Forever in My Heart

To My Dear Cambodian Sisters,

What a joy it has been getting to know you and your amazing country.  I feel that I have made so many wonderful new friends and sisters.

You welcomed us into your families….

And into you humble homes…. showing us such hospitality and grace.

Though you may not have much, your hearts were big and your smiles contagious.

You were the best model’s we’ve ever had…

Beautiful inside and out.

Behind those lovely faces, you would never know the pain and horror so many of you have faced.  

Yet you are Courageous.  Strong.  Determined.  Talented…

And full of Personality and Dreams.

It is with joy that I can return to share your stories and fabulous designs. Thank you for trusting us.  You are in my heart forever.  

Missing you already,

Kirsten

Keok’Jay

Dear R+L Customers and Supporters,

Greetings from lovely Cambodia!  We’re having such an incredible time working on the Fall/Winter 2012 Collection with our new Cambodian partnership - Keok’Jay (meaning: fresh green fashion in Khmer).  This wonderful social business trains HIV positive women from vulnerable backgrounds in design skills. The women are so beautiful and hospitable!

We loved sharing lunch together…each lady brings a dish to share on a daily basis.  Such a sweet way to form community.

We were so impressed with their inspiration boards for their local collection, and it was amazing that they were inspired by many of the same colors and ideas as Raven + Lily!

They have a wonderful local store that caters to the expat community.  Rachel is the founder of Keok’ Jay, and she’s been here almost 4 years investing in the lives of these women through her social design business. 

Yesterday we spent time going to the markets to sort through remnant fabrics for our new collection!  

The mounds of fabric were endless…with a few surprises along the way (I promise he’s just sleeping).

The last room was filled to the brim with treasures.  Our new t-shirt collection will be made from natural died jersey remnants.

Our tote bags, clutches, and home collection will be made from beautiful natural dyed hand loomed fabrics….my personal favorite type of fabric.  This is just a little sneak peak photo for you.

I just know you are going to love this collection, and I know you’ll love hearing the stories of these amazing women….but you’ll have to wait till Fall.  But never fear, our newest designs for our Spring 2012 collection launch soon.  We’re so excited to share those with you.

Heading out the door to jump on a “tuk tuk”…our choice of transportation in Cambodia. Why don’t we have these in the states?  Amazing that 6 monks could fit in one!

Have a lovely day and stayed tuned for more updates on our adventure….Angkor Wat here we come!

Blessings from “The Charming City,”

Kirsten

Fair Trade Month

October is Fair Trade Month!  That means its a great opportunity to support companies like Raven + Lily that focus on making sure the people who create their goods are honored and receive a fair, sustainable income for their work.  

And in case you are wondering what “fair trade” really means, I thought I’d include the blurb from our website:

Fair Trade is a system of exchange that honors producers, communities, consumers, and the environment. It is a model for the global economy rooted in people-to-people connections, justice, and sustainability.  Here’s how Raven + Lily practices fair trade with our partnerships:

• We seek transparency and accountability in all of our transactions.
• We encourage our artisans to develop independence.
• We seek to develop leaders and designers within each partner community.
• We desire all of our artisans to work in a safe and healthy atmosphere.
• We respect the environment by sourcing local and/or recycled materials when ever possible.
• We are intentional in every aspect of our purchasing and pay fair trade wages or above.
• We encourage our partnerships to help the women start savings accounts with their earnings
• We return proceeds from our sales to fund education and healthcare programs in our partnership communities 

And in case you are wondering how to support fair trade, here are some fun practical ideas:

EAT + DRINK FAIR!

I LOVE chocolate and coffee.  Our friends at Full Circle Exchange sell some fabulous fair trade products.  The dark chocolate is divine.  I personally love chocolate but feel quite convicted knowing that there are so many children trafficked and forced to work in the coco bean fields of West Africa.  I LOVE knowing I can now find chocolate that honors the growers and doesn’t take advantage of children.  Stores like Whole Foods and others also carry lots of fair trade chocolates!  

BE A FAIR “FASHIONISTA!”

When you need a new accessory, then consider one of our handmade jewelry pieces.  I love seeing people around town wearing our designs!  At our launch party, ladies of all types were wearing their favorite R+L jewelry…from 12 years old to 65!  And they all looked fabulous!!!

