Let's Play Dress Up | Noonday Collection Style - Jeanne Oliver

I’m an ambassador for Noonday Collection.  I made a big step in the fall of 2011 & began my own photography business. One of the things I really wanted to do was use a portion of each session fee and give back to another organization.  Noonday Collection was one of the companies I chose. I purchased the acai rope necklace and the embira seed bracelet and began wearing these while on location.  I loved wearing these to my sessions & explaining to my client that a portion of their fee would be going back to a company such as Noonday to support another artisan by providing a pathway out of poverty.  Everyone loves to feel that they are doing something good, something good for another person.

Winter of 2011 I began to pray that the Lord would guide me as I chose another vocation to help support our family.  Noonday seemed the perfect fit. I love the mission of Noonday. I quickly fell in love with Jessica, the founder, and her contagious passion and enthusiasm for restoring dignity for people in countries that I couldn’t even find on a map. I wanted to expand my world vision.  I want to do something purposeful and intentional with my gifts and my time.  We are called to love the orphans and the widows.

I was widowed in 1996 when my once very healthy athletic husband died of cancer.  My three daughters were all under the age of three at that time.  While my situation was never one of extreme poverty, I do know how it feels to feel alone and vulnerable.  Working with Noonday allows each of us to rise up and help widows provide for their children.

At Noonday Collection, our pieces are each handmade by artisans around the world.  The artisans aren’t just at the heart of our company, they ARE the company. The artisans we purchase our collection from know their craft. For them to get paid a fair and competitive wage for the skilled work of their hands is a unique and life-altering opportunity for most of them. Because we practice Fair Trade guidelines, your purchases enable them to earn more than what they would be earning in another job. This extra income enables them to put their children in school, buy chickens, or even expand their own business so they can employ their local community.

Noonday Collection only partners with companies and ministries who assure that their artisans are growing, learning, and benefiting from their craft. All of our suppliers use fair trade principles. Basic fair trade principles state that artisans receive a fair, living wage, a good working condition, and a reasonable path out of poverty. We want to go beyond fair trade. In many instances, the artisans are part owners in the companies!

I’d love to show you a few of our pieces and how they can easily be incorporated into your own wardrobe. Wearing these will certainly draw attention and curiosity. Being a voice for the oppressed, raising awareness is what you’ll be doing besides simply making a fashion statement!!

You may view all these pieces and many more at my website, http://paigeknudsen.noondaycollection.com/