We partnered with Mercado Global to bring you these beauts from Lake Atitlán, Guatemala.
LOVE bracelets do more than forge a connection between the wearer and artisan; they’re also an important tool for creating enriching employment opportunities for women all over the world in a supply chain of love. Fair wages, access to education, and benefits like healthcare and paid vacation are central to our mission at Love is Project—and when we came across Mercado Global, we just knew we had to work together.
Our newest LOVE bracelets hail from the colorful villages surrounding beautiful Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, made by over 540 female artisans in Mercado’s collective. Mercado Global takes a holistic approach to breaking the cycle of poverty with a three-pronged approach: community-based education in art and finance, creating market access through connections to international sales opportunities, and asset development like microloans to help artisans purchase looms or incentives to save a portion of their salary.
Access to opportunities and support along the way have allowed Mercado artisans to invest (on average) 90% of their wages back into their families: these women are more likely to send their daughters to school, to have improved health, and to become catalysts for positive change within their communities.
Woven on mini foot looms, our newest LOVE bracelets are inspired by the woven hair ribbons Guatemalan women use in their hair wraps. Each cotton bracelet’s color symbolizes the unique cultural attributes of its artisan’s home village in the Lake Atitlán region, including:
Santiago - Purple
San Antonio - Blue + Turquoise
San Juan - Natural Tones (Yellow + Gold)
Santa Caterina - Pink + Red
As if this look-good-feel-good collection wasn’t already complete, we’re including a traditional worry doll with each bracelet purchase. Whisper your deepest concerns to these “Muñecas Quitapenas” before placing them under your pillow; legend has it that they’ll spirit away your worries while you slumber.
Our Atitlán bracelets are on sale now!