The holiday season is here (2016 has flown by!) and we’ve got a few gift ideas for all the special women in your life. From bags to jewelry to home decor, a gift from GAIA is extra sweet, because you’re not only treating someone you love with a beautiful handmade accessory, you’re helping our refugee artisans have meaningful work, support their families, and rebuild their lives. And that’s a gift that will keep on giving for years to come!  

** Now thru Monday 11/28, get 25% off sitewide with code THANKS2U **

For Your Interiors Obsessed Mom

She’ll be the envy of her next book club once her fellow readers get a read on our Lala tassel pillow, made with our exclusive GAIA-designed ikat textile. It’s a real page-turner.

 

For Your Gabby Great Aunt

She might talk your ear off, but you can do her ears a bit better with the gift of our new Sunburst tassel earrings. Her new Talitha Earrings will be her favorite new talking point.

For Your Sassy Baby Sister

You’ve treated her like your own since the day she was born. Now treat her to GAIA’s Neon Sabrina Fringie. It’s petite and perfect — just like she is.

 For Your Oh-So-Practical Older Sis

Never one to waste a word or gesture, she’ll appreciate that there are three ways to wear our Fold-Over clutch. The Rosetta is subdued yet special — right up her alley.

For Your Endlessly Flirty BFF

This gal walks through life with a twinkle in her eye. Gift her the Flower Tribe Cha Cha bag and she’ll always be able to give a little wink, even with her baby blues closed.

For Your Hippie-Chic College Roommate

You see her only once a year, and you have no idea how she funds all her adventures. But you do know that Africa is on her bucket list. Tide her over ’til she gets there with the Zulu Cleo tassel necklace.  

For Your Darling Little Niece

She’s the apple of your eye and guaranteed to purr with delight when she sees the Sprinkle Mini Kitty. Plus, pom-poms are her fave!

For Your Circle of Five

You could. not. live. without these women. They pick you up when you are down, make you laugh until you cry, and never ever judge when you grab that 3rd (or 13th) cookie. Give each and every one a zippered pouch embroidered with the word “Tribe.”

For Your Kickass Boss

She has inspired you and championed you — and never once taken credit for your work. Her accessories game is as undeniably strong as she is, but she’ll get it the promotion she deserves with our Sunburst beaded necklace. 

For Your Lifesaving Co-Worker

More than once she’s found your missing file/rebuilt your wonky spreadsheet/showed you how to unhide those ding-dang cells. Express your gratitude for those surprise cups of Starbucks with our All Eyes on You bracelet.

For Your Favorite Baby Sitter

She comes whenever you call, bathing your babies and tucking them in at night when you can’t be there. Show her how much that means to you with the beaded and tasseled Lucy lariat.

For Your Prized Pet Sitter

In a pinch or over a weekend, she makes sure Snarls Barkley is walked and fed and loved. Gift her a GAIA key chain (maybe No. 88?) and she’ll always remember to lock the door behind her.

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At GAIA, we practice gratitude all year long — for our work; for our families; for our friends; for the grace, health, and happiness that can be elusive for many people, for many reasons. But this time of year — with Thanksgiving around the corner — we like to take a bit of extra time to spell out exactly the blessings in our lives. Our team invites you to read our lists and to take a moment to make a list of your own. There's scientific proof that cultivating gratitude has the power to improve your life.

 

Paula

1. The glorious chaos of my big, happy, & healthy family.

2. The soul-feeding joy of my work with GAIA & the inspiring women we serve.

3. God’s grace & mercy — without it, I would have none of the above.

  
 

Lauren J.

1. My family! I'm thankful for cozy fall mornings in our little jewel box home with my sweet husband & puppy, Jack, as well as the ability to travel to see my family in California — a luxury that many of the refugee women I work with don’t have.

2. A job that allows me to build relationships with, & advocate for, people who are often overlooked or unnoticed, but who need and deserve care & support as they rebuild their lives in a foreign place. It is an absolute honor to work on their behalf every day.

3. Citizenship in heaven — our world is a crazy place these days. I’m thankful for an eternal perspective that gives me hope & joy & peace in the midst of uncertainty.

   

Huddy

1. A life full of love & support from my family, co-workers, friends.

2. Colin Grayson, the kindest man, who pushes me to be the best version of myself.

3. Last but certainly not least, a God who has blessed me with gifts that I can use every day.

   

Johnna

1. My friends who have stuck with me through the good & the bad, support me no matter what, & are crazy fun.

2. The opportunity to have a job with a greater purpose than just a paycheck — a purpose to help others succeed & thrive.

