“The journey of our product is as beautiful as the product itself.”
Enrico Bressan and Tahmineh Javanbakht
Enchant, inspire and transform, that’s the vision formulated by Artecnica’s art directors Enrico Bressan and Tahmineh Javanbakht to elevate the purpose of everyday objects. Based in Los Angeles, Artecnica is a design and manufacturing company that collaborates with celebrated international designers to express this vision through an innovative line of products. The result is a unique collection of design objects such as tables, lamps, clocks, and other home accessories made with eco-friendly materials and manufacturing methods.
Founded in 2002 and based on humanitarian and environmentally friendly principles, their award-winning DESIGN WITH CONSCIENCE program takes things one step farther, pairing leading international designers with artisan communities in need. DESIGN WITH CONSCIENCE offers an alternative economic reality to artisans in oppressed areas, resulting in hand-crafted and one-of-a-kind designs that are not only visually stunning but also economically, socially, and environmentally conscious. The line includes bowls made of re-used tires and natural wicker manufactured by artisans in Vietnam, a ceramic collection handcrafted in the primary coca leaf-growing region of Peru and much more. It’s re-use meets resource, with fine design thrown into the mix.
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Enrico Bressan, one of Artecnica’s founders about the details of their DESIGN WITH CONSCIENCE program.
Ann Alexander Leggett: How did you come up the idea for DESIGN WITH CONSCIENCE (DWC)?
Enrico Bressan: The idea for DWC came from our backgrounds and the activities in our lives as we developed Artecnica. We have been very involved with a variety of designers and architects who have been interested in green, environmental, and sustainability issues. We wondered, how can design be an active protagonist? So the concept really came from our conscience; hence the name. We all believe so strongly in these issues that it just felt right to incorporate them into our business. We thought, if it can work in our company, perhaps other businesses will see the value and start similar programs to support artisan communities in need. And that is, in fact, happening.
AAL: How many countries have been involved with the DWC program to date?
EB: Six. Guatemala, Peru, Brazil, Columbia, South Africa, and Vietnam.
AAL: How do DWC products differ from the products in Artecnica’s main line?
EB: The DWC program includes products designed by international designers that are made by artisan communities around the world. We find communities that have a hard time getting into the market. As a result, the program then becomes a humanitarian project. Recyclability and social responsibility are key components of the program. Another wonderful aspect is that some of the products take on an ethnic feel. For instance, in the TaTu pieces which are handwoven in South Africa, you can see iconic African shapes. DWC follows pretty rigid guidelines, but we are moving more and more towards incorporating those principles into Artecnica’s other lines.
AAL: How extensive is the interaction between designer and artisan in the DWC program?
EB: Many of the designers travel to the countries and work directly with the artisans manufacturing their product. As a result, the designers are often influenced by the artisans with whom they are working. The product’s design can often change based on input from the artisans. It’s an enriching process for all.
Beads & Pieces designed by Hella Jongerius, made by artisans in Peru for Artecnica.
AAL: Has DWC been a challenging process? If so, how?
EB: It’s been a difficult program…some issues were hard to handle when we started. We had to do some convincing. We had to convince our retailers and customers to follow this line. They had concerns such as, will the products cost more? But we had the designers, design schools, and media as our allies. The media was on board because it was good news, it was an up and coming progressive idea. However, the program requires many people in order to succeed such as designers, manufacturers, artisans, and liaisons between the two groups because the artisans, for example, may not be skilled at the logistical side of manufacturing, like the sheer volume of paperwork. That can be difficult. The pricing component is challenging as well. Not all of the products have been commercially viable, and some lines have only had two or three reorders. But some have been very successful such as the transGlass, which is priced competitively. Some of the other products tend to be more up-market, but they do well too. Making all the products sustainable over a long period of time from a commercial standpoint is a work in progress. But in the end this is the case for most products in the market.
AAL: I love your quote, “the journey of our product is as beautiful as the product itself,” because it so beautifully describes the DWC program. In addition to all of the positive attributes of the program&nda**** sheer global reach, its mission to invigorate commerce and involve artisans in need around the world, its humanitarian and environmental consciousness issues–I would imagine the program has evolved to become so much more than what you had envisioned. I assume it has taken on a life of its own in many respects, as well as touched lives in ways you never expected. Can you talk a little about that, and tell me one of your favorite stories about the program?
