Thoughts From a Designer: Empowering Women One Stitch At A Time
As we near the end of Women’s History Month, I wanted to write this post about a special group of women I collaborated with this past year who will forever be a special thread in my history.
Ethical fashion is the latest term and trend that we hear many brands using today. But for me, it is something deeper. Haiti is where my roots grow strong, I was raised watching my parents giving back and helping others. So when the opportunity came up for me to work with a group of women artisans and train them on skills that could help them, I jumped at the chance.
It started in the month of June, how ironic, the same month of my mother’s birthday. A woman who possessed many sewing machines but didn’t really show me how to sew. Her sense of style made up for it. Fashion and style is something that I will carry with me forever alongside the need and desire to help others, all due to my mother.
The workshop was in the central plateau of Haiti, an area I have never visited. I can’t lie, my New York lifestyle made me have some reservations. Fear of giant tropical bugs mostly combined with the idea of potentially not having Wi-Fi access. Those feelings came to pass right after my introduction meeting with the Women of Hinche who would soon allow me to see life through their stitches.
Embroidery was their specialty and our task was to combine their gifted craft with new skills that I trained them on to create a vignette of artisan goods. These goods would soon have more meaning than just items sold into someone’s home. Each style has a history, a story of its maker and with each story comes the need for empowerment of women one stitch at a time.
#1. The Love Pillows:
We all love a decorative pillow, what’s better than one that says a nice message. The pillows were created by a number of the women. It started with a pattern drafting lesson, which was a new skill for them and then moved on to a lesson on cutting techniques to ensure quality control. The styles were then finished by one of the senior stitchers, Marie-Carmel. She has been sewing nearly as long as I have been alive and at her age, she was eager to apply any new skills that would help her do a better job. She eventually would sew with a measuring tape by her side to ensure she was keeping good quality standards.
#2. Wine Bottle Bags:
Going to a friend’s house with a little vino is always a nice treat for the host. What better way to dress up that cold glass bottle than with a wine bag that says a little extra something. These bags were created by a stitcher, Laurette, who personally touched my heart. She was quiet and smiled whenever my Creole words were pronounced with a bad American accent. Her shyness was evident and her quality of good sewing made her one of the top sewers of the group. She made a uniform out of the few clothes she owned which was visible through her close repeat pattern throughout the week. She has children which her priority was putting them in school. So all her finance went to them rather than a closet full of the latest fashion items.
#3. Table Runner:
A table can always use a little dressing up with a special runner, and just like a table seats many, this runner was created by many. Each embroidery was done by a separate artisan and then appliqued on to the runner. When I see this runner it makes me think of the beautiful smiles of the women who worked on it together when they were asked to take a photo. The sense of accomplishment they had that they created this piece of work was priceless. It confirmed they were a team and together they could create beautiful things.
This collection is sold with the intention of providing jobs to these women. It’s a different direction than my Bien Abyé collection. At the same time, the intimate stories of these women are what drive me to want to help these women be empowered financially. They made sacrifices to create this group. Someone walked two hours to get to the workshop and they all stay longer than usual just to learn something new that would help provide more to their lives.
I personally grew up in a time when sewing was not taught in schools. It was a trade that could be picked up at home or taking a special class. So for me, it was not really my favorite pass time activity. Even in college I created these complicated designs just to enjoy pattern drafting, not sewing. But now, after my time with these women artisans, I have a new appreciate for sewing, stitching, and embroidering. It’s a skill that in another country “Empowers Women One Stitch At A Time.”
For more information on this collection visit www.dayannedanier.com artisan collaboration.