3. I'm most grateful for the unmerited favor of God's grace. Because of the free gift of grace, I will always be fully loved & my life is completely secure.

  
 

Alyssa

1. My loving, hardworking, & super patient husband.

2. A year full of fun adventures all over the map. Our honeymoon in Turks & Caicos was my favorite.

3. A family that keeps my heart full of joy & belly full of laughter — including the newest member, our puppy, Izzy.

   

Bothina

1. God's mercy and unconditional love.

2. My family nearby (my loving & supporting husband & gorgeous kids) and my family who are now far — but I hope we'll be able to get together soon.

3. My new family here at GAIA, who have welcomed me & my mother-in-law in every possible way, so that I look forward to each day I come to work.

   

Lauren G.

1. God's sweet provision in my life, in our latest adventure with a new house, which will soon allow me to indulge in my love of decorating.

2. My family of boys always keeping me on my toes but loving me through bedtime hugs.

3. Morning coffee from the hubby and family movie nights.

   

Jackie

1. What I consider the seven marvels of the world: to feel, to see, to taste, to hear, to touch, to smile, and to love.

2. My family and all their sacrifices to give me a better life — in America — and the freedom to live my American dream.

3. Art, books, movies, nature, people, and life, for inspiring me every day.

   

Alysia

1. People in my life, both friends & family, who bring me up when I'm down & always encourage me to keep pushing toward my goals & dreams.

2. The Puckett family for making me feel loved from day one & being my Dallas family away from home.

3. The inspiring and hardworking women in my life whom I can lean on (Mom, you're No. 1)

  

 

Laurel

1. The opportunity to pursue a master's degree.

2. My relationship with Jesus Christ.

3. My supportive family.

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Visit Catherin in her home and she will offer you a cold beverage, and either a big plate of fruit, or an exotic sugary sweet from her neighborhood market. She will sit and chat with you while her 16-month-old daughter, Juliana, bounces on her lap and drops seaweed chips at her feet. Nearby, in the corner of the living room, on a folding table, is her sewing machine and a stack of colorful fabric squares, which she will sew into Roundies for GAIA.

When Catherin talks about first arriving in Dallas, her pretty face lights up and she becomes animated. She will wave her hands when she tells you how scared she was to be in a country where she didn’t speak the language or know a single soul. She will tell you how sad she felt to be away from her mother and father. But she will do it with a smile on her face — because Catherin is almost always smiling.  

  

Catherin was the inspiration that led our founder, Paula, to create GAIA in the first place. A Burmese refugee who arrived in Dallas in April 2009 with two young children, Catherin became Paula’s mentee through the International Rescue Committee. She needed to learn English and find work, among other things. Paula wanted to help. And that’s how GAIA was born.

  

  

10+ Years in Refugee Camps

Catherin and her siblings first fled Burma for neighboring Thailand in 1995. (Burma is a republic in Southeast Asia also known as Myanmar. Civil war has raged there since the ’40s, and it is among the least developed countries in the world.) Catherin was just 16 years old. She spent more than a decade in various Thai refugee camps. During that time, she met and married her husband, and they had two children, Bambina, now 13, and Basolus, now 9.

She remembers the day an NGO group came to visit the camp where she was living. “They talked about families coming to the U.S. They said they could take a lot of people and asked us, ‘Do you want to come?’ They showed a movie, and we needed to sign a lot of papers before we could be considered,”  she says. From there, the process of immigrating to the United States took about a year. “We were interviewed three times,”  she says. “And there were lots of medical checks — X-rays and blood tests.”

  

  

A Tough Start in Texas

Catherin and her children arrived in Dallas separately from her husband, who came six months later. Sadly, he died from liver disease shortly thereafter, leaving Catherin as the sole provider for the family. She recalls that period of her life as very difficult. “We were scared, and we wanted to go back to the camps. We had to pay a lot for rent and electricity and a phone, and we had no money. The jobs available to us paid very little.”

She also recalls a time when a man broke into her home and she had to call the police. “I said all the time, ‘I want to go back.’ I wanted to be with my brothers and sisters. I really felt like I’d made a mistake.”

  

  

But under Paula’s wing, Catherin found stability and hope. Her work at GAIA — initially making cloth napkins — paid a living wage, and having someone she could turn to for help made all the difference, she says. “Paula gave me a good thing.”