EB: Everyone involved in the program has been affected on so many levels. We are affected in a technical sense, a professional sense, and a manufacturing sense. But more important, there are the emotional and personal components that are so meaningful such as getting to know one another’s cultures and problems, and as a result of those we constantly strive to make the program better. The tide is in our favor now and we are very pleased to see that more and more companies are working with designers whose pieces are being manufactured by artisan communities in need. We just helped bring the concept into reality, and we have more products being developed as we speak.
One of my favorite stories was when we were in Guatemala working on the transGlass product. We went down to the artisan site to improve the manufacturing technique because the artisans had no experience. We all felt frustrated and the process was very slow, yet we were determined to stay optimistic. After four days of work and training we thought, are we ever going to get there? Then, on the last day, the lead artisan started to get it and he was making glass pieces that weren’t breaking. He looked at us with these incredulous eyes and said, “It can be done!” It was amazing. From that point forward everything fell into place. Sometimes the artisans lack confidence and they don’t feel that they have the necessary skills. Sometimes they feel very humbled.
The program has a life of its own because I think every product we have done has its own interesting and tragic moments. The DWC program will stay in the memories of every designer and artisan involved. It will survive in the history of Artecnica as one of our most difficult projects, but also one of the most meaningful.
Posted by Melanie Bender on January 22 at 1:53 PMDistribution at 500 of the world’s top boutiques and accolades from Vogue and Elle - most designers wouldn’t give that up for the world. So why after 8 years of building her eponymous line did Dara Gerson walk away from it? As Gerson puts it, she lost her mojo. Years in the jewelry industry had made her weary of the toxic working conditions and environmental impacts of the gem and fine metal industries, and Gerson knew it wasn’t something she could continue to support. That was when her and husband Ashley Lowengrub conceived Alkemie (one of six DMD Lab finalists) - a contemporary jewelry line using exclusively reclaimed metals, making them arguably the most green in the business. Yet that’s often not the main selling point, as Alkemie’s edgy-come-feminine take and uber-reasonable prices have earned them a devoted following based on aesthetic alone. We sat down with the family of four at their Topanga Canyon abode – think Swiss Family Robinson tree house-meets-Alice in Wonderland – and came away awed and charmed… and wanting more!
DMD: What made you want to be a designer? Dara Gerson: Ever since childhood, I have always loved the process of handcrafting designs – and fortunately for me, it evolved into a career. The satisfaction and true pleasure I feel from creating unique pieces and seeing the impact it has on our clients has continued to really fuel my creative energy as a designer. Ashley Lowengrub: I was lucky enough to be raised by an extremely talented mother [renown Israeli artist Ilana Goor]. Her talents have spanned the realms of sculpture, furniture, lighting, clothing and jewelry design, and the Tel Aviv Museum just recently had a twenty-year retrospective in her honor. Growing up with her unique artistic point of view inspired me to design and create, as well.
DMD: What's your design philosophy and how did you get to it? DG: We are both really drawn to the past. We have great respect and admiration for particular time periods and cultures that encompass a unique blend of quality, design and innovative use of materials.
DMD: For you, when does inspiration strike? AL: Inspiration can arrive at any given moment!
DMD: Why ‘Alkemie’? What was your second choice? AL: ‘Alchemy’ is the practice of transforming something common into something precious. We loved the name Alkemie because we felt it perfectly embodied our design credo.
DMD: All of your pieces use reclaimed metals, what’s the sourcing process like? AL: We use 100% reclaimed metals for all of our pieces, and some of our pendants are even created from recycled bullet casings. Through a lot of research and networking we were able to find an amazing supplier who salvages all of his materials from scrap yards, and we work with him on all of our metal pieces. For our leather pieces, we source exclusively from cattle ranches that use 100% of the animal to reduce waste and make it a more sustainable product.
