The Dharma Door: Empowering Women with Every Stitch and Fiber

One of the most rewarding aspects of this retail venture is the opportunity to source high-quality, beautiful, and impactful goods for all of you.   And one of our favorite brands that exceeds in all of these areas is The Dharma Door.  

Founded in Australia in 2004, The Dharma Door commissions the incredible skills of female artisans living in remote, rural areas of Bangladesh to create stunning, natural homewares and accessories.  From showstopping wall hangings to storage baskets and totes, each item is made by hand - from start to finish - using the highest quality natural fibers and intricate hand making techniques. 

True Fair Trade 

As The Dharma Door Founder, Shannon Sheedy notes,

The more we trade, the more artisans we are able to provide sustainable work for.  Through this approach, we are able to achieve the greatest impact.

The Dharma Door has more than a charity mindset.  They believe the gretest impact they can make is enabling others to make their own change.  To provide this opportunity, they focus on maintaining a strong and healthy business.  By securing consistent orders from their customers (like us!), The Dharma Door ensures secure employment for artisans, which in turn provides financial security for themselves, their families, and their communities. 

The Process

All of The Dharma Door's goods begin with the highest grade jute, cotton, and hemp available.  The baskets, bowls, totes, and wall hangings  carried in our shop are made from jute, or affectionally known as "the golden thread," for it's gorgeous natural blonde hue.

It takes thousands of tiny twists, plaits, and knots to turn beautiful natural fibers into finely woven homewares and accessories.   Using both traditional and modern techniques, The Dharma Door artisans weave and sew every item by hand.

The Dharma Door is truly empowering women in some of the poorest and most disadvantaged communities of Bangladesh.  Being able to use their amazing skills, women are changing their lives and their communities for the better.  A few of the wonderful benefits arising from their work include:

• Pride of making beautiful and sustainable goods with their hands
• Comraderie of learning new skills alongside other women
• Earning respect from their families and community
• Ability to make financial decisions to better their family 
• The opportunity to educate themselves and their children