AOW JOURNAL

From interviews with boutique brand owners to hidden treasures from across the world… explore AOW’s Journal for industry insight and inspiration.

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!

Artisan Spotlight: Creative Women's NEW Olive Wood Collection

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. 

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AOW INSIDER: An Interview with Maura Kroh Lall of Creative Women

This week, I am delighted to feature the second new collection conceived and brought to life by Maura Kroh Lall, the founder of Creative Women. Since 2007, she has been dedicated to cultivating sustainable partnerships with skilled artisans across Kenya. I consider her an invaluable resource for retail and wholesale buyers alike, particularly those interested in ethically sourced wooden home accents.

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Artisan Spotlight @ New World Crafts: La Casa Cotzal + Topis Ceramica

This week, I am excited to continue my promotion of talented enterprises exhibiting at the New World Crafts online fair, a wonderful sourcing opportunity for those interested in working with artists from Guatemala and throughout Central America. The work of these two vendors – La Casa Cotzal and Topis Ceramica – really stands out to me so I wanted to share a bit more about each of them.

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Artisan Spotlight @ New World Crafts: Itza Wood

As many of you know, I have partnered up with New World Crafts, an online fair and sourcing platform featuring the work of artisan producers and brands from Guatemala and throughout Central America. This week, I’d like to share the work of Itza Wood, an enterprise that is featured on the New World Crafts online platform and that I am very proud to represent personally.

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Tunics to Live In, Made in Colombia

I am delighted to share some beautiful tunics from my partner in Colombia. These beauties continue to be a best seller for my partner. I know many of your clients are loving loungewear, so I wanted to be sure to share them with you. These tunics are all hand-woven in Bogota, where artist Reinaldo Nino and his team hand weave each piece. They use horizontal looms to neatly crisscross cotton threads in simple or combined ways to achieve stripes and chic colorways.

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The Art of Bangladeshi Canework

This week, I would love to tell you a bit about one of my partners from Bangladesh that offers all things made of cane. Traditionally, cane artisans in Bangladesh produced household items like baskets for carrying rice or other agricultural products. It was a skill passed down from mother to child, especially within the country’s Hindu communities. In recent years, however, plastic has slowly crept into the market, competing with natural fiber basketry.

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