Pick of the week Wednesdays: Perfect parasols
Dec 3rd, 2008 by Katie
Ok, perhaps it’s not quite the right time of the year for this week’s pick… but I don’t care, I love them!
These enchanting hand applique parasols from fair trade store, Ganesha are a wonderful way to spice up a simple white wedding – or to serve as the icing on the cake for a full on Bollywood-tastic shimmy up the aisle.
At £125 a pop, they’re not cheap but they’re not a throwaway item either – they would add interest and colour to any room in your house, as well as warding off the rays on the beach for years to come.
And not only do they look good, they do good too.
The parasols are the painstaking work of members of ORUPA (the Orissa Urban and Rural Producers society). ORUPA is a voluntary organisation that encourages and helps the artisans of Orissa, east India, to keep traditional art forms alive.
Launched in 1990, ORUPA was born from the artisans’ own desire to have a marketing federation of their own.
Its mission is to create opportunities for the development of crafts and craftspeople of Orissa. ORUPA provides design development and marketing support to the artisans. It also offers managerial training links with financial institutes and other support and welfare programmes.
Today ORUPA caters to the needs of 3000 artisans’ families working in 24 different craft processes all over the state of Orissa.
Something to smile about while you’re twirling that parasol…
Your picks
If you think you’ve spotted a potential ethical wedding pick of the week, send it in so we can share your finds with other green brides and grooms.