CALM, by Carole Marshi and Alison Levasseur, unites two creative spirits and culturally diverse backgrounds. Born and raised in Lebanon, Carole experienced war and conflict first hand both as a child in Beirut and an adult returning there each summer with her children. A New Yorker raised in a Jewish family, Alison enjoyed a high profile career in interior design before starting a family with her French husband.

This endeavor is called CALM, an anagram of its founders initials.

The first product of this unique partnership, CALM is a handmade collection of modern caftans. Each caftan is lovingly crocheted and sewn in the homes of underprivileged Lebanese women, many of whom are widows, of diverse backgrounds. Only the finest materials color-intense Egyptian cottons and brilliant yarns from all over the world reach these womens hands. The resulting caftans represent something far deeper than fun, summer fashion. These one-of-a-kind pieces are a tribute to the pride, dignity and skills of the women who create them -- women now able to earn a much-needed income working from home while fulfilling their traditional family obligations.

Carole and Alison believe that women everywhere are the same. Whether thriving in a cosmopolitan city like New York or surviving in a war-torn third-world nation, women the world over benefit from the opportunity to work. It is through this collection and though their every day actions that Carole and Alison, and countless other mothers, strive to teach their children how to make our world a kinder, calmer place.