selected images from ‘material change: design thinking and the social entrepreneurship movement’

author: eve blossom with forward by yves behar publisher: metropolis books language: english year: november 2011 size: 160 pages, 130 color, 17.8 cm x 21.6 cm ISBN: 978-1-935202-45-5

http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/books.php _____________________________________________________________________

designboom rating: material change: design thinking and the social entrepreneurship movement material change: design thinking and the social entrepreneurship movement material change: design thinking and the social entrepreneurship movement material change: design thinking and the social entrepreneurship movement _____________________________________________________________________

many of us now look at the clothes we wear and wonder about the conditions at the factory where they were made: did children stitch our shirts and pants? were the workers compensated fairly? were they forced into labor? the answers, often harsh, change our feelings about these products and lead us to another question: are there better options?

content an architect by trade, eve blossom is the founder and CEO of lulan artisans whose mission is to ‘preserve artisanal traditions; to give workers ample wages, benefits, and a safe workplace; to bring stability to communities by creating jobs; and to provide economic alternatives to human trafficking.’ this book is the story of blossom’s design business which is based on a framework of ecological, economic and social sustainability. it documents the for-profit social venture that designs, produces and markets contemporary textiles made by blossom’s collaborators – over 800 weavers, dyers, spinners and finishers – who hail from cambodia, india, laos, thailand and vietnam.

in ‘material change…’, blossom describes her travels and experiences to many of these mentioned southeast asain countries, taking us through the various local markets where handmade fabrics are sold, and rural villages which are devoted to farming and weaving. the book tells us of how she came to form the lulan artisans initiative.

is this book for me? this book provides a new holistic model to entrepreneurship for the 21st century.

material change: design thinking and the social entrepreneurship movement selected images from ‘material change: design thinking and the social entrepreneurship movement’

material change: design thinking and the social entrepreneurship movement

material change: design thinking and the social entrepreneurship movement a group of artisans

material change: design thinking and the social entrepreneurship movement front cover