Ok – so maybe you don’t know that what you really want this winter is a beautiful red (or hot pink or cobalt blue) wool felt bag with a contrasting kidskin tassel and graphic lining patterns.
I had the opportunity to photograph these in my studio for my good friend Leslie Thomas who not only founded Workshop CoOp to bring beautiful accessories for women to United States on a fair trade basis, but is much to be admired as well for her work as the founder of Art Works Projects.
I can’t resist the opportunity to plug one of my favorite non-for-profit groups. It’s mission is to use design and the arts to raise awareness of and educate the public about significant human rights and environmental issues. Perhaps you remember seeing Darfur/Darfur, which addressed genocide in Darfur Sudan or Women between Peace and War, which portrays Afghanistan and Pakistan Tracing the crisis of the family in a country under siege. These muli-media installations travel the world. We are hoping that Chicago will be a venue soon.
But back to these luscious wool bags, Workshop CoOp spent the last few months working with the artisans at Tsagaan Alt in Ulaan Baatar and the wonderful Jian here in Chicago, navigating their way through the perfect pink and richest red and how much color is too much? (is there ever too much?)
Coming soon… we hope…Workshop CoOp‘s bags from Mongolia. They are not available yet, but I certainly want to add these to my Christmas shopping list!
