I stumbled across this gem in the Global Handmade section of NYIGF this week. Makaua baskets and mats are hand woven from palm leaves, abundantly grown in the south of Mexico. The dried palm leaves are stained to create a rich array of violet hues to contrast the natural golden colour of the leaves. The baskets are sturdy, beautiful and in demand: After debuting at Maison & Objet, and now showing at NYIGF, founder Beatriz Carregha Kunhardt shared with me that interest is so high that Makaua is sifting through hundreds of inquiries to ensure that retailers are in line with the company’s mission, creating a consistent message from production to consumer.

- J.Lin