Life Today

Since then, Catherin and her new partner have had two more children — baby Juliana and her brother Christopher, who is 5. She has also become a United States citizen, passing her citizenship test this past summer and voting for the first time in this past election. “Overjoyed”  is how she describes her feelings about that, and she laughs when she talks about the fact that Juliana or Christopher could some day be president of the United States.

  

  

That’s not something that ever could have been possible had the family stayed in Thailand. And though she misses her mother, whom she hasn’t seen since 1997 and who has never met any of her grandchildren, as well as her siblings, who are now scattered from Nebraska to Burma to Finland to Yemen, Catherin says she has found happiness.  

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Inspiration for GAIA bags, jewelry, and home goods can come from anywhere. Without even meaning to, we’re constantly collecting ideas in our travels, from magazines and blogs, and just being out and about in our daily lives. Getting inspired in a world filled with color, texture, and creativity is easy! Turning a spark into a saleable product, however, can take ingenuity, finesse, teamwork, and good old-fashioned trial and error.

Here we pull back the curtain to give you a look at how we start with an idea and end with rewarding work for our refugee artisans — and fashion and decor we hope you will love.

Starting From Scratch

Let’s start with our Pom Pom bag. While exploring the souks of Morocco in late 2014, our founder, Paula, bought a sweet little handmade pouch embellished with dangling beads and multicolor paillettes. When she got home, she hung it on one of the inspiration boards in the GAIA studio. There it stayed for months, silently stirring director Lauren’s imagination. Early in 2015, while the team was brainstorming, thoughts turned to the little pouch. Lauren had been hoping for a chance to bring it to life. This was it!

Our first attempt was to replicate it exactly, but that didn’t quite work out. Several prototypes — and a morning-shower revelation — later, the Pom Pom was born! The final design has an elastic opening and chain strap instead of a drawstring, and fluffy pom-pom embellishments instead of beads. Aesthetically on point with a fairly straightforward assembly, it was an instant hit with the team, the refugee women who make the bags, and customers alike.

Building on What’s Working

Inspiration can also come from existing GAIA designs. Take, for example, the new Cha Cha bag, which is a variation on the Pom Pom. Or our new Sunburst earrings. These tasseled beauties were designed by our jewelry guru Huddy and are built on a scaled-down version of our embroidered earrings, which we knew our refugee artisans were already making very well.

And that’s a big consideration for all of GAIA's designs — how easily our artisans can turn out a high-quality product by hand or on a home sewing machine using materials with which they are already familiar. Plus, we want making our designs to be gratifying work for our refugee artisans. We seek feedback from the refugee women. If they find a design too complicated or too tedious to complete, the work won’t be rewarding or empowering. 

What’s more, we consider the cost of materials in a design, and probably not for the same reasons most companies do. When we keep material costs low, we can pay our artisans a bigger percentage of the price of the item. Ideally, the majority of what we (and you) pay for a GAIA pouch, bracelet, or other design is income to the refugee women. The Cleo necklace is a great example of this. Material costs for the tasseled necklace aren’t much, but construction is quite labor intensive, so a greater percentage of the cost of the necklace goes right to the women who make it. And that really hits our sweet spot!

Taking Things for a Test Drive

Between prototype and full-scale production, there’s 'test marketing', of course. Which basically means we all take a new design out for a spin, ensuring it will hold up with daily use and to see how our friends react. We know we've got a hit if we're out and about and the compliments keep coming! Every ooh and ahh and “I'm OBSESSED!”  is a vote for a new design, putting it one step closer to officially becoming part of the GAIA collection.

And what gets our vote for favorite GAIA design? We took a quick office poll, and of our recent debuts, Sunburst Earrings came out on top (they complete an outfit, and are light on the lobes). Of our styles that have been around longer, the Roundie got Paula’s vote for its versatility (cross-body, clutch, and reversible), Alyssa chose the Crescent (unique statement piece), and the rest of the votes went to our ever popular Fringie (perfect petite size.)  Drop us a note and let us know YOUR favorites!

    

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Fall is finally here! We adore fall! The brightly colored leaves, Texas State Fair … and the brief window of time when we’re not either burning up and swatting mosquitos or shivering and skidding on icy roads. We also love the changing of the seasons because we get to share a new GAIA collection with you. The GAIA team and refugee women have been very busy these last few months working on new designs and old faves in fresh colors and patterns. 

