I have exciting news for everyone...As part of (Product) Red, Hallmark is now selling cute bogolan bags, hand-painted and hand-sewn by Malian artisans. Representatives from Hallmark visited Mali three separate times (I met with them once in Segou, but unfortunately my artisans could not get their products and pricing in order in time for this Christmas season). They placed several orders with a group of tailors and bogolan (mud-dyed cloth) artisans in Sevare, and my friend Sara Rosen(the business volunteer in Sevare) has spent the last few months working nonstop with these artisans to get the orders filled.
(the bags)
These Malians worked 12-hour shifts, seven days a week for months and months to produce 120,000 handbags. This has truly been an amazing opportunity for Malian artisans, as this is the largest order I have ever heard of from an American buyer. I am impressed that this group was able to coordinate and meet all the deadlines for this order. And I am happy that Hallmark considered Malian products for their stores -- Mali's not exactly a big player in the global market (yet!).
Seeing all this from the third-world side of the deal, I honestly believe that this has been an incredible opportunity for the communities involved over here. And hopefully, the bags will be a hit (right now they are in 3,500 stores nationwide) and more orders will flow in.
Check out http://www.hallmark.com/red to get more info and to see the bags. I actually helped get the symbolic meanings of the different patterns and translate them. And go to a Hallmark and see the bags in person (maybe even buy one if you like 'em)! A lot of hard work and collaboration between Peace Corps, West Africa Trade Hub (WATH), Hallmark and Malian tailors and artisans was put into getting these bags on the store shelves in America. We hope you enjoy them!
I'll sign off with a couple photos of my kitten, Jaba. She's fiesty and eats a lot. We get along perfectly!
4 comments:
Your kitten is so cute! With it's huge tummy, you should change the spelling to....JABBA! Ha - you knew I'd get a Star Wars reference in her one day...
Love, Cindy
120,000 bags - that's a ton! It's so strange to see Hallmark.com's description of the patterns' meanings that you put together - on their website! Very cool!
It was great to talk to you the other day!
Love, Maria
Are you sure your cat doesn't turn into a gremlin when it gets wet? (Or is that a G-1 reference you wont get...actually, I never saw the movie either). :)
patty
Hey Kat! I picked up my Mali bag yesterday at the hallmark in Mill Creek! They only had one design though, but that's still really cool!
Post a Comment