HOW DREAMY ARE these photos of Raven + Lily’s Texas shops? We love the idea of shopping in a way that gives back this year. Raven + Lily is one of our favorite brands uplifting female artisans by bringing gorgeous objects and jewelry like the ones pictured above to market, both online and IRL.
We’re chatting with co-founder and CEO, Kirsten Dickerson (again!) about what makes the design of their storefronts so unique, and how each detail fits into a larger mission to honor our environment and empower women, globally…
SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS CURATION: 80% of the items sold in the stores are exclusive R+L designs, but I also curate other goods from other like-minded socially conscious companies like St. Roche (read our interview), Rose + Fitzgerald, Kopal, Sseko (visit with us) and Gaia.
WORLDLY INSPIRATION: All the elements in both stores reflect my love of Morocco, minimalism, and mid century design. The architect is Michael Hsu. The lighting is all artisan made in India and Egypt. The large vintage rugs are sourced from my friend Maryam Montague in Morocco and they support her non profit Project Soar. We also source one of a kind baskets (available in storefronts only) from the local Taita tribal women, and the little animals made from the remnants of our apparel designs are also from the community and support families with differently-abled members.
RECYCLED GOODNESS: The wood is all reclaimed wood from either a blacksmith shop in the Civil War era or a 100 year old department store that was torn down in San Antonio.
STENCIL STYLE: The stencils used on the concrete floors are our exclusive design partnership with the Royal Design Stencil Studio. They donate 20% of all sales to fund skills training for HIV+ women in Ethiopia, and over 60 women have gone through the program and gained access to starting their own businesses. We also sell the stencils in the storefronts.
Fair Trade Focus: We are working with the first fair trade factory in Africa on a carbon neutral zone. The focus of this partnerships is to provide meaningful employment to the local community which has previously suffered and depended on poaching for survival. Their efforts have helped to end poaching in this entire region as well as restore the surrounding land. Animals have returned and the people are thriving. We love that this partnership so tangibly shows how shopping ethically can have a very positive impact on people and the planet!
Community Connection: We also love hosting community events in both stores, including fundraisers for local non profits as well as launch parties for magazines and other media events.
Which shops that give back do you love? Share in the comments below!