For starters, let us introduce the Cha Cha. We took our popular Pom Pom bag — still bringing a smile to every face that sees it, including those who spied it in the J.Crew spring 2017 Fashion Week presentation — shrunk it a bit, and replaced the poms with slinky fringe up both sides! It comes in eight styles, made by our refugee women with textiles sourced from Africa and Thailand. The Cha Cha has a chain strap and easy-to-access elastic opening, just like the Pom Pom. She’s also like the Pom Pom in that she likes to party … but with a tad more sass! 

Another bag we’ve been working on is the “Gigi,” and she’s extra sassy as well. Stay tuned for her debut in the next month or so! 

In the accessories department, our Sunburst earrings with tassels are brand new for fall 2016. They were inspired by dreamcatchers and build on the embroidered earrings that our refugee women were already so skilled at making. These super-lightweight earrings are everyday statement pieces, and they are online now. You’ll also find current GAIA favorites — Crescent and Fold-Over clutches, as well as Pom Poms, Roundies, and pouches of all sizes — in new-for-fall textiles scooped up all over the world.

Headed to the site any moment (we hate to make you wait but really wanted to tell you about these goodies!) are pom-pom hair ties and the “Laurel,”  a new necklace collection that takes our fun Cleo tassel necklace to a more refined level. It’s an elevated look with a bit of shine — and it definitely belongs on the holiday party circuit

And, finally, one last trick up our sleeve: new text pouches with new sayings! They’re not quite ready to go live, but here’s a little hint: We thought your “SQUAD”  needed to be told “hello, gorgeous,”  especially if you’re all busy “adulting.”  Because “you fancy,”  you know? ☺  

Now for the most exciting fall news:  All of this newness and growth has allowed us to do what we’re here to do in the first place: provide even more income to more refugee women in our community! We just welcomed a new women to our team; we’ll be introducing her soon. She’ll hopefully be followed by another refugee woman or two in the very near future — and this is all thanks to you and your support! Though we love, love, love to make handbags and other accessories that you love to wear and that cause your friends to ooh and ahh and ask, “Where did you get that?,”  there is nothing like knowing we’re helping women have meaningful work, take care of their families, and transform their lives.

That’s Style With Purpose. And that’s why we’re here.

 

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There’s something really special inside the October issue of the beloved Southern Living magazine: Us!

The issue — on newsstands now — features our founder, Paula, as part of the magazine’s first ever Beauty Awards, which were launched to honor “real Southern women doing extraordinary things.”  Each of the 10 women (who run eight companies) who received an award was chosen because she has “a passion for doing good”  and is “making waves and proving that real beauty starts from within.”  With a circulation of a whopping 2.8 million readers (!!!), Southern Living put GAIA in front of so many potential new customers, each one with a chance to help our refugee women improve their lives.

We are delighted to have been chosen — and to be included among such empowered female entreprenuers as Amy Wright, who founded ABLE to Work USA, which matches intellectually and developmentally disabled people with employers, and owns a North Carolina coffee shop employing the disabled; and Hallie Darphin, whose Mississippi-based company, Dot, funds education for children in developing countries.

What an honor for our brand!

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Feza Ramazani was just 10 years old when she and her sister went to live in an East Africa refugee camp. The year was 1997. The girls were living with their parents and brother in the Democratic Republic of the Congo when that country exploded into war. When their community was destroyed, the girls were sent to live in Zambia. Shortly thereafter, their brother and father were killed. 

After several years in Zambia, Feza and her sister moved to a camp in Tanzania. That’s where she met her husband, Aheyo, and where their oldest child was born. In time, they relocated back to a refugee camp in Zambia, where their middle and youngest children were born.

The camps weren’t scary, Feza says. She was safe and slept well at night, but there wasn’t work. They didn’t have any money, and her children were bored. There were schools, but they weren’t very good, she says. So when she and Aheyo were chosen by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to move to the United States, they said yes. 

  
In 2012, with help from the IRC and after undergoing a rigorous screening process, the family moved to Dallas. By then, Feza had spent 15 years — most of her life — in refugee camps.

Today, the family lives in East Dallas. The children — now ages 12, 10, and 6 — are in school. Aheyo works full-time at Dr. Kracker in Plano, and Feza works from home for GAIA, making our tassel necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and more.

