Karien Belle launched her brand at Paris Fashion Week in 2012 and it has been highly coveted ever since, selling in independent luxury boutiques in over a dozen countries. Karien Belle is a brand of wearable art inspired by the joy and freedom of travel, and a passion for great poetry. The intention behind each one of a kind, hand crafted piece is that whatever airplane, hotel room, or safari tent you find yourself in will be automatically filled with joy. The brand is committed to fair trade and to empowering an incredible group of tailors and embroiderers in Delhi. Her factory there has a proud tradition of employing widows, many illiterate, who are otherwise stigmatized in that culture and unable to work. Karien spends several months a year in Delhi working with the ladies. She also provides health care and education to them and their children. The brand has worked with a variety of poetry organizations in addition to collaborating with the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Desmond Tutu Foundation to honour some of those great leaders’ quotes on scarves. She produces very limited runs each year to honour the heart of the brand which is that each piece is utterly unique, made in an ethical environment and with love. Karien Belle is based between Cape Town, Delhi and Paris.