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 the work of Creative Women. They have been building sustainable partnerships with skilled artisans since 2007, gracefully combining modern designs with traditional production methods, using the finest recycled and sustainably harvested materials. If you are a retailer or large wholesaler looking to find a new partner for wooden home accents, this is a great source!

Creative Women has two strong new collections that we wanted to share with you. This is the first of two emails we'll be sharing this month. 

This week, I am delighted to share a conversation with Kavita Parmar and Marcella Echavarría, co-founders of XTANT, which has become a beautiful, inspiring, emerging artisan fair and educational program that takes place annually on the island of Mallorca. The show features the work of master artists and includes a week-long program of conversations and exhibitions around the intricacies of the artisan sector. It’s been described as “an exciting mix of Burning Man, a TED talk, and a village fair.” The focus for Kavita and Marcella remains on providing a platform for master textile artists, some of whom are among the last generation to hold onto their traditional know-how. "We aim to celebrate them as the rock stars they are,” they told me. “For us, textiles are texts that represent the next frontier of modern art.”

I am delighted to spotlight one of today’s hottest independent retailers. PORTA brings together European tableware and home furnishings, with a focus on local craft, independent artisans, unique designs, and everyday use.  I was delighted to interview Alice Russotti, one of the co-founders of PORTA, earlier this month. The brand she and her co-founder Francesca have created always surprises me in the subtle ways it pairs traditional textiles and ceramics with contemporary flair. It's an artful balance that’s hard to achieve, but they do it so.
 
During the interview, we chat about running a small business, sourcing inspiration, marketing techniques, and her favorite spots in NYC. Alice didn't hold back when sharing her insights and wisdom.

This month, I was delighted to interview Alicia Wallace. She is the founder of All Across Africa, which partners with artisan communities throughout Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, and Tanzania to create a strong and reliable supply chain for brands looking to source wovens and natural fiber basketry. I have known Alice for over a decade and am always impressed with her consistency, her dedication to material, and her commitment to using local techniques specific to different regions in Africa.

This month, I'm delighted to share with you another interview with Maud Lerayer, of Behind of Hill. I have been following Maud's brand for quite some time and what caught my eye was her focus on working with one artisan enterprise in Guatemala, and going deep with storytelling, and a focus on sourcing the highest materials that she is able. There is a story of people, material, and of course, her line of products is beautiful. Maud was born and raised in France but a journey to Mexico in 2003 was life-changing. That was where the seed to start her business working with artists in Guatemala and Mexico was born. She now has a blossoming brand creating contemporary textiles using a variety of heirloom color grown cotton which grows wild, offering gorgeous shades of pink, terracotta, greens, and more. She works with artists who still grow, spin, and weave the cotton, the same way it has been done for centuries.