Lemlem: Ancient technique, modern style and a double mission

In a nutshell:

What they make: Hand-spun cotton garments for women & kids

How they make a difference: By manufacturing all pieces by hand in Ethiopia, they provide its people jobs and economic independence while preserving the traditional art of weaving.

Who they help: Ethiopian artisans losing jobs due to low demand.

Where to buy their products: their website, Barneys NY, Net-a-Porter

Where they are: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

African hand weaving (a method of fabric production, normally done on a loom) is an art that is as beautiful as it is ancient. Unfortunately, it is also endangered. Countries like Ethiopia have experienced a deep decline in the demand of garments made with this historically significant and beautiful, technique. The reason? Mostly practicality. Women prefer saving these outfits for special occasions and wear machine-made outfits on their day-to-day lives. It makes sense, in a way, but it is also leaving artisans out of work and even worse, threatening to make this ancient art form extinct. Made aware of this situation in her own home country, supermodel Liya Kebede created Lemlem, a high end fashion line made in Ethiopia, determined to provide dignified jobs while preserving the traditional art of weaving. 

Keeping the focus on the fashion brand 

I will be honest, I had a bit of a hard time finding a lot of information on the "behind the scenes" aspects of this company. At first I was a bit frustrated, as my fascination with the artisan stories and the impact these companies have on their communities are some of the main reasons I created this blog.  But then I realized the reason is that Lemlem is actually doing what I always say mission-driven fashion brands should do:  not forget that working on the fashion brand is as important as working on the actual mission.  Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that the fashion and the mission have the same significance. But succeeding on the mission does depend on the success of the fashion brand as a revenue driver.  One cannot really exist without the other.  More times than not, mission driven companies forget about this and let their passion for their mission and the impact they are having on their community overshadow the brand they are building and thus take the focus away from the products they create. The result, is a customer's strong reaction of solidarity that despite being noble and great, does not often result in repeat sales and market share growth. And even if it sounds cold, working on growing the company's revenues is vital to the continuing success of its mission.

Lemlem does a great work at telling the story behind their garments and communicating the importance of the company's mission while keeping the focus of their brand on the beautiful products they make. When you visit their website, you learn about hand-spun cotton and Ethiopian weaving, but you do that while checking out their latest collection and building a mental wish-list. That's the way to do it.  As much as I LOVE to learn about the impact many mission-driven companies are having, many times I find myself learning about it for hours and watching heart-warming photos and many times forgetting that I actually was visiting an online store and failing to contribute to their progress (by failing to purchase items or spread the word about their brand). The shopping experience at Lemlem's site is different. It's much more focused; you are very aware of the origin and impact of the garments, but your attention is always centered around the garments, possible outfits and the details that make them one of a kind.

What makes their garments unique

Lemlem is characterized by fresh, easy-to-wear casual garments with a very distinct Made-in-Africa-meets high-fashion style. All pieces are handmade. Typically women are in charge of hand-spinning cotton and doing the actual sewing and men take care of hand-weaving the fabrics. Often described as "holiday" or "resort" fashion, most of the line's most popular items are either dresses, loose tops or scarves. The line started as a children's line, but it only became famous once it started including women's apparel on their catalog. The line now expands to shoes, accesories and even home decor.

Lemlem's style somehow manages to find a balance between whites, pastel colors, signature stripes, tie-dye, casual looks, luxury, a relaxed-fit, ancient craftsmanship techniques, modern silhouettes and a cosmopolitan look clearly made in Africa.

A bunch of questions and a final thought

For the life of me, I cannot find any information about the size of the operation in Ethiopia. How many people does Lemlem employ?  Do they work full time or seasonally? Are they regular employees or does this work as a cooperative? I know I said I preferred that the company focuses their marketing efforts on the fashion they create. That being said, I wish there was some mention of Lemlem's operations at least at one of the interviews and company profiles out there.

