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Saturday, July 16, 2011

Fashion With A Cause

Sometimes consumerism can be too much, especially after hearing stories of families in poverty stricken countries and experiencing the conditions under which they live. In America, we are beyond privileged to have the time and resources to experiment with fashion and art in this way. When I find businesses with a cause behind their name, my heart instantly attaches. Easiest way to gain my loyalty! This type of business is particularly special because it works with the people of underprivileged communities to not only provide them with money, but with a way to support themselves. Sustainable living. Skills are taught and a real job is provided to these people. As a business/marketing major, this is so important! People value the money they make with their own hard work the most, and the chance of falling back into poverty decreases greatly.

MADE creates designs and then sources the production of the accessories to East Africa where the principles of fair trade are implemented to provide people with jobs and empowerment. I poured over the website and picked my 10 favorites of the moment. If you know me at all, then you know I possess the curse of indecision, especially when I love everything! So yes, these are my favorites of the "moment". Also, it's all in euros, so I feel like it's much cheaper. I will never get a hang of that conversion rate!









9 comments:

  1. Fantastic! How did you find them? Anyway, this should be shared and I will do that...hope you post this with your blogging group...

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  2. They are beautiful.I especially like the blue earrings and the chain bracelet.I will definitely check out the website, thanks for sharing

    Julie Labes: The Fun-Loving, Feisty, Fearless, Frisky, Fierce Over 50 Traveler

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  3. I don't have the luxury of a lot of disposable income right now so I am Very careful about where I spend my extra dollars. Knowing the story behind a product or company makes all the difference for me --- I call this Mindful Spending.

    Thank you for introducing us to this beautiful jewelry, Taylor. This is exactly the type of organization I choose to support!

    Heidi & Atticus
    http://www.atticusuncensored.com
    "commentary to give you paws..."

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  4. I love consumerism with conscience! The idea of buying something that furthers the well-being of someone, especially someone in a very difficult economic situation, really appeals to me. I'm really not much for buying things in general, but I am very attracted to this jewelry and the story behind it. Thanks for a post that shows that pretty things aren't necessarily vacuous!

    Judy Stone-Goldman
    The Reflective Writer
    http://www.thereflectivewriter.com/blog/
    Personal-Professional Balance Through Writing

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  5. I think I've always chosen to be selective with how I spend my money not just with what I spend it on and getting the best deal but also in supporting business that behave appropriately.

    Living in Arizona its interesting to watch the tourists flock to the fancy shops in Sedona, Flagstaff or Scottsdale to pay $150 for a liquid silver necklace when they could go to a roadside stall on the Navajo nation and pay $50 direct to the artisans and craftsmen. (The Dine and Apache are having a hard time since the fires because of the damaged timber and slow down in tourism).

    So seeing the rise of fair trade businesses like this warms my heart! There is a charity in the UK called Oxfam which funds itself by allowing small communities and groups a 'market' for their ethnic products and a store here called One Thousand Villages which does the same.

    I'll tag this company for my present list for sure. Great article Taylor.

    Laine D.
    "Aspire to Inspire"
    http://www.ThoughtsfromABroad.net

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  6. My favorite is the bags, or maybe the blue and golden earrings or... hard to choose!
    I always love stories behind things, so when I buy something for myself it has to be creative, nicely done, well-crafted and I like it when I know the artist. I am a very mindful spender, so my shopping is mostly groceries and not stuff. The big chains like Macy's aren't for me, so when I do buy something it has be special (and I don't get the whole consumerism anyways, especially between Thanksgiving and Christmas, that's too much for me..).

    Oh, I love this post!!

    Franziska San Pedro
    The Abstract Impressionist Artress

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  7. Thank you so much everyone! I'm glad you enjoyed this company so much! They deserve a lot of exposure :)

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  8. OMG I love the blue earrings! Nice! So bold!

    This is a great post. Loved the fair trade business. Love the stories behind everything. It's just wonderful to be able to support others in other countries. Definitely will consider for future presents :)

    xoxo
    Alara

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  9. Beautiful jewelry and a wonderful cause. Thanks for sharing!

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