I know many of you love to travel as much as handmade crafts, so I wanted to share a few of my faves from the island of Tinos. Though this wasn't a sourcing trip, I was compelled to visit the island after hearing about its rich craftsmanship and cultural heritage. Journey to the village of Vaxos to visit one of the last remaining basket makers on the island, an artist named Kyrie Adonis, who has been perfecting this craft since the age of 12. If you get the chance, treat yourself to one of these exquisite willow baskets – they’re true heirlooms to treasure.

I know I already filled you in on the details of Caravana Americana, an amazing artisan show happening this October in Mexico City, but I wanted to write one more time to encourage you to consider attending if your travel schedule allows it. For those on the fence who would like to know more, I just sat down with Gina Barrios, the show’s co-founder, for a fun interview on what to expect.

We dive into her expectations for this year’s show, some of her fave exhibitors, as well as her tips for getting the most out of a visit to Mexico City. I hope you enjoy the conversation. I’ve also included below a short interview I recently did with Guillermo of Dos Tierras, one of the companies exhibiting products at this year’s show that I think really stand out.

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. 

This week, I am delighted to feature the second new collection conceived and brought to life by Maura Kroh Lall, the founder of Creative Women. Since 2007, she has been dedicated to cultivating sustainable partnerships with skilled artisans across Kenya. I consider her an invaluable resource for retail and wholesale buyers alike, particularly those interested in ethically sourced wooden home accents.

If you haven’t already, please save the date for CARAVANA AMERICANA'S artisan show this fall. Held in Mexico City, the show will feature 110 emerging and established Latin American designers showcasing their latest collections of fashion, furniture, and home goods. 

This week, I am delighted to share a conversation with Kavita Parmar and Marcella Echavarría, co-founders of XTANT, which has become a beautiful, inspiring, emerging artisan fair and educational program that takes place annually on the island of Mallorca. The show features the work of master artists and includes a week-long program of conversations and exhibitions around the intricacies of the artisan sector. It’s been described as “an exciting mix of Burning Man, a TED talk, and a village fair.” The focus for Kavita and Marcella remains on providing a platform for master textile artists, some of whom are among the last generation to hold onto their traditional know-how. "We aim to celebrate them as the rock stars they are,” they told me. “For us, textiles are texts that represent the next frontier of modern art.”