Thoughtful accessories for Dressember: Noonday Collection
Dressember’s 2019 collection has arrived! If you are anything like me, that means you have gone through the collection and picked out dresses (or ties) that you would like to order. Some of my favorites dresses this year are the Elisabeth, the Esther, and the Vera. As someone living in Massachusetts, I appreciate a dress with a long skirt and long sleeves.
After you get your dress, it is always fun to pair it with accessories. You could get accessories from your closet, go to a second-hand thrift store, or support artisans by shopping at Noonday Collection. Noonday Collection is an ethical accessory company that serves individuals by providing jobs to artisans in impoverished areas. Noonday Collection “work[s] in places where people are vulnerable for many different reasons, including poverty, gender violence, human trafficking and HIV/AIDS.” Whenever a piece of jewelry or accessory is purchased from the collection, an artisan is being supported in their effort to live a more stable life.
Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Noonday Collection’s social media coordinator, Carla Rosas. Carla works to “create...social media content and engage with [the Noonday Collection] community online.” The Noonday Collection community is made up of “customers, trunk show hostesses, and ambassadors”. Carla utilizes social media to create a network within the community. In addition, the idea of a “flourishing world” is often a trend on the Noonday Collection instagram feed. According to Carla, Noonday Collection is on a mission to build a “flourishing world.”
During the interview, Carla and I discussed the history and mission of Noonday Collection. She shared with me that Noonday Collection is “on a mission to build a world where women are empowered, children are cherished, people have jobs, and we are connected. Since 2010, Noonday Collection has placed over $25 million in orders of handmade accessories.” Similar to Dressember, Noonday Collection is working to provide dignified, fair trade jobs to men and women who otherwise would not have that opportunity.
Before I conducted the interview, I decided to go on the Noonday Collection website and get a better sense of the company as a whole. As I was scrolling, I noticed that they highlight their support for adopting families and family preservation. This was something that intrigued me. During the interview, I asked Carla how adoption and family preservation formed and shaped the structure of Noonday Collection. She answered that “adoption is how it all started. Jessica [Honegger; Noonday Founder] had the idea to host the first-ever Noonday Collection Trunk Show in her living room as a fundraiser to help bring [her and her husband’s] son Jack home from Rwanda...Today, adoption is still the DNA of our company. We give 10% of Adoption Trunk Show sales to adopting families, and several Noonday Ambassadors are adoptive moms! But on the flip side of that coin, we also believe in keeping families in the first place–and there is no better way to do that than by creating jobs for people who need them.”
As a result, Noonday Collection works to serve individuals through prevention. Instead of serving individuals after trauma (which is also extremely vital) they work to prevent trauma from occurring. They serve individuals by providing ethical and dignified jobs. As a result, individuals have the ability to earn income. This enables family preservation and attempts to limit human trafficking.
Because Noonday Collection has an accessory collection, I asked Carla which accessories she would suggest pairing with the Dressember 2019 collection! She recommended three gorgeous pieces from their Storyline Collection.
“ The organization that Noonday Collection partners with to create these pieces helps women in East Asia overcome exploitation and offers them vital counseling and rehabilitation services, as well as dignified jobs that empower them to support themselves and their families.”
The Destiny Hoops (on sale right now!)
The Together Necklace (On sale right now!)
Want to see how we pair Noonday?
The Alex in Black with the Wilderness Earrings
The Jen in Black with the Saber Earrings
The Vera with the Wellspring Necklace
I can’t wait to see how all of the Dressember advocates accessorize their outfits this year! If you would like to learn more about Noonday Collection or shop their collection of accessories, click the link below.
About the Author
Megan Robbins is a recent college graduate. She received her bachelors degree in social work and she hopes to utilize her skills to serve others. When she is not a social worker, Megan loves to be creative through dancing and painting.