It always feels great when your shopping purchase makes a difference. I love shopping local, quality products and supporting companies that are giving back and making a positive change. Parker Clay checks all of the boxes for me in terms of what they are selling and how they run their business. I enjoy popping into their cute brick-and-mortar shop downtown Santa Barbara as well.
I purchased their Miramar Leather Backpack (named after a Montecito beach) which I’ve posted a photo of before. It’s easy to dress up or down, and I fully intend on using it when I travel too. I’ve already tested it and my laptop fits with room to spare – awesome! At a recent sale, I also bought the Nyala Foldover Clutch – it will be perfect to bring to future weddings or just out to a nice dinner. I like that you can carry it by the handles or fold it to make it a true clutch – I think versatility is great and it’s fun when one product can be styled in different ways. All of the products are crafted using Ethiopian leather and are all made in Ethiopia.
While I am obsessed with their products, I also equally admire their mission. Parker Clay currently has 150+ employees in Ethiopia and 80% of those employees are women. The company is looking to hire 100 more women this year, and Parker Clay also works with Ellilta Women at Risk to empower women and provide sustainable employment. It’s estimated that 150,000 women are involved in prostitution in Addis Ababa, and Parker Clay hopes to alleviate this problem by offering women another way to make their livelihood.
Parker Clay is a certified B Corporation, which guarantees high standards of transparency, legal accountability, and environmental, employee, and community impact. It’s a win-win to know that I’m using my purchasing power for the good and that I’m supporting a company that cares about people over profit. It also doesn’t hurt that I think their products are beautiful and that I’m also supporting a local family business. Whether you are in the market for a wallet, tote bag, or overnight bag, Parker Clay has lots of styles and colors, and you can help the company to help others one purchase at a time.
