From the Heart of Haiti to my Living Room

I’m not one to hawk products. But every once in a while, something comes along that makes sense to share. The Macy’s Heart of Haiti project is one of those. On the surface, it’s a collection of exotic housewares and jewelry available at Macy’s. But after learning about the program and the cause behind it, I realize there’s so much more.

You remember the 2010 earthquake that devestated Haiti? Sure, now that I mentioned it. But for the people of Haiti, they’re forced to remember every day. The Haitian economy was shattered nearly four years ago, and it hasn’t recovered. Garment factories have popped up in an effort to revive the economy, but workers there aren’t getting the wages they’re promised.

So Macy’s partnered up with Fairwinds Trading and more than 200 independent Haitian artists to bring the artists’ handcrafted goods directly to shoppers like you and me in the United States. In exchange, when you purchase a product from Heart of Haiti, Macy’s kicks back half of the wholesale price directly into the hands of the artisan who created it. You get something beautiful, and they get some of the help they need to bounce back.

Everywhere Society generously hooked me up with a beautiful palm leaf picture frame from the collection to style, shoot and share with you. That’a awesome for two reasons. First, I’m a southern girl, so you know I’m a sucker for all things palm. And second, I got to experience the stellar craftsmanship for myself first-hand. An attached tag tells me that the steel my frame is made of was salvaged from recycled barrels and cut and hammered by hand.

I’ll be going back to Macy’s for more from the Heart of Haiti line (luckily my local Lenox Mall is one of the participating locations, but the collection is also available online), particularly this gold-striped wooden tray. Happy shopping!

 

I received payment, trade and/or products from Heart of Haiti in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own. Affiliates and sponsors are screened to make sure I think they are a great fit for the site. Thank you for supporting the partners that keep Formal Fringe up and running!