When Costs go Up - A LOT - A Tale of Woe

When you're a fair trader - or maybe just an ethical business person - you always worry about those around you.  We want to make sure our artisans are paid fairly and earn living wages.  We also want to make sure we charge our retailers and customers the fairest and lowest price possible. And although fair trade is about supporting everyone along our short supply chain, we personally sometimes take the short end. 
Over the many years we've been at this, we've estimated that labor costs (in Guatemala) rise about 5% per year. We have many designs in our arsenal that we've sold to our retailers year after year. With only a very few exceptions, we've never changed our wholesale prices on these items. No wonder our customers think they get such awesome value for the prices they pay Dunitz & Company. Essentially we've absorbed and the owners of our workshops on the ground have absorbed these cost increases. With rising rents, trade show fees and other expenses incurred in running our US Operation our margins deteriorate.
So, here's our tale of woe. This year there are significant issues out of our control where we don't see how we can absorb the extra costs. Guatemala has new legislation in place charging 7% of all invoiced product leaving the country.  They're also requiring a $44.00 "documents" fee per shipment. This doesn't sound like a lot of money, but as a percentage of product costs when you ship often and reasonably small parcels, it adds up. And finally the Quetzal (Guatemalan's money) continues to weaken against the US$.  This affects our artisans. In only a few years, the Quetzal has dropped from 7.75/$ to 7.20/$. At some banks in Guatemala, the rate is 7.  The differential is huge.
The prices we pay for our older fused glass designs are being worked out as I type.  If you're reading this blog, I say "stock up."  As tough as it is, we will most likely have to to raise our prices on our various fused glass designs between 15-25%. We'll make an official announcement soon.  Unfortunately these added costs I describe here make it impossible to keep our pricing artificially low. And truth be told, even with a price hike, I think our prices will still be very good for the high quality and design you will receive. Feel good. You know everyone is being treated fairly. -ND

Diego Rivera Reminds Us - Fair Trade is Not Charity

On a recent mini-vacation to Mexico City I visited the Palacio de Bellas Artes. This fantastic theater is also well known for its colossal murals on the second and third floors.  I was particularly drawn to one created by Diego Rivera in 1934 and wondered why much of the signage depicted in this masterpiece entitled "Man, Controller of the Universe" was in English. And then I learned the story behind the images. This grand scale painting was originally commissioned (even larger in size) by Nelson Rockefeller for yes, Rockefeller Center.  Diego began painting the mural, then known as "Man at the Crossroads" in New York in 1933 and it included images of Lenin and the Soviet May Day parade. When asked to remove these parts of the mural, Diego Rivera refused. Rockefeller paid the artist for his work and then had the partially completed mural destroyed and painted over. It was only then that Diego Rivera took his plans and re-created this masterpiece in Mexico City.

One of the main themes dictated for the creation of the mural was "looking for hope for a better world."  The timing of this is an interesting one since the mural was created after the Crash of '29 and before World War II. There are plenty of references to scientific discoveries. What I honed in on was the disparity between rich and poor people represented. Their are rich society women playing cards. And right next to them is a worker with a sign "We Want Work, Not Charity."  Other signs seen state "We Want Bread, We Are Hungry" and "Divided We Starve, Together We Eat." There are police officers attempting to keep marching crowds in order. Leon Trotsky is also part of the mural with his red flag "Workers of the World Unite." Everyone is looking for a fair shake.

The desperate times depicted in this mural, in the scheme of a life, weren't that long ago. Much less than 100 years ago, our brothers were starving and looking for work and fair wages. We've all read about this part of American history. Many of our parents and grandparents lived this tale. And so I wonder, when we experienced this way of life in what really is recent times, so many of my country mates turn their back on supporting fair trade and following the golden rule.  Life is not better for us or the world when we try to buy goods at the cheapest price without considering how and where they were made. This clearly was our story in the 1930s. Did we not learn anything at all from our own difficult times? What do you think?

