Some organizations that prove how fashion fights poverty
Bangkok Fashion City Project (Thailand) : Started by the government in 2002, this project aims to leverage Thailand 's reputation as a major garment producer and exporter to create a haute couture capital. Thailand 's garment exports were worth about 136 billion baht last year, of which 98% were exported under foreign brands. The government has poured millions into events such as the The Bangkok Fashion City Extravaganza 2004 in efforts to promote the work of Thai garment manufacturers. Essentially they hope to push the public and private sectors to help promote the efforts of the garment and textile industries to move up from Original Equipment Manufacturing to Original Design Manufacturing.
Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Foundation : A not-for-profit organization developed to raise funds for charitable initiatives on behalf of American fashion designers. Its main campaigns include Fashion Targets Breast Cancer (FTB), the CFDA-Vogue iniative (in support of HIV/AIDS causes), and Fashion for America (September 11 th victims). CFDA members have also made major donations of one of a kind items to auctions held in support of the ‘Wear Yellow/Live Strong' Lance Armstrong Foundation campaign.
Edun : Bono's new line of trendy clothing made from eco-friendly materials. All the clothing is made in family-run factories in South America and Africa with fair-labor practices. Founded by Bono, his wife Ali Hewson, and fashion designer Rogan, the line will create jobs and encourage commerce in least developed nations while promoting social consciousness. The line will debut at Saks Fifth Avenue and Fred Segal.
Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (India) : Indian Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat believes that the textile industry can wipe out poverty by encouraging the growth of the rural economy and creating huge employment opportunities. Shekhawat points out that the textile industry supports the agricultural sector, including cotton and jute farming, sericulture, sheep rearing, and coir production. Thus, he is making the modernization of the textiles industry a high priority. Thus, the new Confederation of Indian Textile Industry seeks to represent the entire textile value chain and gear up the modernization of the entire industry.
People Tree (UK) : UK Fair Trade label. The London-based label supports more than 1,400 craftspeople in developing countries.
Sari (UK) : A UK label which creates clothing from donated saris which are collected through the “Save a Sari' campaign. The profits made from the sale of Sari products are donated to projects that promote development and fight poverty and human rights violations in developing countries.
The Mothers Programme (South Africa) : Mothers Creations (MC) was created as part of The Mothers Programmes in November, 2003. MC provides economic freedom to our Mothers by offering income generating skills through beadwork and design. Our Mothers are paid for each handmade beaded article they produce, and the products are then sold to both private and commercial buyers. Orders we receive and products we sell are precious—and critical to our Mothers in their struggle for empowerment. In 2004, Mothers Creations paid R1,000,000 to all participating Mothers!
MKPiece (Washington, DC) : provides paths back to productivity, creativity, and living wages for low-income women in the Washington DC area. We train our artisans in life skills, business basics, and how to create and market one-of-a-kind, handmade jewelry. Together with you, we're making art and changing lives. S hop for jewelry that looks good and does good for women (and men)!
Dress For Success : Our mission is to advance low-income women's economic and social development and to encourage self-sufficiency through career development and employment retention. Dress for Success responds to the needs of our communities by providing programs that help economically disadvantaged women acquire jobs, retain their new positions and succeed in the mainstream workplace. Each Dress for Success client receives one suit when she has a job interview and a week's worth of separates when she gets the job. The Dress for Success Professional Women's Group program then provides ongoing support to help the client build a successful career.
