Key to developing all of this has been Mdingi’s two-year involvement with the Ethical Fashion Initiative, the fashion arm of the UN spearheaded by Simone Cipriani. “It connects with different pockets of textile communities within Africa, Central Asia, as well as Haiti. The idea is to work with marginalized groups that focus on working with contemporary African designers such as our label, other African labels, and also labels abroad, such as Westwood,” Mdingi explains.

Ethical Fashion Initiative and Polimoda have announced a partnership that will award scholarships to 3 Kenyan fashion designers, building links between the fashion industries of Florence and Nairobi.

Ethical Fashion Initiative e Polimoda annunciano una partnership per l’assegnazione di tre borse di studio ad altrettanti fashion designer del Kenya, con l’obiettivo di creare una connessione tra le industrie della moda di Firenze e Nairobi.

Mdingi, one of the three joint winners of the Karl Lagerfeld Special Jury Prize at the LVMH ceremony in September, was inspired by a recent visit to Burkina Faso, where he produces part of his men’s and women’s collections as part of a partnership with the Ethical Fashion Initiative.

The Kenyan designers will participate in 8 weeks of tailor-made training at the institution’s renowned campus in Italy.

Ethical Fashion Initiative and Polimoda have announced a partnership that will award scholarships to 3 Kenyan fashion designers, building links between the fashion industries of Florence and Nairobi.

Arrivano a Firenze dal Kenya per studiare al Polimoda. È una storia di collaborazione quella tra la scuola di moda fiorentina e l’Accelerator del Ethical Fashion Initiative che ha portato alla assegnazione di tre borse di studio ad altrettanti designer di moda che ora possono approfondire copetenze di settore studiando per otto settimane nell’Istituto diretto da Massimiliano Giornetti. Katungulu Mwendwa (Katush) e Mohamed Awale (Suave) e Louise Sommerlatte (Hamaji) sono i designer scelti da EFI Designer Accelerator, programma di 2 anni progettato per accompagnare i marchi selezionati verso il successo nel mercato globale.

In this weeks Fashion Africa Voices series Simone Cipriani of the Ethical Fashion Initiative of the International Trade Centre speaks to Jacqueline Shaw about the future of fashion, creatives and artisans in Africa

Il funzionario delle Nazioni Unite, Simone Cipriani, è intervenuto in collegamento da Ginevra all’Italian Tech Award che si è svolto alla Triennale di Milano.
09 DICEMBRE 2021

В начале ноября 2021 года состоялся официальный визит Симоне Чиприани, главы Руководящего комитета Альянса ООН по устойчивой моде, а также создателя и руководителя программы «Инициатива этичной моды» (EFI) Международного торгового центра, который является совместным агентством ООН и ВТО, в рамках реализации программы по этичной моде в нашем регионе. О важности внедрения философии устойчивого развития и перспективах внедрения Инициативы этичной моды в Узбекистане с нами поделились Симоне Чиприани и Ёкут Шмид — региональный координатор проекта по Средней Азии.

How did the collaboration with the UN Ethical Fashion Initiative come about?
I was at the UN Ness Summit on the handworker economy wearing one of the Suzani coats, which was spotted by Simone Cipriani, the visionary head of Ethical Fashion Initiative, who has connected international brands like Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney with artisans. He put me in touch with female led brands and collectives, including across Central Asia. One of our partners is Ozara, a social enterprise set up in 2014 by the National Association of Business Women in Tajikistan, to offer women income generating activities and sell Tajik handmade embroidered objects – the most popular being Suzanis.

In the Next couple of weeks, the contestants will go into the boot camp where they will be having one on one coaching with their judges and preparing for the Finale show on Friday 3rd December 2021 (Time TBC) where our super-host @sura_common will be joined by our jurors @bensoulmusic, @paynettejoan and @johnkaveke to crown our winners.

The Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI) was born in 2019 in Korogocho, Nairobi, as a supply chain that enables artisans and micro-entrepreneurs from very marginalized backgrounds to work in a fair and dignified way with international brands from the fashion and lifestyle sector. Today, we are suppliers of many big brands including Loewe, Vivienne Westwood, United Arrows and Mimco to name but a few, and our operations expand from Haiti to Africa and Central Asia, including Afghanistan.

