It can be hard to find the good when our way of life has been turned upside-down. Many of the Covid struggles we’ve seen here at home are amplified in countries where people live with less. Less opportunities to work from home, less medical staff and vaccines, less access to sanitation, and less reliable food structure only begins to scratch the surface.We wanted to share an update from our makers in India on how they are coping.The rates of Covid infection continue to rise dramatically and less than 1% of the total population (of over 1.36 billion people) have been able to receive the vaccine. The vaccine is being offered in government hospitals at no cost, but the long waiting...
Did you know the average American has a closet with five times more clothing when compared to 20 years ago? Despite the fact that you may only be reaching for leggings during Covid, the size of wardrobes has been made possible, in part, due to the fast fashion industry. Low priced and low quality garments can be tough to pass up.Because of these trends, the fashion industry has grown to become the second largest polluting industry around the globe and the effects it can cause to our environment can be more destructive than you may realize. In certain countries you’ll find workers (many of whom are women) in modern-day slavery conditions being forced to work up to 96 hours per...
We’ve seen gorgeous handcrafted leather bags retail for $500 or more from Fair Trade boutiques and traditional manufacturers alike. Maybe that’s your aesthetic, maybe it’s not. Speaking from experience, if I paid $500 for a bag I’m guaranteed to lose it immediately so I like going for the more economic options. But if I need to treat myself, I know that expensive option is there. The more reasonably priced option at $30 or $50 would serve the same functional purpose and are usually more my style anyways.The Fair Trade market is filled with the same range of choices from more budget-friendly pieces to splurge-worthy styles. Fair Trade isn’t necessarily more expensive and that’s something we’re so proud to play a...
It’s a competitive field but there’s always room for newcomers to achieve success in design, modeling, trend forecasting, photography, and the countless other facets of fashion. If you find yourself looking to enter this field, here are 5 areas to focus on to find success.Empathy—understanding and acting upon customer needs is the only way to stay relevant. Listen to the feedback and criticism of your customers and continue evolving your brand in ways that stay true to your purpose. Determination—you have to be willing to put your whole heart and soul into it because if you don’t, someone else will. It will take long hours to accomplish something worthwhile. The hours will pass anyways. Never stop challenging yourself. Grace—understand that...
In 2020 we saw the message of inclusivity get more attention than ever before and, this is a huge step in the right direction. I’ve noticed that many smaller brands do a great job of featuring models of all shapes, sizes, and skin tones, but many of the larger brands are lagging behind. This is something we’ve taken great care to incorporate into our brand from day one. We love showing off how our styles look in “real life” and having a diverse group of women show off our handcrafted styles is the best way to do that.
In 2021 and beyond we think the bigger brands take note of the importance of equality in representation.