“Annie has been supporting my brand and store from the very beginning and through its different chapters. She mentored our dear founder years ago so we could make this passion project a reality, and she’s mentored me now as the new owner, steering me in the right direction not only with exquisite product and vendor recommendations but with a whole rebrand journey. Her feedback and guidance have been essential to catapult our social media, create a new website, and take our newsletter efforts to new heights, increasing our brand’s status and customer trust and loyalty. I’m forever grateful for Annie’s mentorship and friendship.”

“Hiring Annie was the best decision I’ve made to date on my new business journey. I would have easily spent the money I paid her in costly mistakes and wasted time. She kindly and competently set me on the right path in everything from social media and marketing to brand creation, selecting vendors, and curating the perfect products for my unique vision. Annie is worth her weight in gold. Hire her! You won’t regret it. ”

“I had been sitting on an idea of what I wanted to do with my business for years and discovering and working with Annie has helped bring it all to fruition. Finding someone with her combination of experience, relationships, and discerning eye was like finding the needle in a haystack. Working with Annie has not only given me the resources and contacts necessary to build my business, it has also given me the confidence to turn my ideas into something tangible. Her suggestions have been personalized and on point and I feel assured knowing I have the ability to tap into her expertise as my business continues to grow. ”

“Annie was a great resource as I took the steps forward to understand the textile market and build a unique brand. Her deep industry knowledge, paired with her artisan partnerships across the globe, was something I didn’t know I needed until we met. She pushed me to think outside the box and helped me create a business that I’m proud to own and excited to run.”

“Blending passion with deep understanding of how handicrafts markets operate, Annie is a great bridge between artisans and buyers. Her feel for what’s trendy comes naturally, with an ability to help producers select and curate the right collections. With her network of buyers and artisan support groups, she’s always got her fingers on the pulse on how this growing market is evolving. We valued her keen interest and commitment to sustainable and ethical sourcing, which has helped us shape one of the unique portfolios in our country office.”

“Working with AOW to help me navigate sourcing products for my retail shop proved invaluable. Annie put together custom itineraries for my sourcing trip to Spain and Portugal based on my business needs, including artisans who are able to ship to the USA. Also helpful were hotel and restaurant recommendations. Annie has excellent taste and is extremely well-connected. So many gems I would never have found on my own! I would not hesitate to recommend AOW for any sourcing needs.”

“Consulting one on one with Annie, we have gained a good overview of how to get started in the ethically sourced, sustainable, artisan made, retail world. Learned a process of how to start from scratch and hit the ground running in setting up a store. Connected with some high quality artisans, making beautiful sustainable products from around the world. As for significant improvements that we have gained working with Annie? ) Delight - when customers come to our store they often gasp and say they have never seen such unique and beautiful products. 2) Quality - we have bought high quality products at wholesale prices, that are beautiful, durable and will stand the test of time. 3) Innovation - traditional hand made techniques have been developed further, and innovative designs significantly improve the products.”

“From the first email exchange with Annie, I knew we would find just what we were looking for. We have placed orders with every vendor she found for us. And now because of Annie, we have sources for product categories we had never worked with before and in countries, we’ve never worked in before. By working with Annie we were able to make a deadline for PO placement and sample receipt date with very short notice. I emailed her with only 1 month to receive samples and the vendor she found delivered a beautiful product that was exactly what we were looking for! Annie introduced us to a vendor in Egypt that helped keep our assortment extra special and unique. Because of her vast array of contacts she really listened and understand who we are as a company. She asks the right questions in order to help find the vendor to fit our needs. We ventured into a new product category with Annie’s help and we’re already making plans to work with the vendor again. Because of Annie, we don’t need to limit ourselves.”

“It’s been a few years that I have been following Annie’s work with great admiration. When the right moment came for us to work together, I reached out so she’d guide me in analyzing the next phase of growth. During our session, Annie provided a thorough analysis and great insights that have helped shape my strategy. ”

“Annie was an amazing guide for our design team. Not only did she do an excellent job of planning the visit and arranging a local guide to connect us with artisans, she was a wonderful to travel with! She is organized and on top of the details, but also very easy going, which makes traveling with her really enjoyable. Annie also was our group photographer on the trip, capturing the experience of the team interacting with the artisans. She was thoughtful with the overall vision of the inspiration trip and understood the look and vibe that we were looking for in the final photos. While we were on the team, we really got off the beaten track and were able to interact and learn first hand about natural dyes, the loom weaving, and backstrap weaving. It was overall an immersive experience where we were not only inspired by the craft, but were able to meet the makers first hand and gain a real connection between the end product and the place it came from.”

“Working with AOW Handmade is invaluable! Annie is extremely well versed in handcraft throughout the world and her expertise is only matched by her impeccable taste. Her passion for handmade goods keeps her on an ongoing treasure hunt worldwide. She has helped us connect with artisans from countries we were specifically focused on and is incredibly resourceful in helping us create relationships with makers that she has fully vetted, personally knows and has had dealings with. If Annie recommends someone I know I can trust them and that they are reliable. She is wonderful at listening to what your needs are and zeroing in on the right match for you. I consider myself lucky to have collaborated with her and plan on continuing to do so!”

“Annie has been amazing in helping us find reliable and talented artisan’s around the globe. With her experience and strong relationships she has forged over the years, the artisan suppliers we have been introduced to have been exceptional. She has saved a great deal of time and money and has been a pleasure to work with”

“Annie has a passion for empowering artisans and helping them find the right path to reaching the global market. She is a great connector. I’ve had the pleasure of working with and traveling with Annie and her enthusiasm for the sector is contagious.”

“Annie is a breeze to work with. She not only has strong relationships with fabulous artisan suppliers and but impeccable taste herself so you can trust that anyone one she matches you with will be a great fit aesthetically.”

“Identifying reliable fabric suppliers and garment manufacturers has always been one of our greatest challenges. Laura Siegel Collection designs and manufactures a line of luxury women’s wear and accessories. Laura collaborates with artisans and manufacturers around the globe who follow ethical practices in their businesses. Annie and AOW have been a major catalyst in moving our business forward by connecting us with the right people and companies. This has saved us time and money as we grow our business. Annie was instrumental in identifying an artisan capable of making a specific hand-woven fabric needed for production when our demands exceeded the capacity of our current provider.”

“Working with AOW gave us the right connections to artisan-makers that we were looking for. We had some specific skills sets and parameters in mind, and Annie was able to get us connected to talented artisans who have been a pleasure to work with and have added depth to our product offering and supply chain.”

“Through precise and insightful questions regarding our company’s needs and goals, Annie really helped us re-strategize our marketing efforts and revive the presentation of our collections for today’s changing market. As designers and producers of artisanal collections, we have relied heavily on our retail space to move our product. Annie gave us unique insight on how to build a strong on-line identity standing apart from other brands by revamping our storytelling and using compelling images. We have increased our Instagram engagement considerably while launching a monthly client newsletter generating positive customer feedback. Furthermore, we are ready to unveil a new website and circulate an updated catalogue of collections streamlined for retail buyers. Most notably, Annie understands the unique idiosyncrasies involved in the business of handcraft which allows her to have a thoughtful yet practical approach through mindful
interventions”