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Ecuador Jewelry Going Worldwide

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Earrings, bracelets and necklaces made by women in Otavalo are in demand at US boutiques. Twice a month, the tagua and turquoise items are sent to the US by air, 100 kilos of these crafts. This business was founded five years ago by a woman named Amanda Judge. It''s called the Faire Collection. Two other women from the US, Joy Bittner and Emily Hockett help promote fair trade handicrafts from Otavalo. According to Bittner, US companies including J.Jill, Chico''s and Anthropologie love the Otavalo jewelry which they sell through their catalogs. The Faire Collection has fair trade workshops in Ecuador, Peru, Swaziland and Vietnam. Part of the aim of this enterprise is to improve the lives of the artisans who make the crafts. One of the Otavalo women making the jewelry said this business has helped her children eat better and they now attend classes regularly. Link with background info on the Ecuadorian artisans who do work for the Faire Collection: http://www.shopfaire.com/ArtisansEcuador.aspx

Submitted on Mar 31, 2014 - Category: Moving Abroad, Network: Ecuador

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OceanHideaway