A new boutique is bringing more than great style to Fort Worth's Magnolia Avenue. Tribe Alive is on a mission to help women around the world.
The brand recently opened its first brick-and-mortar store, though Tribe Alive has had a robust e-commerce presence since 2014.
It all started with Carly Burson, who, after years of international volunteer work and the adoption of her own daughter, Elie, from Ethiopia, became aware of the economic insecurity facing women in the developing world and sought to create change.
Taking what she'd gleaned from more than a decade working in the fashion industry, Burson launched Tribe Alive (the name nods to Burson's desire to build a movement) as a jewelry line produced by a group of women in Honduras.
Eventually, the line grew into a full lifestyle collection featuring textiles, leather goods, and apparel crafted by female artisans from around the world.
By partnering with international nonprofits, Tribe Alive has equipped more than 120 women from Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, India — and now Fort Worth — with the tools and the support needed to provide for their families and create better lives for themselves.
Everything is designed and made by women, with the mission of empowering women to raise themselves out of poverty.
"We believe women are the key to our future," says Burson. "When we invest in women, then women reinvest in the health and well-being of their communities. When you reach one woman, you reach 100 more. We're interested in positively affecting generations to come, which is why we choose to invest in women. Women pay it forward."
Sharing Burson's passion for uplifting other women, Katie Samson joined Tribe Alive in 2016. As lead designer, she drives the creative voice of the brand, designing seasonal collections and working closely with partners around the world.
"They are smart, driven, and talented but are not taught that they can dream about a career for themselves," says Samson. "We step in to help bridge that gap in opportunity and invest in these women, who have so much to offer."
As Tribe Alive grows, Burson will remain focused on employing more women internationally while also making an impact locally. Last year, the brand began working with resettled refugee women in Fort Worth on small-batch capsule collections.
"There's so much we hope to achieve, but our main objective always remains rooted in the desire to empower women living in extreme poverty," says Burson. "It's easy to get lost in the note of the industry and the intricate layers of growing a brand. But, when we take a minute to dial back on why we began, the reason is very clear. We just want to employ more women."
Tribe Alive is at 1455 W. Magnolia Ave., Suite 109. Hours are 10 am-6 pm Tuesday-Thursday; 10 am-7 pm Friday-Saturday; 12 pm-4 pm Sunday; and closed Monday.
Tribe Alive is located at 1455 W. Magnolia Ave., Suite 109.
