterprises. Basha Enterprises is […]
Songa Designs launches new Bohemian Handbag line!
We are excited to share the new Bohemian Handbag collection recently unveiled by our friends at Songa Designs. Offering ‘socially conscious handbags’ for their consumers, the handbags are created using the traditional Rwandan weaving techniques we’ve come to admire from Songa’s accessories and baskets. The current collection includes the Zuri Handbag (meaning “beautiful” in Swahili), […]
ATA’s 2016 canvas home™ Small Grants Program open!
Aid to Artisan’s (ATA) annual small grants program is back. Partnering with Canvas Home, a retailer of artisan home products, the grants are “designed to allow artisan groups to acquire materials, tools, equipment, training, marketing services in order to expand employment and generate income.” So if you are an organization or producer in sector, or […]
Providing a platform for local networks
On 15th October, we had the privilege of hosting the inaugural Fair Play Forum in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Convening social businesses, NGOs, artisan producers and fashion students involved in the craft and artisan sector, the Forum provided a platform for each of the stakeholders to engage with each other in meaningful conversation. Leaders from Arayana, DEW, […]