g the museum’s ‘Wild’ exhibition. Etsy sellers created products inspired by the taxidermy animals on display, such as jewellery and clothing, which were then showcased in the space. Two Etsy sellers collaborated with Kiehl’s to design the bespoke packaging for the products, including stationery and accessories.  Etsy has collaborated with several businesses in the past, including West Elm and charity organisation, Plan International. Last year, Etsy collaborated with Melbourne Museum during the museum’s ‘Wild’ exhibition. Etsy sellers created products inspired by the taxidermy animals on display, such as jewellery and clothing, which were then showcased in the space. According to Etsy country manager for Australia Paul Hoskins, these partnerships are a great opportunity for the marketplace to share the stories of its sellers and expand its potential customer base. “[We share] a real appreciation of craftsmanship and uniqueness with Kiehl’s and the collaboration enables us to reach completely different audiences, particularly because the gift packs appear in David Jones,” said Hoskins. “Partnerships are also important to us to create platforms for our sellers, because we’re better placed than individuals at connecting with media and other channels. We have a voice and a platform that we own where we can talk about our sellers’ stories and products and we can curate things for our buyers. It’s important that we keep doing that. We’re working on a few different partnerships that we’re excited about – it’s a key thing for us.” Etsy has also recently launched a partnership with the Art Series Hotel Group, which will see the online marketplace host a month of craft events at hotels such as The Cullen and The Blackman in Melbourne and The Watson in Adelaide. The workshops will be led by an Etsy seller and embroidery artist, Madi Astolfi. Since the online marketplace launched in 2005 it has developed a tight-knit community both online and in physical spaces at events, such as markets and pop-up shops. “The community is a really big part of what Etsy is about. We always say that it’s when you meet the sellers and customers that Etsy comes to life and you understand what it’s about,” said Hoskins. “Creating opportunities for people to meet in a physical setting is about us helping people to understand and celebrate the community and what it means to be an independent maker.” Made with love As the release of the latest Baptist World Aid Report shows, customers are now demanding more transparency from retailers when it comes to their supply chain and there has been a rise in customers choosing to support businesses with ethical manufacturing. Etsy was built on showcasing the work of independent artisans, said Hopkins, pointing to the company’s Handmade Policy, which ensures products sold on the site are not mass-produced and are actually created by hand. “We want to encourage sellers to be transparent with their processes so buyers are clear on the providence of things, how things are made,” said Hoskins. “When it comes to working with production partners, we have an expectation around how it works from an ethics standpoint. People want to understand where things are made from big brands as much as they are for independent manufacturers.