What is ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative?
The Ethical Fashion Initiative connects marginalised artisans from the developing world – the majority of them women - to international fashion houses for mutual benefit. In doing so, the Ethical Fashion Initiative harnesses fashion as a vehicle for development. Artisans from West and East Africa and Haiti can earn a living wage and take control of their lives by producing covetable fashion goods for the global luxury fashion market.
The Ethical Fashion Initiative also works with the rising generation of fashion talent from Africa, providing them with mentorship to grow their brands and encouraging the forging of fulfilling collaborations with artisans on the continent.
The Ethical Fashion Initiative is the operational arm of the International Trade Centre’s Poor Communities and Trade Programme (PCTP) which aims to reduce global poverty by involving micro-entrepreneurs in the developing world through international and regional trade.
Our Mission
Measuring our impact is central to our work. The Ethical Fashion Initiative has developed its own monitoring and evaluation system called, RISE, which ensures we regularly assess the impact of our projects and continue to bring positive impact and tangible results to the communities we work with.
Our overarching goal is to empower women. We do this by creating work. By earning a regular income, women can improve the circumstances of their families and their communities. Work enables women to grow in confidence and gain respect.
We bridge development with fashion
Our production is all about creating fair and dignified jobs, with a strong focus on environmental protection. However we are not a niche "eco-fashion" project, instead a vast initiative reaching out to 7,000 artisans and with over 50 fashion partners from Milan to Cape Town to Tokyo. We are truly local and global.
“The Ethical Fashion Initiative understands the luxury market and they understand that designers and customers are looking for unique points of difference all the time.” – Karen Walker
We recognize that fashion is driven by desire. We work with the industry's leading talents to create the handcrafted treasures consumers crave; ones that are truly luxurious, including in ethical and environmental dimensions.
We work closely with our partner brands and artisans to ensure work is completed to fashion’s high standards. Through constant training, our artisans can improve their skills and adapt to the taste, skills and quality required by today’s fashion market.