Artisan craftsmanship remains the second largest employer in developing countries. It’s one of the main sources of income for both men and women makers who seek a sustainable livelihood. However, these artisans are also some of the most marginalized: lacking independent access to the global market, socially immobile, and often exploited by unscrupulous middlemen.

ARTISAN & FOX:

THE BESPOKE APPROACH

rtisan & Fox is a social enterprise redefining ethics in global retail. Working alongside artisans every day, they’re help them expand their micro-enterprises through global market access. Artisan & Fox helps expand artisans’ micro-enterprises through a bespoke needs-based approach. Each partnership with begins with a needs assessment. This tells them whether they need to co-create new products to improve product quality, help artisans boost production capacity, and/or evolve contemporary designs.

Artisans are guaranteed 50% of the gross profits of each item. The artisans are paid in advance so they do not face any liquidity barriers; and when needed, Artisan & Fox also covers upfront for material and production costs for less privileged artisans.

Artisan & Fox only collaborates with independent artisans, small artisan groups, non-profits and local social enterprises, avoiding large enterprises that can already scale independently, but rather, work with partners that have never sold internationally or have a very limited global presence.

SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS

Artisan & Fox encourages adapting long-standing local artisanal practices to use locally-sourced materials with a low ecological and carbon footprint. While some of the products in their marketplace include animal-based materials such as by-product leather and upcycled bone, they only support reclaimed materials that would have otherwise been discarded or unused.

Redefining the modern fashion supply chain by giving the artisans the upper-hand in the entire product design process, each piece on their marketplace is inspired by the cultural landscapes of the regions they work in, the product of a curated approach or 1-to-1 design processes with the makers. With a fusion of contemporary style and traditional techniques, traditional craftsmanship is preserved, while also remaining relevant in today’s world.

Artisanal production can at times be less eco-friendly. But by marrying traditional artisanal practices with modern upcycling techniques, this brand is encouraging their artisan partners to source their materials locally and use eco-friendly materials whenever possible, such as their recycled brass ranges from Kenya and our up-cycled cowhide bags, or fully natural maguey bags from Mexico.

Ethical business can change the narrative for entire ecosystems in developing regions worldwide. Artisan & Fox seeks longstanding impact in those communities, by working towards sustainable incomes and inclusive growth for each artisan that they collaborate with. And their visuals transcend more than faceless hands working on products; they’re intentional about sharing their stories. Cue the #KnowYourArtisan campaign, featuring artisans in Afghanistan and Vietnam.

AFGHANISTAN

Nazila is a talented jeweller and enterprising young artisan. She learnt to cut, polish, and shape jewellery with the Turquoise Mountain Institute in Kabul.

Discover craftsmanship from Afghanistan, handcrafted by some of the finest artisans in Kabul. Each rare piece tells a rich story of Afghanistan, and is handcrafted from locally-sourced materials such as Lapis Lazuli and Bamiyan turquoise. Their latest collection is inspired by the ancient geometry found across Afghan’s local tribes, handcrafted by the local artisans Massouda, Nazila and Nusrat.

Afghanistan’s arts and architecture were once the pride of Asia. But over thirty years of war have left these traditions on the verge of extinction. Turquoise Mountain, Artisan & Fox’s partner site for this collection, is working to preserve and revive Afghanistan’s arts and architecture through restoration projects, vocational training, and linking Afghan artisans to international markets. Murad Khani is one of the few surviving historic commercial and residential areas in the old city of Kabul. Badly destroyed during fighting in the Afghan civil war, and left buried under nearly two meters of accumulated rubbish, by 2006 Murad Khani had become one of the poorest areas in Kabul, and was in 2008 named on the World Monuments Fund’s Watch List of the world’s most endangered sites. Turquoise Mountain has regenerated the area by restoring the community’s historic buildings, providing health care and education services, and returning life to Murad Khani’s ancient silver bazaar. Every day hundreds of artisans travel to the cedar-paneled courtyards of Murad Khani to learn woodwork, calligraphy, ceramics, jewelry and miniature painting from Afghanistan’s most renowned artisans. Honing their skills over three years of intensive training, successful artisans graduate with an internationally accredited qualification, and the support and knowledge they need to set up their own craft businesses.

#KnowYourArtisan

VIETNAM

This straw bag is handwoven by the artisan Hien on Cam Kim Island, Vietnam.

Each straw bag takes Hien approximately two days to weave, and is done to contribute to her income from running a small grocery stall in the nearby markets.

Hien hopes to support her two sons through university, and teach the other women in the village how to weave her iconic straw bags.