DMD: Wow, that sounds like a lot of work! DG: It is, but it’s something we believe in really strongly. Before Alkemie, we each had jewelry collections that were doing really well. But as we learned more about the gem and fine metal mining trade – that it’s one of the most dangerous and polluting there is – we knew that it wasn’t something that we could continue to support, which is whey we launched Alkemie. Transforming something that already exists into something new is one of the most environmentally-wise methods of designing, and something that so few contemporary designers are doing.
DMD: If you weren't a designer, what else would you want to do? AL: I would love to be an architect. DG: I think I’d be a teacher.
DMD: What did your mother want you to be? AL: I think what any Jewish mother wants, a doctor!
DMD: Any regrets yet? DG: No regrets, only life's lessons.
DMD: Are there any designers in particular that you love? AL: I really love Carol Christian Poell and East West Musical Instruments Company. DG: I’m a big fan of Rick Owens, Stella McCartney, and Undercover.
DMD: Is there a celebrity/icon - past or present - that you'd love to dress? AL: I would have to say Stanley Kubrick, only so that after the fitting I could discuss his philosophy on films. DG: I think it would be a lot of fun to dress Bob Dylan!
“The actions and reactions of children are the barometer of society. If they are in trouble, we are in trouble. It is our job to listen to what is causing them pain and not inflict more pain by locking them up, medicating or labeling them.” –Taryn Hughes
“It was as if the back and front of my brain were having an argument. The front was away somewhere, while the back said that no, you’re still stuck here, in jail.” So explained a child of twelve or thirteen to Taryn Hughes as he described how he felt in meditation.She recounted this story to me, one of many interactions she has in her work as the co-founder of ONE World Peace Day and the founding Executive Director and main instructor at Youth-Abilitation (YA), an organization that works with at-risk and incarcerated youth. Providing a comprehensive curriculum, YA offers mind-body practices and cross generational mentoring. Simply put, YA’s programming offers urban youth the tools needed to lead a full and participatory life, while also providing a better quality of life for those in jail.
Taryn grew up in Michigan, where her living experiences ranged from a home in the suburbs to smaller and more impoverished towns, exposing her to the variety of economic situations of varying communities. Her aunt was also a state psychologist working with youth in Detroit.Even at the age of nine, she remembers an interest in the well-being of other children and the circumstances that shape them.After studying and practicing dance, and working with music therapy, Taryn moved to Los Angeles, where her early childhood interests met up with an adult sense of responsibility to an underserved population.A generation of youth looking for support.
Taryn describes the kids that she works with as “deep, creative, articulate, and…stressed.”I asked her to tell me more about this generation, and what makes up the environmental factors of at-risk youth. In L.A. County, almost every child could fall into this category.Even in the wealthier neighborhoods, the level of growth offers little support for youth, as school districts struggle with the fast expansion of the communities they serve.Other at-risk factors include being a minority, member of a low-income family, living in a violent neighborhood or speaking English as a second language.But no matter how many of these factors may be present in a child, YA consistently hears complaints of stress, and sees that it is also the top thing that adults fail to address. However the facts speak for themselves, with suicide being the third leading cause of death for adolescents, with a reported one in eight reporting symptoms of depression.
Many of these youth end up in jail. And for some, are given a sentence with no way out, with no chance of parole. Taryn also explained that, “not all juveniles sentenced to long-term or life sentences have committed murder or even a violent crime.”A report from University of San Francisco Law issued in 2007 stated that there are currently 2,381 child offenders serving life without possibility of parole in the United States while in the rest of the world, the total number of children serving life sentences is seven. Those seven children are all in Israel, with bans on issuing life sentences without the chance of parole to those under age 18 in countries such as Canada, Japan, France and the U.K.(Watch the story of one of the imprisoned youth, a woman named Sara, now age twenty-nine, on YA’s Juvenile Justice blog).Taryn pointed out to me the pressing human rights issue here, that individuals cannot simply be locked up and forgotten, with very little quality of life.YA therefore supports this life change through its innovative programming.
To create customized curriculum, Taryn teaches many of the classes personally to assist in meaningful program development, and also to create trust over time.She’s supported by a small team of talented instructors. The result?YA’s pilot study, Freedom on the Inside, “…thus far has had a tremendous effect on lowering the violence rates within the participating units. Case workers have noted emotional break-through’s in participants and racial related violence has been virtually eradicated in those units. Participants receive mindfulness, yoga and meditation class twice per week and are given self-practice instruction and support if they are interested.”
