a better story

A few years ago I started listening to the stories that filled my closet.  The stories my clothes were telling me.  They were not pretty stories, and it was not easy to hear.  Stories of desperation.  Stories of exploitation.  Stories of slavery and injustice and just pure ugliness.  No matter how beautiful a pattern or textile, a color of fabric, or this season's hottest trend....if the story behind it is one of oppression, it's just not worth it.

 

 

You see I started to see that there are stories behind my clothes.  Behind my accessories.  Behind my jewelry.  And a lot of times...those stories weren't pretty.   In fact, sometimes they were downright horrifying.

 

 

I started to see that there were people behind the things I buy.  That a person hemmed the pretty new dress I'm wearing to a party this weekend.  That there's a face behind the cute necklace I just bought.  That the person who put the finishing touches on my handbag has a name and a family at home.  I started to learn about words like "modern day slavery" and "human trafficking" and saw that these things are alive and well in the world today.  I realized that my shopping habits were doing nothing to challenge these now norms in the fashion world....and it rocked my world.

 

 

I realized that all the things that I buy have a story to tell....and there is a better story.  We can empower people with our purchases or exploit them with our purchases.  We can offer hope and life and new opportunities to flourish or we can continue to oppress with our shopping habits.  We can be silent and go with the flow or we can stand up and speak out for what is right.  Together we can choose a better story.

 

 

Like this scarf 

  The story this scarf has to tell is one of hope, and restoration, and love.

This beautiful scarf is made by a community of weavers who live together recovering from leprosy. These artisans have received treatment for their leprosy and the bacteria is no longer active in their bodies, but they may be still dealing with the effects of leprosy.  For some they may have permanently lost sensation in parts of their body.  They might have suffered damage to or the loss of parts of their limbs.  They may be healing from the emotional pain of being stigmatized.  As artisans live and work in this unique village, they not only find reliable employment but a community who sees them as human, looking past scars they may bear as survivors of leprosy.  The weavers in this artisan group have become known first for their talent and skills with weaving rather than being known first for their medical diagnosis.

 

 

Or this scarf

  This scarf is handmade with love in Ethiopia.  This design is from a partnership with a group called Women At Risk.  This scarf is made by women living in Ethiopia who are working their way out of the sex industry.  In Ethiopia, many women are drawn into lives of prostitution as a way to provide for their families.  After arriving to larger cities from their smaller villages to try and make a better life they find it hard to survive without job skills or training.  Many women feel trapped by their circumstances and feel that prostitution is the only option.  This weaving group seeks to provide a safe way out of this lifestyle by training the women in a craft and providing a holistic recovery program for them.

 

 

 

Or this clutch

This beautiful handmade clutch is made from repurposed VHS tapes.  The artisan group that creates this gorgeous piece is a group of adults in India with special needs.  I love that their talents, gifts, and abilities instead of disabilities are showcased through their artwork.  This amazing group of artisans is producing beautiful handmade products for us while finding community with each other and a sustainable job opportunity.

 

 

Or this bag

This beautiful and unique bag carries with it the story of the ladies who live high in the Andes Mountains of Peru.  The gorgeous and intricate hand embroidery on the bag is part of the rich tradition and culture that has been handed down to these women for generations.  This bag provides these women the opportunity to show off their amazing talent and rich cultural heritage to the world while providing a sustainable income opportunity for them.  They are able to receive fair wages for their work and help break the cycle of poverty in their families and communities.

 

Check out lots of other stories behind our pieces here:

Together we can use our purchasing power for good.  Together we can choose a better story!


Now it's time for a giveaway!  I'm giving away a $50 gift card to Noonday to spend however you choose!!  There are so many gorgeous new pieces in our Fall Collection and of course many of your best-selling favorites that are sticking around for another season.  If you haven't had a chance to see the new collection head over now to www.lindsaychambers.noondaycollection.com to see what's new.  To enter the giveaway it's pretty simple.  Check out the website and the impact tab and let me know which artisan story is your favorite!  Come back here to comment and let me know your favorite story.  I'll choose one comment at random after this Sunday night.  Contest closes Sunday August 24, 2014 at 11pm EST.  Open to US residents only.


And if you're following along on the blog train...visit Katelin for yesterday's giveaway and Laura later this afternoon for another giveaway today.