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17 August 2013

Noonday Collection


I'd like you to imagine walking down a road in a foreign country and seeing bricks and rocks stacked on top of each other and a flimsy blanket attached to four tree branches on top of that. Imagine your curiosity at the structure being sadly answered when a woman donned in an apron steps in the doorway and empties a bowl of it's contents. Or imagine working at a school that sends children home with juice boxes and cans of spam so they can eat on the weekends. Maybe you can't imagine those images, but surely you've been walking down the street and have seen a poor beggar sitting with a cup for spare change, everything he owns stashed in a backpack next to him. Resist the urge to argue that poverty is a direct result of laziness, dependence or choice because it is so true that poverty appears in the eyes of sweet children and grown men alike.

While you may struggle with giving a twenty dollar bill to the beggar on the street corner (because "every" beggar is going to run to buy booze with each penny), the truth is that money does run out. As the famous Chinese proverb says, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." I have been presented with the opportunity to do the latter of that phrase and I can't be any more excited!

Noonday Collection is a stunning talent collaboration of women and people groups from all corners of the globe. Noonday started just a few years ago when the founder traveled to Uganda and was presented with the opportunity to sell locally made goods at fair-trade prices back in her hometown of Austin. Word of the beautiful pieces and the amazing story spread quickly and Noonday grew to working with artisans from countries like Guatemala, India, Thailand and Peru. I joined the team as an Ambassador, which allows me to be an advocate for those in poverty and share the story behind the pieces they make.

As the website says so well:
"Our passion at Noonday Collection is to connect you with the lives of artisans struggling for a better future while styling you along the way. Fashion and design are a vehicle for opportunity and change. You, too, can be a voice for the oppressed!"

Noonday advocates not only for the poor and oppressed but also for the orphan. When someone hosts an adoption fundraiser trunk show, Noonday donates a portion of sales to the adopting family.

I am so excited about this opportunity, not only because the jewelry and accessories are stunning but because a story like this begs to be shared! And ohmygosh you guys, the pieces are AMAZING. The artisan's talent and care shines through everything they create.

Please take a minute and check out the website (but come back on August 28th when the new fall/winter line is launched!) You can order anything you'd like from my website, but what I'd really love is for YOU to host a trunk show with your friends/family and to share Noonday with even more people. I can't say it any better than this note from a group of artisans in Haiti:



I've been working really hard getting all trained up these past couple weeks and it just makes me even more excited that this is changing lives and I'm fortunate enough to be a part of it. My launch party here in Tucson is on September 5th and I envy your thoughts and prayers as I share this crucial mission with friends I haven't known very long. It's not about the jewelry, it's about the hands that make the jewelry and the lives it changes.

Click here to go to my website! (and just select my name as the Ambassador when you're checking out!)

1 comment:

Courtney said...

Super cool! Checking out the website now...