An additional program for incarcerated youth is YA to the R-E-A-D. Some of the juvenile halls don’t have a library, so YA coordinates distribution of books from Friends of the Santa Monica Library to the utility closets of each unit so the kids have something to read in their cells. YA is also in the process of setting up a small book club where youth read motivating stories to keep their spirits high and, depending on the book, have a chance to hear the author speak on video or in person.
For at-risk youth on the outside, Youth Achievement through Movement and Yoga is an after-school program available in Los Angeles area schools for elementary and middle school students that offers a variety of learning tools from world music to photographs and illustrations. Students are taught life-long skills to support well-being, such as artistic and written expression, and effective communication during discussion forums. YA’s belief of quality over quantity is demonstrated through a commitment to work with the most disadvantaged populations twice a week, strengthening community support and long-term mentorship. Interestingly, these children, while affected, don’t have as quick of a turn-around as incarcerated youth reports Taryn, due to environmental factors that make them so stressed and over-stimulated. Whereas with kids in jail she said, “you change the way you look at kids, they respond to you differently.”Because of their extreme circumstances, a shift occurs when a person speaks to them calmly and gently.
Exposure to the issues that at-risk and incarcerated youth face, it brought up many difficult feelings of my own ignorance of their challenges.This led into a conversation with Taryn about her involvement with the upcoming White Privilege Conference, an event that has an approach based on Tim Wise’s book “White Like Me.”She will be speaking at the event, in addition to leading meditation to adults, which helps prepare them to be open to having difficult conversations and shedding some layers in a safe environment. It’ll be her very important role to soften the element of self-hatred that comes along with racial issues. The event also includes a leadership conference for high school students, where teens can come together to examine diversity and take back what they have learned to their communities.
So what can you do to support this programming? Get to know the demonstrated greatness of youth through YA’s blog focused on their voice, “Yellow I Say.” Learn about what they are facing and the state of life sentences at Northwestern Law, Human Rights Watch, Youth Transition Funders Group, or through the Juvenile Justice Initiative. Taryn also explained to me that many grants for at-risk youth fall under the categories of prevention, intervention and rehabilitation, leaving her in a challenging position to receive funding for kids serving long term sentences who sadly aren’t considered candidates for any of these actions. Personal donations are always appreciated, and you may also shop at eConscious Market to support YA as a nonprofit partner.
Her dream for YA’s growth is to “find sustainable funding and means to bring mind-body and conscious education to youth serving long-term and life sentences.” You’d be supporting YA’s program expansion into additional L.A. county schools, and eventually the entire state of California and other places in the United States. While YA has a strong partnership with Catalyst for Youth, Taryn also looks forward to collaborating with other nonprofits, in addition to expanding YA’s mentorship program. A new program in development, YA Film, is not yet available due to funding, but would show an educational/inspirational film to youth in jail instead of the weekly, often violent, film that is regularly shown. A dialogue after the film would give them a chance to, “think, speak, and interact.”
from the ONE World Peace Day event, photo by Sat Puran courtesy of Golden Bridge Yoga
We concluded our conversation by talking about something I remember well from my childhood, play-dough. She said how the unique smell and feel of the clay gives kids a different way to express themselves. Similarly, in this age of making change, a different way of perceiving and cultivating youth is vital to the care of this next generation.
Ever gotten confused trying to differentiate between free range, natural, vegetarian and organic? Do any of those labels guarantee that the eggs are even good for you, let alone cruelty-free?
I got so sick of wasting time in the freezing cold produce section of the supermarket that I decided to ask Paul Shapiro, the Senior Director of the Humane Society of US Factory Farming Campaign, for suggestions.
“The best way to guarantee that the chickens are being treated ethically,” Shaprio says, is to “visit the farms they are raised on.” Between now and whenever my deadline driven day permits me to follow up this article with a visit to a local chicken farm, anyone needing assistance in their quioxtic efforts to decipher those cryptic supermarket egg cartons can visit the Human Society’s website for suggestions.
