International Women’s Day 2022

In honor of International Women's Day, we at Passion Lilie want to honor all women who have paved the path before us as entrepreneurs, and celebrate those tracking right alongside us. That is why we have partnered with Malia Designs for a giveaway (see details below), honoring the founders of both brands. If you're wondering when International Women's Day is, it's Tuesday, March 8, 2022. 

What is International Women's Day? The theme of International Women’s Day this year is #BreakTheBias. This isn’t a completely new concept as there have been people all around the world from grass root organizations to larger companies that have been tirelessly working for decades for real change. It warms our hearts to see this movement gaining so much traction in recent years and we are jumping for joy that there is an official global spotlight on #BreakTheBias this year. 

This resonates so deeply with those of us who work in Fair Trade because it speaks right to our values of creating fair and sustainable economic opportunities based on transparency, equality, respect, and a lot of love. 

The beloved Cambodian artisan groups at Malia Designs (above) are all owned and operated by women who concentrate on providing employment opportunities for disabled artisans. Their grit, grace, and creativity continue to inspire every day and the Malia family considers themselves lucky to work alongside them!

At Passion Lilie, we work with some amazing women that do everything from designing, to weaving, to block printing and stitching. Above is a picture of one our amazing weavers. We choose to challenge inequality. We are dedicated to paying our partners fair living wages, offering a safe and healthy work environment, and investing in the overall wellbeing of our artisans, just like Malia Designs. 

Passion Lilie's female founder, Katie Schmidt, began her career working as a costume designer and seamstress in California. Today she resides in the vibrant city of New Orleans and does the pattern making for Passion Lilie among all the other tasks involved in running a small business.