Small is Beautiful
What if we prioritize people over convenience?
Years ago, I came across economist E.F. Schumacher’s Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered, first published in the early 1970s, which fundamentally inspired the modern environmental movement. The main idea from the “eco-bible,” as it’s come to be known, has stayed with me ever since: What would happen if we built our economy around people rather than consumption?
Schumacher championed the cottage industry: small-scale makers, craftspeople, and local businesses whose work exists outside industrial production. While his argument was economic, I’ve always thought about it creatively. What happens when we prioritize the people making things instead of simply buying things?
The answer, I think, is that everyone benefits. The work gets better. Communities become stronger. Resources are used more thoughtfully. And the world feels a little more human.
At Care of Chan, we spend a great deal of time looking for inspiration. Increasingly, references begin to blur together — the same images from Pinterest, Are.na, or whatever the algorithm serves us that day. The result is often acceptable, sometimes even preferred by clients because it’s familiar and it’s safe, but it’s rarely memorable.
I’ve found that the most interesting ideas rarely come from the internet. They come from a ceramicist’s studio, a furniture maker’s atelier, a specialty fabric store, a local restaurant supply shop, an independent florist, or any craftsperson or specialist with a singular point of view. These people haven’t yet been flattened by the algorithm, and their work carries something increasingly rare: originality. In an era defined by slop and mass production, the greatest luxury is a unique point of view.
As diners, we understand that ingredients matter. We care where food comes from because we know it affects how it tastes. I believe event production should work the same way — The source, the story, the craft and hands behind every object matter.
Of course, event production realities mean that sometimes we need things quickly, cheaply, and in large quantities. We order from Amazon, too. But I’m always encouraging our team to first ask: Is there a local supplier? Can we source this by hand? From a maker? A wholesaler? An artist? A small business that could provide something better?
Better sourcing produces better creativity. Supporting people and communities is not separate from the creative process — it is the creative process. It often takes a little more effort, but that’s part of the joy of making things in the first place. Consider this our commitment to spending more thoughtfully and to source with greater intention.
During what some might argue the most important event of the year, The Met Gala, I was more interested in what was happening 50+ blocks downtown at the Ball Without Billionaires. A direct response to the fashion event happening at the very same time and sponsored by Jeff and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, this worker-led fashion show was a protest against the extreme wealth sponsoring this culturally iconic event and the labor inequality that Amazon and other large orgs perpetuate.
The fashion show, featuring former and current employees from Amazon, The Washington Post, Uber, Starbucks and others, showed emerging, immigrant, and BIPOC designers who would almost never get a seat at the mainstream fashion table. A far more interesting and dynamic showing than the Met’s Red Carpet (in my opinion), and a true celebration of people and innovation. It’s proof that together, small can disrupt in big ways.
Ciao for now,
The Little Black Book of Places to Source Tabletop Items in NYC
What better city than New York to source by hand? Don’t take New York’s small businesses for granted! Here are some of our favorite brick-and-mortar stores for sourcing service-ware and tabletop pieces for your next gathering. The list ranges from affordable to high-end, from expertly curated to delightfully playful — all with plenty of personality.
