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!

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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Adorn Those Walls with Something REALLY Special, Crafted in Mexico

This week I’m delighted to share something really special with you. Another partner of mine in Mexico is making some beautiful wall art, including these handcrafted mirrors made from upcycled fabric. Every piece is made from cotton remnants that were discarded because of small manufacturing mistakes. My partner reuses this fabric residue and transforms it into these stunning statement pieces. The innovation behind this raw cotton thread is quite impressive as they have found a beautiful solution for waste.

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Artisan Spotlight @ New World Crafts: Mayu

I am delighted to share that I’ve recently partnered up with the New World Crafts fair, a wonderful sourcing trade show in Antigua, Guatemala. The fair offers a truly unique chance to connect directly with talented artists from Guatemala and throughout Central America. Over the next few months, I’ll be highlighting some of the unique products and export-ready artisan enterprises that exhibit at the annual show. It’s so inspiring and beautifully curated. While normally it happens in person in one of the most beautiful settings you could imagine (ahem – I definitely recommend saving the date in your travel calendar for next year!), because so much of our lives and our businesses are being conducted online this year, I thought it would be helpful to share some of the exhibitors that stood out to me.

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Sleek & Subtle Stone Accents from Mexico

There is nothing like witnessing a beautiful spring in France, especially during these hard times. I can't wait until we can escape beyond 10 km…I'm dreaming of going straight to Provence to witness everything taking bloom. It still is one of my favorite spots in France – I particularly love the small towns throughout the Luberon Valley – it’s dreamy.

But on a different note, this week we venture to the Yucatan to unravel another material from the area. If you’re like me, you like to keep things paired down in the bathroom as a way to keep the space fresh, clean and bright. These stone accents make for a beautiful but minimal addition to any bathroom – the handcrafted details, the luxurious cream color, and made to last quality of each piece make them truly special, plus the fact that they support a community of artists.

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Lightweight Bath & Lounge: Lovely Summer Companions

With warmer weather in sight, I thought these lightweight towels and robes might be lovely summer companions. This line is handcrafted by a partner of mine who works closely with a group of artists in Cambodia. The 100% cotton robes are sewn by hand in my partner’s studio in Phnom Penh. The cotton is sourced by women who work in their homes in rural villages throughout Cambodia. Each piece is hand-dyed in their open-air dying studio, working with natural dyes, and then handwoven on looms in the homes of the artists.

This line touches upon many things we’re looking for these days: simplicity, quality, sustainability, and a neutral color palette that fits perfectly into any home. In addition to this collection of cotton towels and robes, they have a full range of beautiful rugs and throws available.

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Naturally Dyed Rugs, Made in Mexico

This week I invite you to explore naturally dyed rugs, crafted in Teotitlan. They’re designed with incredible craftsmanship and attention to detail by my partner in France. These beauties can go in any home thanks to their subtle but chic color palette.

In addition to being made using natural dyes, they are crafted on looms that date back centuries. Rooted in tradition, they pay respect to the complex motifs of the Zapotecs, coming from the artists’ memories to represent symbols and stories of the region. Rugs are made by artists who have descended from a long line of weavers. Most artists are fully involved in the process from the dying and preparing of the yarn to the weaving itself. Often the whole family participates.

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