One of my very favorite places in Vancouver is Maiwa. They have stores on Granville Island and in east Vancouver. Maiwa "endeavours to support traditional craft through an ethical business model. They support the production of embroidered, blockprinted, handwoven, and naturally dyed textiles throughout a number of countries." They are committed to fair trade; in fact, they buy the products directly from the artists themselves-- there are no middle-men.
"In a world economy where mass-produced items are cheaply and efficiently made, quality of life for the artisan must come from the respect that is accorded to the master craftsperson. The survival of a culture depends on the aesthetic freedom of its people."
In addition to their stores, they have a foundation which supports development projects, they produce documentaries and podcasts, too! And then there is the Maiwa Loft.... Located above the Granville Island store, the Loft is filled books and and cupboards full of beautiful textiles from all over the world. The folks at Maiwa call the Loft a "living archive". It is open to the public by appointment. I can imagine spending days there, pouring over the hundreds of books and gently unfolding the most exquisite textiles.
I visited the Maiwa Loft for the first time on Tuesday. I was especially taken with the embroideries from the women of the Kutch Desert in India. These textiles are hand embroidered! Maiwa has created a documentary about these artists and supports the co-operative that the women are a part of.
"[Co-operative] members from the tribes of the Kutch work together. Collectively, they set standards of quality while maintaining their unique traditions. To ensure equity and build confidence decisions regarding costing, design and organization are subject to a vote. In this way responsibility for the direction of the embroidery is placed where it is most appropriate - in the hands of the women who create it."
