Craftsmanship and heritage are becoming lost amid our commercialised world and considerable efforts in the preservation of these cultures for generations to come is yet to be seen. In a world of homogeneity and materialism, The Cultural Voyager, a brand extension to the Condé Nast Traveler, is a platform dedicated to reviving local growth and sparking positive social change alongside a revolutionary change in our current relationship with the material world, shifting from quantity to quality.
We believe that artisans, culture and tradition are responsible for making our world so diverse and beautiful. We turn to culture and craftsmanship to reinvigorate local growth and drive a shift in consumer mindsets from a ‘me’ to ‘we’ united empowerment movement (Bell, 2015).
The Cultural Voyager, an e-commerce educational platform exists to resist the erosion of cultures, traditions and craft in three different ways:
- Curating unique and inspiring stories enabling readers to delve deeper into cultural traditions around the world.
- Partnering with artisans around the world offering authentic design-led experiences.
- A trusted marketing place with a plethora of brands supporting local economies, allowing consumers to shop with the peace of mind that every purchase supports and protects craftsmanship origins.
Inspired from a recent trip to the colorful, culturally rich countries of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Colombia, this project was stimulated from purchasing a beautifully hand crafted traditional Colombian bag. The lady and her daughter selling these bags told me that this Wayuu tribe Mochila bag traditionally marks the coming of age of a young woman once she is able to craft one. On return to the UK, shopping in Urban Outfitters where the same bag, with the same details was on the shelf for an extortionate price. There was no mention of where the bag was from, what it meant or any design inspiration. This had a big impact on me and thus The Cultural Voyager was born. The project portfolio has been created with vibrancy and full of multi-sensory textures just like the destinations!
Currently and throughout my degree I have worked as a managing member for an up-and-coming luxury brand BSWANKY. Please read more about my journey with BSWANKY here: https://www.platinumpublishing.co.uk/dynamic/2020/05/from-intern-to-executive/
Contact:
Email: [email protected] / [email protected]
Website: https://millersophie10.wixsite.com/mysite/project-portfolio
Instagram: @sophiegmiller
