Connecting the Crafts

During my trip to the States this summer, I had a chance to travel to the West and Southwest. This trip has been long-awaited, as I have long held an admiration for Native American arts and culture. This part of America has a particularly strong tie with native culture.

Some of you may remember I brought back a handful of Native American jewellery for my shop years ago. I found them at a small shop run by a Native American family in Maine. Most of the pieces came from the West and Southwest, and that became one of my favourite destinations. And the jewellery went so fast!

While my main work in Laos and Cambodia is ongoing, my interest and passion for crafts is not limited to a region. In fact, my aim is to connect crafts across the globe. I love working with unique artisans to develop collections, and what would be better than to bring the world together doing that! I also love the challenge of finding these authentic artisans and the process of editing and curating to create truly original work of crafts.

Native American culture is very spiritual. Their stones, shells, and fabrics all bear the spirit of their culture. Turquoise - also my birth stone - in particular is so fascinating. I love turquoise around the world, but I find them quite special in the Southwest. Sky blue turquoise is beautiful, but I have a penchant for greener hues. Apparently less copper and more aluminum makes the stone greener. I saw turquoise that is olive green and lime green! But each shade is beautiful and the way it is cut out of the hosting rocks makes each gem so unique.

My journey to the Southwest has thus begun. There is much more to Native American culture than turquoise and stones, which I am resolute to explore. Navajo textiles are already on my mind, and designing my boheme clothes collection based on a Southwest theme will definitely happen!

Stay tuned for more on 'connecting the crafts'!

Emiko