Berber women have been handweaving textiles since 600 BC, passing the craft from generation to generation. They carry this tradition with them as they work, telling new stories with each knot of every textile.
Artisans can easily spend months, or even years, on these pieces, often as they raise children and run households. They are invaluable works of art.
But when it comes time to sell, the stories behind these textiles are lost to bulk buyers, and the artisans are at the mercy of middlemen or brokers. The brokers use manipulative tactics to slash the artisan’s asking prices so the women rarely earn back what they’ve invested in time, material and craft.
Salam Hello meets every seller face-to-face.
We ask women to share the stories behind their textiles, and involve them in negotiations to make sure they’re fairly compensated.
In Arabic, “Salam” means “peace” and is used as a greeting, just as “Hello” is used in English. Salam Hello is how we connect directly with artisans, so that you can welcome the tradition and peace of Morocco into your home and life.
The Traditional Approach To Pricing
Artisan
Brokers drive artisan prices down with successive visits. Artisans can barely earn back their own time and materials.
Brokers
Broker sells to a souk or store owner with a large markup, pocketing the profit.
Souk/
Store Owner
Store Owner
Souk or store owner sells to you or to buyers from larger stores with yet another markup.
You
Our Approach
Artisan
We meet with the women selling each rug to understand time, labor, and story behind the weave. We never go below her first asking price.
We polish and share the stories behind each rug and ship them to the US, where they are available online only.
You
10% reinvested into community
We ask artisans what they need and invest 10% of our profits in meeting these needs; from phones and cameras, to materials or donations to charity.