Photo by Justin Harrington.

There’s nothing quite like shopping for unique hand-crafted items on your travels. Now imagine if there was a global marketplace that could bring their beautiful pieces directly to you, without having to step on a plane! That’s exactly the concept behind Far & Wide Collective.

Launched in 2013, prior to starting Far & Wide Collective, founder Hedvig Alexander spent years working in international development. Between her time in Kabul and travelling in the region, she discovered how difficult it was for very talented craftspeople to connect with buyers abroad. Her goal was to develop a marketplace where artisans in post-war and emerging countries could have their hand-crafted fair trade products brought to a global audience.

There are a huge variety of products to shop, from jewellery to home decor and clothing, at a wide range of price points. Far & Wide Collective works with dozens of artisans from countries including Afghanistan, India, Kenya and Colombia. We love that you know exactly who the artisan is that you’re buying from and you really feel like you’re making a real impact on someone’s life. We also love that it allows you incorporate a truly unique product into your life — be it home or self — that’s a little bit exotic.

We think you’ll love Far & Wide Collective too and urge you to check out their site!

To introduce this amazing brand to our readers, we have partnered with Far & Wide Collective for an amazing giveaway! We’re giving one lucky reader a set of yellow and white placemats from Swaziland (pictured above). To enter head over to our contest page. Good luck!