Finally, I really hope that Lemlem has a good strategy for its future. I hope they can find the perfect balance between the prices they charge, the volume they can produce and the impact they can have in Ethiopia. I hope they have a clear plan for their next steps. Will they continue to be a niche luxury brand? Will they try to expand and serve bigger segments by growing their manufacturing capabilities and therefore employing more people? Will they seek to grow aggressively or focus on quality? Could they do both? What would it take?  What would it mean for Ehtiopia?

Sometimes exponential growth can break you. Sometimes it can allow you change an entire community. Can't wait to see which road they take!

PS. Lemlem means "to bloom or flourish" in Amharic.


Photos: Lemlem

Relevée: Jewelry Inspired by Freedom

Photo credits: Relevée and Made by Survivors

In a nutshell:

What they make: Necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings made mainly of silver and brass.

How they make a difference: They use proceeds to fund employment, education and after-rescue care programs for survivors of slavery, human trafficking and other human rights abuses.
Who they help: Rescued survivors of sexual, domestic and other types of slavery.
Where to buy their products: Online
Where they are: Northern India (manufacturing) and Florida, USA (management)

It thrills me to write this particular review for a couple of reasons. First, because it has been long overdue. Second, because since I started writing this review, the company has gone through a wonderful re-branding process. Their re-invented brand is a great response on the comments I previously had on their potential and how they should present their brand and products. They must have read my mind! 

Previously known as Made by Survivors (the name of their parent charity), Relevée is a fashion jewelry line designed and handmade in India by women artisans who are survivors of sexual, domestic and other types of slavery. All of the company's proceeds go to continuing developing their parent charity's mission of giving women and children the tools to remain free forever. They help survivors rejoin society and even become pioneers, as their artisans are some South Asia's first female goldsmiths. 

Exploitation is a real issue. The aftermath is too. 

Photo credits: Relevée and Made by Survivors

Over 30 million people live in slavery around the world today. That is equivalent to the whole population of Texas PLUS that of the city of Chicago, IL. Organizations like Free the Slaves, and the United Nation's GIFT initiative are working hard to fight human trafficking and rescue people currently suffering of these and other human rights abuses. But what happens after? Once a woman has spent most of her life being forced to live outside society, how can she come back and start making a living? Many girls were born in brothels and are denied not only opportunities in life but also a chance to even see what an unexploited, self-sufficient life looks like. Life is not easy after they get rescued and many times rescue stories end with exploitation, poverty and even  a return to slavery. In order to prevent that, survivors need shelter, education, training, and of course, jobs.  And that's exactly what Made by Survivors (MBS) give to over 200 people in Nepal, India, Cambodia and Thailand. People participating in the MBS programs get the training and opportunities needed to become product designers,  team supervisors, artisan metalsmiths and entrepreneurs. They earn middle class wages and the ability to support their families in a dignified, independent manner. Most of them also help with rescue efforts and community building. 

Relevée - uplifting women with a smart business model

Relevée is the face of Made by Survivors' most successful program. It operates out of India designing and producing fashion jewelry whose revenue is dedicated in its entirety to fund the Made by Survivors program. The best part of its jewelry line is that they do not rely on their noble mission alone. They create beautiful, fashionable pieces that would be sought after by sophisticated women regardless of the story behind the pieces. This may almost sound cold, but creating unique pieces that would sell regardless of their social impact, is key to any mission-based fashion project. The reason is repeat sales. People may buy a product because the story behind it touched their hearts, but they will rarely become regular customers. And survival of a fashion brand relies on repeat sales more often than not. 

Photo credits: Relevée and Made by Survivors

The recent re-launch of the jewelry line signals that the company understands that, when it comes to their branding, they need to be a fashion brand first.  Don't get me wrong, a mission-based business will always be driven by, well, their mission. But making sure to present the jewelry line in a modern, stylish manner and to showcase the product at least as much as the story behind it will allow the brand to sell more, grow faster and ultimately provide more support to their mission. Relevée's new online presence presents the brand in a more sophisticated manner. Their new website is very clean and tells their story in a succinct way and without taking the focus off the products and their target audience. The website's imagery shows their target customers as fashionable, worldly, sophisticated women and even though some may be able to tell it is modified stock photography, it gets the point across. (No judgement on using stock photography! I am all for stretching resources, especially, when it comes to startups and mission-based companies).

