Nordstrom Piece & Co. Collection finally hits stores

The Nordstrom Piece & Co. Collection has launched this week. The collection, which was announced last month as a collaboration between local artisans from around the world and eight designer brands, including Alice + Olivia, Current/Elliott, Diane von Furstenberg, Joie, Rebecca Minkoff, Theory, The Honest Company, and Tory Burch, finally hit stores on Monday, March 16th, 2015.

The goal of the collaboration is to connect global female artists with major fashion labels around the globe, thus helping to create jobs for women in developing countries. To date, the collaborations have helped to create 8,000 jobs for women in over 21 countries. It’s socially conscious fashion from some of the finest labels offered in one of America’s finest department stores.

Nordstrom Piece & Co. Collection helping to change lives for women around the globe

Nordstrom, who has built social responsibility into their business plan, has high hopes for this collection, and given the brands that Piece & Co. collaborated with for this collection it is sure to be a success. Some of the designers they collaborated with are no strangers to helping uplift women with a business dream either. Tory Burch, whose Piece & Co. pieces include a linen tunic and t-shirt made from hand-painted cotton canvas fabric from the Republic of Zambia, helps to support young female entrepreneurs through the Tory Burch Foundation. Diane von Furstenburg, whose Piece & Co. pieces include a wrap dress and scarf made from hand-painted batik fabrics from India, is famous for being a mentor to young fashion designers and businesswomen in the fashion industry (just watch her E! series, House of DVF).

While it might just be another designer purchase for some, these Piece & Co. collaborations have helped to make a major difference in the lives of many women. In an article from the L.A. Times, Piece & Co. CEO and founder Kathleen Wright discussed the impact these collections have had on some of these artisans she has had the privilege of meeting personally saying, “One woman said, ‘Every day since I’ve had this order, I’ve been able to send my kids to school with lunch and as a mom, these have been some of the happiest months of my life.’ Taking that burden off moms, so they know where their next meal is going to come from, allows them to start thinking of other things in their life like how they are going to keep their kids in school all the way through secondary education. It’s really exciting.”

For those not lucky enough to live next to a Nordstrom (NYC’s isn’t coming until 2018), the collection will be available on nordstrom.com. The price ranges for the items are anywhere from 198 dollars for the Alice + Olivia ‘Cerra’ jacquard top, to 59 dollars and 95 cents for the Diane von Furstenburg scarf. For a collection that’s so socially conscious and fashionable, now might be a good time to go on a shopping spree. After all, when everyone is staring at you for toting around a dozen Nordstrom shopping bags with all new purchases you can just say it’s for a cause.