For many of us, the winter season means staying in (who wants to go out in three feet of snow?) and hosting friends and family (it's okay if they go outside). The holidays add incentive to entertain, and guests add incentive to spruce up the house.
Yes, that means festive decor, but it's also an excuse to upgrade basics like blankets, pillows, and art. We've had our eye on companies who make it easy for globally minded travelers (ahem) to score ethically sourced goods made by artisans from as far as Burkina Faso, Tibet, and Uzbekistan. Here are four of our favorites and a selection of their beautifully designed and handmade home goods. And llamas. We always want to share llamas with you.
With a belief that homes should reflect the stories and craftsmanship found around the world, The Citizenry founders Carly Nance and Rachel Bentley partner with local artisans to create a series of limited-edition home collections. Ten percent of proceeds are given directly back to artisan communities to help support fair wages, safe working environments, and entrepreneurship. The next slides are highlights from their collection.
Provenance: Argentina, Mexico, Peru, and Uganda.
Palermo Tripolina Chair
An heirloom-quality, folding chair made of Argentine leather and lightweight guindo wood.
Inspired by an Indian textile bought abroad, Cristina Bryant set out to create a home goods company that reflected her values of global citizenship. St. Frank sources unique textiles created by artisans around the world and turns them into pillows, framed art, blankets, and other home goods.
Provenance: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guatemala, India, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, Senegal, Tibet, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and West Africa.
Grey Otomi
An embroidered textile created by Mexico's indigenous Otomi people and framed in Lucite.
Provenance: Central Mexico Price: $3,350 Available at: stfrank.com
Mud Cloth Tablecloth
A traditional West African textile made of Burkinabe cotton and naturally dyed with mud sourced from the Niger River.
Provenance: Burkina Faso Price: $395 Available at: stfrank.com
Kantha Pillow
Named for the unique running stitch used to create the floral and animal motif, the classic textile used to make this pillow was originally created by women in rural Bengal.
Provenance: India Price: $155 Available at:stfrank.com
Pampa founders and photographers Victoria Aguirre and Carl Wilson connect their two countries by bringing artisan goods from Argentina's most remote indigenous communities to Australia. They source hand-woven rugs and cushions and document the process to create a collection of striking fine art prints.
Provenance: Argentina
Puna Rug
A gorgeous, one-of-a-kind, hand-woven flat weave rug made of sheep's wool.
Provenance: Northern Argentina Price: $1,150 AUD Available at:pampa.com.au
Monte Cushion
A round, hand-woven cushion made from sheep's wool.
Provenance: Northern Argentina Price: $175 AUD Available at:pampa.com.au
Pampa Horse Print
A fine art photograph from Pampa co-founder and photographer Victoria Aguirre.
Provenance: Argentina Price: from $285 AUD Available at:pampa.com.au
After moving from New York City to Mexico City, textile designer Allison Jones lauched Alegria Home, a modern collection influenced by traditional Mexican and Guatemalan artisanal techniques. Each piece is handmade using sustainable means of production and is unique to Alegria Home.
Provenance: Guatemala, Mexico, Senegal, and Tunisia.
Vivian Blue Cocktail Napkin
Beautifully hand-woven and embroidered cocktail napkins.
Provenance: Chiapas, Mexico Price: $15 Available at:alegriahome.com
Saba White and Natural Baskets
Coil-style weaving baskets hand-woven with cattail stalks and plastic.
Provenance: Senegal Price: $185 Available at:alegriahome.com
Tessa Woven Ikat Pillow
Coral pom-poms are affixed the corners of this hand-woven ikat striped pillow.
Provenance: Guatemala Price: $229 Available at:alegriahome.com
We make every effort to ensure the information in our articles is accurate at the time of publication. But the world moves fast, and even we double-check important details before hitting the road.
