notablySmitten

handmade,bangles

white summer - Tribe Alive

artisanal, artisans, community, ethical, fair trade, Families, handmade, job creation, kindnesseden tirlComment
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As temperatures rise, it’s important to wear clothes that are light weight. Tribe Alive’s Everyday Top is handmade in India and 100% cotton. The shirt is perfect for summer weather and it is available in sizes extra small to extra large. Your purchase will help the artisan who made it by providing employment opportunities with fair wages.

Tribe Alive partners with artisans in order to make a huge impact. Founded by Carly Burson, she has created a way to help mothers in poor communities earn a fair wage in order to provide for their children. She provides them with safe working environments, fairs wages, and empowerment.

beaded love - Sashka

artisanal, artisans, baskets, cause conscious, community, conscious, fair trade, Families, job creation, handmadeeden tirlComment
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Wear your love on your wrists with Sashka Co.'s handmade collection of bracelets. Each bracelet was handmade by an artisan located in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Their Rise Bracelet features white and gold glass beads, fitting wrists from 8 to 10 inches. Each purchase supports and empowers the artisan by helping her rise for poverty.

Sashka Co. was created in 2013 to help the artisans in Nepal make a fair wage by creating job making beautiful bracelets. Each bracelet is handmade with the finest glass beads, helping to create jobs that pay above minimum wage. 10% of their profits are also donated to charities to help spread the love

We are Smitten!

the golden compass - The Brave Collection

artisanal, artisans, conscious, ethical, fair trade, girls, handmade, healthcare, human trafficking, jewelry, necklaceseden tirlComment
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Never get lost again with The Brave Collection’s Compass Chain Necklace. The beautiful piece is handmade in Cambodia with gold vermeil. The artisans are mothers and people with disabilities that work in exchange for fair wages and access to healthcare.

Jessica Hendricks Yee founded The Brave Collection after witnessing a small Cambodian country struggle to rebuild after genocide. By launching her company, she gave many local artisans a chance to create beautiful pieces of jewelry in exchange for fair wages. In addition to that, the company donates 10% of their profits to fight human trafficking in Cambodia. 

We are so Smitten!

baby blues - Angela Roi

bags, cause conscious, Charity, ethical, fashion, handbag, handmadeeden tirlComment
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Angela Roi combines beauty and compassion with their range of bags. Their Grace Mini Cross-Body bag was made to be the perfect everyday bag. Available in five colors, the bag is handcrafted, cruelty – free, and sweatshop – free. Both the leather and chain straps are detachable, allowing you to change up its look to your liking. 

Angela Roi was founded in 2013 by Angela and Roi Lee. Together, they created a brand with a vision to bring ethical, luxury pieces to life. Each bag is handcrafted, consisting of high quality and durable materials. With each purchase they support local humane shelters and charities to help injured and mistreated animals. They built their brand to inspire kindness and compassion towards animals.

the perfect accessory - Society B

handmade, water, hunger, bagseden tirlComment
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Just like shoes, a girl can never have too many totes. Society B offers the Mamuye Tote. Handcrafted in Ethiopia, it’s made from real leather and is available in three colors. 10% of the final sale will be donated to a nonprofit of your choosing.

Society B was founded by Kelli Byers and Lindsay Byers-Hirth in 2015. They strictly wanted to only offer products that will benefit society in the long run. They partner with multiple nonprofits that include Water.Org, Action Against Hunger, and Kids in Need Foundation, and Preemptive Love Coalition in an effort to change the world and make a difference.

a gift with a purpose - Alex and Ani

bangles, bracelets, cause conscious, clean water, community, jewelryeden tirlComment
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The Living Water Charm Bangle from Alex and Ani makes the perfect gift. Made with a deep cobalt Swarovski crystal, 20% from each purchase is donated to Living Water International, helping to provide communities with clean water. 

Alex and Ani was founded by Carolyn Rafaelian. Her designs are meant to connect and empower—whether for yourself or for others. Since launching her brand, she partners with multiple charities. Donating a portion of her profits, wanting to continually give back to her community and empower the world with her designs. 

made to empower - Krochet Kids

100% vegan, artisanal, backpacks, cause conscious, ethical, handmadeeden tirlComment
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I like to carry A LOT with me. Minimalist? What’s that? But really, not everything fits inside my small purse. Krochet Kids’ Ridgeview Backpack provides the perfect solution. Made with vegan leather, it’s durable and available in multiple colors. Each piece is handmade and signed by the women who makes them. 