Some of my personal favorite fair trade/ethical labels are Andean Collection and Apolis Activivism. 

BE FAIRLY PRACTICAL

Need a journal?  Why not buy one of our beautiful eco-friendly, handmade journals from India that empower women?  Need to send a card to a special someone? Our recycled cotton notecards will surely bless the people who made them as well as the person receiving one.  Need to wash up?  Try heavenly scented hand-milled soaps that support a marginalized Muslim community.

Some of my favorite other online stores that offer a variety of fair trade goods include: Noonday Collection and Ethical Ocean!  Check them out!

Please share your favorite fair trade companies and resources.  I’m always looking out for new fair trade products and companies.

Story of Amleset

Its a joy to share the redemptive stories of the women in our partnerships like Amleset from Ethiopia.  When I met her for the first time 2 years ago, I remember how proud she was of the first designs we created together (including our popular Ella Necklace she proudly models below).  

She and her husband are HIV positive, yet Amleset and her family are thriving because of the wholistic support they receive from our partnership that cares for people living on Entoto Mountain.  It wasn’t easy for her to learn how to make jewelry, but she persevered.  This is her story in her own words:

“My family and I used to live in the city. We heard on TV about HIV. My husband was working for the military and was becoming sick a lot so he decided to go and get tested. He found out he was positive, then I found out I had it as well. Our kids were scared to go to school because of the stigma so we decided to sell everything and move to Entoto where there is no discrimination. Everyone has HIV/AIDS there so we are all the same. I used to beg on the mountain and I stayed there for the holy water {in hopes of being cure}. My life was very bad. Begging is like being dead.  I was living in death. My husband…started to help with the Entoto Project when they first came to the mountain. He introduced me to them. I am so thankful for the opportunity {to earn income}. Once I was frustrated because the jewelry making was very complicated.  I am changed because of this program and now I am called to help other human beings.  My heart and eyes are open. Now you can go into my home and there is food there. Thinking about this makes me want to cry. I know God helped you to help me and now I am changed.”

I love this photo of me with Amleset (far left) and some of the other fun ladies in our Ethiopia partnership.  They were so shy while making the designs, but when my husband asked to take a few photos of them with the designs we created, they came alive!  This was featured in the New York Times a few years ago. It’s definitely one of my favorite memories of what it looks like when women feel empowered through design!

(Many thanks to my handsome husband, Mr. Brandon Dickerson, for these great photos!)

Austin Fashion Week

Its Austin Fashion week, and last night the historic Driskil Hotel was dripping with designers, fashionistas, and gorgeous gems for the Jewelry Showcase. We were thrilled to be able to introduce our Fall 2011 collection at such an occassion.

My dear friend Tiffany Schwedland made me a lovely tunic to wear to the event.  She’s quite a talented designer, and I’ve always wanted her to make me something.  This was the perfect occassion.  Thank you Tiffany!  I accessorized my silk top with a Raven + Lily clutch, necklace, and belt, of course!

I must say our display area looked lovely, and we seemed to have lots of buzz that evening!  Many thanks to Michelle, Jackie, Sarah, and Lauren for being incredible reps for Raven + Lily that night.  They were amazing!

My new designer friend Dean Fredrick was also showcasing that night.  He’s known as Austin’s “Bada** Jeweler”.  Our studio showrooms are in the same building on 5th street, and he designs gorgeous conflict free diamond rings and bracelets.  He and my husband are rockstars for cheering me on during my presentation.  

As my models were waiting backstage, I quickly gave them the backstory of the designs they were wearing.  They were visibly touched to know they were modeling something so special.  

We were the last company to be showcased.  I like to think of it as the “grand finale” for the event. :) I kept envisioning the Ethiopian women so I wouldn’t be too nervous.   Their beautiful creations on those beautiful models were only a glimpse of their deep beauty. What a joy to share their story!

