This spring, Nordstrom and Piece & Co. are collaborating on a new collection of apparel and accessories that connects style with global impact. Founded in 2011 by Kathleen Wright, Piece & Co. is committed to ending global poverty by providing sustainable employment opportunities to female artisans. Wright wanted to help women artisans create a marketplace for their products, and in turn create sustainable employment for themselves. Soon she began to make connections with brands that were looking for authentic alternatives to factory-produced fabrics and accessories and today, the handmade textiles she helps source – ikat, block print, tie-dye – are sought-after for their one-of-a-kind prints, bold colors and interesting textures. Piece & Co. was born. To date, Piece & Co. has created thousands of jobs for women in more than 30 countries by connecting their craft with brands who serve a global marketplace of conscious consumers. With one brand’s order, between 75 and 100 artisans can be employed for up to three months. By joining forces with Nordstrom, these brands are able to create more than 5,000 jobs through Piece & Co.
A woman tie-dies fabric in Jodhpur, India. (PRNewsFoto/Nordstrom, Inc.)
Launching today, the capsule collection brings to life the work of women artisans around the world through unique, stylish pieces from eight incredible brands – Alice + Olivia, Current/Elliott, DVF, Joie, Rebecca Minkoff, Theory, The Honest Company, and Tory Burch. Each brand worked closely with Piece & Co. to source handmade materials and fabrics that are then incorporated into their pieces – dresses, tops, skirts, shorts and handbags. The collection will be available at select Nordstrom stores and on nordstrom.com (nordstrom.com/pieceandco).
A Rebecca Minkoff jacket and skirt and Alice + Olivia dress from the Nordstrom + Piece & Co. collection. (PRNewsFoto/Nordstrom, Inc.)
In the collection, customers will find classic silhouettes revisited in global patterns and colors, including:
– DVF‘s iconic wrap dress, this time made with hand-printed indigo batik, an ancient fabric printing technique that incorporates wax resist and dye.
– Alice + Olivia‘s A-line dress in an artisan-made bold blue and white loom-woven fabric, made in a weaving cooperative in India.
– Rebecca Minkoff‘s ‘Mini MAC’ cross-body in cognac leather accented with backstrap loom fabric, an ancient weave technique from Vietnam.
– Tory Burch‘s crackle printed canvas separates made of hand-painted fabric from Zambia.
– The Honest Company‘s nursing scarves made from hand-woven stripe and chambray designs and silk-screen printed fabrics from Maheshwar and Jodhpur, India.
– Theory‘s tunics and city shorts in fatigue and block prints from India that are created using a hand-carved wooden stamp.
– Current/Elliott‘s prep school shirts in black & white ikat or floral block prints made in India.
– Joie‘s blue and white ikat on casual summer staples: jumper, shorts and a sleeveless dress.
“What excites us most about this collaboration with Piece & Co. is how each of the brands really embraced the idea that the clothing they’re designing can truly make a difference,” said Tricia Smith, executive vice president, general merchandise manager, Women’s Apparel at Nordstrom. “It’s been inspiring to see how all of the brands have enjoyed creating their items with these beautiful fabrics and how they’ve now been incorporated into their spring collections.”
“When you invest in a woman, you invest in her family and community, too,” said Wright. “On average, women invest 90 percent of their income back into their families. This includes putting healthy food on the table, paying for their children to go school, or buying healthcare. And our artisans are no different. When we employ one artisan woman, we impact many. Pretty amazing things happen when women from around the world come together. I’m excited for the possibilities that this collaboration with Nordstrom and these fantastic brands brings.”
Fashion + Lifestyle 