Urban Outfitters and the Anchal Project

If I had to sit down and make a list of the things that we love here at HerKentucky, the very top of the list would include Kentucky, quilts, pretty clothes, woman-owned businesses, and helping others. I am so excited about a recent collaboration between Urban Outfitters and a Louisville-based non-profit organization that combines all of these things and so much more!

The Anchal Project is an organization headed by Louisville native and landscape architect Colleen Clines. The 501(c)(3) -- or not-for-profit -- group was founded to empower women who have been forced into India's sex trade by providing them with safe employment in the production of textiles.What started out as a small group of students passionate about designing change for oppressed women now touches the lives of women in 3 cities and employs over 60 artisans on a full-time basis.

Image via the Anchal Project.

Here's how the Anchal Project describes its mission: 

 Anchal celebrates the creative, nurturing essence represented in the anchal and harnesses it for women’s social and financial empowerment. Through design, craft, community-building and education, we help provide new economic realities for commercial sex workers in India. Our goal is to create the infrastructure for creative, income-generating initiatives to run sustainably with local leadership. We believe that by providing a fair living wage and educational workshops to these women in need, opportunities can be pursued that build confidence, increase self worth and inspire entire communities.

Urban Outfitters recently announced the Anchal X Urban collection, a limited edition collaboration with the Anchal Project, which includes gorgeous home accessories and clothing.

I am so in love with this quilt!

And this one, too!

You can check out the entire collection online at Urban Oufitters' website, and in select stores, including the Bardstown Road location.

(Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links to the Urban Outfitters website; HerKentucky does receive a small commission for purchases made through clicks from this post. Independent of any potential financial gain, however, we fully endorse the mission of the Anchal Project.)