Hi Reader,

Have you had fun browsing - and buying? - in our Inner Circle Fabric Sale - if the link works, we're still open! What a great way to kick-off National Fair Trade Month in the US. 💚

There are loads of great activities to get involved in, raising vital awareness about what we choose to eat, wear and use. Feel free to pass the link on because, there's a boatload of people who've still never even heard of Fair Trade. It's true!

Some I speak with, think I'm talking about the 'Fur Trade' 🤪 ... ok, maybe that's just my Brit accent! But, honestly - especially at events - 'fair trade' is something still new to many people.

But, happily, that's not you! You're here because ethical choices mean a lot to you, and you act on them. So, why 'preach to the fair trade choir' this month? Because you deserve a deep dive into more nuanced questions behind what makes a product 'fair', who it's 'fair' for, and how does 'fair' even look?

That's what this month's letters will bring. I look forward to your comments.
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Transactions

We talk a lot about fair trade, and rightly so. But sometimes I wonder if we’ve made the idea of 'fair' too transactional. Of course I'm not belittling fair wages, prices, working conditions, and more. They are vital.

But what happens when we move beyond the transaction? If we're not careful, there's nothing but a void! There's no engagement that keeps us invested in this movement that so deeply affects lives and livelihoods for good.

At Motif, some of our most valuable relationships are decades old. Not because we have a perfect system, or because every order has been easy. Quite the opposite. Relationships that last have room for mistakes, experiments, changing circumstances and plenty of conversations.

Something different happens when you know the person on the other side of the order. A fabric isn't simply 'Made in Bangladesh' and shipped across the world. It passes through a chain of decisions, skills, conversations and relationships.

And that matters. Because the real value of fair trade isn't simply that everyone gets a fairer deal at the end of a transaction. It's more about what's possible when the transaction is not the most important part of the relationship.
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Reciprocity

A great example was a time when our weave partners Hand Touch, were struggling. Thinking to actually sell off their yarn stock to generate some cash flow ... for 25% of its real value. Awful! At Motif we decided to buy all the yarn at a much higher price than that. And then, months later what happened? When Motif was facing a big challenge, Hand Touch was in a position to buy all that yarn back again. Only a trusting, mutually respectful relationship allows for that measure of reciprocity.

That is the 'fair' in 'fair trade.' Problem solving together, building knowledge, creating legacy for a shared vision to continue. For me, that's one of the most exciting things about making with people, not just buying from them, nor simply selling to them either.

Transactional 'fair' is important. But lasting relationships take us to 'fair' at a different level.

Here's truly to making things, all things, better together,