/Far and Wide Collective

Gifts With Heart: Your Curated Gift Guide to a Compassionate Christmas | Far & Wide Collective

There’s been a resurgence in the social consciousness of late; a reawakening to the value of unique items that are handcrafted by artisans who are truly valued for their work. I think we are realizing once again that the story behind the products we purchase matters. The people behind the products matter. And in our globally inspired world, those stories are often stories of people from the other side of the world.

The founder of Far & Wide Collective, Hedvig Alexander, has done a brilliant job of bringing her artisans stories to life as she curates the products that make up the collection. Her passion is empowering and honouring the makers while bringing beautiful products to the North American market. That is why the Far & Wide Collective makes for a perfect feature in this year’s Curated Gift Guides for a Compassionate Christmas.

From baskets to jewelry and accessories to art prints and home décor, there is something for just about any lover of beauty on your Christmas list!

I hope you’re feeling inspired to give gifts with heart this year! Empower an artisan across the globe and tell a story of hope while sharing beautiful treasures with your loved ones this season.

xo
s.

By |December 3rd, 2014|0 Comments

Design Find | Far & Wide Collective

As you know by now, I am deeply passionate about process. When the way a product is made honours the people making it and – even better – contributes significantly to improving their way of life and the lives of those in their community, I get very, very excited. That is the kind of leverage I would love to see happening all the more in our growing global design economy. Gratefully, today’s Design Find is a company with just such a vision.

Finding beauty in places afflicted by war, oppression and poverty, Far and Wide Collective (FWC) launched yesterday, bringing exquisite traditions and culturally-inspired design to Western buyers. Through its carefully curated website, FWC partners with talented artisans from post-conflict and emerging economies to unearth hidden gems – sharing home décor, fashion and jewelry with an international audience.

FWC is proud to help build bridges to create a more cohesive global community and a viable economic future for our artisan partners,” says founder Hedvig Alexander. “Over fifteen years working in development in conflict zones, including seven in Afghanistan, I have seen firsthand the most effective growth opportunity for women and marginalized groups is through sustainable businesses with access to international markets.”
According to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), handmade crafts are the second largest sector of rural employment in much of the developing world. With such rich cultural traditions and craft skills in almost every household, developing countries account for 60 percent of the world’s total exported creative goods, according to USAID. By providing access to international markets, marketing support, business guidance and training, FWC aims to support the growth of this sector as a key driver of economic development, especially for women.
“With an influx of big box retail chains and growing questions about the true nature (and safety) of production in the developing world, we are seeing a backlash against mass produced goods,” Alexander observes.  “Consumers want unique items made responsibly by individual artisans: our mission is to bring them these products.”
About Far and Wide Collective
Far and Wide Collective (FWC) is a sustainable digital marketplace created to connect low-income craftspeople with consumers through art, design and humanitarianism. FWC partners with some of the most talented artisans in emerging economies, building bridges to open the way to a better future for its artisan partners.
I hope you get as excited about this as I do! I am grateful for visionaries like Hedvig Alexander who are developing beautiful products through a beautiful, meaningful process that truly makes a difference. In a world desperately in need of positive change, this kind of compassionate, dignifying and elevating business is the kind I want to have on my radar!
xo
s.
By |May 15th, 2013|0 Comments