Join us for a fun 3-day online marketplace event with a dozen other ethically-minded brands around the world. We’ve each prepared a personal video and there’s a discount code in there too 😉
If you think it’s fun/funny to see Mari get awkward with her video message, this is your chance 😆 Join the event by clicking here.
Hope to see you there!
XOXO,
Mari
Did you know that we loooove to see where our handmade creations have gone? It’s so much fun to share how everyone wears each item, and on what kinds of adventures the pieces get to go on. I also have a great time sharing these pictures with our partner artisans – they get a kick out of it, too!
This month we’re hosting a photo contest via Instagram ❤️
Enter by June 30th for your chance to win a handwoven, naturally-dyed ikat scarf. Prize will go to my favorite image, as simple as that 😉
This photo is from last year’s winner, Holley!
XOXO,
Mari
Wendy from Moral Fibres models with our Quetzal Tote
Starting to look for the perfect Mother’s Day gift? Well, we have some ethical, handmade favorites to share with you 😘 Support our partner women artisans, many of whom are mothers themselves 🙌
Corte Wrap: great light year-long scarf, luxuriously wide normally $90
Quetzal Wrap: naturally-dyed and handwoven. Support women weavers! Normally $110
Hummingbird Wrap: choose from 3 naturally-dyed colors, with ikat designs. Normally $75.
Quetzal Tote: our favorite tote fits everything you need! Normally $90.
Remember, take $20 off with code MAMALOVE until May 14, 2017. (Valid for orders over $100 – and free shipping too!)
We’re so excited to be hosting a discussion on the challenges and rewards involved in the work we do here as social entrepreneurs in Guatemala. Join us for an interactive live video discussion on Perhaps you need a little Guatemala tomorrow, Tuesday, January 17th at 5pm PST!
Together with the lovely boss ladies behind Stela 9, Luna Zorro, and Uxibal we will be answering questions and having a fun discussion sharing stories. Hope to see you then!
Did you know that we can make some alterations to make sure that our boots will fit you?
Like this pair made with a widened calf, a special order. We had the customer measure her calf to ensure a good fit. And we did it! She’s super pleased with her “forever boots” as she calls them 🙌
Got special feet? Just let us know! Shoot us an email at hello@kakawdesigns.com and we can figure out if there’s something we can do for you. Take advantage this December! Order your boots at kakawdesigns.com.
Note: This post was originally published on Eco Warrior Princess.
By Mari Gray
Many people have asked me how I first got started with my artisan-made business Kakaw Designs. The short answer is this: through a small Kickstarter project for $2000. That was my way of figuring out if people liked the idea of custom-made boots using traditional Guatemalan textiles. The answer was yes, and we’ve grown so much in the three years since inception.
Now, we’re doing another Kickstarter project (until November 20, 2016) and I want to explain why. Because clearly, ours is an existing business, not a recently launched one.
And it’s been going really well. So why another crowdfunding campaign? There are three main reasons…
We started the business using beautiful repurposed textiles here in Guatemala. But the goal has always been to focus on our work with weavers and embroiderers. Because by working together for new textile designs, we are more directly contributing to supporting these dying traditions.
The downside is that this is more costly both in time and money. There is always trial and error involved, and the cost of making even samples is much higher because we need to prepare an entire loom of the commissioned textile. This all makes sense, it’s fair and that is how it should be, but it is an additional challenge that comes with ethical practices.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/103011633
This has been a challenge. In order to get into different retailers, we’ve had to increase our final price on some products, and develop new products specifically with wholesale in mind.
Related Post: 4 Most Common Dilemmas of an Artisan Made Brand
So in case this is all new to you, this is how it works: Kakaw Designs sells 10 bags to Boutique A, and this is called “wholesale.” Boutique A then sells those 10 bags at a mark-up (they’re a business too, of course) and so the price generally doubles from wholesale to final retail. But in order to keep our final prices aligned both in stores and online, some adjustments had to be made, which means that we’re probably losing some direct sales beacause of the price increase.
This is a tricky balance that we’re still trying to figure out. How much should we dedicate to wholesale, and how much to direct online sales? We don’t have a clear answer yet, but we do realize that we need to have both things going for us – both wholesale and direct sales.
All our bags and accessories are ready for quick shipping both in Guatemala and in the US. We have a shipping person in the US so that our delivery time is reduced. She also ships international orders because it’s just not feasible to ship directly from Guatemala to the UK, for example. We also keep stock here in Guatemala to sell within the country at different retailers, and people come to me directly as well. Word of mouth is a powerful thing!
This is all great, don’t get me wrong. The business is expanding; we are growing. But again, the extra stocking investment is something we can feel as a small business.
Related Post: What Launching an Ethical Fashion Brand Really Looks Like
We’re using this platform to take pre-orders on our newest products focusing on increasing the impact with the women – for weaving and embroidery. The groups of orders are not even that big (ex. 10 Picnic Blankets), but it just means that we can go into production mode without having to invest in stock first, and wait around for a potential sale. By taking pre-orders, those products already have new homes, and that way we can also reduce our prices per product. We’re also not undercutting any wholesale opportunities because this is a one-time only project, limited-time. The prices will increase once the products make their way to our website. We’ve already developed the new products, and now we’re ready to gear up for production.