Behind the scenes with the Fantastic Miss Fox

I just discovered a series of photos of Lori Fox, our lead designer, during her last design trip to Ethiopia, Kenya, + India.  I’m thrilled to share a glimpse of Lori through these behind the scenes shots taken by Esther Havens.   Lori is one of the most talented, thoughtful, + creative people on the planet.  Full of wonder + adventure, she’s the kind of gal that is a perfect travel partner because she’s so flexible + patient.  I think these photos capture her cool, calm + collected vibe.  In addition to overseeing the development of our collections, Lori is also the art director + stylist for our photo shoots.  She is indeed fantastic!

Lori heads back to Ethiopia in just a few weeks to develop our Spring collection, and then she’s planning to relocate from LA to Austin to take on the position as our official full time lead designer.  I can hardly wait!

                         On location in Ethiopia, Kenya, and India

In a few weeks, I’ll post an interview with Lori as she embarks on her next design trip.  I’d love for you to hear more from her heart.  Truly, I am thankful to have the “Fantastic Miss Fox” as part of our team.  

Conversation with Sophia Lin

When I agreed to start a blog for Raven + Lily, I knew I wanted to do an entry about my dear friend and co-founder Sophia Lin. She is a beautiful person to the core, and I wish everyone had a chance to know her like I do. I could never have made it through many trials in my life without her, and I could never have started Raven + Lily without her partnership and dedication. The overall look of Raven + Lily from website, to logo, to products, to packaging has all been designed or directed by Sophia. She’s one talented lady, and that’s why she’s our CCO (Chief Creative Officer).  Here’s a little interview with Sophia so you can have a glimpse of what makes her tick:

Kirsten: What is your inspiration for starting Raven + Lily?

Sophia: I have always wanted to take my experience in the graphic design world and take it to a deeper level. To see how design can transform people’s lives in the most basic ways exemplifies design at it’s best. Also, the idea of doing something creative with my good friend Kirsten was something I couldn’t pass up!

Kirsten: As a graphic designer, who/what most inspires your creativity?

Sophia: My inspiration for design comes from all areas of my life- mainly architecture, interior design, travel, food, basically anything that has been designed well. Things that feed my creativity are sleep and good food. Some of my best ideas come to mind while I’m sleeping or over a good meal with a friend. I don’t watch tv so I have a good share of magazines and blogs that I love to read in the evening before going to bed. Seeing others get creative makes me excited and fuels my own creativity.

Kirsten: Where/what women do you hope Raven + Lily can partner with in the future?

Sophia: Being Taiwanese, I would love to partner with some empowerment programs in either Taiwan or China. There are so many traditional artisan skills in this area that I know with the backing of Raven + Lily, we could come up with some awesome designs.

Kirsten: What books and/or films have been an inspiration to you?

Sophia: Creating a World Without Poverty by Muhammad Yunus is a great book that truly inspires any entrepreneur to think outside the box. He challenges me to think of how to use commerce in a positive way to truly transform lives and make a difference. The Hole in Our Gospel by Rick Stearns is also a very powerful book that makes me analyze where I am spending my time and energy and for what purpose.

Kirsten: What inspires you as a mom and wife?

Sophia: My sister Yvonne inspires me to not sweat the small stuff as she’s always calm, cool and collected. My sister Gina inspires me to be organized and plan my meals for the week (which my husband enjoys). My sister Tiffany inspires me to go deeper in conversations and relationships. My good friend Kirsten inspires me to put my husband and kids as top priority through her example.

Kirsten: Aww…thanks, Sophia! I’m showing that last answer to my hubby! Ok, just a few more questions. What is your “dream day”…where would you be and what would you be doing?

Sophia: My dream day would be in San Francisco- to wake up without an alarm clock (which is usually my kids), a vanilla latte at the neighborhood coffeehouse while reading some design magazines, a spin class followed by a walk along the beach with my hubby and boys, lunch at the Ferry Building Marketplace, some window shopping, a dinner picnic overlooking the sunset, and a night out with my sisters or girlfriends (hopefully involving dessert, massages or both).

Kirsten: Can I come with you on your “dream day”. Sounds amazing! Any other questions I should ask? I’m tempted to ask how you satisfy your sweet tooth and look so good! ;)

Sophia: I love to eat so I really need to exercise or l’d weigh 500 lbs! I’m also addicted to spinning- it’s a party on wheels!

Kirsten: You crack me up, Sophia. Thanks so much for being willing to answer these questions! I’m so thankful for your friendship and partnership with Raven + Lily.