Krochet Kids was founded by Kohl Crecelius in 2007.  Since then, he has committed to help provide jobs and fair wages to poverty-stricken women in Uganda and Peru. Along with providing employment opportunities, each purchase also gives these women the empowerment they didn’t know they had.

Smitten!

beautifully compassionate - Rosena Sammi

artisanal, bangles, human trafficking, handmade, girlseden tirlComment
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For someone who’s constantly wearing black, a pop of color makes the biggest impact. The Nirvanam Bangles from Rosena Sammi are a true beauty. Made from sari fabrics, the bangles make a big statement and support a cause. Nirvanam is the Sankrit word for bliss, and each piece is handmade by a woman rescued from sex trafficking.

 After relaunching the brand in 2017, Rosena Sammi made the commitment to make the world a better place for the sake of her two daughters. She partners with Apne Aap, a charity dedicated to rescuing young girls from the redlight districts located in India.

We’re Smitten!

Olori

artisanal, cause conscious, bags, ethical, fashion, girls, handbag, handmadeeden tirlComment
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Olori is a company that finally agrees with my royal status (I’m extra, I know). They offer crossbody bags made from durable leather, featuring adjustable straps and a flap made from a special Nigerian textile. Olori is the Yoruba word for Queen, which is why they state that each piece is made for a queen- how fitting! The bags are available in nine different colors and textures.

Founded by Tomide Awe, she believes every girl is a queen. Education is expensive in Africa. Unfortunately, many girls cannot afford school which is why each bag that’s sold provides tuition fees for a girl living in Africa.

Smitten!

beauty and the beach bag - Indego Africa

artisanal, bags, baskets, cause conscious, community, cooperatives, education, fashion, global, handbag, handmade, job creation, upcyclededen tirlComment
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Indego Africa is a non-profit that pairs a NYC-based design team with female artisans in Rwanda and Ghana to create stylish and expertly crafted goods.  All of their goods are created by hand using traditional techniques of weaving, block printing, beading, embroidery, wood carving, and metal shaping. A classic example of the highly-skilled sweetgrass weaving technique can be found in the gorgeous and versatile Palm Tote! Perfect for beach days or a trip to the market, the Palm Tote is a beautiful way to make a statement with your accessory while renewing your commitment to help break the cycle of poverty.

Founded in 2007, Indego Africa believes that education is the key to long-term empowerment.  To that end, they are committed to providing fair wages as well as leadership training, business classes, technology workshops, and public health programs to the artisans they partner with to create Indego Africa’s designs.  100% of their profits, combined with grants and private donations, go back to the artisan’s communities. As of 2017, they have positively impacted 1,100 women in Rwanda and Ghana.

Indeed Smitten!

adorn those ears - Purpose

cause conscious, community, earrings, education, fashion, girls, handmade, human trafficking, job creation, pretty, social sustainability, women's rightseden tirlComment
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These gorgeous lithe ornaments for the ear, deserve our applause. These sit 2 ½” long off the ear. Come plated in 14k Gold or Rhodium (tarnish resistant.) They also come in a lovely box in case you're gifting these beauties.

Purpose jewelry is brilliantly handcrafted by young women escaping human trafficking. Your purchase helps provide them with the hope and opportunities they deserve while transitioning back into a free and safe future.

100% of proceeds go to International Sanctuary: a safe, loving, holistic community, with an incredible an sustainable model. Addressing income, education, healthcare, and community, the women are able to find their true identities and worth once again. 

Smitten!

always know your way, deep blue compass bangle - Brave

bangles, bridesmaids gifts, cause conscious, fair trade, fashion, girls, global, human trafficking, jewelryeden tirlComment
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The Brave Collection’s motto is clear and effective: Courage is Contagious. Each piece in their collection is made by hand in Cambodia, using traditional carving and weaving techniques. The Deep Blue Compass Bracelet is a gorgeous example of The Brave Collections’ simplicity: hand woven cotton and carved brass, the charm reads “Brave” in Khmer.

