This month, I'm delighted to present an interview with Harper Poe, someone I always love speaking to about the artisan sector. Harper was the founder of Proud Mary, an artisan accessory brand she began back in 2008. While she's no longer running this business she has a deep love for the field and has been working more recently as a designer for retail chains, doing her best to incorporate artisans into their supply chains.

Today I’m exploring beautiful loungewear from a partner vendor in Turkey. We are going to dive into a material called sile. It’s a hand-loomed, thin muslin cotton fabric that’s been made since ancient times and it’s a Turkish specialty. Sile is perfect for summer accessories: loungewear, beach blankets, scarves, you name it. The fabric originated in the Sile village of Istanbul and is still woven on wooden looms that date back centuries.

I am delighted to interview Mathieu of In Tweed We Trust, a colleague I had the pleasure to meet and photograph last year. Mathieu's work is dear to my heart because it ties into the story that I am photographing about the French wool industry. He is one of the few designers working with local farmers here in France to source the fibers for his bespoke textiles. He is truly walking the walk and has a sincere drive to help sustain French textile weaving know-ho

This month, I interviewed my dear friend and colleague Laurie Kanes, founder of 12 Small Things. I have had the honor of working with Laurie in the past and see her as a mentor as she has been working with artisans for quite some time. She masterfully juggles the roles and responsibilities of being a sales rep while taking the bold move to open up a beautiful retail shop in San Francisco as a way to showcase many of the artisan brands which she represents.

I am delighted to interview Chinar Farooqui, founder of INJIRI, one of my personal fave artisanal brands. The company works with artists in India to create exquisite home decor and apparel. Their attention to detail will make you swoon – their products are delicate, chic, thoughtful and timeless. They speak about their products with grace and don't try too hard. Their belief in what they do shines through in the natural voice of their marketing communication. They dig into techniques, materials, and design – always accompanied with beautiful photography.

This month, Annie interviewed with Marcella Echavarria and Kavita Parmar, who just wrapped up TEXTO, so I thought it would be fun to share a quick recap for those of you who were not able to make it. If you aren't familiar, TEXTO was a global gathering of artists and advocates for the artisan sector that took place this past winter in Mexico City. Products were sold from master artists and a lot of conversations were had on the current and future state of the sector.