June is Immigrant Heritage month. It has me thinking a lot about my own personal roots and purpose and how immigration contributes to the advancement of our society. Let's face it, California wouldn't be the economic powerhouse it is without immigrants. What is great about immigration and travel is that they spark innovation. Did you know Steve Jobs frequented India for his inspiration? In fact, it was during the huge growth years of Silicon Valley that 25% of businesses were founded by immigrants. These businesses created 560,000 jobs and generated $63 billion in sales. This does not even take in consideration all the support jobs that immigrants also fill. Our first family picture after arriving in the United States Just think about it,...
A Common Thread continues as we connect with a young entrepreneur helping to positively impact refugee artisans affected by conflict and migration. During a family trip to Bali, Lauren Baird and her cousin Cara Boccieri became inspired by the unique traditional skills of refugee artisans from the Thailand Burma border. Motivated to provide these refugees with access to an international market to sell their products, the cousins founded Ways of Change -- a collection of thoughtful accessories. Lauren's work as co-founder and creative director of the brand helps to fuse together tradition (the preservation of beautiful generational skill sets) with that of modern style. What are you most passionate about changing or enhancing in the world? I am most...
On Friday, Indigo Handloom was honored to accept Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator's Positive Impact Award Honoring Heritage and Craft. The Positive Impact Awards (PIAs) is an annual gala that has become the ethical fashion equivalent to the Oscars. Of the 500+ attendees, a number of industry pioneers were in the house like Bolt Threads, a tech venture for sustainable material innovation, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and ethical powerhouses EILEEN FISHER and Patagonia. In addition to recognizing changemakers in the ethical fashion space, the event marked BF+DA's second year anniversary. Since 2014, the Pratt-powered social impact driven incubator, has supported job creation and sustainable business within the realms of fashion, tech and research. Left: Indigo Handloom founder Smita Paul...
My husband swears by his handloom silk shirt we got in New Delhi at “Fab India,” a retail chain which emphasizes handwoven goods. He wore it for our last day and continued to wear it on his flight New Delhi-Istanbul-Frankfurt. Then after a day of airing it out, he took a sniff and decided it was ok and wore it the next day. He has a super sensitive nose so I know he's not just blinded by his love for handloom. It made me consider how different fabrics react to sweat and it took me to a frightening world. Basically, your armpit is a wild and wooly place. The natural germs on the skin feast on chemicals in sweat and...
Hey Oakland! We will be collaborating with KOSA ARTS in a Pop Up Shop for tomorrow's Oakland First Fridays! We are excited to be hanging out in this bustling part of Oakland and will have plenty of handloom goodies for you to shop from! Come stop and say hi tomorrow night!
Where: 386 19th Street (cross street Franklin)When:Friday June 3rd, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m
