About Us
How it all began
The Artisan Partnership
Jenny and Mark conceived the idea for The Artisan Partnership after living in Mexico for the last few years. There, they met Valeria, an extraordinary basket maker from San Luis Amatlán, a tiny village 100km from Oaxaca City in southwestern Mexico. Together, they came up with a plan to expand the market for these local artisans’ stunning hand-woven baskets.
Although Oaxaca is renowned for its artisan products, these craftspeople struggled to sell their beautiful handmade baskets because they relied on tourist trade in far away markets. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, and this source of trade completely dried up.
So, Mark and Jenny decided to do some good in the awful year that was 2020 by working directly with Valeria and her community to expand their reach and sell their woven baskets all over the world.
The small woven baskets are perfect as colourful planters that cover small plant pots and serve as pretty storage boxes for jewellery or bathroom bits. The large woven baskets look great as woven planters for large indoor plant pots and make attractive toy chests, woven laundry baskets, and can store anything from blankets to toilet rolls as unique storage baskets with lids.
The Artisan Partnership reinvests profits into buying more products, so every purchase helps create a sustainable income for artisans who are practicing age-old skills. That’s what The Artisan Partnership is all about – products that are ethical, practical, and beautiful.
