Left, Bpeace mentor Selma Jackson wearing an outfit made of Constance's (right) fabric.
Constance, Sabra Richardson and Selma.
Constance holding one of the outfits Nigerian-born Brooklyn designer Moshood made with her fabric.
Anne Kellett and Constance.
Just one sample of Constance's artistic bold tie dye. Every length of fabric is different pattern and color combination.
Each of these beads is made by rolling strips of magazines, and then varnishing. Every necklace is a different color pattern.
Constance and Bpeace Program Director Marla Gitterman.
Cross-cultural gifting: Constance wearing a beaded necklace created by Bpeace AFGHAN Associate Bakhtnazera.
Sons & Daughters retailer and social entrepreneur Carin van der Donk in her shop with Constance.
With Bpeacer Kate Buggeln.Constance had a whirl-wind week in New York meeting possible new wholesale customers for her unique tie-dyed fabric, learning new techniques and acquiring raw materials. She returned to Rwanda armed with the best Bpeace could provide: new business contacts, new skills and new tools.
This isn’t your hippie-dippy tie-dye. Constance, a true artist, draws Rwandan-inspired shapes on imported white fabric. She then dyes the fabric in bold colors to highlight the patterns. Constance also creates beaded jewelry that easily sold to just about everyone she met during this business-building visit. Constance creates the beads by rolling strips of recycled magazines, varnishes the paper-mache beads, and then creates necklaces and bracelets. Because everything that Constance creates is hand-crafted, no two items are ever alike.
Constance’s mentor Selma Jackson and Bpeace Program Director Marla Gitterman wove together a one-of-a-kind week. Bpeacers introduced Constance to a wealth of business contacts, on-the-spot training and product inspiration in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Sabra Richardson provided coaching on tracking finances; Catherine Shimony, and Annette Medina-Phillips, and Kate Buggeln generated product improvement ideas.
Selma was “on duty,” five of the seven days Constance was visiting, emailing at 2:00 am with a diary so that the team was fully in the loop on what had transpired that day.
Inspiration for Constance included a demonstration on Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Constance is very excited about what could be done with the software applications.
At the National Stationery and Surtex trade shows at the Javits Convention Center, Constance connected with three women business owners. One specifically uses designs and repeats the patterns using the Adobe applications. The other Surtex designer is looking to outsource production on fabric children’s toys. She was excited that Constance was an artist and a fabric designer. Her final contact is interested in buying Constance’s necklaces.
Other highly productive meetings included: A professor friend of Selma’s from the Parsons School of Design; Kip Kirchendall demonstrated particular paints for certain fabrics; Ingrid Van Shipley discussed various painting techniques and how to create the recycled beads in any color the customer wants. Carin van der Donk who owns the children’s boutique Sons & Daughters commissioned a sample from Constance (Carin already works with Suraya, one of our Afghan Associates).
Constance attended a workshop on “London 2012: Are You Ready for Olympic Gold?” Partnering for Olympic Contract Opportunities Starts Now!
This isn’t your hippie-dippy tie-dye. Constance, a true artist, draws Rwandan-inspired shapes on imported white fabric. She then dyes the fabric in bold colors to highlight the patterns. Constance also creates beaded jewelry that easily sold to just about everyone she met during this business-building visit. Constance creates the beads by rolling strips of recycled magazines, varnishes the paper-mache beads, and then creates necklaces and bracelets. Because everything that Constance creates is hand-crafted, no two items are ever alike.
Constance’s mentor Selma Jackson and Bpeace Program Director Marla Gitterman wove together a one-of-a-kind week. Bpeacers introduced Constance to a wealth of business contacts, on-the-spot training and product inspiration in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Sabra Richardson provided coaching on tracking finances; Catherine Shimony, and Annette Medina-Phillips, and Kate Buggeln generated product improvement ideas.
Selma was “on duty,” five of the seven days Constance was visiting, emailing at 2:00 am with a diary so that the team was fully in the loop on what had transpired that day.
Inspiration for Constance included a demonstration on Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Constance is very excited about what could be done with the software applications.
At the National Stationery and Surtex trade shows at the Javits Convention Center, Constance connected with three women business owners. One specifically uses designs and repeats the patterns using the Adobe applications. The other Surtex designer is looking to outsource production on fabric children’s toys. She was excited that Constance was an artist and a fabric designer. Her final contact is interested in buying Constance’s necklaces.
Other highly productive meetings included: A professor friend of Selma’s from the Parsons School of Design; Kip Kirchendall demonstrated particular paints for certain fabrics; Ingrid Van Shipley discussed various painting techniques and how to create the recycled beads in any color the customer wants. Carin van der Donk who owns the children’s boutique Sons & Daughters commissioned a sample from Constance (Carin already works with Suraya, one of our Afghan Associates).
Constance attended a workshop on “London 2012: Are You Ready for Olympic Gold?” Partnering for Olympic Contract Opportunities Starts Now!
She even attended an Afghan Team meeting, and spoke a few minutes to the team.
This was the first time Bpeace had created such a lengthy, customized solo “road trip” for one of our Associates. The activities and connections were first class. Now the devil is in the follow-up and how Constance applies all that she experienced.
This was the first time Bpeace had created such a lengthy, customized solo “road trip” for one of our Associates. The activities and connections were first class. Now the devil is in the follow-up and how Constance applies all that she experienced.
(Thanks to Lee for most of these photos.)
