Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Mata Traders. In Katie's words:
"Mata Traders is a Chicago-based fair trade fashion company. We partner with women's cooperatives in India and Nepal to launch two vintage inspired collections each year.
On our blog, we post about the background of the company, the lives of the women in the artisan groups in India, the design process behind our pieces, and lots more."
SouleMama: What role does 'handmade' play in our society?
Katie: It seems like handmade products lost their importance when consistency and speed became a priority, but in the last decade there's been a resurgence of care and consideration for where we get our products from. With the garment factory collapse in Bangladesh last year, people are paying special attention to where their clothes are coming from in particular, and we're happy to say our products are all handmade; hand block printed, screen printed, and hand embroidered and sewn by the incredibly talented women we partner with.
SouleMama: What does a typical day at work look like for you?
Katie: A typical day in our office can involve any number of things. We're designing and researching styles and prints for next season's collection, corresponding with the groups, quality checking a new collection, working on jewelry designs, shipping and packing orders, taking photographs of the clothing for the website and the catalog, and the list goes on. We're a small team with lots to do, but it keeps the day-to-day very interesting.
SouleMama: Is there a special place that inspires you?
Katie: Perhaps it's not one specific location, but traveling to any new place usually prompts motivation. Even without the intention to "be inspired," surrounding yourself with a new, invigorating environment provides just the creative itch you need to do something great. For us, India has this wonderful embracement of color and prints that can't be matched. Check out our Technicolor India posts to see what we mean.
For today's giveaway, Mata Traders is generously offering the following gift to ONE winner:
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To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8:00 am EST on Sunday, and announce the winner, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is...
This is a new company to me, I will be checking them out for sure.
Posted by: Jeanmarie
Thank you, Mata Traders!