Certified Organic*: The birds are uncaged inside barns or warehouses, and are required to have outdoor access (although there have been concerns about lax enforcement, with some large-scale producers not providing birds meaningful access to the outdoors). They are fed an organic, all-vegetarian diet free of antibiotics and pesticides, as required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program. Beak cutting and forced molting through starvation are permitted. Compliance is verified through third-party auditing.
Free-Range: While the USDA has defined the meaning of “free-range” for some poultry products, there are no standards in “free-range” egg production. Typically, free-range egg-laying hens are uncaged inside barns or warehouses and have some degree of outdoor access. They can engage in many natural behaviors such as nesting and foraging. However, there is no information on stocking density, the frequency or duration of outdoor access, or the quality of the land accessible to the birds. There is no information regarding what the birds can be fed. Beak cutting and forced molting through starvation are permitted. There is no third-party auditing.
Certified Humane*: The birds are uncaged inside barns or warehouses, but may be kept indoors at all times. They must be able to perform natural behaviors such as nesting, perching, and dust bathing. There are requirements for stocking density and number of perches and nesting boxes. Forced molting through starvation is prohibited, but beak cutting is allowed. Compliance is verified through third-party auditing. Certified Humane is a program of Humane Farm Animal Care.
Cage-Free: As the term implies, hens laying eggs labeled as “cage-free” are uncaged inside barns or warehouses, but generally do not have access to the outdoors. They have the ability to engage in many of their natural behaviors such as walking, nesting, and spreading their wings. Beak cutting and forced molting through starvation are permitted. There is no third-party auditing.
Free-Roaming: Also known as “free-range,” the USDA has defined this claim for some poultry products, but there are no standards in “free-roaming” egg production. This essentially means the hens are cage-free. There is no third-party auditing.
United Egg Producers Certified*: The overwhelming majority of the U.S. egg industry complies with this voluntary program, which permits routine cruel and inhumane factory farm practices. By 2008, hens laying these eggs will be afforded 67 square inches of cage space per bird, less area than a sheet of paper. The hens are confined in restrictive, barren cages and cannot perform many of their natural behaviors, including perching, nesting, foraging or even spreading their wings. Compliance is verified through third-party auditing. Forced molting through starvation is prohibited, but beak cutting is allowed. This is a program of the United Egg Producers.
Vegetarian-Fed: These birds’ feed does not contain animal byproducts (unlike that consumed by most laying hens), but this label does not have significant relevance to the animals’ living conditions.
Natural: This label has no relevance to animal welfare.
Fertile: These eggs were laid by hens who lived with roosters, meaning they most likely were not caged.
Omega-3 Enriched: This label claim has no relevance to animal welfare.
* Labels that abide by official, audited guidelines. Please note that even those vary widely in terms of animal welfare.
A triple bottom line business model takes into account social and environmental factors in addition to the traditional financial bottom line. You may have heard this model simply called, people, planet, profit. A few years ago, I worked for a socially responsible investing firm where I had access to our analysts’ research on the social and environmental policies of major corporations.After this first exposure to CSR (corporate social responsibility) I began to further explore how for-profit organizations and nonprofits are committed to responsibility. And in turn I was introduced to the Social Venture Network (SVN), B Corporation and Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), all networks which connect businesses focused on the triple bottom line.
Founded in 1987, SVN is an association with close to 500 members which include both non-profit organizations and for-profit businesses, all sharing a commitment to creating a sustainable world. SVN supports action at three levels: individual, organizational and societal. This support is created through the organization’s events, programs and resources available to members. Non-members can also access resources through books and even electronic documents for free right on the site. The “Tools and Best Practices” page has a document library that is searchable by topic, from customer service to fundraising. Members include my former employers, the Center for the Urban Environment and Kopali Organics (a job I found through scouring the SVN site!), Air America Radio, Candle Café, Eileen Fisher, Presidio School of Management, and other businesses in varying industries with the shared goal of responsibility.
