Fair Trade Fashion Show held April 18

Ten Thousand Villages’ Fair Trade Fashion Show, now in its fifth year, takes place on Saturday, April 18, 2-3 p.m. The event is in celebration of Earth Day.

Press release from organizers:

Ten Thousand Villages, Asheville is celebrating Earth Day and the one-year anniversary of the store expansion by hosting their 5th annual Fair Trade Fashion Show on Saturday, April 18th. The event will take place from 2-3 pm in the store at 10 College St. across from Pritchard Park. Ten Thousand Villages aims to promote fair trade clothing in the Asheville area by showcasing this year’s spring styles from a variety of fair trade vendors. An opportunity to shop styles for the whole family will immediately follow the show.  The event is free and open to the public.

Fair trade clothing provides a sustainable livelihood for artisan groups around the world. The clothing captures a variety of cultural traditions while remaining fashion forward with unique fabric and modern designs. “Our goal in hosting the Fair Trade Fashion Show is to educate the Asheville community about Fair Trade clothing options and give people the opportunity to add Fair Trade pieces to their closets.  The industry has come a long way in recent years and not only is it an ethical option, but the colors, patterns, and designs are stylish and unique” says Ten Thousand Villages co-manager Mandy Broderick.

The clothing featured in the show comes from artisan cooperatives located throughout Asia and Africa. One fair trade partner is Mata Traders, who works with communities in Nepal and India to create contemporary fashions with a vintage feel using traditional artisan skills. By partnering with women’s cooperatives, Mata Traders encourages social empowerment to fight poverty and poor workplace conditions in both India and Nepal.

Another group, Global Mamas, is a rapidly growing enterprise that provides dignity and quality of life to women in Ghana, West Africa. The bold colors, classic fits and high quality of the clothes have made the group an international success.  Global Mamas works to reduce the economic inequality of women by increasing the visibility and revenue of woman-owned businesses in Africa, thereby improving the standard of living and generating new jobs. Ophelia “Kukwa” Arthur, a weaver working with Global Mamas, has benefited from her work with the company, saying “I learned a craft, I have been trained… I now can see my future.” Global Mamas, founded with only six members in 2003, now has over 600 employees.

Raven and Lily, another clothing line that will be featured in the show, is a small company dedicated to empowering impoverished women through clothing design. The clothing is handmade from eco-friendly jersey by at-risk women in Cambodia. By working with Raven and Lily, artisans are guaranteed a fair wage, education, health care and a chance at breaking the cycle of poverty for their families.

Sseko Designs empowers women in Uganda to create a financially stable future for themselves through better education and economic opportunities. After interning with the company, Sseko sees many of their artisans go on to pursue higher education, an all-too rare occurrence in Uganda. “Sseko is not a charity. What we’re trying to do is create partnership, possibility and opportunity where it didn’t exist before” comments Sseko founder, Liz Bohannon. Their colorful, versatile ribbon sandals will be featured in the show.

Another fair trade clothing label, Liz Alig, works with small-scale producers around the world. In order to create an ethical process from start to finish (textile manufacturing to garment assembly), Liz Alig primarily uses recycled material, making each piece unique. This not only creates more employment opportunities, it reduces textile waste in developing countries.

Lastly, Symbology got its start when founder Marissa Heyl was studying the impact of fair trade on women in India. Exposure to exquisite material and expert craftsmanship led Marissa to combine her passion for fashion design and women’s rights. Currently, Symbology works with weavers, embroiderers, and block printers in three different areas of India – all marginalized workers who are now empowered by a fair wage and a respectful work environment.

Ten Thousand Villages is a nonprofit, fair trade retailer with more than 100 stores in North America. All products sold at Ten Thousand Villages are fairly traded, a system that offers artisans a fair living trade for their work. Each purchase provides income for skilled artisans and their communities in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Ten Thousand Villages serves as a leader in the fair trade movement and has done this now for over sixty years. The local Asheville store on 10 College St, is celebrating more than 20 years of providing fair trade products to the community.

For more information on the 4th Annual Fair Trade Fashion Show, and other rewarding shopping experiences, contact Mandy Broderick, co-manager, or Sara Martin, events coordinator, at 828-254-8374, and visit our Facebook page.