Mata means “Mother” in Hindi and is a tribute to Shakti, the female creative power in all of us. That is exactly the power I felt when I first laid eyes on a pair of Mata Traders earrings many years ago. With an existing penchant for bold jewelry, particularly with an international flair, I was at the mercy of their colorful designs, affordability and ethically-based, fair trade business model. I immediately thought, I’m going to need a bigger Caboodle. As the years went on and my collection grew, I found out my connection to the brand ran much deeper.
As one does in high school, I babysat some of the neighbor kids and became close with one family in particular. We all got older and moved around the country for various reasons but somehow found ourselves unintentionally in many of the same places for extended periods of time, having the opportunity to reconnect at each stop. The girl I’d babysat was now in her 20s and had a full-time job in Chicago. We caught up for lunch one day and I was, of course, wearing a pair of Mata Traders earrings. She pointed and said, “No way! I work for them!” We took turns gushing about how much we loved the brand and before I knew it, I was going to sneak peek events, sample sales, buying dresses and unofficially repping Mata whenever possible, telling shopkeepers how great it was.
Mata Traders is a ‘design driven, fair trade brand helping to end global poverty and inspire ethical companies and consumers to change the fashion industry. Made by artisans in India and Nepal, their colorfully original designs are now sold in 50 states and 12 countries, and provide a stable source of income for families in some of the world’s poorest communities.’ One aspect of the approach is that they pay the women upfront, rather than per piece and by how many they are able to make. There are so many things I love about this brand, particularly that it maintains such a familial, warm vibe while operating on a global level as a booming retail business. It’s a small team with a big reach, and an even bigger heart.
Learn more about fair trade and how Mata Traders affects communities on a deeper level. Here’s to finding that Shakti creative power within all of us!
