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!

Today, we start with glassware, which Palestine is famous for. We traveled to Hebron (a village just outside Jerusalem) to meet with some of the area’s few remaining glassblowers. One artist that I met had over 54 years of experience. Their work is an eye-catcher, especially the iconic cobalt blue.

Are you a shop or brand looking for unique hand-woven natural fiber by the yard? If so, I have a partner to introduce you to that is doing just that. My colleague oversees design and development for a group of expert women weavers in Uganda who make textiles by the yard. You can assemble the final pieces or work with my partner in the US to finalize everything. Their plaited palm material is a really unique product in the market and is incredibly versatile – you can use it to upholster furniture, sew into handbags, frame it as wall art, or turn it into beautiful pillows.

This week I’d like to show you some of what's new from my glassware partner in Oaxaca. They are now offering their entire eco-friendly, recycled glassware lines in new shades of smokey white, olive green, and dark grey. When I say eco-friendly, I really mean it. 95% of the glassware is made from recycled bottles collected in the nearby neighborhoods in Oaxaca. They mix the glass waste with cooking oil to create their crystal-quality glassware. Discarded glass is crushed and melted before each piece is blown by hand.