“
28 www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com
We have seen clearly where
hope and opportunity exist
in one part of the world, it
EE
EQUINE Fashion
In the Maasai culture, the beaded creations
they wear can tell you something about
the person who wears them - age, marital
status, social status, special events in their
life (like a new bride). With guidance from
a talented leather worker/designer, the mamas
were given the opportunity to use their
natural sense of color and design to create
products for the Western market. They live
and work near their homes (which allows
them to care for livestock and children)
where they gather in small groups to share
advice and stories as they bead the leather
provided. A friend of our collection – Nils
Tcheyan – visited the mamas and beautifully
captured a few images of their gathering:
Our goal is to demonstrate that products made in Africa
can compete in the global marketplace, while at the
same time creating employment for the artisans, in
the hope that they will have an investment in, and
an opportunity to change, their own future and the
future of their children.
Joan Schultz, the founder, was living in Kenya when
a group of Maasai herded 13 of their precious cattle
to the US Embassy in Nairobi to express their condolences
to the families affected by the events of September
11. “The gift of the cattle, which are so precious
to the Maasai, was a way to say how wrong
that event was and how sorry they were for our
losses. It made us realize that we all have ‘gifts’ to
share and we do what we can to make a difference to
help each other in spite of our own constraints.
What we are doing is not charity or a hand-out, but
just as the Maasai and many other Kenyans extended
their hand in sympathy and concern in their own
way, we are reciprocating in our way by providing
guidance and presenting their talents to a demanding
market.”
Cindy Lay and Stewart Newman of Exceptional Equestrian,
an equestrian life-style boutique, have carried The Kenyan
Collection for 5 years and are just
as passionate about these gifts as Joan and are excited to
take this venture to the next level.
Why is The Kenyan Collection NOT a non-profit? Because
the Kenyans felt that setting up as a non-profit would suggest
donations are required or desired to sustain this operation
and customers would need to manage expectations
in terms of quality of products. These are both assumptions
the Kenyans specifically wanted to challenge….and they
have. We don’t want your donation, we want your business
which we will earn by ensuring every customer is satisfied
with the product purchased with their hard earned
money. While there are many who have tried to duplicate
some of the work and designs of our artisans, in terms of
creativity, consistency, and quality we are sure you will
agree there is no comparison.
can impact peace and
stability across the globe
Specializing in absolutely
nothing you need, just
everything you want!!!
www.thekenyancollection.com
www.exceptionalequestrian.com
”
Exceptional Equestrian
303-931-3493
/www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com
/www.thekenyancollection.com
/www.exceptionalequestrian.com