Photo credits: Relevée and Made by Survivors

The Future?

The company's mission and their accomplishments so far may be of great help when shaping a PR strategy to bring more traffic (and revenue!) to their online store. People like having the opportunity to contribute to a noble cause in creative or unexpected ways. The company should, however, keep the style of the brand in mind while sending that message across and not let the mission overshadow the product- or the other way around.

Additionally, as a new brand I think they could benefit greatly from the exposure of daily-deals fashion sites like Gilt, RueLaLa and Amazon's My Habit. They could also explore the possibility of making a special edition private label line for already established designers (like the Ethical Fashion Initiative and Madres&Artesanas already do)

I can't wait to see what the future holds for this young brand. Hopefully they will continue focusing on building a sophisticated style that allows them to fulfill their mission of giving people the tools they need to be always free. 

Madres & Artesanas: Bolivian Mothers Producing New York Couture

In a nutshell:
What they make: Private label knitted garments for designer brands (Oscar de la Renta, among others)

How they make a difference: They fight poverty and empower women by giving them a chance to create and market high end fashion without leaving their families behind.
Who they help: Women in Bolivia
Where to buy their products: Private label only

Where they are: La Paz, Bolivia.

Beauty is the details. And some of the details that make New York Fashion week the spectacle that it is, are handmade in the Andes by hard-working Bolivian mothers. These women use their artistic knitting abilities to provide a better future to their families. How does this happen? Through Madres & Artesanas (M&A), a Bolivian company that acts like a liaison between high-end international designer brands and artisans in Bolivia. They train women in different techniques like macramé, crochet, loom,  and artistic knitting in order to produce items that range from ponchos and sweaters to woven wire jewelry. The company is a cluster of small business units managed by and comprised of women that after said training, work together to deliver unique products that meet international fashion standards.  This company has a very special place in my heart, not only because of their excellent business model and high quality products, but also because of the great impact they are having in my own country, Bolivia.

Oscar de la Renta, Polo by Ralph Lauren and Diane von Furstenberg are some of the brands they work with

Motherhood as a drive for progress

Founder Yelka Maric told CNN how children are a fundamental drive and motivator for women to believe in themselves and their ability to create a better future. That's what all the women working for Madres y Artesanas share: their desire and determination to build great lives for their children. That's no easy task in Bolivia, a country with one of the lowest wages in the Americas and with constant social and political instability. Most employment options become impossible when women become mothers. Services like daycare are considered a luxury. Single and abandoned mothers -and there are many in Bolivia- have an even harder time trying to provide for their families. 

Screen capture from M&A's profile by CNN en español
Take a close look; the lady is knitting!

Fueled by innate artisan knitting skills and determination, women find at Madres Artesanas not only jobs and a way to support their families, but also a way to feel empowered. Many of them have been physically or emotionally abused, many have been abandoned, some are supporting sick family members or fighting health problems themselves. What they all have in common is the love for their children and the strong desire to give them better lives. Everyone has the option to work from home or to bring their kids to the M&A workshop, which is a safe environment where food, shelter and babies' laughter are always provided. 

The business model and its impact
M&A produces private label garments for limited-edition lines for designers like Oscar de la Renta, Zero + Maria Cornejo, Figue and Calypso St. Barth. The brands they work with change every season; they are currently working on prototypes for Michael Kors and Narciso Rodriguez and have made pieces for Donna Karan, Diane von Furstenberg, Ralph Lauren, and Nicole Miller in the past. Private label manufacturing entails producing each piece exactly as per product specifications, using the client's labels and accessories and meeting the most rigorous quality standards. The company works through a sales and marketing partner in New York City, who acts as a link between the designers and the company's headquarters in La Paz, Bolivia. Once the orders are coordinated and placed, it is up to founder Yelka Maric and her micro-business collective to make it happen.  