While still a student at NYU, founder Jessica Hendricks Yee traveled to Cambodia to teach English. While there, she was moved to create a business that would give back to the victims of human trafficking and genocide.  The artists who create the jewelry are all Cambodian women - mostly mothers - who work in dignified conditions and receive above-market wages, stipends for childcare, and health insurance. In addition, 10% of each sale is donated to local organizations to fight human trafficking and empower young girls.

sweet chic sandals - Nisolo

conscious, environmentally caring, ethical, fashion, handmade, sandals, wedgeseden tirlComment
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Nisolo’s wooden wedge sandal is a perfect balance between style and sustainability - made from solid wood and hand-cut leather, they are a long-lasting addition to any closet and have an equally long lasting impact on the artisans who created them. Founded in 2011 by Patrick Woodyard after seeing the immense talent for shoemaking in Peru and wanting to be a problem solver in the global market, Nisolo is now based in both Peru and Tennessee, and employs over 50 people.

Nisolo is a leader in ethical fashion production, providing workers with wages 27% higher than fair trade wages, consistent work with yearly salaries, and “holistic learning” that includes trade skills as well as healthcare, english classes, and childcare.  The word Nisolo means “not alone”, and the most visible effect that credo has on the local community is the next generation - 100% of employee’s children are enrolled in school full time, with six on track to be the first in their families to graduate college.

mini keys of goodness, with maximum effect - The Giving Keys

cause conscious, fashion, gifts, handmade, jewelry, necklaces, neckwear, upcyclededen tirlComment
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I can never get enough of The Giving Keys. Their message, the keys, their faithful purpose and dedication, are completely on point. They were the gift that started notablySmitten - and I have followed their growth faithfully ever since that first purchased key. And now mini keys - perfect.

They are an extraordinary company doing good things for the homeless here in Los Angeles. If you've not heard of them, please read about them in the very first article I ever penned for nS.

And if you've not purchased a key for someone yet, please do - pass it on.

Ever Smitten!

ethical earrings celebrating Spring is here! - Mata Traders

conscious, cooperatives, earrings, ethical, fair trade, fashion, handmade, jewelry, pretty, social sustainabilityeden tirlComment
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These Daybreak earrings are artfully graceful and luxurious at the same time. Handcrafted and hand painted in India...these are your perfect ear ornaments! 

Mata Traders is a partnership between three female founders, a handful of fair trade organizations, and local Indian and Nepalese women working in artisan cooperatives. On a basic level, Mata Traders’ coops provide fair wages, healthcare, paid maternity leave, pensions, daycare, and workplace mobility to women who otherwise might not have the opportunity to work outside their home at all.  On a larger scale, however, the women working in artisan coops are simultaneously learning from social workers to become independent thinkers and activists: they gain confidence, break cycles of child labor and poverty, and provide stability for their families and communities.  

The word Mata means “Mother” in Hindi - it is a tribute to Shakti, the female creative power in all of us.  After learning of Mata Traders’ business model and seeing their gorgeous goods, we couldn’t agree with their mission more.

Smitten with Mata.

organic bangles for Haiti - xoxo, Simbi

100% natural, bangles, beads, bracelets, cause conscious, global, jewelry, watereden tirl1 Comment
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Simbi bracelets have so many amazing things going for them - they are handmade, 100% organic, vegan, biodegradable, and glazed with a non-toxic finish.  The Acai bracelet is akin to a string of superfood Acai berries wrapped around your wrist, and we think that is just the yummiest.

Every step of the Simbi creative, manufacturing, and shipping processes is done in Haiti.  Instead of importing portions of the organization, Simbi creates jobs for locals as a concerted effort to elevate the global offerings of Haiti as well as the everyday lives of Haitian people.  Simbi’s mission statement is three-part: create jobs, purify water, save lives.  To that end, each Simbi bracelet creates 15 sustainable jobs for natives of Haiti and supports efforts to implement clean water systems. You can donate directly to Aqua Haiti here. With beautiful jewelry like the Acai bracelet, it’s easy to support this cause.

