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Philanthropic Fashion: Wakami USA

 

If you love to add intricacy and interest to your ensembles with trendy, tribal inspired jewelry, what could be better than an added authenticity that supports a philanthropic venture founded on the basis of female empowerment?

Begun in 2006 by Cornell graduate Maria Pacheco, Wakami is a brand that features the hand made designs of almost entirely female artisans, who utilize the indigenous weaving techniques and raw materials of their native Guatemala. Paired with the non profit organization Comunidades de la Tierra, these artisans fund the economic liberation of rural villages, transforming them into “Wakami Villages” by providing them with access to products and services that improve their homes and communities. A 2011 partnership established Wakami USA, bringing the designs and the cause into the United States.

Exuding youthful exoticism, the signature Multilayered wraps and packs, including particularly brightly hued statement pieces with colors reflectant of each strand’s individual astronomical inspiration. 

Above:

Planets Bracelet – Mercury, Venus and Mars

Earth 7 Strand Bracelet

Planets Bracelet – Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter and Saturn

More versatile styles are unveiled in the noir collection; a monochrome collection featuring a more metallic appearance and basis of beadwork with woven accents.

Above:

Noir: Alive

Noir: Exotic

Noir: Unique

Finally, the geometrically and texturally intriguing nevklace line feautures the subtlety of the English engravings. With phrases such as ” dream,” “inspire,” and “thank you,” embodying all that Wakami USA seeks to achieve in it’s mission of “changing the lives of those who produce them and enriching the lives of those who wear them.”

Above:

 

P.S. Dream Necklace

 

P.S. Inspire Necklace

 

P.S. Thank you Necklace

 

Allie Sutherland is an Architecture Student and Alpha Phi sister in the Syracuse University class of 2015.
http://alliesutherland.com/