Site designed by Elaine Bellezza
MAP
PROJECTS
Mia Mali
Consulting
Cameroon
ACTIVITIES
Design
Full Cycle
Mudcloth
Metal
Build
Training
Virtual Trg
Link to Mkts
Local
Intern'l
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CASE STUDIES
Fatim
Ladji
Elaine Bellezza
Design, Build Capacity, & Link
Creating products that people want to buy at competitive prices was key to our success. It is much easier to sell products that people WANT, than to push and push tired items into the market. More about our designs see:
The Mia Mali work best exemplifies my
philosophy — design products people
want to buy, build entrepreneurial
capacity and link to viable markets.
When I started Mia Mali in 2002 I spent 6 months on product development with about 45 artisan groups. When I opened my home for our first sale, it was an enormous success. Attended by hundreds of people. We sold nearly everything and took orders for more.
The struggle, expense, and risk was worth it, Mia Mali was launched. At first, most artisans thought I was crazy, incorporating the unusual materials and ideas into their work, but when orders started pouring in, enthusiasm and inspiration ignited. Business was so robust that within a year we moved to a large building in a commercial neighborhood.
Soon we had decorating contracts for homes, businesses, and hotels. We created in-house production workshops for weaving, sewing, and basketry and by year’s end we were working with over 100 artisan groups. Our website went live in our first year and within a year we had major wholesale orders from around the globe and nearly doubled the number of producer groups.
My biggest reward came when I decided to leave Mali. I struggled with the decision for months but it was imperative for personal reasons. I decided to hand over the baton to my key staff, and to give them Mia Mali in total. They were shocked and scared. No one, not artists, clients or friends, or my staff, thought they could make it without me. I knew they could. And they did, far better than anyone could have imagined. They recently completed an order of 60,000 tote bags for a major US buyer and are doing trade shows across the US. See Fatim for details.
full cycle
mudcloth
metal
ladji
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Furniture and decorating was a major income stream and supplied work to many producers who had no access to tourist and overseas sales, such as metal workers, woodworkers & upholsterers.
The sofas, right, are made from recycled leather tents of Touareg nomads.
2006 Lonely Planet said of Mia Mali:
Mia Mali—Far and away the most innovative and
stylish boutique in Mali, Mia Mali has eminently
reasonable prices and its commitment to working with over 175 artists deserves to be supported. The array of items for sale – silver jewelry, masks, statues, textiles, artwork and home furnishings – is endless and of the highest quality. In addition to traditional pieces, Elaine Bellezza, the American owner, and her local craftspeople combine traditional themes with creative design twists. If you only visit one shop in Bamako, make it this one.
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