[ad_1]
It's been five years since Lauren Conrad and Hannah Skvarla founded The Little Market, a digital non-profit marketplace that promotes the work of women artisans around the world.
"It was a long-time dream," said Conrad, 32, at PEOPLE's store, located in the Palisades village in Caruso, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. "I'm so glad we did that because it's a great way to show all the pieces. I think it's such a powerful statement.
RELATED: New mom Lauren Conrad and her best friend Hannah Skvarla share their gift choices
Skvarla adds, "It's so different to touch and smell something because every product is handmade and everyone has their own variations.
Conrad and Skvarla were inspired to launch The Little Market after a trip to Africa in 2012.
"We visited non-profit organizations focused on women and children, and we continued to hear that they simply wanted a way to support themselves and their families," says Skvarla. "We wanted to find a way to help women in need."
courtesy of The Little Market
The Little Market pays for the products from the start, so that no craftsmen (countries such as Thailand, Guatemala and Mexico) are overworked; sales go back to the artisans themselves to pay for more materials, thus creating more jobs.
"Every purchase changes directly," says Conrad. "Our goal is really to serve as a platform for artisans around the world to sell their products."
Regarding the design of the Little Market (non-profit, one of the first of its kind), Conrad and Skvarla worked with the design firm Studio Lifestyle.
courtesy of The Little Market
RELATED: Kristin has a show! Brody is married! The stars of The hillsWhere are they now?
"We wanted to create a warm and welcoming environment, but we also needed a very neutral and clean environment," Conrad said. "We thought about it a lot."
In the end, Conrad hopes to grow even more. "The bigger we are, the more craftsmen we can reach and the more we can help."
Source link
