Site of the Day: The Little Market

When I first discovered The Little Market, an online marketplace featuring beautiful products handmade by artisans around the world, I couldn’t help but fall in love. Founded by partners Lauren Conrad and Hannah Skvarla with the mission of empowering women artisans to rise above poverty and support their families, the marketplace not only practices and furthers fair trade principles, but each and every purchase made on the site generates meaningful income for its skilled craftswomen.

During my first visit to this special marketplace, I was immediately drawn to the gorgeous textiles and baskets, but with so many amazing items to choose from – from dining to decor to accessories – I now find it hard to pick a favorite. Hannah was kind enough to share a bit about The Little Market and its equal parts inspirational and important mission, below. And be sure to stay tuned this week for our get-together with these lovely ladies, featuring a hand-picked assortment of products from the site. XXJKE

R+T: How did The Little Market come to be?

When Lauren and I travel together, we love to visit local markets to find beautiful handmade goods. The hardworking artisans always impress us and we love to see the skills passed down across the generations. We learned that artisans are often desperate for cash to feed their families and are forced to sell their handmade goods to tourists at prices that don’t allow them to make any profit. Often, they do not charge more than the cost of the materials. So not only is there no value for their time, but there is no profit at all. We wanted to find a way to give artisans access to a bigger audience so that they could earn a fair wage for their work and provide an income for their family. 

R+T: Can you share a bit about your beautiful mission and marketplace with our readers?

Our mission is to build sustainable partnerships with artisans from around the world, by connecting them with customers through an online marketplace. We seek to empower women artisans to rise above poverty and support their families. Our handmade goods showcase the artisans’ traditional skills and their dedication to preserving their artisanal techniques. We source all of the artisans’ products ethically and practice fair trade principles.

R+T: How do you go about finding your artisans all around the world?

We spend a lot of time looking for new artisan partners. To find artisans we travel, we look online, and we review artisan applications that we receive through our site.

R+T: Could you possibly pick a few favorites from your marketplace?

My favorite pieces are our one-of-a-kind huipil bags, our overnight bags and new wrap bracelets from Thailand that I am in love with! 

R+T: What’s new and next for The Little Market?

We are planning a trip right now – as soon as it’s confirmed we will let you know!

R+T: What is the most rewarding part of your work?

The most rewarding part of my work is learning about the difference our online marketplace has made for our artisan partners. Some of our partners have shared with us that the income they have earned from The Little Market has allowed them to send their children to school rather than stay at home and work. Oftentimes, these children are the first in their family to attend high school.