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I am a writer and executive administrator for Trusted Clothes, which is an ethical and sustainable fashion organization. The following is a series devoted in honor of the work done in collaboration with the Schroeckers and the Trusted Clothes team. Part 2. Part 1 here.
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I noticed every Bolivian was a woman in the Kickstarter video. Same with yourself. Many discussions abound on the international stage with respect to women’s rights and the relationship of sustainable and ethical fashion to the millions of workers in these countries that produce the garments for countries such as Canada (I’m by Vancouver) and the United States (You’re in Vermont). More exist on the local platforms, too. What is the importance of sustainable and ethical fashion, and fair trade, for international women’s rights?
Women are the main workers in the textile industry and also the ones taking care of the family and of reproductive age. It is important for future generations that women are safe, healthy and well cared for – so the home environment is positive for the children and the women themselves enjoy a quality of life they deserve.
With respect to the Kickstarter campaign, there are some nuances.
With the Kickstarter, we are celebrating the heritage of the women we’ve been working with for 18 years. It is celebrating the work that the herdsmen have done in preserving the fibres that they’re working with, thousands of years ago the Incas, before them the Tiahuanacos. It took a long time to develop and build the absolute best Alpaca fibres in the world. Bolivia has preserved those herds.
In Peru, there were government programs that tried to differentiate colors. Things shifted in the herds and the fibre quality has gone down. Bolivia has maintained that tradition. What we wanted to do was recognize that, to give a shout out that this is something incredibly special, over the last 18 years of working with the people in Bolivia. I have seen more and more companies switch over to Alpaca mixed with acrylic.
Products that are knit on looms and losing that heritage tradition. I value the tradition so much with the knitting needle, the ‘click, click, click,’ and that Alpaca fibre that is not adulterated with acrylic, chemicals, or modified in different ways. That’s what we’re celebrating with our Kickstarter. We’re giving people access to this amazing heritage with one of the last companies in the world with handmade gloves and knitting needles.
This lets the women pay attention to what they’re doing. We realized this is taking 12 hours a glove. While they are making the gloves, they are thinking about who is going to be wearing them. Imagining that person’s life, knowing from television that it is someone that is busy and running around in this fast-paced world of skyscrapers and subways, they are in the countryside in a timeless place. It is winds and mountains.
Tremendous skies above the tree lines, it is a different world. For them to be in that world and to be knitting those thoughts into those gloves as we move into our busy life in the Western hemisphere, it is an amazing transition. I wanted to preserve that story. What I’ve observed is as people buy KUSIKUY products, they tend to save them and use them for years. That’s why we have the 5-year guarantee on the gloves. I find most people easily save their gloves for five years. They become favorite gloves.
I wanted to build that connection with people. My doctoral research brought that up on both ends. Consumers and producers want to know who each other are, that’s what our Kickstarter is about. It is an opportunity to connect with the knitters and support them. We are hoping this will lead to us developing more connections via smart phones. We want to do sweaters next year. It is bringing that thoughtfulness and care to the public. You can’t get that anywhere else.
Any advice for young entrepreneurs?
Sure! So, I teach entrepreneurship. Constantly, I am working with young entrepreneurs. They are the most innovative and fun folks to work with. My advice to them is don’t worry that someone is going to steal your great idea because chances are someone is thinking of something you’re thinking of and that’s an ally.
That’s going to be someone you can work together with. It will be a lot of work. Also, if you already have that idea, and someone else does it, they won’t know it as well as you do. That’s something my students ask me. They say, “If someone else has it, then someone else will do it, then they’ll take it.” Even patents, nowadays people aren’t even worried about patents and trademarks. They go out and do it.
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Original publication on www.trustedclothes.com.
All images courtesy of www.trustedclothes.com.