If you do visit Mexico City - you MUST put a visit to this mural masterpiece on your to-do list! -ND

Raquel Welch and Fair Trade Fused Glass Earrings

Did my post title catch your attention? I know it's rather silly, but I had to do it.  Raquel Welch actually has marketed a wig collection for many years.You can easily find Raquel's wig designs online as well as numerous glamorous photos of her modeling them. I took the liberty of changing out her diamond earrings for Joanie M fair trade fused glass earrings in this image. She's styling in our Delgado Earrings. What do you think?
By now you are asking where is all of this coming from.  Many of you know that I am flea market maven. Often on Sunday's you can find me scouring tables and piles of vintage goodies at one market or another. Recently I found a Raquel Welch wig mannequin. My Raquel has long eyelashes, pierced ears, plump lips and enviable cheekbones.  I have no wigs for her.  I do however have lots and lots of earrings to doll her up in. For the occasion of this blog, my Raquel was outfitted with our fair trade fused glass earrings. Each pair is individually cut by artisans and then cooked in a kiln. Every pair bubbles just a little differently. Buy a pair on our retail website. Or you can order them for your shop.  Dunitz & Company has been designing this collection of fair trade jewelry since 2011 and it has become a huge hit with our retail store accounts. Triangles, rectangles, teardrops, almonds - these are only a few of the shapes we offer. And they're always available in many colors. Ear wires are made of surgical steel.We promise you don't need to look like Raquel Welch to look like a million bucks in our fair trade earrings. -ND

Wearing Prosperity

We've recently collaborated with several bloggers and Instagram fashionistas. It seems not only do they love our message of sustainability, they also dig our fair trade jewelry. It's been a lot of fun seeing our pieces featured in several lifestyle shots. Our world coin necklaces which are part of our 'prosperity collection' have been a blogger favorite.  Several women have jumped at the chance to model these pieces. Only today, Rie Aoki posted a spectacular shot on Instagram wearing our four strander coin necklace. (Richard Romero @richromero_ earns the photo credit for these shots.) Rie also blogs and as soon as she has posted her entry about her shoot (with a lot more pics), we'll add the link to this story. You won't want to miss her dramatic images which also include Dunitz & Company fair trade earrings. [OK, you can see a snippet of our Screener Earrings in her photo shown here!]
Earlier this year we worked with Lisa Mecham. She sported some Dunitz & Company's coin jewelry for her blog entry "Favorite Pieces From My Jewelry Collection." That sure made us happy! Check out the photo to the right of this paragraph. That's Lisa with our four strander and beaded leather bracelet.  We say take the time to read her blog and see the other photos she posted of our designs. [Look right again. That's her photo with our coin lariat and bracelet.] While you're at it, peruse her other entries. We think you'll also enjoy following her on Instagram.
Why wouldn't you invest in one of our coin necklaces or bracelets?  Yes, they're stunning. They also make great conversation starters. I've almost never worn a piece when someone hasn't commented on the coins, where they are from and where they have traveled. Almost everyone enjoys sharing their tales of adventure to faraway lands. Mexico? Portugal? Egypt? No two pieces are ever the same. And our world coins come from absolutely everywhere. Want a bracelet or necklace with only Israeli coins? We do that too! -ND

Pin It On for Pantsuit Nation

Pantsuit Nation. You might say this is all about Hillary Clinton. And many would agree with you. Since the election, lots of Pantsuit Nation groups by any other name have organized on Facebook. Most promote equity, liberty and social justice.
Many of the biggest clothing designers from around the globe have jumped on the Pantsuit bandwagon.  Fall 2017 ready-to-wear runways showed off many many pantsuits - some conservative, others boldly colored with unconventional lines. We think wearing any of these makes for a strong woman and a strong statement. Check out the latest from Alexander McQueen, Marni, Jil Sander and Max Mara. I'm tellin' ya - after seeing these and others, I'm wildly happy I saved several of my very own pantsuits from the 1980s!
So what does a jewelry designer (that's me) suggest for all these stunning solid colored top & bottom coordinates? If you were a politician, we'd tell you to attach straight up, a flag pin. But, since we're not, we suggest fair trade brooches. Dunitz & Company offers all kinds of artisan made fair trade pins to doll up any of these outfits. Some resemble roses made of sheepskin. Others are made from scraps of handwoven Guatemalan fabric with glass bead adornments. Quilters will love our yoyo flowers.  If you're looking for your retail store, Dunitz & Company has lots of pretties to send you. Login to our wholesale catalog and have a look. Our embroidered denim pins might be the number. Don't want to place a brooch on your lapel? You KNOW you have a hat, handbag or coat begging to be adorned with our fair trade pins! -ND

Fascination Frida Kahlo

Does it seem as if the entire world is fascinated with Frida Kahlo? I know I snugly fit in that group. (Dunitz & Company retails designs inspired by her fashion savvy.) This weekend, I began to ponder about why she garners so much attention and curiosity.  It seems there is a lot of good reason for it. First off, when I think "Mexican Art", the first thing that pops up in my head are all the self-portraits Kahlo created. If this is your experience too, you're not alone. After inserting the words "Mexican Art" into my browser, stories and photos of Frida Kahlo were the first to populate. We live in a selfie era. And Frida Kahlo got started long before any of us.  She was her own best publicist. It's been reported that of 143 paintings produced by Kahlo, 55 are self portraits.Wow! 