Zak Zaidman, Co-CEO of Kopali Organics, expanded for us on his experience in joining the Network.“When Josh Mailman (SVN Co-founder) invited me to SVN I had just sold my software company in San Francisco. I had made a personal commitment to devote my life to helping to create a more sustainable and compassionate world but I had no idea exactly what I was going to do. I was quite disillusioned with the unconscious and greedy way the once visionary early internet culture had been overtaken by the dot com bubble, and I was even more disillusioned by the economic fall out of the dot bomb. I thought that maybe I might leave the world of business all together.It literally didn’t take more than a few hours after arriving at my first SVN conference for me to become totally re-inspired and committed to being part of building a just and sustainable world through business. A few years later I showed up to an SVN conference in Tucson, Arizona with Kopali Organics’ first line of products. Josh was so excited and supportive he became our first angel investor. Today Kopali directly supports many hundreds of the most sustainable organic family farmers and their communities around the world. We do this through a line of purely delicious, energy-packed and nutrient-dense Supergood Superfood organic and Fair Trade snacks and SVNcontinues to be one of my dearest and most important communities and I will be forever grateful to this tribe of visionary businesspeople.”
It is true that the network creates partnerships. I know for instance that it was at one of the member gatherings that the Executive Director of the Center for the Urban Environment started up a conversation with another member about starting New York City’s BALLE chapter.
BALLE, a sister organization to SVN, is more focused on local networks of sustainable businesses.It began as a SVN project by Judy Wicks of White Dog Café, who started the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia as an outgrowth of her work building a sustainable local food economy around her restaurant. Spun off in 2003, BALLE now has 60 networks. So what makes up a “living economy”? According to the BALLE site, “The network’s main focus might be a single issue, such as independent retail (a Local First campaign) or local food. Or, it might be bigger, such as transforming an entire regional economy. Each network evolves according to the needs, contours, and conditions of the local community with the ultimate goal of building a Living Economy. BALLE meets each network where it is, connects it with other networks, and, if the network chooses, provides opportunities for growth, learning, and greater impact.” I saw this in action last year at the first planning meeting to start a New York City chapter. My friend Vanessa Knight of the Center for the Urban Environment is the Sustainable Business Network of New York City’s (SBNYC) director. She said, “Doing business in New York is a very unique experience and the city has a rich cultural history and part of that has to do with our business landscape.It has become increasingly important for locally owned and operated businesses to come together and support each other, share lessons learned and teach each other innovative practices for staying competitive in the marketplace. And that’s what we are; we’re a group of locally owned and operated business owners who strive to run our businesses with integrity and with the help of our community in mind. SBNYC launched in January 2008 and has almost 100 members to date.We’re a growing powerful voice in the New York City marketplace. “
Individuals associated with SVN and BALLE serve on the Advisory Board of B Corporation. Recently I did some work for Mathew Gerson of eConscious Market, a founding B Corporation.Member companies are a new type of corporation that are purpose-driven and create benefit for all stakeholders.Members must meet comprehensive and transparent social and environmental performance standards.Another leader in the sustainable business community here in Boulder, Colorado is Mark Fischer of Inspire Commerce. Mark shared his experience in starting a triple bottom line business and his choice to become involved with B Corporation.He said, “I often got frustrated when I saw companies branded green. Because I know they are trying to act a certain way in order to increase sales, but the act is really that, a shallow one.It’s not hard boiled into their DNA. It’s them trying to access another vertical market, or make up for their own lack of integrity. We see this often. With companies that are certified B corporations, I know that they are being evaluated on every aspect of their benefit for humanity, and a company that is certified is clearly miles ahead of most other companies in their commitment levels to not only their shareholders, but all stakeholders… read the rest.
Article written and posted courtesy of Elephant Journal, an online publication featuring daily interviews, articles and videos on the mindful life.
Distribution at 500 of the world’s top boutiques and accolades from Vogue and Elle - most designers wouldn’t give that up for the world. So why after 8 years of building her eponymous line did Dara Gerson walk away from it? As Gerson puts it, she lost her mojo. Years in the jewelry industry had made her weary of the toxic working conditions and environmental impacts of the gem and fine metal industries, and Gerson knew it wasn’t something she could continue to support. That was when her and husband Ashley Lowengrub conceived 