Inspired and Smitten.

the art of the scarf - Bloom & Give

bridesmaids gifts, cause conscious, fashion, girls, handmade, scarveseden tirlComment
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Named as a homage to one of the oldest dyeing techniques, Ikat is delicate, elegant and made from beautifully fine wool.  At Bloom & Give, each item is made by local artisans, steeping the ancient Southeast Indian culture into each design.

With each item purchased, 50% of the price goes directly to fund girl’s education programs in India.  Bloom & Give notes that girls who have even a middle school education will “marry 4 years later, have two fewer children, and double her income” compared to girls who are kept out.  With the help of their partner organization, Educate Girls, Bloom & Give’s mission is simple but complex: keep girls in school.  

That’s one powerful scarf...Smitten!

bright sunshine-y bold bangle - Tuli

bangles, beads, bracelets, cause conscious, prettyeden tirlComment
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Spring is almost here and the color pop of Tuli’s Avery bracelet will cheer up even the gloomiest of winter mornings! This bracelet features 5 strings of paper beads, first delicately hand rolled and then varnished and painted, creating one gorgeous accent piece.

Handmade by women in Uganda, Tuli fair trade jewelry is primarily created from recycled paper beads. Each purchase goes directly to Uganda to fight poverty and empower the women involved with steady income and fair, livable wages.  A regular income brings a long-term and lasting solution to poverty.  

For some perspective, Tuli notes that one Avery bracelet will provide enough income to send a child to school for two weeks.  For more info on Tuli’s impact and mission, check this out...

We think that’s one meaningful bracelet!

handmade love for your tree - Thistle Farms

cause conscious, christmas, gifts, handmade, holiday, ornamentseden tirlComment
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I am beyond Smitten with the way these heart-shaped ornaments are constructed...and by whom. These four delicious ornaments are created out of goodwill and creative inspiration. Adorn your tree this year, and support four worthy, exceptional enterprises. Brought to you by Becca Stevens, founder and President of the wonderful organization that is Thistle Farms.

Thistle Farms is a community of women survivors of addiction, prostitution, and trafficking in Nashville, Tennessee. "This product bears witness that love is the most powerful force for change in the world."

This is the second global holiday collection being presented by Thistle Farms. 'Love from Around the World II' includes four handmade ornaments by women survivors from Nashville, Cambodia, Peru and the Middle East. Each ornament reflects...LOVE.

•  The recycled weave ornament represents Freedom’s Promise who work with at-risk and vulnerable women in Cambodia.

•  The knitted ornament represents the Monkey Project and provides a living wage to men in Huancayo, Peru - enabling change for their entire community.

•  The wood ornament represents Hope Collective is a community dedicated that brings sustainable development to refugees in the Middle East.

•  The copper ornament represents Studios - a division of Thistle Farm's social enterprise, which creates handcrafted paper, sewing and screen printing comprising this unique product line.

Smitten and filled with holiday cheer!!

sexy, sustainable and star studded - People Tree

cause conscious, christmas, earrings, ethical, fair trade, gifts, handmade, holiday, jewelry, silver, stocking stuffers, sustainableeden tirlComment
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Catch the eye with these yummy star-studded studs. Hand pounded, 100% silver-plated brass. Gorgeous!

People Tree is recognized for its production of ethical, sustainable fashion. For more than 25 years, this pioneer company has partnered with Fair Trade producers, garment workers, artisans and farmers in the developing world to create fashion forward, eco-friendly collections.

People Tree gives customers an alternative to "fast fashion". "Fast fashion is fueled by an insatiable demand for cheap clothing and accessories. Fast fashion has a devastating impact, from sweatshops and child labor to pollution and global warming. Slow Fashion means standing up against exploitation, family separation, slum cities and pollution – all the things that make fast fashion so successful."

Fair Trade is ethical, sustainable and fashionable....and the opposite of fast fashion.

People Tree products are made by artisans who work and uphold Fair Trade standards. People Tree was the world’s first clothing company to receive the World Fair Trade Organization Fair Trade product mark in 2013.

Fair Trade makes a powerful difference. People Tree is helping to alleviate poverty in the world's most marginalized communities.

Smitten!