At only 22 years old, Avery Barnes bridges two continents with her boutique in Pioneer Square. Taswira sells clothing and jewelry made by African women, enriching two communities a world apart. Raised in Chicago, Barnes’s first heroes were her single mother and her actress grandmother, who starred as adorable moppet Zuzu in It’s a Wonderful Life back in 1946. She never knew her father, but intrigued by her Nigerian roots, Barnes journeyed to Africa to work with Bamburi Women Empowerment Center in Mombasa, Kenya. While women craft and learn business skills, Barnes sells their wares and other imported art in Seattle.
After a series of
→ Continue reading at SeattleMet