winter/spring ’21: The Line Up and an Introduction
Opening Note
As we endure this global shift — in thought, activism, consumerism, manufacturing and production — many are asking “Where do we begin?” As an editorial team, we wondered how small-businesses were impacted by COVID-19, not only monetarily but also interpersonally: How would they pivot? How will they continue to cultivate community? How will they evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of their consumers and their environment?
Entrepreneurship is no small feat and when you add the various challenges of many of our participants — migration, mental and physical health challenges, familial responsibilities, gender, race — there is an obstacle at every corner. For this issue, we have interviewed participants across the United States and Europe that are bringing fresh, innovative ideas to their respective industries. Though varying in approach, each participant has reminded me that when all else fails we must always turn back to nature. All that we need has already been gifted to us.
Creating a zine amidst a global pandemic allowed us to travel (virtually) across the world. Our Section Editors come to us from here on the east coast to California, France, and Georgia, bringing with them vast perspectives and analysis of their respective industries. They have conducted a slew of interviews, at the tail end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021, with participants and often visited their sites (safely) to ground them in the purpose and vision of their entrepreneurship. Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.
My hope is that this zine serves as a calling to return to self and to nature; from the foods we eat, the art on our walls, the way we honor our bodies, and to the clothes which we adorn ourselves. In a time where we are all struggling to find a way forward and to envision a new normal, we offer you a place to begin anew.
– Devyn Beswick, Cohesion Editor for Winter/Spring ’21
Our businesses are responsibly built from sustainable practices.