Carly Burson wears Nisolo’s Austin Smoke.
As consumers, we don’t usually think about the origins of the products we purchase. When we make a decision to purchase an item, we are immediately connected to the producer whether we want to be or not. Our decisions contribute to the entire process through which a particular fashion item was made. Most importantly, our purchasing power affects the people who were involved in the creation of products we consume. We are not alone in the world and our everyday choices deeply affect the rest of the world in many ways. This is where the idea for Nisolo was born.
Co-Founder and CEO of Nisolo, Patrick Woodyard, launched Nisolo in 2011 with co-founder and VP of Design, Zoe Cleary. Woodyard worked in development in Trujillo, Peru and met amazing shoemakers. Like most artisans in the developing world, the talented Peruvian shoemakers could not gain access to the world market. Their art was their voice and Woodyard wanted that voice to be heard. When people are heard, they know they are not alone.
Nisolo means “not alone” in Spanish. The very name of the company is a reminder that our choices impact the rest of the world. Our founder, Carly Burson, said, “I love the meaning behind Nisolo. As world citizens it’s important for us to remember that fact and encourage community and collaboration with all cultures. As a social entrepreneur and producer of goods, I understand that consumers can make small choices that have a big impact somewhere in the world and appreciate that Nisolo makes it easy to be a part of providing meaningful opportunity to makers in Peru. And it doesn’t hurt that their shoes are stunning!”
Just as we in the developed world are not alone, entrepreneurs in the developing world are not alone. Each entrepreneur is talented, business savvy, and resilient. Above all, each entrepreneur has a voice! Nisolo aims to connect these two worlds through high-quality fashionable products. At its core, Nisolo is a fashion brand that wants to add wood to the growing conscious consumerism fire by giving consumers a chance to make a positive impact by their choices and giving the producers the opportunity to participate in the global market.
The craftsmanship behind each pair of Nisolo shoes has been passed down from generation to generation. Each pair of shoes is handmade with locally sourced materials. This means no machines are used, Tribe. That’s pretty amazing, right? We think so, too. When Carly wears her Nisolo Austin Smokes around the studio, you can almost hear the passion and soul as the heels click across the room. And, it’s worth every penny.
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