I feel like sometimes there’s so much emphasis placed on the growth of a business, it can seem like a linear, positive progression. I think growth is good, but it does come with its own challenges. Kakaw Designs is at a critical point right now, one that I’m sure many small businesses have experienced as well.
It’s a great, exciting step for us in increasing our social impact and staying true to our mission of working with female artisans here in Guatemala. It’s the perfect opportunity to check our work and make sure that we are on the right path. And joining forces and grouping orders allows us to take that next step with ease.
Want to support the Kakaw Designs on Kickstarter? Check out the Kickstarter campaign here.
Big thanks to The Good Trade for featuring us on their list “15 Handmade & Fair Trade Scarves to Add to Your Wishlist”!
We’re honored to be featured by such a respected go-to resource for all things dedicated to social good. We especially love their focus on social entrepreneurship.
Here’s what they said about us:
KAKAW DESIGNS
Based In | Guatemala
Ethics | Fair Trade, Women’s Empowerment
Best For | Natural Dyes, Vibrant Colors
Price Range |$35 (Scarf) – $90 (Wrap)Mari started Kakaw Designs in 2013 after returning to her homeland of Guatemala. After meeting artisans who were let down by local NGOs, Mari then decided that Kakaw Designs would create beautiful products ethically, while also being gentle to the environment and empowering women artisans. Their line of leather products has now expanded to scarves and wraps as well, 100% handmade with gorgeous natural dyes.
Choose your favorite scarf from our wide selection of handwoven and hand-embroidered scarves. And hey, our Hummingbird Wraps in Palo de la Vida are on sale right now for only $70 🙌
Check it out, friends! We’re so excited to share this lookbook with you. We’ve been meaning to make one for a while now (like, years…) and FINALLY were able to finish it. We hope you like what you see. As always, shop directly at kakawdesigns.com ❤️
Have you heard about our special collaboration with Maya Traditions this month? Our goal is to raise funds for university tuition for students like Herlinda. Everyone in the Youth Education Fund comes from an artisan family that Maya Tradition works with, and it’s a HUGE deal for them to be attending university.
We’d like to introduce you to one of these amazing students, Herlinda (in the middle, with that adorable smile!):
Herlinda is 22 years old and from Nahualá, Guatemala. She is studying Law in university, which here in Guatemala is a 5-year program. Guatemala needs more Herlindas to move forward!
When asked “Why is it important to attend university?” she answered:
Now days, a university degree is indispensable. The majority of organizations recruit people with degrees and several years of work experience. This means that in order to have better work opportunities, it is necessary to have general and critical knowledge. I think that studying in university will give me the opportunity to get to know the legal realities of our country, and this will allow me to share with others and hear their experiences.
Here’s some background info on education in Guatemala:
In Guatemala there is a clear need for increased educational opportunities and youth development initiatives. The Guatemalan Ministry of Education reports that only 61% of junior-high (básico) age youth and only 32% of senior-high (diversificado) age youth are enrolled in school. The educational realities are even more disparaging for indigenous populations. The majority (62.3%) of the 556,000 children aged 7-14 not attending school is indigenous, and the highest rates of illiteracy occur in rural areas with an indigenous population. This is largely due to the extreme poverty faced by many indigenous Guatemalans and a poor education system that offers little opportunity to advance economic sustainability. Government-run public schools are under-funded, overcrowded, and offer antiquated curriculums. The alternative private schools are often too expensive for a vast majority of indigenous families, 75% of whom live below the poverty line.
Take a moment to check out our Original Boots and our Quetzal Shoes, with 20% of sales going towards supporting students like Herlinda with their university education this September.
Alison in her Original Boots made with Cielo textile
We get questions on the different terminology for the traditional pieces of clothing here in Guatemala…. and this post by Maya Traditions explains it very well, with graphics and all!
Here’s just a little bit from the post:
Hair ribbon (cinta) — These can be worn around the crown of their heads, as depicted, or they can be wrapped around braids. A third style is to wrap the ribbon like a spiral around a low pony tail which is then wrapped around the crown of the head.
Blouse (blusa or huipil) – These can be simple with embroidery of birds or flowers by the neckline, or they can be fully brocade or embroidered. Some styles are embroidered on both the inside and outside so they can be reversible. The number of huipiles a woman owns depends on her economics status.
Sash/belt (faja) — A piece of fabric, utilized as a belt, which wraps around twice and is then tucked in to hold up the piece of fabric which is wrapped into a skirt.
Skirt (corte) — The thick embroidered band around it is called a randa. It is used to connect the two pieces of woven fabric which, because they are woven on a loom only reach a certain width which alone is not wide enough to create the entire skirt.
Shawl (rebozo or tzute) — A multi-purpose fabric used as a shawl or placed atop the head, which can also be used as a bag when transporting large amounts of items to be sold, or a baby on their back.
Well, I hope this helps answer some questions you may have had. Though we’re moving towards using more new textiles rather than repurposing old, right now our products are made still at about 50% used textiles. Like our Original Boots. On kakawdesigns.com you can design your own, and part of that means choosing your textile – we hope with this little graphic above you’ll know what piece of textile of traditional textile you are selecting.
Make sure to take a look at the full post by Maya Traditions here.
XOXO,
Mari
Kakaw Designs 