Our Story

 

Lucia’s World Emporium is a more than just a store - it’s a great love story. We are a shop founded by and connected through love. Learn about our founder, artisans, and our passion for sustainability that brings everything together.

The Beginning

Back when our owner Teresa was in college, she visited a small village in Guatemala near Antigua. It was a picturesque destination with a volcano right on the lake. During her time there Teresa fell in love with a local, now her husband, Edwardo, and the culture of the town. That semester abroad turned into 18 years of relationship building in Guatemala with the artisans that we still work with today to bring you clothing, jewelry, and bags made using traditional methods and materials. Eventually, out of love for Lake Atitlan and the people there, Teresa and Edwardo decided to move back to Lexington, KY to open
Lucia’s World Friendly Boutique (now Lucia’s World Emporium) so that they could showcase the work and culture of artisans from around the world, giving them a voice and an economic opportunity that could help to empower the village they love.

The Artisans

At the heart of our business you’ll find the artisans that design and make our products. We believe that good business empowers the communities that its workers call home. That’s why at Lucia’s we follow the 9 Fair Trade Principles to give artisans around the world an economic opportunity they wouldn’t otherwise have. Here’s a story about our very first group of artisans in Guatemala that shows what we mean:

Guatemala is a country overrun with political corruption, inequality, and instability. In order to make ends meet, many young women are forced to work in foreign-owned sweatshops called maquilas where they are given very few rights and are payed much less than a living wage. The goverment supports these businesses despite the setbacks that it causes their people and economy. That’s where Lucia’s steps in. We provide the opportunity for artisans to work fair hours under safe and enjoyable conditions, and we pay fair wages for the skilled labor that artisans provide. We support involvement in design of products and input from traditional Guatemalan culture. These simple steps make a huge difference. One of our artisans became the first person in her village to attend college, bringing back knowledge and skills that can help her community grow. Fair Trade allows people the opportunity to make a difference for their community and their country. 

Sustainability

Caring for people means caring for the planet. Here at Lucia’s, you can trust that all of our products are hand picked with Mother Nature in mind. As we work toward the goal of a greener earth, we look for opportunities to make sustainable choices at every level of production. Whether that means finding organic fibers to make fabrics, upcycling materials that would otherwise be discarded, using natural dyes, finding recycled packaging, or even just turning off the lights after a long day in the shop, Lucia’s is the place to go for gifts you can trust. To learn more about our sustainability goals and sustainable business in your area, visit one of our partners, Green America.

If you are interested in purchasing our Guatemalan products wholesale for your business, please visit our wholesale website  Lucia's Imports