ARTIST STATEMENT: Amanda Judge, Founder, Faire Collection
Designed in New York and brought to life by the hands of our fair-trade artisans, Faire Collection is a fresh interpretation of artisanal craftsmanship. Faire Collection is a member of the Fair Trade Federation, and we are fully committed to following the principles of fair-trade.
With the spirit and passion of our makers captured in our designs, we are excited to share our jewelry collections that are handcrafted in Otavalo, Ecuador and Ha Noi, Vietnam. Both collections highlight each countries luxe natural, native materials such as sustainably harvested tagua, up-cycled bull horn and sustainable wood.
As a social enterprise, Faire Collection is deeply committed to elevating the lives of our artisans by providing dignified wages, hardship grants, and robust employee benefits that provide a path out of poverty. Our commitment to the fair-trade principles is within our brands ethos and we will continue to re-invest in our artisan partner communities so we can help break the poverty cycle.
Beginning in 2019, as part of our fair trade commitment, a percentage of all sales is given back directly to the artisans as a community impact fund. Each workshop meets to discuss how they would like to spend the fund, and together they vote on how the fund should be spent without input from management.
This year in Vietnam, the artisans decided that education costs were one of the most important issues within the community, and so voted to award scholarships to any artisan who was studying for a university degree or to any parents trying to put their children through school. They also decided to give a portion of the fund to one of our artisans who has a son with additional needs, allowing his family to access essential medical services for their son, which would have otherwise not been possible.
A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDER
In 2008, I started Faire Collection as a way to provide a path out of poverty to artisans living in rural Ecuador, and a few years later we expanded into northeastern Vietnam. I am proud to say that we have succeeded beyond my wildest expectations.
The changes I have witnessed in the last decade are simply remarkable. In cultures where women often have few opportunities outside of the home, I have seen mothers become the family breadwinner, empowering women to new heights.
These same women have full health insurance, flexible family leave, paid lunches and more. Most importantly, their children are well-fed, in school (often with the support of the Faire Trade Fund), and are flourishing. For me, the most profound change has been in the dreams of this next generation. Sons and daughters in our community want to become doctors, botanists and computer technicians, and they now have the realistic hope that their dreams can become reality.
With one life to live, I intend to make the most of it and invite you to do the same. Thank you for supporting Faire Collection.
– Amanda Judge