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 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. 

I am delighted to circle back with a longtime colleague and friend Sara Berks of MINNA this month. I've worked with Sara over the years, and during that time, I’ve watched her company grow leaps and bounds. She started with just a few small lines of rugs and pillows from Guatemala and has since opened up a brick-and-mortar shop in Upstate New York and developed one of the leading artisan brands in the US. What sets MINNA apart – beyond the soulfulness of its art direction, the quality of its products, and the fantastic storytelling – is the cohesiveness of her brand. Sara and her team have developed a signature style that is seen all the way through, from conception to execution, from product designs to how each new collection is thoughtfully photographed. As I work with brands, I always stress the value of strong photography. I am delighted to feature Sara this week as a primary example of someone who has built a strong brand identity through design, photography, and storytelling. Dive into our interview here - I hope you enjoy it. 

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 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.

This month, I'm delighted to present an interview with Kelsie of Driftless Style. I've had the pleasure to work with Kelsie over the months as one of my mentorees, and I've been so impressed with her drive, and quick ability to learn the tricky in's and outs of running an artisan-focused retail shop. That said, Kelsie has been kind enough to share her lessons learned running a retail shop, as well as revealing what has been working best for her, and other best practices when buying from overseas artisan groups. She also speaks about how to juggle working directly vs when to simply buy wholesalers from retailers based in the US. She touches upon tips, how to overcome specific challenges, worthwhile business investments, and more.