Etkie is making an impact with its collection of contemporary hand-beaded cuffs.
Etkie bracelets are designed to empower women — those who wear them and those who make them. “The word etkie translates to mean impact in Turkish,” says the label’s founder, Sydney Alfonso. “I started working with a women’s cooperative in Istanbul assisting artisans in creating a profitable platform for their handmade jewelry. The intent was to elevate their profit from meager sales to a reliable living wage. Returning to New Mexico, I launched Etkie with the same passion.”
Not only does the brand allow Navajo Nation beaders to earn a decent living, it brings buyers contemporary designs — like the Heritage collection Cactus cuffs (my personal favorites!)— all handmade with glass seed beads.
To further elevate its employees and their families, Etkie has also teamed up with DigDeep, an organization committed to ensuring all Americans have access to clean, running water. DigDeep is currently working to dig wells on the Navajo Nation that run deep enough to hit uncontaminated water and to help with the expensive endeavor, Etkie has introduced a special edition design to its Aqua collection as a fundraiser. All proceeds from sales of the Tó cuff will be donated to DigDeep.
Featured in C&I's February/March 2019 issue.
