meet andrea

Meet Andrea. 

 

 

My friends and I met her in the Bahamas.  We wandered into her little shop and it was such a pleasant surprise!

 

 



 

 

I was hot and exhasusted and becoming dizzy from wandering through the straw markets looking at neverending and overwhelming amounts of stuff I knew I wasn't going to buy.  Most things looked exactly alike, and many were made in China or India.  Seriously.  I checked the tags.  Then we came upon this tiny little shop on the end.  I wandered in to look at a couple of woven straw clutches that caught my eye.  Most of the times I wandered into someone's little area because they practically drag you in, but this was different.  There were some things inside that truly intrigued me.  Her handmade items stood out from the rest of the booths.  The quality in the production of her work was much higher, and she had amazing creative talent in the design of her pieces. My friends and I stayed in her tiny shop for a quite awhile.  Many other tourists were not too happy with us taking up all her space and attention, but she didn't care-- not one bit.  She just kept chatting away, showing us how she makes each piece and trading ideas with us once she found out we sew and make jewelry, too.  It was great!!!  Definitely one the highlights of my trip.  It got me dreaming more and more about the possibilities.  In light of my recent research into fashion/jewelry design coming alongside artisans around the world to empower them.....I was thinking, "I could definitely get used to this!"  She showed us each step in bringing her product to market from the braiding of the coconut straw to handsewing on the finishing pieces.  She then showed us the secret to making her earrings, and she took some ideas from the earrings that I was wearing.  I made mine, so I was able to tell her how I'd done them.  She might copy them.  I don't care.  To me that's an honor.  If someone wants to copy something I made, that's the greatest compliment.  And I'm sure hers will look so much better anyway, because she's such a talented woman.

 

 

I remember a time (not long ago) when shopping in the markets in another country for me was all about trying to get the item for the absolute lowest price.  It was almost like a game for me.  I wanted to make sure I didn't get taken advantage of.  It wasn't about the people then.  It wasn't about the meaningful conversations and the relationships.  That moment in Andrea's little shop I didn't fight with her over price.  We didn't really talk about price much at all.  She showed us how to braid the straw.  She taught us the difference between different braiding patterns and the names of each.  She showed us pictures of her family, including her mother who she learned the skill from.  We told her about the types of things we make back home.  We made a connection with her.  In the end I did buy a clutch from her.  And now, whenever I use it when I go out with friends, I'll remember my new friend who made it.