Last summer, shortly after signing the 15% Pledge, West Elm invited me to join their LOCAL marketplace. From there, they were kind enough to propose creating a video about Bolé Road as part of their Meet the Maker series. Their team visited my new studio in Kingston, where I relocated last year, to capture my work and process.
I was blown away by the kindness and curiosity of the West Elm team. They were wonderful to work with, and I was amazed and humbled by the final cut.
Even though this video is only three minutes, it captures so much of my passion and vision for Bolé Road.
A few highlights:
"Nobody needs a pillow, right?" (Maybe not what someone who makes a living selling pillows should say!)
"In Africa… there is abundance, there is creativity, there is love."
"Part of my aspiration is to place Ethiopian artistry...in the world of high design because I feel that is where it belongs."
I am so happy to share this video with you and so go grateful to West Elm for dedicating the time and resources to bringing this to life.
Thank you for being a part of this journey!
With gratitude,
- Hana