Here, I Made This

Can I show you guys something?

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Last spring, my friend Carly emailed me in a flurry of exclamation points:

Style collaboration. We’re thinking scarf. Tassels! Monochromatic! You design it. Ethically made, of course. Want to come to India? Meet the makers? Send it out with CAUSEBOX this winter?

Life offers no shortage of surprises, you know? One moment you find yourself in the kitchen chopping potatoes and the next moment you’ve sent yourself to India.

And this is how I find myself traipsing around the hot pink city in huarache sandals: dodging pigeons, spooning curry, falling in love with the world for the hundredth time.

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We visit the looms of Panipat to watch our scarves transform from thread to fabric. We see a happy weaver motion to us. Here, I made this.

We visit Shirarm Paper Factory, the no-waste facility that provides recycled paper for our labels. We hear Ramji say, Here. I made this.

We visit Priti, the beloved artist who ethically printed our labels onto Ramji’s paper. She offers us a sample of the finished tag, her eyes twinkling with joy. Here. I made this.

We visit Jyoti, the gifted designer who works tirelessly to employ and mentor local women. We see Jyoti smile as she holds up the sewn scarf in her workshop, as she proudly displays each tassel, each line, each stitch. Here, I made this.

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And here I am, saying the same to you.

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So, of course, when I say Here, I made this, what I really mean is that Here, we made this – each of us, offering our busy hands to serve a collective purpose.

Me, a writer, using agile fingers to publish posts, to string sentences, to tell stories, to offer love.
Tribe Alive, using agile fingers to design products, to email questions, to manufacture ethically, to offer love.
CAUSEBOX, using agile fingers to gather inspired goods, to prepare shipments, to introduce socially responsible products, to offer love.
Our dear friends in Jaipur, using agile fingers to tear seams, to stitch beauty, to dye fabric, to offer love.

And you, of course.
Using agile fingers to send encouragement, to share support, to spread kindness, to offer love.

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I didn’t make this.
We did.

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Our design will ship out in the winter CAUSEBOX, just a few weeks away. It’ll be filled to the brim with a slew of goodies from other makers as well — each offering their own version of love in the form of coffee, or chocolate, or jewelry, or beauty products.

It’s a shared effort, a secret whisper: Here, we made this for a good cause. Here, we made this for change.

Here, we made this for us all.

 

 

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If you’d like to subscribe to CAUSEBOX ($55), head here! Or, to order a scarf ($78) only, visit Tribe Alive here. Thanks for making this with me, friends. Here’s to us all.