Founder Yelka Maric (left) with some of
M&A's workers and their kids 

M&A's business model is deeply intertwined with its mission of empowering women. Workers at M&A are not only trained in the different production techniques they provide; they are also equipped to manage the micro-business units themselves, getting training in management, quality control and leadership. Their mission shapes the company starting at recruiting; where preference is given to single, divorced, abandoned and widowed mothers.

Production is divided among small business units. Each business unit is managed individually, but under the same mission and sharing the same quality standards. Artisans produce a prototype of each product at their workshops and then continue production at their own pace, be it form home or on location. As long as quality standards and deadlines are met, each artisan is free to manage their own time as they see fit and as per the requirements of managing their own families. Once the products are finished, and thoroughly inspected, they are returned to headquarters to be inspected one more time and ultimately exported to the US.

Thanks to this endeavor, over 200 women (and their families!) live stable, empowered, dignified lives. They take pride on the beautiful pieces they make and have the motivation (and opportunities) to build the lives they want to live.

Sounds like a great project, but SHOW ME THE FASHION!
The garments M&A create are swoon-worthy. They use many different techniques like macrame (put simply, creating patterns by making knots instead of knitting), crochet, hand knitting, hand loom knitting machine knitting and bobbin lace. They make anything from dresses, sweaters, and shawls to ponchos and capes. This video shows you the techniques they work with and the workshop in action. In terms of materials, they use all types of wools and high-end fibers like alpaca, angora and silk. Check out more styles at the end of the post!

"Not charity, just work"
Madres y Artesanas is another example of what this slogan represents. "Not charity just work" is the slogan of the United Nation's Ethical Fashion Initiative and the mantra of his creator, Simone Cipriani. Their business model is very similar to M&A's and it can be one of the most inspiring and effective ways to drive progress and empower women in developing nations. The Ethical Fashion Initiative is having an enormous impact in Ghana, Haiti and Kenya.

I find it very interesting to see how each country can utilize some of their innate artisanal skills and cultural legacy to create beautiful pieces that help shape fashion movements around the world. In Bolivia, Madres y Artesanas creating handmade textiles for American brands. In Africa, they use traditional beading and screen printing techniques for European and Australian brands. Both projects utilize the fashion industry to empower women.

The Future
Madres y Artesanas nexts steps are to establish their own brand. Some of their pieces can already be purchased in some select Bolivian stores like Mistura, a brand new fashion store located in La Paz that showcases some of Bolivia's most innovative brands. Madres y Artesanas shows some of the best things my country has to offer: hard working people and amazing natural fibers. I can't wait to see more from them! Their impact in Bolivia is as wonderful as their clothes are gorgeous:

Photo credits: Madres y Artesanas website and Facebook page.

Headbands of Hope - Can you make chemo pretty?

Headbands of Hope founder spreading joy

In a nutshell:

What they make: Stylish headbands and other headgear (hats, bandanas)

How they make a difference: They bring joy to kids battling cancer by giving them free headbands to help them feel feminine when undergoing chemo

Who they help: Children w/ cancer in USA
Where to buy their products: Online
Where they are: North Carolina,USA

There are certain events in life that change all aspects of your life.  Cancer is one of them. Thankfully, there are several institutions and organizations that work everyday to bring treatments, pain management and hopefully a cure to cancer patients. But who brings them smiles? Who helps girls continue feeling feminine? That's where Headbands for Hope comes in.

Inspired by its founder's experience at an internship at the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Headbands for Hope is on a quest to utilize fashion to fight cancer on a double level: for every headband they sell, they give one to a girl affected by cancer and donate $1 to St. Baldrik's Foundation to help fund childhood cancer research.  

