Vivienne Westwood / ITC Collab

NOTES:

supported recent protests

‘It’s quite incredible to think that we might be able to save the world through fashion.’ -Vivienne Westwood

We completely agree with Dame Vivienne So today, we are paying homage to Vivienne Westwood. Dame Vivienne Westwood, one of the most influential fashion designers in Britain, is currently launching her latest Ethical Fashion Africa Collection. Handmade in Nairobi, Kenya, the new collection has been produced in collaboration with The Ethical Fashion Programme. The collection uses recycled materials from advertisement banners, safari tents, electrical wiring and recycled aluminum which would otherwise end up in landfills. All of the designs have been hand crafted by marginalised communities of women such as single mothers, widows, HIV/AIDS victims and those living in extreme poverty.

“The context of everything I do at the moment is to do with climate change. Like everyone who has woken up to the fact that we are an endangered species I try to do something about it. And I wish to understand the world.” (Vivienne Westwood)

ITC collab film:

Vivienne Westwood and photographer Juergen Teller campaign for a better world

Vivienne Westwood and Yoox.com have joined forces with the United Nations Agency, the International Trade Centre (ITC), in a new creative collaboration, which provides dignified long-term employment for some of the world’s most marginalized people while protecting the environment. This is a unique system of sharing talent, sharing skills and sharing responsibility for the environment.

For this season’s Autumn- Winter 2011/12 Ethical Fashion Africa collection created through the programme, Vivienne Westwood and the team were joined on their first venture to Africa by the World renowned photographer Juergen Teller. He has captured the project and the people to help support and promote the campaign.  ‘One of the things that really touched me on this trip was how Juergen gets everything from direct experience and really cares about human beings and their relationships. And together we can bring magic to those human relationships.’ -Vivienne Westwood.

The whole campaign will hopefully help promote the project and allow it to continue with maintained success for the future. Juergen Teller commented ‘I came back completely energized and full of life. It was truly inspiring to meet Simone Cipriani and the whole ITC team. It made a lot of sense to go with Vivienne to Africa.’

Vivienne Westwood, in collaboration with the ITC, have created a long-term objective to use fashion as a vehicle out of poverty. From the slums of Nairobi to the most barren rural areas, some of the world’s most disadvantaged women, marginalized by illness or oppression and the daily trials of extreme poverty, are empowered by this program. The Ethical Fashion Programme has already helped over 7,000 women to improve their lives. Without the income provided through the Programme, local communities would otherwise be forced to deplete the natural resources around them by cutting down trees to make charcoal to sell. The resulting deforestation is an international catastrophe. ‘What I do, making bags, can make a difference. This project gives people control over their lives- charity doesn’t give control, it does the opposite, it makes them dependant. These people have more control over their lives and can therefore choose not to exploit the environment because they have an alternative way of making money.’

“Our project enables some of the world’s poorest people to enter fashion’s value chain as producers, while also allowing designers, who want to source ethically, to do so knowing their collaborators in the slums of Nairobi or impoverished rural areas are being paid a fair wage following the Code of Conduct stipulated by the Fair Labour Association.” Simone Cipriani, Head of the ITC Poor Communities and Trade.

Global e-tailer, yoox.com joins with Vivienne Westwood to ensure the programme produces products which are truly ethical and made from recycled materials under conditions of fair labour, reaching customers around the world. Yoox.com is a welcome partner in making fashion fair and available to all.

NOT CHARITY, JUST WORK.

Vivienne Westwood Ethical Africa bags are available from www.viviennewestwood.com and www.yoox.com

THIS IS NOT CHARITY, THIS IS WORK
A new collection of Vivienne Westwood bags are now available online. Handmade in Nairobi, Kenya, the new collection has been produced in collaboration with The Ethical Fashion Programme. Using recycled materials from roadside advertisement banners and safari tents, each of the three designs have been hand crafted by marginalised communities of women such as single mothers, widows, HIV/AIDS victims and those living in extreme poverty.
The Ethical Fashion Programme supports the work of over 7,000 women who live in conditions of extreme poverty but who have a strong desire to improve their lives. Through the programme’s extensive network, some of the poorest people in the world now have access to a job and income that subsequently benefits the entire community.
Yet beyond the benefit of earning an income – giving them the possibility to pay for school fees, medical care and other basic needs – all women involved in Vivienne Westwood’s Ethical Fashion Africa collection are empowered by the pride they take in their work and the new skills learnt.  One day, they hope to have their own companies and train the next generation of skilled workers, building the economy and raising the standard of living in Kenya.
Vivienne Westwood’s Ethical Fashion Africa collection has a holistic approach that is 100% dedicated to supporting disadvantaged communities to improve lives.  Dame Westwood’s involvement in the Ethical Fashion Programme allows thousands of women to support themselves and their families with a life-long trade.

The Ethical Fashion Programme supports the work of over 7,000 women who live in conditions of extreme poverty but who have the desire to lift themselves out and improve their lives. The programme’s extensive network allows people access to a job and income that altogether benefits not only themselves, but the entire community. It also gives people the opportunity to pay for school fees, medical care and other basic needs that may not have been accessible prior to the programme. In the future, these skilled women will train the next generation of workers, building the economy and ultimately raising the standard of living.

http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/3703/1/vivienne-westwood-meets-james-lovelock-on-video

‘Why’ Statistics:

• The Ethical Fashion Programme supports 7,000 women who live in extreme poverty, but who have a strong desire to improve their lives.
• Through the programme’s extensive network, some of the poorest people in the world now have access to a job and income that subsequently benefits the entire community.
• Yet beyond the benefit of earning an income – giving them the possibility to pay for school fees, medical care and other basic needs – all women involved in Vivienne Westwood’s Ethical Fashion Africa collection are empowered by the pride they take in their work and the new skills learnt.
• Vivienne Westwood’s Ethical Fashion Africa collection has a holistic approach that is 100% dedicated to supporting disadvantaged communities to improve lives