Obviously Frida Kahlo's work was greatly inspired by her life experiences. Much of her life was riddled with pain. She survived a bout with polio as a child leaving her with a limp. She survived a bus accident in her late teens which resulted in many surgeries. She fell in love with, married, divorced and remarried artist, Diego Rivera whom was 31 years her senior. There's was a tumultuous relationship, which yes, lead to more pain. Frida, a most colorful character, according to reports didn't dwell in her pain. She lived. She was openly bisexual and was known to have had affairs even when she was married. Her sexual relationships included those with Josephine Baker, Isamu Noguchi and perhaps most notable, Leon Trotsky. Frida's life is fascinating. She was a feminist, a communist and a fashion plate. No wonder Salma Hayek made a movie about her.
Much of my fascination with Kahlo revolves around her dress and the fashion choices she made. As you know, I work in Guatemala where the local Mayan women primarily wear beautiful and traditional dress.  But, to me, that's what they look like. Local women outfited in traditional dress. Somehow, Kahlo wearing flowers in her hair, traditional Tehuana clothing and big earrings transformed her into a super star. She was magnificent whether she was in the pueblo, Mexico City, Detroit (where she lived for a time with Diego Rivera) or New York.  No wonder she is viewed as a fashion icon and inspires the collections of so many designers. Heck, she has inspired me. This current season Dunitz & Company introduced and named necklaces, bracelets, earrings and brooches for Kahlo. These latest styles are embroidered and beaded on recycled denim. I'm certain if she were living today, she'd be sporting them with any number of her flouncy skirted outfits. What do you think? Are you fascinated by Frida Kahlo? - ND

Fair Trade Judaica

Did you know that Dunitz & Company offers a small fair trade Judaica collection? If you are a buyer from a synagogue gift shop you should be logging into our wholesale catalog. If you are looking for you, you should check out our store locator to find a shop near you that carries items from this collection or visit our retail catalog. We're always changing things up, so check back often.
Perhaps you are wondering how a fair trade jewelry company begins selling Judaica? It's really quite simple. It seemed several years ago at the wholesale gift shows, especially in New York, Judaica buyers were determined to find new and different designs for their shops. Each and every season for many years, I'd be asked "Do you have any Judaica?"  And season after season, I'd say no.... I wish I did. And then it dawned on me why not?
For many years Dunitz & Company had been employing crochet artisans and sisters, Barbara and Concepcion. (That's Barbara in the photo!) They were making jewelry components for some of our best selling designs in the 1990s. (Before I'd met them, they crocheted the best hacky sacks you could find in Guatemala.) It made perfect sense for them to crochet yarmulkes too. Our Judaica line was born. Since that time, we've designed several styles in several colors. There definitely was a learning curve. When I first launched the line, we offered kippot in "fashion colors". We learned quickly that the Judaica shops did not want 'coral orange' for Spring and 'burgundy' for Fall.  Since that time, we pared down our offerings to those our client's preferred in more subdued colors. Ivory and black have always been the most popular.  Barbara and Concepcion continue to make are kippot...and crochet jewelry components.

From time to time we design other items for those interested in Judaica. We've created a stunning collection of mezuzah's for inside use comprised of glass beads and ribbons.  Want one for your living room door? You can find them on our website. Several colors are available. We have also launched several designs with the familiar Star of David symbol. One of our favorites, our Star of David Cuff can be found on our retail site.  Perhaps our strongest selling Judaica jewelry has been our necklaces and bracelets featuring Israeli coins and metallic colored glass seed beads. We adore this sophisticated collection and you'll find it in many temple gift shops. We actually offer identical styles comprised of assorted world coins. Order them for your shop... or order them for you. Most of all, we are thankful to have several excellent retail partners for our Judaica - online. Fair Trade Judaica always has an excellent collection of our kippot available for sale. Check out Judaica.com and the Tallis Lady too.-ND