September 8, 2015

Mustard Seed Fair Trade is a trendy downtown retailer that offers ethically-produced goods with an artisan-focused mentality. The store opened its doors in 2008 with the goal of empowering artisans and farmers to make a difference in their community.

The organization has continued to do just that, and after years of working with designers in the U.S and abroad, has made the decision to rebrand itself into something that would embody exactly what it stands for: Route.

“We desperately wanted a name that reflected the work that we were doing and embodied the connections we were making for our customers and the makers of our product,” Board chairwoman and founder Christina Weaver says in an email. “Several people closely involved (including our original designer) have described Route as Mustard Seed all grown up. We are excited to present a look that is clean, sophisticated and very simple. We want to let our products and the stories that they create really shine. We will work hard to story tell and share about the amazing connections that change lives that are at the center of what we do.”

The name “Route” is supposed to symbolize the company’s aim to create relationships and positive changes around the world. The store is a nonprofit and is fair trade, meaning it pays its producers in developing countries fair prices, and is not conducted to make a profit for those working there.

“I think that the fact that they are free (sic) trade will appeal to students because most items that students can afford to buy that are cheap are not free (sic) trade at all, and come with a lot of consumer guilt when you buy them,” sophomore and Route customer and former Maneater staff member Yasmine Benchaabane says. “You don’t really get that from Mustard Seed.”

The physical store might be going under some renovations, as the company is currently grant-writing in order to do some basic remodeling. Route hopes to make the shop reflect the look of their online store: light and warm with neutral colors. Current Route director Carissa Boesch says the store has received ample positive feedback from longtime customers about the rebranding.

“It’s important to be as conscious as you can about how you’re living your life and paying attention to how your decisions affect others,” Boesch says in an email. “Connecting with each other as people and caring about others’ lives, whether we have any idea who they are or not, is really the bottom line and I’m proud to be a part of an organization that wants to facilitate those ideas.”

According to Route’s website, the company puts their efforts toward alleviating poverty in the rural areas where much of the store’s goods are purchased from. Volunteers make up a big part of the store’s work staff, further connecting the people of Columbia to the global community.

“The goal behind starting Mustard Seed was to create a retail store that carefully chose beautiful and high quality pieces that were fairly traded from artisan groups who were making a significant change in impoverished communities and marginalized people groups in the U.S. and abroad,” Weaver says. “We also started to educate customers and the community on the impact of their purchase and the long term change that can happen when we buy consistently from companies that are committed to ethical production.”

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