Giving Tuesday, a national day of giving, is December 2^nd. What a great way to remind us of our good fortune and give us an opportunity to take a break from our busy lives to donate or contribute to the many worthy causes that benefit people around the world, as well as those closer to home in our own communities. 

December also marks the beginning of the holiday gift-giving season, another great opportunity to give back, with gifts that benefit others every time we purchase them and make us feel good about ourselves. When we first introduced our luxury children’s clothing in 1990, social enterprise companies, like ours, were virtually unheard of. Since then, the social purpose movement has gained much momentum. I am proud to be a pioneer in this growing movement and it makes me happy to see so many appreciating the difference when it comes to ethical manufacturing. 

With your enthusiastic support of our brand, we have proven that social enterprise works. When we started, we worked with a group of 21 underprivileged women in Chile, true artisans, to create a small collection of exquisitely appointed, hand-embroidered girls dresses. Today, the Isabel Garretón dresses, coats, matching purses, and other accessories that you found and purchased in the finest department and specialty stores in the country have helped us support more than 100 Chilean women and their families.

Social responsibility continues to be woven into each and every Isabel Garretón garment, making it possible for these hardworking, talented women to break the cycle of poverty, provide for their families and educate their children.

When thinking about your next gift purchase, or new holiday dress, give some thought to the brand that made it. If you find out that the person who made this product is being treated fairly, receiving fair wages and is able to sufficiently provide for his or her family, you have made this world a better place for all.

We believe we can change the world one dress at a time and do it everyday. The giving season makes it all the more special.

Best wishes for a joyful holiday season.

Isabel Garretón

The earliest memories I have is leaning on to my grandma, while sitting and feeling the rhythmic clicking of her knitting needles.

The love we had for each other had no boundaries and most things she knitted were for me. When I was older we would walk to the yarn store and decide together on the favorite yarn for the next wonderful thing she would be hand knitting. These memories have more and more meaning to me as I get older. I cannot explain the internal joy that invades me when I see in stores rows and rows of multiple color yarns, that simple and orderly space provides me with the sense that all is OK and a peaceful feeling takes over.

While attending an exhibit in Santiago, Chile; where many artisans were showing there skills through a variety of products, I came across a small group that was doing wonderful things hand dying wool and felting it. Irresistible. The research that followed our initial meeting, resulted in the creation of a unique, versatile and feminine scarf called “ItsATwist”. What is unique about it is that by putting your arms through it and opening them, you will make “ItsATwist" very wide and you can wear it as a cowl, a shawl over your shoulders, etc…then you take it off and pull from both ends and make it long to become a scarf over a coat or however you want to use it. The wonderful thing is that it can go from wide to long to wide to long endlessly.

We created three groups:

• Indulge, with 3 natural shades of soft organic alpaca

• Adventure, with 18 of the most beautiful hues of hand dyed wool

• Spirit, with eight options hand knitted with man made fibers for those who do not care for natural wool. 

They are all trimmed with felted puffs that add playfulness and warmth.

Thinking that this is a product that would appeal to younger and older women, that it would be flattering to all sizes, we concluded it would make an easy and special gift.

As a gift, it had to have a fun box!

We came up with an elegant dark chocolate box that opens up in a way that presents the puffs as a bouquet. 

We also have a gift for you!

This Holiday season we are offering 50% off the "ItsATwist" so you can give one to a friend and give a gift to yourself while helping women artisans!

Pick your favorite Twists and at checkout use promo code:

TWIST50

Learn to Twist, here! 

We'd love to see your Twist on it!

Tell us if you love 'ItsATwist' like we do on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest!

A few years back in my constant search for artisans I met Javier and his wide variety of handmade dolls and toys, I was very impressed by the playfulness and variety of his designs. It took a while for us to find a way to incorporate his dolls to what we do. I really wanted to develop a way in which anyone could engage in the creative and playful process of designing their own doll. The final pieces came together last summer our website has a Dolls Tab and is invited to create their very own doll and name it. Two to three weeks later they will receive the doll with the characteristics they chose. It has been tremendous FUN to see how engaged people get and we have had dolls with names as simple as DORA to more involved ones such as ANN WAVERLY, with and without fringe/bangs, black and white, blonds and brunettes, straight and curly hair...you name it...each with an adorable outfit!

I was intrigued by Javier and his work and decided to interview him a week ago. We met at a coffee shop where he told me how he started making dolls.

His grand father had been a carpenter and made toys, his mother also made toys, many dolls. He grew up helping them along until he went on to study graphic design, a field in which he worked for 15 years. During a visit to his parents home, in the south, he run into old magazines, pictures and toy patterns and had a revelation, this was who he was, these were his roots; he wanted to go back to the playful and fantasy environment he grew up in of handmade toys. Initially he kept his job while developing his ideas, and eventually he felt confident enough to believe he could support himself doing what he loved and he's never regretted it.

It has been a pleasure to have Javier join the group of wonderful artisans behind everything we do at IG and I look forward to the fun possibilities we will be able to offer you in the future.

                                                                 

                             

           ...dreaming...                     ...Javier...                  ....playing at the beach...  

              

                                         

                             ...fall leaves...              ...rocking...

  

                                                                                                                                            ...a friend....

 

                                            

                                            ...many friends... 
 

This Summer indulge in the pleasure of a creative activity!

Or send a Gift Certificate to a child you love to Design their own Handmade Doll!

Be Sure to follow and share pictures of your dolls on their new adventures!

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

 A Twist is a wrap, is a top, is a skirt, is a hood, is a belt, is a shawl, is a gift

...It's all in how you put your Twist on it...

The surprise came when the fun design of our versatile shawl/scarf/hood design in the Fall/Winter 2011 Collection for Kids became what store owners wanted for themselves and for gifts… 

The enthusiasm was impossible to resist and so "ItsATwist" for women of all ages was born.

We got started and while we were having fun designing the gift box, the models in our photshoot kept playing with new ideas on how to wear the Twist.

                          

We developed four unique lines using different materials:

• Indulge is the ultimate elegance in alpaca

• Adventure celebrates hand dyed soft wool hues and warmth

• Spirit for those who prefer hypoallergenic 

Designing each one is like playing with oils on a canvas, an absolute pleasure.

                          

 

"ItsATwist" happened as a response to people's feedback and we are grateful for the support and encouragement provided by so many.

             

What's your Twist on it?

Share with us on Facebook or #ItsATwist and #IsabelGarreton on Instagram and Twitter!