This is one of the great fashion takes on the one-for-one business model. It is having great success not only because of their heart-touching mission but also because the headbands they offer are beautiful and stylish. From chiffon flowers to simple bows and beaded styles, their collection is vast and addictive. It's a great strategy: The more fabulous the headbands and the bigger the collection, the more you want to buy and the more smiles are delivered to girls with cancer. It is a great vision that combined with beautiful manufacturing and a smart business plan is not just bringing joy to sick children, but also providing people the ability to be a part of a noble cause and a smile-delivering project.

They also make bandanas and headgear for boys, though it is clear that their very-girly-in-a-good-way headbands for girls (and babies!) are their true star products.  

I'm very excited to see where this young company goes. They have a great product and a smart mission-driven business model. I don't know how big the company is revenue-wise but I am guessing that in order to continue growing, some possible next steps would be to improve the user experience on their website a bit and also take their headbands to retailers and bigger e-tailers. It would also be great to see them expand their mission outside the United States, to countries where battling cancer is even more difficult. This would not only expand the reach of their help, but also attract global sales. 

ITC's Ethical Fashion Initiative: Not Charity, Just Work

Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, Sass & Bide, Stella Jean and Ilaria Venturini Fendi's Carmina Campus share a fashion-forward trend: wearable progress.

All of these innovative fashion powerhouses work with one of the most brilliant initiatives in the world: the Ethical Fashion Initiative.

A branch of the United Nation's International Trade Centre, the Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI) is a project that in addition to supplying beautifully crafted, top quality items to high-end brands, is changing thousands of lives in Africa and Haiti. EFI utilizes the power of fashion & style as a vehicle out of poverty. 

Created and headed by Simone Cipriani, a passionate Italian fair-trade advocate and leather industry expert, this organization acts as a hub between marginalized communities in Africa and luxury brands around the world.  They allow artisans to produce fashion accessories that meet the standards of any other global fashion supply chain agent. Both the EFI and the more than 7,000 artisans they work with take pride on creating high quality pieces that come with a great story behind them.

The organization's motto: "Not Charity, Just Work" embodies everything that this blog is about. 

How does it work?

EFI creates hubs (located in Kenya, Uganda, Haiti and soon Rwanda) that are entirely self-sustainable incubators. These incubators foster a number of small enterprises and cooperatives made up of micro-producers and artisans. The hub provides ongoing training, technical support, mentorship, logistical support, quality control and of course, the link to their clients: the fashion industry. The enterprises revolve around the importance of quality control and on-time delivery. They work on the standards of high-end fashion , not of charity buys.

In parallel, Mr Cipriani and his team travel the world meeting their contacts within the fashion industry showing them the business model they have built: one where quality will never have to be sacrificed for the sake of having a genuine and meaningful social impact.  He shows the different sustainable and mostly organic or recycled materials they work with (from cart parts to recycled mosquito nets) and the different traditional and non-traditional skills they posses. Overall he presents them with a compelling opportunity to add a story of progress to their products' spec sheet.

Then, fashion brands with a vision and passion for fostering progress take him up to the challenge. Mr Cipriani oversees and adjusts the work at the different hubs and EFI delivers beautiful products that make it to the most coveted runways.

What do they make?

Handbags, tote bags, key chains, metal clasps for handbags, and other fashion accessories. I am sure I may be leaving off some categories.  You should check out their Facebook page; they always have some beautiful examples of their work. 

The Impact and why they're succeeding

EFI has created a real, viable, business model that provides employment, dignity and a reliable income to marginalized people that want to change their lives. Work gives them respect, confidence and helps them provide their families and communities a brighter tomorrow. It empowers women and helps them show their sons and daughters that hard work can pay off and result in happy, fulfilling lives.  They don't discriminate against men, but 90% of their workers are women, promoting gender equality in areas where the concept is almost a fantasy.