* Photo of Sophia by the amazing Kaysie Dorsey of Pixel Peach.  I think Sophia looks like a movie star from an epic Chinese film in this pic.  What a beauty!

What it means to be a Social Business

As some of you might know, we started almost 3 years ago as a nonprofit in partnership with Tirzah International (formerly Women of Global Action).  As we developed our partnerships in Africa and India, we began to see the need to grow and transition our company into a for-profit model for sustainability.  After much research and discussion about the best business model for Raven + Lily, we landed on the emerging concept of being a social business (or a socially responsible brand).  

How is R+L a socially responsible brand?

• We are intentionally focused on creating sustainable economic opportunities for marginalized women.
• We support women’s empowerment programs that comply with fair trade standards to ensure that the women are valued and rewarded for their work.
• We believe in training the women to create high quality, modern designs that reflect their beauty and culture.
• We desire all of our artisans to work in a safe and healthy environment.
• We use recycled and remnant materials when possible.
• We are dedicated to returning proceeds to our partner communities to fund educations, healthcare, and micro-loans.

This means we strive to be profitable in order to achieve our social cause: empowering impoverished women.  We have more freedom to grow and help as many women as possible with this model, but it also creates a longer lasting relationship with our partnerships that is based on an ethical business relationship versus a charity model. Instead of relying on donations, we found like-minded investors to help us jump to a sustainable level.

While the majority of our profit is used to create sustainable economic opportunities for marginalized women, we continue to also return a portion of our proceeds to fund education, healthcare, and micro loans for women and children in the communities where we work.  We believe this model of creating jobs and giving back has the greatest impact on breaking the cycle of poverty while also bringing the most dignity to the women in our partnerships.

Finally, the key to being a successful socially responsible brand not only lies in a worthy social cause, but also how effective we are in creating designs that consumers want. We’ll never achieve our social cause if we don’t have high quality, modern collections that consumers love and want to buy.   In an effort to avoid one time “pity purchases”, our designs should stand alone as something desirable, unique and beautiful.  Plus, we love seeing women enjoy making something they are proud of, and we love sharing the story of those women and how each handmade product was created.  I hope you love our designs, buy them often, and tell others about Raven + Lily too!

I’d love to hear your thoughts about all this as well as other social businesses that you think are making an impact in a creative way, so please share!  Check out my “favorites” page to see a list of like minded brands I love!  

Uzma’s Story

Every few weeks I’d like to introduce you to one of our artisans.  They are the beautiful women behind the scenes who make all the Raven + Lily designs. This week, meet Uzma from North India.  She is one of the many ladies who make our handmade notecards, and her story gives testimony to why I believe empowering women through design can really work!

Uzma says, “Here women can’t do anything so women don’t go out. We have to wear a burka, we have to keep quiet, we have to keep our distance from men. But at the design studio, we can come and go in freedom and the men there are like brothers. Lots of women ask and say they want to work like I do. Now, because someone has helped me, I want to help other women in need. Before starting this work, my life was difficult. My mother and father in law died and my husband had no profession. There was tension and fighting in our house. I prayed, ‘How can these problems be taken from us?’ A relative came and said there was a group in town hiring. My husband began working for them, then I was able to join and start working with the women there. The women are all happy and we all feel we can do the work.  The community used to see me and know that I was weak- I couldn’t eat properly and my clothes were old. Now, people know that we are doing well and we thank those who buy our products and God for this.”

When we launch our online store in a few weeks, you’ll be able to purchase our exclusive eco-friendly paper products made by beautiful Uzma!

Voice for the Voiceless

                          “Speak up for the people who have no voice,                              for the rights of all the down-and-outers.                                      Speak out for justice!                                 Stand up for the poor and destitute!” *

And when you do, you just might see the miracle of a life transformed.  All these women were the “voiceless” ones.  Many are HIV positive and were abandoned by their families and community.  Some face severe discrimination because of their gender and religion. All come from extreme poverty.  When I look at these photos, I smile because they smile.  Poverty is conquered. Dignity has entered.  And now…they too have a voice.  

*  proverb from King Lemuel // photos of the beautiful women in our partnerships by Esther Havens