About isiko

Hi, I'm Janna, owner, designer, artist, curator and all the hats wearing woman of isiko!

I grew up in Manila, Philippines and spent my entire childhood traveling from place to place. Doing so exposed me to a variety of cultures, environments, and most of all impactful experiences that have shaped me into who I am today. One of my most vivid memories took place when I was 8 years old at a market with my mom who offered a poverty-stricken mother, holding her new born child, a guava. Seeing this, a group of children swarmed us also wanting a guava to eat. The simple cry for help in their eyes was enough to leave me feeling untethered to the seemingly privileged life I knew before. I was stuck by this experience so much so that it became by mission to someday be able to give back to those less fortunate. 

After studying Anthropology in college I yearned to immerse myself in the lives of others, specifically indigenous cultures. There's something profound about the way ingenious people live completely off the land and utilize their recourses in a sacred way––the way it ought to be. So, after college I joined the Peace Corps where I served for two years at an orphanage in a rural village in eSwatini, Africa. 

Imbued with the experiences from my childhood and my time in the Peace Corps I decided to pursue my lifelong dream of creating a platform that celebrates traditional handicrafts and art forms of all cultures around the world. For the world. That's why when I moved back to  California I combined all of my passions into one and created what is now, isiko. I am beyond grateful to have a platform that gives back to under-served communities. All that so say: it wouldn't be possible without the people that I serve. You. So thank YOU for your unconditional support, enthusiasm, and love. 

Each piece is handmade and sourced with love from my heart to yours.

Xo,

Janna

  

Global Goods for the Global Good 

isiko is a global marketplace that aims to support and empower artisans around the globe through the universal language of art. The products carried and curated by isiko connect humans across the world through the stories they tell in the use of fabric, in the patterns, the texture and in the design itself.  Using traditional techniques and materials, our handmade products are not only beautifully unique, but also bring deserved recognition and provide jobs to underserved communities around the world.

At isiko, we not only want our heartfelt, handmade products to look good, we want them to do good.

As a social good company, every 6 months we identify a deserving organization and donate five percent of our proceeds to support their efforts. Every purchase you make at isiko helps give back to a community so desperately in need. By shopping with isiko, you are also doing your part in helping those underserved communities. Your support and participation means so much to me, I simply cannot thank you all enough.

Together, we can make this world a better place for all.

Learn more about the organization we are currently supporting by visiting the Social Good page.