Fair Trade

We make our clothing in small fair trade workshops, cooperatives where employees can work from their homes on small batches, or ethical factories that give really good benefits.

The organizations we work with offer free childcare, give scholarships to further education, and use funds to give training to women who could not otherwise afford it. We design clothing that will sell in a global market while showcasing their traditional textiles and skills. Each group sources handwoven, sustainable, or recycled textiles from their local region.

Why fair trade production? We have seen firsthand, how providing good jobs to those in developing countries is a way to give them more ownership of their lives: they have more options to further their education, send their children to better schools, add on to their homes, and give back to their communities. Putting money directly in the hands of women is a proven way to lift communities out of poverty. It is estimated that for every woman lifted above the poverty line, she brings another 7 people with her. 

An estimated 100 million people are employed in the fashion industry and 80% of them are women. 60% of these jobs are in developing countries. In Bangladesh and Vietnam alone, Oxfam found that less than 1% of these workers were paid a living wage.

What is fair trade production? Fair trade is an economic and social movement that aims to provide a more equitable form of global trade especially to producers in developing countries while promoting sustainability.  One of the main goals of fair trade is to balance the payment scale in the supply chain.  Although many view fair trade as a form of charity, it is rather a way to empower low-income communities with a sustainable form of income instead of feeding a cycle of poverty. Low wages and poor conditions are a reality for many people working in factories in the developing world.  In 1980, over 30% of textiles were produced in developing countries.  Today this number is 70%.  Although this is one way for these countries to enter the global market, many of its citizens only become trapped in a cycle of exploitation. Those using the fair trade model pursue producers in developing countries and low-income areas to assist communities with skills training and business opportunities to encourage their economic growth.