Behind-the-Scenes Global Bazaar
ONE OF MY GREAT FANTASIES is to be handed a EuroPass, an unlimited expense account and the instructions, “Find it, love it, buy it.” I’d scour Parisian flea markets, haggle with carpet makers in Istanbul and sift through trinkets in Rome.
- © SUNDANCE CHANNEL
While this journey remains little more than a fantasy for me, buyers for the likes of Anthropologie and Cost Plus live the dream everyday. They crisscross the globe, meeting local artisans and scooping up the coolest goods. Until recently, we consumers had to settle for being little more than, well, consumers. But now, we everyday Janes can sneak a peek into the global curating process.
At the beginning of October, the Sundance channel launched an eight-episode series called “Man Shops Globe”, chronicling Anthropologie buyer Keith Johnson’s global shopping exploits.
TOMS shoes now hosts a YouTube channel with clips featuring their shoe buyers and givers (with every sale, the company donates a pair of shoes to a child in need) as they trek across continents.
And this July, New York-based fair trade retailer Global Goods hosted Craft for A Cause, workshops connecting local artisans with their global counterparts. Watch for another go-round next year.
I’m not holding my breath for that free trip to Europe. I will, however, be setting the DVR for “Man Shops Globe”. Living my globe-trotting dreams vicariously is better then nothing!
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