Magic Carpet Ride
Photo by Mark Luinenburg
A savvy entrepreneur weaves a tapestry of social responsibility, sustainability, and beauty with good business
Stephanie Odegard’s mother once characterized her daughter’s indomitable spirit thusly: “I can only hope she wants to do the right thing— because there is no stopping her.”
Her mother’s insight was both profound and prescient, as Odegard has demonstrated repeatedly during the past three decades. Her journey began in 1978, when she packed her satchel with the values of her Minneapolis childhood and joined the Peace Corps. Assigned to the remote islands of Fiji, and armed with the hope and idealism she exudes today, Odegard was asked to develop small crafts that would be brought into larger markets.
Uninspired by the thought of asking these gifted people to produce meaningless souvenirs, she astutely imagined a broader market for a high-quality product based on the indigenous crafts of the Fijian people. Odegard’s ideas took root in Fiji and then propelled her into work for the United Nations and World Bank, where she helped developing countries use their artisanal crafts to build sustainable economies.
In 1987, after developing relationships with Tibetan weavers in Nepal, she began to produce a line of high-end rugs unlike anything she had seen on the market. Her goal was to honor the methods of traditional rug weaving, but infuse her designs with a modern aesthetic. Made completely by hand, the finished product has the quality of a supple textile, a function of the yarns, the vegetable dyes, the soaps, and the weaving itself. Discerning owners of Odegard rugs know their purchase serves two purposes: it marries a beautiful product with social responsibility. Odegard’s clients understand that doing good work in the world is worth the price.
Odegard was also one of the founders of Rugmark, an organization working to end child labor in the production of rugs, which uses its funds for the education and welfare of children. Still the largest U.S. contributor to the organization, Odegard believes it has made a difference in the quality of numerous lives. As she reflects on the past 20 years of her work, she observes: “It is real now. I’m no longer playing at this. I see it in the lives of tens of thousands of people. But it doesn’t matter if you can only help a few people—that counts, too. It all counts.”
Odegard is more than a dedicated altruist. She is also a savvy entrepreneur who continues to keep her eye on the prize as she moves beyond rug making in Nepal. Recently, she formed a partnership with French furniture designer Paul Mathieu, working with the artisans of southern India to create exquisite carved marble tables and lighting, and hand-hammered copper- and silver-covered seating, benches, and tables. All of these are created by local craftspeople using traditional techniques and appear regularly in high-end shelter magazines as examples of noteworthy modern design.
Now, Odegard has crossed into a new territory with her new line of hand-woven fabrics, Soie de Lune, French for “Silk of the Moon.” While visiting a museum in Paris, she discovered a gallery exhibiting silk scarves and was immediately enthralled by the fine craftsmanship and luminous quality. Always looking for new products and relationships, her find eventually led to Anou Thammavong of Soie de Lune, whose family has produced these one-of-a-kind textiles for generations in Laos. Originally used in robes for royalty, the traditional designs were adapted to twenty-first century tastes to serve the fashion market in Europe, yet the weaving methods and quality have remained constant.
This approach to product development—beautifully made, traditional crafts designed for a sophisticated, upscale market—made the company a natural fit for Odegard. She and Anou have now formed a partnership to offer an exclusive line of Soie de Lune silks for the home in three patterns: Orchid, Monsoon, and Ginger, all based on the traditional Laotian patterns. The fabrics are made of Chinese filature threads with complex vegetal dyes. Once completed, the silks undergo a washing process using Savon de Marseille, a natural olive oil soap, which adds the luxurious, soft feel to the fabric.
Once again, Odegard has woven together a tapestry of social responsibility, sustainability, beauty, and good business. We can only imagine the relief her mother must have felt to know that her daughter would put her irrepressible resolve behind something so worthwhile. MH
