In the summer of 2016, I was in Turkey for four months after living in the States for five years. I joined my mom in her new hobby of making necklaces. Those colorful beads are really addictive! Every day we tried something new. At the end of the summer, we had more than 60 necklaces. We gave away some as a gift and I brought the rest with me to back to the States.
During the summer, I have been to many farmer’s markets in Turkey, met with many artisans. Most are women and they make beautiful handmade jewelry or accessories, but they cannot sell them at the fair price they deserve.
A handmade product takes time to make. Actually, a lot of time! Advancing one’s technique requires lots of practice, talent, and patience. What is great about a handmade product is that each one is unique. Although the same artisan makes the same product twice, there are always slight differences. And of course, these differences give the character and the soul to the product.
Unfortunately, very few people appreciate the beauty and value of a handmade product nowadays.
I have been planning to create a platform to promote women artisans and their work. After a long nesting period, Mom&I by EK was eventually born.