ARTISTRY OF FABRIC: LEGACY IN CLOTH

Recently we met Sandra Niessen, a freelance anthropologist who just published a book on the Batak textiles of Indonesia. At 568 pages and the culmination of 30 years of work, all we can say is WOW! Of course I carried the very heavy book with me all day long and spent hours into the dawn reading and studying the beautiful images.

Our conversation was wide ranging and generated so many ideas of ways to collaborate. Our most ambitious: plan a conference on preserving living weaving traditions. So all my weaving friends in India, Guatemala, Peru, Laos and Borneo: Save some room on your calendar for 2011!

And with all the reinvention we've been thinking about, we talked about how traditional weavers can keep their art alive and evolving ...
Any thoughts?

Earthquakes and REinvention

Earthquakes are shaking our planet and people in two countries are faced with literally rebuilding their foundations.

We are getting ready to go Washington DC to participate with CARE in the expo @ the More Magazine Reinvention Convention. There, women will gain new perspectives and be inspired to re-invent some aspect of their lives -- health, finances, career, family ....

Which is why we've been thinking a lot about REINVENTION again.

It requires us to look at aspects of our lives and our world that seem reliable and solid in a new way. The ground can literally disappear from under our feet.

It takes courage, flexibility and sometimes tenacity and resiliency.
It takes dedication and it is much easier with optimism and a sense of humor.

Reinvention is an ever-ongoing process.
Maybe it happens daily, in small ways.
Maybe it is evolution?

Maybe that is why when we look at the artistry of many of our artisans we are deeply inpsired. They create beauty out of discards, remnants and leftovers. And in each piece, we see the transformation. Their artistry presents us with a new of seeing.

And that is a beautiful gift that helps us to reinvent our world.

POWER OF THE PURSE

THE POWER OF THE PURSE

I just went to a delightful and insightful presentation by David Wolfe, Creative Director of the The Donegar Group.

He quoted some amazing statistics:

Women in the US, aged over 50 make or control over $19 Trillion (just how many zeros is that???) and spent over $19 Billion on apparel in one year!

So this year, let's get those insightful, caring and dedicated over 50 year olds to spend and direct a bigger portion of that Purse Power towards artisans and sustainable, artisan products that make the world more Happy, Harmonious and Beautiful!

HAITI - ANOTHER LINK

WATCH THIS. ANOTHER LINK TO CARE.

HAITI

We are so saddened by the news of the earthquake in Haiti. This country, the poorest in the western hemisphere, has been struggling to get a firm footing. Now the ground has literally been pulled out from under their feet and survival is the immediate concern. As we have seen from the all the haunting images of the destruction and human suffering - water, food, medical care and sanitation are critical needs that will help the survivors and prevent the situation from deteriorating.

We are helping by donating to CARE and so can you. Just go to: CARE.org and click on the Donate Now button.

They have been in Haiti since 1954, have a team of over 130 people there and are expert in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

We've been following updates on their website and on their fan page.

A number of our friends in the crafts/design field have worked with organizations in Haiti. We will be posting additional links to those organizations that will help with income generation as the immediate crisis subsides ...

STAY WARM

The New Year has started with a deep freeze blanketing the US and we've just seen this wonderful article in the WSJ about one of favorite groups, Kala Raksha.

In fact, Original Women launched our first in-person Celebration with Kala Raksha.

The design school for working, traditional artisans is having a real, positive impact: preserving traditions in a way that allows them to evolve and artisans to innovate,
artisans are proud of their skills and talents, and communities are earning more income!

One of our favorite Kala Raksha products are these beautiful and warm shawls. Based on traditional Rabari wedding veils, they are resist dyed on a ground of finely woven wool (which is made by another artisan group in another part of India). The vibrant embroidery is enhanced with mirror work, all very skillfully and artfully positioned on the shawl.


Click HERE to view and purchase ....

OUR WARMEST WISHES TO YOU

Our warmest wishes to you for a Happy Holiday Season
and a New Year filled with Peace, Joy and Artistry.

May 2010 be filled with Celebrations of Artistry that make
the world more Happy, Harmonious and Beautiful!

Anelle & Gwendy
Co-Founders

CHANGE IS GOOD

This year has been a year of change and challenge. And sometimes, changes which seem to be endings are really beginnings.

Recently, one of our favorite magazines - Domino -- closed. No more leafing through glossy pages filled with great, doable and real decorating ideas.

But now, Michelle Adams (formerly an editor at Domino) has co-founded LONNY (www.lonnymag.com), an online lifestyle magazine filled with a passion for beauty in the home, in fashion and in life!.  A harbinger of the future of magazines, LONNY is like reading a magazine the old fashioned way, except it is on the web! And more personal, interactive and connective with links just a click away ...

Take their holiday gift guide for threefold gifts that benefit  the creator, the recipient and you! The Original Women white cutwork cotton and silk shawl is featured.

So check out the just published second issue of Lonny. We are sure you will agree with us, that out of a change, Lonny is a great new beginning of a new way of "printing" magazines!  We look forward to MANY more issues and wish LONNY great success.

STILL TIME TO SHOP ONLINE- WITH A DISCOUNT

There is still time to shop Original Women for the holidays, now with a discount just for FRIENDS AND FANS.

Shop online: https://shop.original-women.com/

Enter coupon code: THANKYOU09 at checkout

Save 15% on purchases!

Save and the artistry that improves lives, families and communities.
Inspire all those on your list.
Spread the Joy
AND
Celebrate!

THE ARTISTRY OF CONNECTING

We went to Tufts yesterday to participate in their inaugural OneWorld event.
It was great fun. And we are so impressed by the students and their interest in and passion for making the world a better place. Neema (pictured above with her amazing mother who was visiting from Africa) and the rest of the entire executive committee pulled together a festive day to celebrate sustainable development. Delicious food, crafts, representatives from nonprofits, and live performances all contributed to a very rich experience. I've never seen students so happy and involved, especially with end of term exams and papers so close ....

On Sunday, we go to Princeton for their third Emerge! festival.

And we learned that some of the student organizers of the two festivals are connected and sharing this wonderful experience.

And we found a new artisan group too!



Women weavers in Morocco. We will be featuring some of their beautiful rugs at the December 7 Original Women event in our Heritage Gallery!