Fashion as a power for good
The fashion industry has for long been a faceless industry that employs and exploits millions of workers, especially women. We've joined the Fashion Revolution against fast fashion and the dehumanisation of products. We believe fashion can be a power for good.
We empower our partners and provide a flexible way of working. Most of them work from home so they don't have to be away from their families. We ask them to set the prices they consider fair for their work.
Our clothes are finished off in small, family-owned factories that employ local people and pay them a fair wage. Our products take longer to produce, so there are only limited quantities. And as they all have a handmade element, each piece is unique.
Fair trade practices
We follow the principles prescribed by the World Fair Trade Organisation to ensure our practices are fair and improve the lives of those who work with us. Below are the key points that guide our practices.
1. We partner with marginalised small producers, such as independent artisans and women in rural communities to help them move from income insecurity and poverty to economic self-sufficiency and ownership.
2. We support gender equality by helping women reach economic independence. We give women in remote locations access to the modern economy so they can invest in their families and communities and lead them to a better future.
3. We have an open dialogue with the communities and artisans to determine fair prices for their products and work.
4. We provide a flexible working environment that allows them to work around their animal, land, and family schedule without having to leave their community. We travel to the communities so they don't have to travel long distances to meet us.
5. We have a development fund for each community where we save part of the profit from each sale and dedicate it to undertake development projects chosen by the community.
6. We are mindful of the environment and are always trying to minimise our carbon footprint. We source locally produced fabrics wherever possible, make use of leftover fabrics, and use environmentally friendly packaging.
Giving men in prison a second chance
In Peruvian prisons, inmates can learn trades, such as creating traditional textiles through a programme called Productive Prisons. This allows them to earn money and gives them a purpose. They're also encouraged to set up their own businesses. The programme ensures they have a trade when they leave. The men set the prices for their products. We don't haggle.
Investing in families
We met a father and son team of traditional jewellery makers during the Covid-19 pandemic. They have a small workshop at the top of their house where they handcraft all the pieces they make. During the pandemic they had to close the shop and find work elsewhere.
We partnered with them so they could reopen their workshop. As every piece is handmade, each piece is unique. Luis Alberto works the 950 Peruvian silver, while his dad Leonardo polishes the stones and shells.
They want to grow and employ other people who also lost their jobs during the pandemic.
Fair trade practices
We follow the principles prescribed by the World Fair Trade Organisation to ensure our practices are fair and improve the lives of those who work with us. Below are the key points that guide our practices.