Kisaku Gives Back
Earlier this week we were introduced to the brand Kisaku – an online platform specialising in modern heritage-infused fashion and home decor collections, which are carefully curated from Indonesian artisans and craftmakers. Founders Felicia and Lenny continue their story here, sharing with us how they invest in the lives of the artisan producers. Kisaku has […]
Artesan Profile : Kisaku Heritage
Kisaku is an online platform specialising in modern heritage-infused fashion and home decor collections, which are carefully curated from Indonesian artisans and craftmakers. It is a space where traditional techniques (such as those used in hand-woven ikat and batik, hand weaving of wicker products, bark cloth products, etc) meet modern styles. Kisaku works with passionate […]
Wishwas: providing opportunities for low-income immigrant women in NYC
A conversation with founder Nivedita Chandrappa Wishwas came to existence in 2011 while trying to find cultural solutions to victims of domestic violence within South Asian communities. Many come from conservative families that don’t believe in educating women as result of which, many are married at young age with little formal education or skills training. […]
Shopping with purpose in a shoppers paradise – Singapore
We were curious about the market for handmade and fair trade products in what is known as the “shoppers paradise” – Singapore. Is there an appetite for ‘purchasing with a purpose’ in a city state that relies heavily on imported products? Blogger Agy at Green Issues by Agy provides us with some great insights here. […]
Artesan Profile: Juta Shoes
Juta Shoes is a community development enterprise born out of St. Hilda’s East Community Center (St. Hilda’s) in East London. The handmade espadrilles are made by women who are socially isolated and face several barriers to work. We were intrigued to learn more about this enterprising grassroots community organization in the heart of London and […]
Providing a platform for local networks
On 15th October, we had the privilege of hosting the inaugural Fair Play Forum in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Convening social businesses, NGOs, artisan producers and fashion students involved in the craft and artisan sector, the Forum provided a platform for each of the stakeholders to engage with each other in meaningful conversation. Leaders from Arayana, DEW, […]
Artesan Profile: Les Sublimes, France
We recently connected with Alexis Assoignon co-founder of for-purpose Parisian fashion brand Les Sublimes, to learn more the challenges and opportunities establishing a sustainable European fashion brand. Les Sublimes is a young company. Officially founded in Paris in Fall 2015, the brand was launched via a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo in June 2016. We were […]
Artesan Profile: Mayamiko, Malawi & UK
Having worked in the two thirds world in developing economies, Paola Masperi founded Mayamiko in 2008 as a charitable project with the aim of turning it into a sustainable business. Patterning with artisans in Malawi, Masperi was keen to take a holistic approach in providing individuals with opportunities through education, skills training and access to […]
Value Chain Thinking
By Guest Blogger, Nishant Das What is a value chain? A value chain is the entire system of processes that adds value to the customer at each stage, from transforming raw materials into a final product, delivering it to the final consumer, and final disposal after use. This chain is comprised of interdependent actors […]
Travel Tales from Yennie Tse, Founder of Fourth Sector Collection
Through Yennie Tse’s love for creativity and design, coupled with her trained background and experience in business and community development, she has created the Fourth Sector Collection, a social enterprise that is now in the research and development phase. Fourth Sector will aim to create sustainable partnerships by working with artisan weavers in developing countries […]