This weeks episode is a little different than other weeks, I wanted to dive a little deeper and highlight our artisans and where they are from...

My name is Sophia Clark and I am Founder and Creative Director of Galiatea, where I curate and design luxury made-to-order furniture and home decor handmade by under-represented artisans globally using locally sourced sustainable materials.

Galiatea is a fusion of cultures and styles, of simplicity and sophistication, of natural beauty and human creativity. The name Galiatea is derived from the word Galatea (the mythical muse of art, created by Pygmalion as the “perfect woman”) and the word Gaia (signifying "mother of earth"). The name Galiatea is intended to be symbolic – the melding of “art” and “earth”, as represented by one-of-a-kind handcrafted furniture and decorations from earth’s natural beauty (from lush alpaca furs of Peru to exotic woods of Brazil). By combining these two elements of art and earth, we believe that unique works of art can emerge, transforming an interior into a singular and fascinating space.

In a world too often uniformed, each decorative element provided in this collection is designed to be absolutely unique. Those one-of-a-kind creations are carefully hand-picked by our in-house interior designer from handcrafted pieces elaborated by artisans, whose savoir-faire was passed from generations past, and whose raw materials are found in their local environment.

Everything you own has a story. Wouldn’t it be nice to know where your products came from and that they were made with love in a sustainable way?

What you wear and how you chose to shop says a lot about who you are. As a socially conscious buyer you are positively impacting the world by enabling rural artisans in underdeveloped nations to support their families and continue to live in their own communities. When you purchase ethically produced goods you are helping to break the cycle of poverty by supporting programs that empower women entrepreneurs and educate children. Fair trade restores dignity to the artisans and assists women to become role models to their communities. The economic empowerment gives them the opportunity to stay in their villages and they will be less likely to migrate to urban areas. All products you purchase have an impact on the social change of our world.

Although we seem worlds apart from these countries, people all over the world generally want the same thing, to be happy, healthy and provide the best for their families. We have the same basic wants, needs, and dreams. Your purchase is part of social change by providing hope and a future for those born into less fortunate economical situations.

Because products are handmade and hand-dyed each piece is special, one of a kind, which means that slight variations occur, enhancing its beauty.

I invite you to discover more: www.galiatea.com