Oops!! It’s almost Thanksgiving already. I could not focus on the latest newsletter since the last couple of months have been so busy. I volunteered to be one of the select few planners for Phoenix Fashion Week this year, which was a tremendous amount of work and responsibility. Despite the time and effort involved, I am happy that I participated to help the local community, spread knowledge about Attapinya and meet many new people… it was worth it!
I gave so much attention to make sure that my responsibilities were carried out to the best of my ability and to work in a cooperate spirit so that the event could be smooth as possible. In addition to volunteering, Attapinya unveiled two new pieces on the runway and participated in the trunk show. I spent my energy to the last drop. It was a glorious ride that ended with my total exhaustion. One of the new pieces seen at the Phoenix Fashion Week is a stirring bracelet called Hope in Africa. The second showpiece, the Global Warming Bangle, is a gorgeous work of conscientious art.
Hope in Africa Bracelet was created to support the Partners in Malawi non-profit organization www.partnersinmalawi.org. Attapinya donated the first Hope in Africa piece to the PFW for the fund-raising auction, with 100% of the proceeds going to Partners in Malawi. Now, Attapinya is making this beautiful bracelet available to everyone. For each piece sold, 25% of the proceeds will go directly to Partners in Malawi. This is beautiful and well done design, perfectly suited to sponsor such a wonderful organization. I talked to Dr. Janson, the founder, and told him that I would love to volunteer to work at his clinic in Malawi, Africa. He joked that, as long as I do not mind paying for the $2,500 for the plane ticket, I am more than welcome along with anyone else who can do it. He is a very down to earth, well-meaning person. Already, he has inspired me to keep going with Attapinya and all the beautiful things I believe in strongly.
Global Warming Bangle is just a hit. We are already proud of this wonderfully original design, but knowing its potential to serve as a reminder for sustainable, responsible living makes us ecstatic!
The PFW was a four day event. Attapinya participated in the trunk show on Tuesday night, November 6. On the night of Thursday, November 8, we were featured in the runway show along with Sir Alister Rai. Sir Alister Rai www.siralistairrai.com features a beautiful line of clothes that carry a spiritual motif. I highly recommend that you look at their products for yourself. Kiran, the president of Sir Alister Rai, is a beautiful and amazing woman, I am thrilled that I got to partner up with her.
There were two reasons for Attapinya to get involved in the fashion event.
First, we sought to inform people in the Phoenix valley about fair trade business and why it is so meaningful. It is too unusual to meet somebody in the area that understands the depth behind the act of purchasing. With a simple, informative wake up call, we hope that people will look further than price to discover that a well-informed purchase can make a positive impact on laborers and the environment compared to an irresponsible purchase.
Secondly, we set out to ask people to live and act in consideration of the consequences of global warming and an exploding world population. Great change is afoot and it is our present lifestyle that will determine the lifestyle for so many down the road. Modern industrial life has blessed us with incredible convenience, but not without a cost. It is time for a pause in productivity, time to account for the side-effects and to ask ourselves, “how long can this last?” We believe that investing money and effort for cleaner living now is monumentally wiser than reacting to a predictable calamity.
Considering all the work that Attapinya did in preparation for and during the Phoenix Fashion Week, we are encouraged to see that the local media is listening to the voice of our action. We have tremendous hope that they will further publicize our responsible line of products and help create responsible shoppers for a happy humanity and a clean planet.
And finally, we hope you will enjoy to look at our latest video clip online www.youtube.com/attapinyadesigns. It provides an intimate view of the teamwork, the desire to learn, and the love for what we do, all the things that make Attapinya special.
Happy Turkey Day everyone!!
