VIP Alexandria Magazine | April 2022

Page 72

THE TEN TH OU S A ND V I L L A G ES S T O R Y STORY BY LIESEL SCHMIDT PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES

Regardless of what you might be looking for, it’s hard not to fall for the charms of the quaint yet bustling Boutique District of Old Town—though there is one little shop that stands out from the rest, for ten thousand reasons more than just its uniqueness. True, the individuality one finds at Ten Thousand Villages is certainly a point in its favor, but that individuality and specialness comes from the fact that the store's eclectic selection of goods is both fair trade and 100 percent ethically sourced from all over the world. It’s a mission statement come to life in every item sold, and the people who work there live and breathe that ethos every day. 72 • VIP ALEXANDRIA MAGAZINE

While the boutique on King Street has been there since 1994, it all began more than 70 years ago, when Edna Ruth Byler made the first purchase that later led to a movement: handembroidered textiles from women who didn’t have access to a market in which to sell them. Byler bought them at a fair price, took them home and sold them to friends and neighbors on the makers’ behalf. As she sold textiles from the trunk of her car, Byler told the stories of the artisans who made them, creating something that grew into lasting partnerships and ignited the spark of global fair trade.


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Articles inside

A Night for Ukraine

1min
pages 96-100

A Concert for Ukraine

1min
pages 94-95

Alexandria Historic Garden Week

11min
pages 84-93

In Spite of It All: The Spite Houses

8min
pages 76-83

The Ten Thousand Villages Story

6min
pages 72-75

Boxwood's Into the Woods

1min
pages 56-57

Nepenthe Art Gallery Grand Opening

9min
pages 62-68

Wine Cellar Renovation

3min
pages 58-61

Arlington Condo Remodel

3min
pages 46-51

Shutter's Hill Kitchen Remodel

3min
pages 54-55

Champagne & Chocolates

0
pages 52-53

The JOINT Grand Opening

0
pages 44-45

Marks-Woods Construction

1min
pages 42-43

Aaron Podolsky, The Podolsky Group

1min
pages 40-41

Kristen Jones, McEnearney Associates

1min
pages 34-35

BNI Positive Power Meetup

4min
pages 24-27

Kellye Clarke, RGS Title

1min
pages 28-29

Britt Patterson, The Patterson Group

1min
pages 38-39

April Super Mom: Shawna Wentlandt

3min
pages 22-23

Susan Gray, Gray Attiliis Homes

1min
pages 32-33

Matt & Tony's Grand Opening

1min
pages 14-15

Orthodontics... What You Should Know

2min
pages 20-21
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