Feza says that from day one, she loved living in the United States. “Everybody is free, and my children can go to good schools,” she says. She doesn’t miss Africa, though her mother and sister still live there, and Aheyo sometimes talks about making sure their children get to know his homeland. 

But Feza says just thinking about it makes her sad. “There are a lot of problems there,” she says. “I lost two people there. I don’t need to go back.”

  
There is no sadness in her face, however, when she talks about her life now — only joy. She shakes her braids and breaks into a huge, sweet smile when she talks about how her children tease her about her English and how they may someday go to college.

Learning a new language as an adult has been hard, and she says that at first making jewelry for GAIA was difficult. But now, she says with pride, “I’ve got it.”

Learn more about about refugee resettlement and how you can help at rescue.org. 

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Next month marks one year ago that I traveled to Guatemala. Since GAIA didn’t have a blog at that time, I figured the anniversary of that trip would be a good opportunity to do a little “throwback”  and tell you all about my time in that beautiful country!

In search of a new travel experience, my sister-in-law, Yana, and I headed to Guatemala last October for a week of adventure, nature, and culture. And, of course, since Guatemala is known for its rich textile heritage, I knew I could mix a little business with pleasure and do some sourcing for our brand.

Yana and I were traveling with BikeHike Adventures, a group that organizes sightseeing, outdoor activities, and cultural immersion for vacationers. We had taken a trip they organized to Morocco the year prior (blog post about that soon, hopefully!) and the highly cultural aspect of both trips — the opportunity to spend meaningful time with the indigenous people of those areas — was the highlight for me.  

Another feature of the trip that drew me in was the opportunity to get outside of my comfort zone — hence, the “adventure”  portion of the experience! This included kayaking, hiking, and biking through the Guatemalan highlands … and it may as well have included wood chopping, because those activities are definitely not part of my normal day-to-day life. In other words, I am very “indoorsy.”

However, after every mountain pass climbed and village road biked, I was rewarded with stunning views of one of the most picturesque countries I’ve ever visited. Kayaking through the turquoise waters of Lake Atitlan, surrounded by volcanoes, was an otherworldly experience. The gratification and sense of accomplishment at the end of the day filled me up, reminding me that I’m capable of pushing myself past my limits and can actually do physical activity for longer than 30 minutes on a treadmill. The “outdoorsy” thing is pretty good for the soul; if you haven’t tried it lately, I highly recommend it. ;)

 And then there was the culture! Throughout the week, we traveled through various villages, visiting local markets and meeting the kindest people. One evening we were hosted overnight by a fifth-generation family of textile weavers, who even gave me a little lesson on their 95-year-old loom. Thankfully, I didn’t break it!

Another afternoon we found ourselves in a remote dusty village, enjoying a hearty lunch served by a local Quecki family in their home. At each of the visits, I purchased some of the family’s handwoven textiles to take home. Weaving is a deeply revered tradition in Guatemala, with men typically working on the larger foot looms and women weaving on backstrap looms, often spending multiple hours or even days on the creation of one piece.

We also traveled to the open-air market in Chichicastenango, one of the largest flea markets in Latin America. I was in utter textile heaven, so allowed myself to go a little nuts. I stocked up on patterned cloths, bedspreads, wall hangings, and more. Many of the pieces scored there have been transformed by our refugee women into gorgeous pillows, clutches, and pouches, most of which sold out pretty quickly!

Fortunately, I was able to make a local connection with Jess at Stela 9, who has since made a few market runs to help us replenish when we needed to. I was lucky to meet several other American expat women (thanks, Instagram!) and fellow social entrepreneurs who have created inspiring businesses of their own, employing local artisans to create their beautiful collections. You must check out my friend Molly’s work at Luna Zorro, and Uxibal, which is run by my friend Britini!

I also found some special textile pieces entirely by chance. One afternoon, Yana and I were wandering the cobblestone streets of Antigua (the most charming colonial city with stunning Spanish architecture) and happened upon two women tucked in a little alcove off the sidewalk, surrounded by stacks and stacks of textiles. I could’ve spent all day there, sorting through the fabric, chatting, and learning about the lives of these lovely women (that's them in the top photo and below!). One of the pieces — a length of indigo jaspe corte (which I'm holding in the pic) — bought during that warm encounter hangs in the GAIA showroom, still a favorite reminder of my trip. 

Overall, it was truly an unforgettable experience. Now I’m itching to go back!

XO,

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