Monday, November 7, 2011



Wow, it has been an exciting few days. After almost a year of preparation, the site launched and I got some feedback on all the products that I have been so excited about. I shipped my first packages out today and that feels good! Wouldn't you like this to arrive at your door?














On this Blog, I am planning to highlight all the designers with whom I am working so my readers and shoppers can get a better idea of how unique a lot of the products are as well as the people who design them.. Today, I will start with Anna Trzebinski.

Anna is a native Kenyan; well, born in Germany but moved to Kenya at a very young age and has no memory of growing up anywhere else but Kenya. Anna is also a passionate designer who is inspired by the culture and traditions of Kenya and, among other pieces, she designs the pashminas carried on Shoddy-Ba-Chic. The Pashminas are woven in Nepal from Tibetan yarns and shipped to Anna in Kenya. There, the tribal women, who she has trained in her workshop, attach by hand a variety of native feathers and beads to create the works of art that are the finished product. It is a painstaking process but, Anna's passion is not only for the products she sells, but for the women who make them and for her native Africa. The women she trains have a job they are proud of, put food in the mouths of their family, and are great role models for their children and young people of Kenya. Anna is also passionate about giving back and helping her community triumph over the adversity that many Kenyans face.

I was fortunate enough to track Anna down, through a mutual friend, and tell her a bit about myself and my website. While her pashminas are primarily sold to discerning shoppers at trunk shows around the world, she kindly agreed to allow me to carry her pashminas on Shoddy-Ba-Chic. I have been fortunate enough to travel to Kenya twice in my life and, both times, I was incredibly inspired by Kenya and its people. I am thrilled to be able to sell her works of art and bring awareness to the tribal women of Kenya who create them! Please see my website to take a look and see the images below. I can work with Anna to get the exact color, size, and feathers your heart desires!




















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