Are you a retailer or brand wanting to be interviewed by AOW, or perhaps know of a like-minded brand for us to explore? Let us know!
This month, I am delighted to share an exciting opportunity to travel to Oaxaca from May 15 to 22 alongside filmmaker and professor Carolyn Kallenborn and Ana Paula Fuentes, Founding Director of the Textile Museum of Oaxaca.
It's an interactive journey through which you’ll explore the rich textile culture of Oaxaca, meet talented artisans, participate in hands-on activities, bond with like-minded travelers, and eat some of the best food in the world. This is a unique opportunity to be immersed in Oaxaca's culture, beauty, and craft.
I’ve known Ana for years and her depth of knowledge for artisans and the region second to none. I have no doubt this will be an unforgettable experience and a memorable way to explore this part of the world.
This week, I am delighted to share an interview with Robbie Stewart of Mbare, a long-time colleague of AOW. We enjoyed working together on an artisan project for West Elm a few years back and I have loved following his work ever since. Robbie has been running his import business since 1997, which supplies a unique collection of handcrafted products from Africa. He also offers warehousing services that are a growing demand for artisan enterprises. He's filling an important niche in this sector and has vast experience so let's dive in! I hope you enjoy!
This week, I am delighted to feature Leslie Mittelberg of Swahili Imports, who has over 28 years of experience in the artisan field. She was kind enough to share insights, lessons learned, and tips for importing as well as working directly with artisan producers. Though she successfully sold the business earlier this year, during her tenure her team of 22 was working with up to 45 artisan partners in 15 countries throughout Africa. Products ranged across a variety of categories, including garden art, interior décor, textiles, jewelry, kitchen tools, and personal accessories.
I am delighted to start ‘24 by talking trends with Haley Seidel, a home furnishings designer and specialist in trend forecasting and product strategy. I have known Haley for many years now, and I first met them when she had just started working with The Citizenry, one of the top artisan home decor brands in the market today. A few years ago, Haley moved to upstate NY to freelance as a product consultant and designer. Haley has deep insight into the artisan field and a wealth of information regarding design trends, not to mention being a talented freelance product designer, particularly for artisan home decor. During this interview, we dive into her thoughts about trends, what she expects to see more of in ‘24, what’s here to stay, and what she wants to see gone (how to phrase). Also, we dive into travel destinations, business insights, her design process, sources of inspiration, and much more.
Curious to know AOW’s favorite new sourcing destination? Latvia! Yes, I fell in love with this country and its craft. Latvians are deeply connected to their vast natural landscape, culture, and traditions. If you want to connect with top export-ready artisan enterprises from Latvia, click here for the full report highlighting export-ready companies or some behind-the-scenes photos from my trip.
Here are some behind-the-scenes during AOW’s sourcing trip to Romania, images from our 12-day road trip throughout the country. This country is fascinating - from the wild natural landscapes to the rich culture, food, and artisan work. Craft industries are small-scale in Romania, so sourcing here takes time, but AOW has great partners if you’re interested in working with artists from this part of the world.
A peek at our buyers’ trip to the West Bank in September, before the war broke out in Gaza. UNDP and PalTrade supported this trip in partnership with AOW Handmade. Together, six buyers traveled throughout the West Bank alongside me and the UNDP team, discovering the rich culture and craftsmanship that this part of the world has to offer. This was an absolute highlight of my year. I hope these images show the beauty, kindness, rich craft, and cultural heritage Palestine has to offer.
This week, I am delighted to spotlight one of the most beautiful artisan brands: MILLE et CLAIRE. Founded in 2014 by French designer Anne-Claire Lancenet, MILLE et CLAIRE works primarily with small families of artisans from India. Anne-Claire’s multicultural roots and background in fashion around the world led her to discover savoir-faire and develop relationships in many countries. From there, MILLE et CLAIRE was born. She has an exquisite eye and sense of design, skills ideally suited to the work she does designing limited edition collections for the home. Everything the brand touches resonates with themes of tradition, design, and craftsmanship. It's honestly one of the strongest in the market.
This week, I am delighted to spotlight an immersive cultural journey to Mexico this January, led by my friend and colleague Jessica Warner of Twofold Handcrafted Travel. Jessica is one of those old souls with a sincere passion for travel, culture, and distinctive textiles. She has beautifully blended her passions by curating in-depth, artisan-focused trips to Mexico, Japan, the American Southwest, and India. She has a few spots open for her upcoming trip to Oaxaca (which runs from January 16 - 25), so keep this unique opportunity in mind if this is a destination you have been wanting to explore. Just a couple of seats are still available! Whether you are looking for a unique cultural experience or are interested in connecting firsthand with artisans, this is a fabulous and memorable opportunity.
This week, I am thrilled to share an interview with Colleen Pendleton, founder of Mercury Handmade. Colleen is a seasoned expert in the artisan sector, with over 25 years of experience. Colleen is another longtime colleague who is an absolute wealth of information in this field.
Colleen's career began with Aid to Artisans/ Creative Learning, where she worked as the marketing director while also opening a partner company in Honduras. She now works with some of the largest retailers, helping them import and strategically incorporating artisanal production into their product mix. Her expertise lies in working with artisan businesses to improve their strategies by analyzing costing, pricing, and marketing, and helping them identify their market orientation, both locally and internationally.
In today's interview, we explore importing tips, sourcing strategies, do’s and don’ts, lesson learned, market trends, and best sellers.