Tag Archives: Fair Trade

Elly Adventures

Hand Block Printing

Posted on by Charlotte Firmi
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Hand block printing is a favourite craft of mine. Many of you may have seen some of the final results of this method on beautiful clothing, but have you ever stopped to think how these prints are brought to life?
Hand block printing is a skill that requires the patience of a saint! I have always collected old hand blocks, which are a work of art in themselves, even before they are used as printing blocks. Depending on the print, sometimes multiple blocks per motif are used!

Hand carved patterns are sculpted from blocks of wood to essentially create a stamp. The stamp is then dipped in inks or dyes (wherever possible we prefer to use vegetable dyes) and then the process of manually stamping the print onto large rolls of fabric begins. How could you not love this wonderful method of printing?

Not only does this skill produce incredible prints, it is also one of the more sustainable methods around as the fabric must first be soaked in water to remove starchiness in the fibre and many Indian artisans will do this in the local rivers, reducing the need for water consumption.

Sourcing trips to India always include a visit to Jaipur where I thoroughly enjoy watching the chippas (a caste of printers) bring the whole process to life. Always working with small family businesses and doing my part to make sure they are working in fair conditions, one of my main passions is to keep this amazing craft alive. This is mostly done by associations teaching those less fortunate the skill and how to implement it.

Help us to keep this incredible craft from disappearing by supporting fair trade whenever you can.

Gabilr
Elly Adventures

Women Empowering Women

Posted on by Charlotte Firmi
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In an attempt to aid the ongoing struggle to address poverty and injustice in the workforce in developing countries, we work closely with a number of different NGOs around the world and are always happy to be introduced to new ones. Victoria’s sourcing trips to far away places have led her to form solid relationships with talented artisans in foreign lands, making her extremely aware of the need to protect dying crafts by encouraging fair working conditions. An intrinsic need to reinforce these working conditions and a love of intricate embroidery and precision needlework, go hand in hand with Elly’s Fair trade clothing ethics. This made SEWA the perfect NGO for us to partner with.

SEWA is the Self Employed Women’s Association; a group of women who have become strong & determined through unity and their support of one another. SEWA’s mandate is to strengthen women through establishing a common identity as informal workers, and to empower women with properly and fairly paid salaries. A major accomplishment in itself, SEWA became a registered Trade Union in the early 70s and has been going from strength to strength ever since.

Fair trade from a distance

Learning to work remotely with artisans is a challenge but the experience is incomparable; we are always thrilled with the end product and love working as a team. Laughing together at the end about the “lost in translation” details is heart-warming and we wouldn’t change it for the world.

Many of our gorgeous fair trade clothing, cushions & homewares are made especially for us by SEWA, as well as an increasing number of pieces of clothing from the VICTORIA label. Victoria’s daydreams become ideas, these ideas become sketches, the sketches become detailed photos which are then sent to the lovely SEWA ladies who turn these specifications into beautiful pieces of embroidered art.
Over the years, our SEWA products have become increasingly popular and we love our selection of lavender filled embroidered pouches, scatter cushions, floral & under the sea cushions with heartfelt motifs on them, colourfully embroidered tea towels, hand loomed cottons and linens, bags, clothing and more!

It is very comforting to know that these pieces are made with love & laughter in surroundings & circumstances that are improving by the day and that your purchase is so much more than just an over-the-counter exchange.

Elly Adventures

Working With NGOs & Small Businesses

Posted on by Charlotte Firmi
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Elly and Ethical trading

Made from the heart. Working alongside NGOs enables us to support women workers and their communities around the world. We support Ethical trading in South Africa & Indonesia, orphanages in Nepal and a number of NGOs in India.

Giving back is at the heart of Victoria Elefante’s ethos. Items designed by Victoria are handmade especially for us by artisans around the world in support of disappearing crafts, fair trade enterprises, NGOs and small businesses. A close relationship with NGOs such as SEWA, WIF & a Nepalese foundation allow our designs to be produced with love and with intricate attention to detail, while simultaneously improving working & living conditions for those that are struggling.

Supporting fair trade around the world

SEWA is the Self Employed Women’s Association in Delhi, which helps workers to achieve their goals of full employment and self reliance and overcome challenges.

WIF is the Women’s Interlink Foundation in Calcutta that rescues vulnerable young women, taking them out of human trafficking, giving them a home and teaching them a skill. Many of Victoria’s own designs are made by them as well as the production of her silk & cotton summer clothing collection and beach pieces…

NEPAL – We also work side by side with a foundation in Nepal, supporting local economy as well as traditional crafts & designs in a village in the mountains, helping women and children, and with an NGO that promotes change through a project of recycling plastic to keep the Himalayas clean.
We eagerly source gorgeous ethical trading pieces from small businesses around the globe that help disenfranchised people, such as Wonki Ware from South Africa.

Although we take pride in doing our part to sustain fair working conditions and ethical trading around the world, we also fully support & encourage local talent. We work closely with many island residents and always enjoy helping them promote their own brands within La Galeria Elefante whenever possible. Pop by at any time to see some fabulous pieces of art and keep an eye out for our blogs about these amazingly talented artisans.