Shop Heart of Haiti at Macy's for the Holidays

Today is Cyber Monday and lots of folks are shopping online for great deals. I've written before about Heart of Haiti, the collection of artisan-made goods available exclusively at Macy's. The working fair trade partnership between Haitian artists and a leading American department store is especially compelling at this time of year, with holiday gift shopping looming large and everyone watching Miracle on 34th Street for the umpteenth time. 

My feelings about shopping are complicated. I love to buy pretty things, true, but I'd also like my purchasing power to mean something. If I can buy hostess gifts that also help build economic security for artists, that's a no-brainer. Macy's Heart of Haiti and Rwanda Path to Peace Collections do just that. There's something for almost everyone on your list, from jewelry to baskets, quilts, ceramics and metal home decor.

Macy’s Heart of Haiti upholds the belief that “trade not aid” is a powerful way to create sustainable work and much needed financial opportunities. The initiative allows opportunities for the artists to work with US designers, helping strengthen international artisan relationships and making their products viable in the US market. The Heart of Haiti campaign pays in excess of fair wage to the talented artisans who create the product, giving them the dignity of work and economic self-determination.

To date the program has employed 780 artisans, which has improved the lives of over 6,200 individuals. The Heart of Haiti initiative provides artists with an opportunity to make a living, feed their families and pay their children’s school fees.

This bracelet is hand-carved from cow horn. Talk about upcycling!

We've been inundated with news of how Hurricane Sandy has affected US communities but it's important to think about how it has impacted Haiti's fragile recovery process, too. While you're making your holiday gift lists, please consider purchasing goods from a fair trade vendor, like Heart of Haiti! Your dollars do make a difference.

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received the bracelet pictured above to facilitate this review, which is part of a Fair Winds Trading/Heart of Haiti awareness campaign by Everywhere. Rest assured, however, that all opinions are– as usual– entirely my own.

Heart of Haiti: Trade, Not Aid

Heart of Haiti is an amazing collection of handmade goods at Macy's that lets you feel good about shopping. Not just because you have fabulous taste– which is obvious, dahling!– but also because the Haitian artisans who create the collection receive half of the wholesale price from each piece. This initiative, a partnership between Macy's, Fair Winds Trading and the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, allows the artisans to foster self-sufficiency and helps them to become an important part in rebuilding the economic infrastructure of Haiti. Much of the Heart of Haiti collection is steeped in folklore and tradition, so showcasing it in select Macy's stores nationwide makes the artisans de facto cultural ambassadors for their country. I hate the term "win-win" but it definitely fits, in this case!

I have long been a fan of folk art and handmade goods, so I was really excited to be asked to review an item from the Heart of Haiti collection. They have a wide selection of jewelry, sculpture, housewares and textiles so it was hard to choose one thing! I remembered an intricately carved firescreen in a magazine years ago (before I had kids…) and being impressed that something so ornate and delicate could be made from repurposed steel drums. Incised metalwork is a craft that has a long history in Haiti so I decided to choose the Heart of Haiti Songbird Picture Frame for my review. In person, it is even more lovely than I had hoped.

Choosing a photo to encase in this frame was hard! I didn't know if I should use it on a snapshot or a Gocco print from my collection. I decided I would put one of my favorite pictures of Roo in it, showing her as a toddler, leaning against one of her daddy's big wooden sculptures. It seemed to strike a nice balance between art and home life, what do you think?

I love the way it looks against my chartreuse office walls!

The process the artisans use to create the metalwork is really interesting. They make a template on a flattened sheet of metal and then pierce it and emboss it to render a dimensional effect. This video gives you an overview:

See more videos on the Heart of Haiti site at Macy's about metal working, painted wood and papier mache artisans.

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received the frame pictured above to facilitate this review, which is part of a Fair Winds Trading/Heart of Haiti awareness campaign by Everywhere. Rest assured, however, that all opinions are– as usual– entirely my own.