Whether it’s silver pendants handcrafted by a Holocaust survivor living in the mountains of Mexico or trendy purses made by a co-op of Latin American women, almost every accessory at Blue Door (194 East King Edward Avenue) has a story behind it. And don’t worry; in keeping with Main Street’s new rep as the hub of ethical shopping, all the artisans and suppliers are paid fairly for their goods. Co-owners and world travellers Penny Loome and Joe Rooney say they can guarantee this because they buy directly.

“We are in a fortunate position in that we go ourselves and we pick everything out, so we know that we’re paying a fair price to the people who are making them,” says Loome, who is planning a visit to Mexico soon for another purchasing trip. She and Rooney recently sat down with the Straight to talk about the individuals who make their products and why it’s so important that Blue Door honour their craftsmanship.

“I always knew the Third World existed because I read about it and I’m not stupid, so I knew there were poor people out there,” says Rooney, whose detached outlook on poverty changed after he spent a good 25 years teaching at international schools in places like Morocco, Peru, and Curaí§ao. “Whenever you’re living next door to them, it’s a whole different thing. You realize that you can change it. Whereas if you’re sitting here living a comfortable middle-class life, you can feel very sorry for people that are starving but you don’t really feel powerful enough to change it. But of course you can, one purchase at a time.”

That’s why, with the help of Vancouver’s Mexican trade commissioner, they continue to seek out up-and-coming artisans to work with. One hot spot they always go back to, though, is Taxco, a silver-mining town in southern Mexico, where approximately 400 silversmiths live. Among them is 80-year-old Thomas Vega, who studied under the now-deceased American jewellery designer William Spratling.

“He still melts the silver over an open flame and he has this fantastic blowtorch that’s an olive-oil can with a straw,” Loome says of Vega. “Then he lights the oil till the flame glows. It’s amazing to watch because he’s this shrunken little guy who puffs out his lungs and does everything by hand.”

Rooney recalls the last time they saw him: “He was working on a complete dinner-service set for an Italian count. Apparently, the count just said, ”˜Call me when it’s finished.’ Which could be a while, because he doesn’t work that fast.”

Consequently, Blue Door doesn’t carry that much of Vega’s work, but the owners do have a Spratling-designed art deco dragonfly pin ($95) that the octogenarian crafted with painstaking detail. They also have a lot of other accessories, like Boho Moroccan belts ($35), which are perfect for those wanting to rock the Anita Pallenberg look. As well, the boutique has a decent selection of what its owners call “sweetie bags” ($34 to $55). These space age–y purses, which have already caught the eye of celebs like Mary Louise Parker, are crafted by a group of Mexican women who decorate them with recycled candy-bar wrappers.

Then there’s the Raju jewellery. Made by a group of young Mexican women aged 18 to 25, these very girly-girl, tween-perfect pieces feature mint-hued Swarovski crystals and silver tubing. A matching set, including necklace, bracelet, and drop earrings, goes for $26 to $60.

Considering suppliers like these often lack business savvy in dealing with exporters, Loome and Rooney know they could probably acquire their wares dirt-cheap. “I know I could go down next weekend and pay half of what we’ve paid for them,” say Rooney. “I mean, it’s easy to screw them. But we’re not interested in that. Life’s too short.”