As they state on their website: "Everything we do is underwritten by solid economics and a strict code of ethics.While our production is 100% ethical and with a strong focus on environmental protection, this is not a niche "eco-fashion" project, instead a vast initiative reaching out to 7,000 artisans and across the world to fashion partners from Rome to Rio to Tokyo."  My favorite is the "underwritten by solid economics" part. Such an objective focus will allow them to make this a sustainable project.

Currently, they provide work for over 7,000 people. According to the New York Times, "EFI impact assessment shows that one person’s income supports at least 6 to 7 family members, often enabling children to have a first opportunity of education." This will bring the total impact to up to 49,000 people - and counting! 

This is definitely a fresh and, in my opinion, more effective approach than the traditional bureaucratic development practices.  “All these people who work in development – they want to build something and I have seen the waste of money, in Africa, in Asia, everywhere, by international organisations, by bilateral corporations, by charities, by foundations,” Mr Cipriani said in an interview for the Australian Financial Review. I agree. I have seen it in my own country, Bolivia. There are several well-intentioned, yet not economics-driven initiatives that remain good intentions due to a lack of objective market analysis. “The model where you invest only in capacity building is wrong. It’s the market that matters and it’s solely the market. These big structures will never work. The only thing which works is to create capacity to access the market.” He continued,  referring to the importance of not just creating a supply, but making sure that that supply meets the requirements and particularities of the demand. It's this focus what has allowed this initiative to get where they are and what will allow it to continue growing.

What's next?

EFI wants to reach 20,000 people in the next five years. Additionally, Mr Cipriani has a dream "that Hermès will one day use the hub’s 100 per cent natural leather tanned by tree bark". I think it would be an excellent idea for a limited-edition line. In the meantime, I would LOVE to see one of these hubs in South America. Specifically in the Andes. I may be biased; coming from La Paz, the highest capital in the world, I grew up surrounded by these beautiful mountains. However, bias aside, the Andes have hard-working artisans AND also super luxurious natural fibers like alpaca and vicuña. I can only imagine what the EFI could do in countries like Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. 

Photo credits: International Trade Centre's  Ethical Fashion Initiative Website and Facebook Page.

Opportunity Village - Scarves, ties, dignity.

Thirty dollars can probably buy you a pair of Nine West pumps at an outlet store or a sundress at Forever 21. Maybe a pair of nice jeans on clearance or eight Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks. Thanks to Opportunity Village, thirty dollars can also buy you a one of kind, hand-dyed scarf that would brighten any LBT (little black top), give you a great story to tell, and a very cool connection to the King himself, Mr. Elvis Presley (but more on that later).

As beautiful and fashionable as it is, the best spec of this item is the fact that it provides a dignified living to a person with an intellectual disability. Opportunity village is an organization located in Southern Nevada dedicated to providing training, employment, advocacy and a sense of community to people with severe intellectual disabilities. They have created a way for them to learn how to make products (like the beautiful scarf shown here), sell them, develop careers, seek independence, make friends and contribute to their families and communities. As an "almost entirely self-funded" non-for-profit organization, they offer different services and products beyond the fashion shown here. They make promotional buttons, offer a variety of assembling and cleaning services, they assemble and sell coffee, condiment and cutlery individual packages, you name it. But most importantly, Opportunity Village manufactures, assembles and delivers happiness and a sense of achievement. 

But where does Elvis come in?!?!

Opportunity Village was the official manufacturer of Elvis' famous scarves. You know, the ones he used to kiss and throw to screaming fans? Yeah, those ones! They also made buttons for his concerts.

The best part of all of this is that this is not charity.  People and businesses get quality in exchange for their money. Jobs are well done and the products are beautiful and fashionable.

These are my favorite type of social endeavors; they provide the tools for people to achieve what they need or want in a sustainable, dignified way. Creating opportunities to live fulfilling lives really is the best way to build progress. Sometimes, business models need to be tweaked and creative strategies need to be created. And that is what this blog is about.