Fair Trade Blog

Working with artisans to create new designs for fresh products was one of the great opportunities I had while in Ecuador last January.

We met with many providers in their homes to work on new pieces. While in Otavalo, we treked up a hill on the edge of town to meet with a family that makes jewelry from tagua nut, seeds, and other natural materials.  Christopher, my host, calls their pieces Jungle Jewelry.   The pieces are bright and bold, and sometimes have sophisticated designs.

Both slight, with classic Otavalan features, the couple presented their latest samples for us to study.  After looking at the new designs, lively collaboration began to develop.  Mandy, a college student from Michigan, and Gabriele, one of our guides, graciously agreed to be our models and we began decorating them with piece after piece.

Sample pieces evolve into better designs for a variety of reasons.  Sometimes, slight changes can make a piece more comfortable or practical to wear.  Occasionally, a piece can be changed slightly to make it more exciting or attractive.  At that particular meeting, we began to play with the idea of using Tagua discs with varying cutout shapes as elements in necklaces and bracelets.  That discussion resulted in intriguing new designs for a whole matching set including earrings.

All this hard work benefits everyone involved.  As we were leaving the couple’s home, tired, but eager to see the new samples we had developed, Christopher, pointed out that they had added onto their modest home for their growing family.

Keep shopping your good values!

The central market in Otavalo, Ecuador, is a riot of color, texture, sound, and experience.  We spent lots of time looking for the new and interesting during our stay in the city last January.  

I don’t know why the ugly dolls (as we started calling them after my first sighting) caught my attention.  Ragged and worn looking, they have the appearance of being loved a little too much.  Or perhaps, they charmed me for having been born from nothing, just scraps of this and that sewn together into a form recognizable to everyone. 

I brought back a few for the shop.  They remind me of the essence of Fair Trade — taking what you have and creating something new and wonderful out of it.