MARY JANE/MADE WITH LOVE IS OUR ARTIST OF THE WEEK! CHECK OUT THE VIDEO HERE AND SUPPORT HER WONDERFUL WORK!
A college friend introduced Rachel and Mary Jane to each other in NYC. Maybe he was going on a hunch, but he could not have been more portentious. Mary Jane is the creator of "Made with Love" which hires women in Brazil, Africa, and Haiti, to create accessories. Mary Jane's company pays the women for the pieces when they are created AND donates the proceeds to build schools for children. Rachel is an owner of Giving Tree Jewelry, a company that endeavors to 'give back' with each and everything they sell. Together, Rachel and Mary Jane represent the most pure and important kind of collaboration - one that represents energies teaming up to create more good in the world. And, the jewelry is wonderful! Featured in magazines like Vogue, picked up by Chris Martin and Coldplay and sold on their tour, and considering Mary Jane's career as a top fashion designer, you can be sure these are the hottest pieces out there!
More about Made With Love founder Mary Jane: Mary Jane Marcasiano is the president of her eponymous design company in New York City . She has designed clothing and accessories, under her own brand and for other prestigious fashion companies, for over 25 years. Marcasiano is a graduate of the Parsons School of Design/The New School and the recipient of the Cartier, DuPont, Cutty Sark and Wool Knit Awards. Always actively involved with the arts, she has designed costumes for DanceBrazil , the New York City Ballet, RythMEK at Jacob’s Pillow and Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. For three years she served as the President of the Board of Directors of DanceBrazil, a non-profit dance company dedicated to cultural exchange between Brazil and the United States. She currently serves as Special Events Advisor to Cinema Tropical, a non-profit foundation that distributes and promotes Latin American cinema in the United States. In 2002, she produced Ginga, a documentary film about DanceBrazil’s capoieristas, with director Gustavo Moraes and in late 2006 designed the costumes for Moraes’ short film “ Ate Quando “. 2006 marked the debut of Marcasiano's Made With Love in Brazil collection, a labor of love combining her passion for fashion with the culture and traditions of her adopted country. “I work in a lot of mediums these days,” says Marcasiano, “But the common thread for me is Brazil, a country and people which continually inspire me.” Fashion With A Heart was launched concurrently with the collection reflecting Marcasiano's desire to give back to Brazil. Drawing on her background in non-profit she works with Brazilian NGOs purchasing goods that support women's crafts in poor communities. She also directly supports NGOs that aid at risk children and youths by donating back a significant percentage of her sales. Marcasiano also provides direct scholarships to aspiring young Brazilian designers from under-privileged families. In 2007 Marcasiano formed MADE WITH LOVE a non-profit global initiative dedicated to raising funds and awareness for NGOs aiding women and children in need through the production and sale of fair trade indigenous products.