Support the artisans: One Lemon

Who: One Lemon.

 It was founded by Tamara Backer Tepper and her husband Jason and right now, its based out of New York. In Tamara's words..."My husband and I started One Lemon  while we were living in Singapore.  As we traveled around Asia we sought out nonprofits and social enterprises that used cultural artforms as a means for empowering women and families; we currently work with an amazing organization in India which produces all of our hand-embroidered children's products which I design.  We also have a Cambodian silk collection in the works, and will eventually be looking to expand our offerings into other products for the home." 

Goals:  "to make beautiful products that are good for children, good to the environment, and good for the artisans who make them.  Like the powerful goodness of a lemon, our business is based on the belief that just one drop – of inspiration, kindness, or great design – can make a big difference." Hence the name :)!

What do they do: They work with a local non profit in India and support artisans by providing employment opportunities to more than 500 women, fair wages and help with personal finance, medical benefits and education. The women do most of their work from home and this enables them to take care of their families.

The products they sell: Hand-embroidered products for children; they also plan to sell fabrics for the home. 

This is what Tamara has to say.."Basically, One Lemon is the intersection of many of the things I love both personally and professionally.  Every job I have ever had has had a social aspect to it -- from working with international exchange programs to building a consultancy focused on corporate philanthropy and social responsibility.  In addition, I have always wanted to build some aspect of design into a career.  So when my husband and I moved to Asia, we were completely inspired to build a company that incorporates the cultural traditions of the region while helping empower the artisans who do absolutely beautiful work."
Visit One Lemon here to read about the inspiring work they do and to shop :). In addition to admiring their efforts, I like the clean, unfussy and elegant style of their products. 
Thanks for writing to me, Tamara!