When Liberty Jane Meets Toms
Oct 01
So we don’t know what it’s like where you live, but up here in Seattle Toms shoes are all the rage. Our 13 year old daughter first told us about them. Then we became big fans as we started to learn about their business model.
Then we bought the book – Start Something That Matters by the founder Blake Mycoskie. It is like a perfect expression of business meeting charity.
Now we have a new goal. To “Tom-ify” our business.
We’ve had Liberty Jane Gives Back for a long-time now, but it’s not as well conceived or presented as the Tom’s Buy-One-Give-One model. So our goal is to take the lesson’s Blake shares in his book and improve our effort. To be clearer, and more focused in our storytelling. For us – it will mean starting a charity focused on empowering seamstresses in desperate places – and have it grow alongside Liberty Jane Clothing. If you haven’t enjoyed Toms shoes or eyewear yet, or seen the book, then you should check them out.
And if you have enjoyed Toms, then do us a favor, share some ways in which we might “Tom-ify” Liberty Jane Clothing / Liberty Jane Patterns. We’re open to suggestions.
Jason & Cinnamon Miles
I like your idea of ‘teaching them to sew’ and not just giving them something. Let me explain – I do mission work both in this country and abroad. Many, many, many well meaning people/organizations just send ‘things’ – like, for instance, in Haiti – after all the disasters items of clothing have been sent there – things like
nice, new t-shirts. This really sounds great and wonderful to us in United States but in Haiti – they hate and resent this. Not for the reasons we think of, it’s because now the have so much free clothes the small cottage textile industries there no longer have a need to produce anything and that shuts their shops down. No job, no money, no food, no clean water, no nothing! If you want to help poor countries – send the raw goods or say battery powered sewing machines (or whatever) – so they can provide for their families. They don’t need us to go over there to do the work either because that means money out of their pockets. Information, supplies, education, guidance, friendship – all things they can use to better their life! Thanks for listening!!
Hi Carol,
Yep, you’re reading our mind on this one. In fact we are working to set up the coordinating effort for our Haiti Project right now. It will be – as you’ve mentioned – empowering…sharing tools and resources to strengthen cottage industry, not to destroy it. We really appreciate your insight into this.
All the best,
Jason & Cinnammon
Carol… thank you for your insight. I live in South Africa and there are many projects here to help lesser fortunate communities. And still many people in need. To give complete items like the t-shirts is only a temporary solution. By teaching them a skill helps them in the long term.
As always I have been inspired by Cinnamon and Liberty Jane and have my own project planned for ladies in our local community…
Liese,
We’d love to see pictures and hear the outcomes of your community project. That’s really exciting!
Wonder if Tom’s could make us some dolly shoes, proceeds going to our causes.
Funny, I actually thought the same thing… We actually have a shoe pattern in the works from Cheryl – Ardently Admire. It should be available soon
Can I pre-order it?
Hey! Big fan I was wondering if you could make shoes loke toms but call them something else (you know because of copy rights and stuff) but make the shoe doll sized. Example name dobs dolls + toms = Dobs