Featured Item - Inkkas Kicks
Originally established in 2012, Inkkas is a socially conscious, authentic and original hand made footwear company made from traditional South American textiles.
The Root Collective
The Root Collective is an Ecommerce space that features the work of a range of artisans from around the world. Partnering with small-scale craftspeople in developing countries, they help provide sustainable employment, and access to market. The Root Collective work to bridge artisanal communities and customers, without all the middlemen, maximizing the return the artisans receive, while keeping prices accessible through the elimination of wholesale/retail mark ups.
The website features shoes, accessories and jewelry from a range of craftspeople in Guatemala, Kenya and Peru. Working with a range of techniques, the collections feature hand woven scarves, totes, clutches, and a pretty ballet flat shoe in bright Guatemalan weaves, as well as a range of jewelry that spans a multitude of materials and techniques. Shoes and scarves are entirely hand made in Guatemala, with the textiles woven on traditional backstrap looms by Mayan women in the highlands. The shoes are then hand cut and formed in the slum of La Limonada. Jewelry is crafted from recycled and all natural materials; some hand carved from gourds, others featuring the traditional beadwork of the Maasai tribe, or made from local Peruvian seeds and nuts.
The Root Collective believes in changing lives by partnering with nonprofit organizations that work directly in the communities where their artisans live. 10% of each purchase is donated back to the same nonprofits, with the purchaser able to choose whom to support through their purchase. The goal is to create independent communities, sustained on commerce and craftsmanship, and alleviating poverty.
The artisans themselves take pride of place on the website, with each one featured, their stories told, and their resilience, skill sets and victories honored. Clearly illustrating the true value of trade not aid, and respect for craft, tradition, and fair pay for fair labor.
Website: http://therootcollective.com
Blog: http://ihearttrc.tumblr.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheRootCollective
Twitter: @IHeartTRC
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/ihearttrc
Instagram: http://instagram.com/ihearttrc
