How cute are these little tie dyed and animal beaded pouches from Sammy Ethiopia?! I flipped when I saw them in our fashion closet!
gift-idea-sammy-ethiopia-fa The brand, which also makes these gorgeous hand-woven scarves, is based (obviously) in Ethiopia, and is committed to providing employment and a steady market for artisans in Addis-Ababa. The country is one of the world's largest leather producers (who knew!) which they use throughout their collections to make the softest ever leather pouches, all tie dyed with chrome-free reactive dyes. The founders, Sammy Abdella and Holly Hikido are committed to providing comfortable working conditions for their employees throughout the entire year, not just in the workshops, but also in the Sammy retail store in Addis-Ababa, and now the line is one of the few self-sustaining businesses in Ethiopia.
Each piece is totally one of a kind, hand made, and super SUPER cute. I have a blue tie dyed pouch that I wear ALL the time. They're not cheap, but it feels good to splurge on something that's doing so much good, and they're pretty perfect holiday gifts. You can pick them up at Barney's and a few things online at Asos.