Fashion For A Better World

Can buying beautiful clothing in America improve the lives of women in India?

We know it can--as do the hundreds of women who create the remarkable hand-embroidered apparel in this catalog. Indeed, for more than four decades our unique business partnership has brought opportunity and empowerment to the lives of these talented artisans, and in turn benefitted their families and their communities. Today, our network of 12 women-run cooperatives continues to train business leaders, managers, tailors, and embroiderers, giving women a path to financial independence and personal growth. It's what we hoped might happen, back in 1980, when we launched MarketPlace: Handwork of India in the slums of Mumbai.

But you don't have to take our word for it. On the following pages, you can read the stories of the women themselves, artisans and business leaders who have discovered new strengths, talents, and confidence, and whose lives have indeed been transformed.