This month, I am honored to interview Colleen and Margaret Clines, co-founders of the Anchal Project, a sustainable home decor and textile brand. Working alongside artists in India, Anchal is known for its bold, quilted designs.
Colleen Clines was taking a graduate seminar class at the Rhode Island School of Design when she embarked on a trip to India in 2009. Through local leadership, she was introduced to women who were being exploited by the commercial sex trade. This left a mark. She was inspired to collaborate with the local NGO and soon her enterprise came to fruition.

This week, we venture to Guatemala as I am delighted to present to you some wooden tableware that’s perfect for shops or brands that would like to develop a unique collection of their own. I’ve always found it difficult to source wooden products that have both an inspiring mission and a sustainable component. That’s why I’m thrilled to share the work of my partner, as their commitment to sustainability and community impact is as strong as their gorgeous designs.

This week we dive into indigo ikat, designed by a French brand that I am repping who works with artists in Guatemala and Mexico. There is so much to explore within their full collection but I wanted to start by sharing this stunning fabric.
The indigo used in this collection originated in the Americas. For thousands of years, communities used this blue color in pottery, murals, and textiles. The dye is extracted from a plant called anil. To produce the dye in Oaxaca, leaves are cut, crushed, and fermented in water for 20 days in a clay jar placed in the sun.

From puzzles to tic tac toe, these games are beautiful when set on a table and are a welcome addition for all of us as we spend more time at home these days. They also have an adorable set of laundry clips and heart paperweights to jazz up one’s desk.

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.

Today I’d like to take you on a journey to Thailand, where I’ve recently connected with a group of artists that specializes in water hyacinth. If you’re looking to bring in a new line of basketry, storage containers, or handbags, they may be the perfect partner for you. For years, the Thai government spent tens of millions of dollars fighting this feisty weed as it clogged rivers and canals. But recently innovative entrepreneurs have found new functions for water hyacinth as an environmentally friendly fiber for their work.