Many of us have come to rely on Amazon's rapid doorstep delivery throughout life on lockdown — but there’s more to the mega-retailer than click-of-a-button toilet paper or on-demand hand sanitizer. Known among online-shopping enthusiasts for its digital trove of hidden gems and viral curiosities (exfoliating foot peel, anyone?), Amazon also has an Etsy-esque appeal by way of its Handmade store. Now, with entrepreneur Lauren Conrad lending her fair-trade and female-artisan-crafted expertise to the platform, we’ve got our cyber carts at the ready for discovering a new assortment of truly unique finds. We chatted with the founder of the non-profit The Little Market to get the scoop on her newly launched collection with Amazon Handmade that's set to empower female makers from all across the globe. “We’ve loved working with companies like Amazon Handmade. They have such a large reach and more importantly, we share a mission of driving awareness for artisans and makers all over the world,” Conrad explains. “Collaborations like this allow us to continue to tell their stories and introduce their products to new audiences.” Scroll on for a peek into these products as well as the stories of the creators behind them.
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These stories are centered around six artisan groups across Bangladesh, Cambodia, the Philippines, Rwanda, the United States, and India — all of which can now offer their covetable wares on Amazon Handmade. Shop beautiful bowls that have been handwoven through traditional Rwandan techniques using locally sourced grasses, for example, or opt for a striking pair of tasseled earrings crafted by skilled entrepreneurs in Cambodia. No matter which of these treasures makes it into your cart, each purchase will support dignified income opportunities and essential resources for underserved craftswomen and social enterprises around the world — which means The Little Market's newly launched Handmade storefront is filled with goods that do good.
For Conrad, having the exposure to the incredible women behind these pieces further fuels her ambition to support small businesses while encouraging her followers and fans to adopt more conscious shopping habits by paying attention to where their goods are coming from. “I was able to visit Prosperity Candle, the group that makes our candles, a few years ago," she remembers. "They are an amazing social enterprise that work with women who have recently resettled from refugee camps. It’s one of my favorite products and I loved getting to see the process and meet some of the women who were making them."
In addition to these coconut-soy wax candles, shoppers can expect to find other handmade products including delicately crafted jewelry pieces (perfect for elevating your Zoom attire), reusable shopping or wine bags (just what you needed to keep your pantry staples safe and sustainable), beach towels (there's still time for a staycation!), and woven bowls (for an easy, single-step interior design boost). And, if you just can't wait to get your hands on one of these Conrad-approved fair-trade items, then that's where the power of Amazon comes in: all items are available with the convenience of Prime's two-day shipping promise.
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