Simone Cipriani, president of the United Nations Sustainable Fashion Alliance, recalls being asked what consumers would say about sustainability in 2030. Sourcing Journal. “Why haven’t we started before?

L’EFI met l’Afrique à l’honneur. L’organisme, destiné à mettre en relation des artisans issus de communautés défavorisées avec des grandes marques des secteurs de la mode, de la décoration et de l’alimentation, lance les Ethical Fashion Days, dont l’objectif est de valoriser la création de mode africaine en France.

Le week-end de lancement des Ethical Fashion Days aura lieu les 30 et 31 octobre prochains – EFI

PARIS — The Ethical Fashion Initiative is coming to Paris next season, with events during Paris Fashion Week that it hopes will provide international visibility to African designers and attract investors.

The program, founded and managed by Simone Cipriani, is a flagship initiative of the International Trade Centre, a Geneva-based joint agency of the United Nations and World Trade Organization. What started out as a platform for connecting global lifestyle brands with artisans worldwide has expanded into an accelerator for African brands.

his past week on Project X has been extraordinary. Clearly, no two weeks are alike! We are entertained, educated, and enjoying the creative community in Kenya in a unique way each time we tune in.

The second week was as momentous and eventful as the first, with a masterclass on Storytelling & Content creation facilitated by Victor Murithi, Founder and Head of brand & storytelling, Julikana Agency OR Sunny Dolat, Creative Strategy Manager, HEVA Fund by Metta Nairobi on Monday.

L’EFI met l’Afrique à l’honneur. L’organisme, destiné à mettre en relation des artisans issus de communautés défavorisées avec des grandes marques des secteurs de la mode, de la décoration et de l’alimentation, lance les Ethical Fashion Days, dont l’objectif est de valoriser la création de mode africaine en France.

Held in advance of Sunday’s United Nations Day, the dinner was held in cooperation with the United Nations Mission of Italy and Permanent Representative Ambassador Maurizio Massari. The Ethical Fashion Initiative was among the supporting partners its founder Simone Cipriani, who also serves as chairperson of the U.N. Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, spoke of the urgency for change.

Both Timothée and Zendaya went maximalist with these looks, in various, eclectic patterns, textures, colors and fabrics, this duo was a sight for sore eyes. Zendaya took this look directly off the Vivienne Westwood Spring 2020 runway, with a chained corset and a checkered midi skirt. According to Vivienne Westwood, the the corset was made from “oxidized brass” and the Bogolan fabric skirt was “printed with natural dye created in collaboration with the Ethical Fashion Initiative.” Again, styled by Law Roach.

The Opportunities are Here Project -X organised by the Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI), in partnership with the European Union have started accepting applications.

Talented models and fashion designers between ages 18 and 35 who live in Kenya and are ready to develop their skills to global standards are encouraged to apply.

The ITC-Ethical Fashion Initiative, European Union and KTN Home and Vybez Radio are together launching a project in KENYA called “The Opportunities are Here-Project X”. We are touring African countries to find the best of the best in fashion design, modelling and performing arts, to launch them into their careers and ultimately transform them from job seekers to job creators.

Five African designers, Lukhanyo Mdingi, Jiamini, Margaux Wong, Suave and Hamaji, opened Paris Fashion Week this season after participating in a world class mentoring programme facilitated by the Ethical Fashion Initiative to prepare the designers for the international market. Resulting in five stunning SS22 collections, focused on artisanal and ancient techniques fused with contemporary artistry, the designers redefine ‘Made in Africa’.

ITC’s Ethical Fashion Initiative is passionate about developing creative entrepreneurship for young Africans, developing job opportunities, connecting stakeholders within an existing ecosystem and ultimately turning job seekers into job creators.

Dal prossimo anno, il noto riconoscimento assumerà infatti il titolo di CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards e sarà realizzato in collaborazione con la Ethical Fashion Initiative delle Nazioni Unite. CNMI sente oggi più che mai la responsabilità di interpretare il ruolo che le compete in maniera istituzionale e non c’è istituzione più alta di quella della UN per implementare e promuovere la sostenibilità nella sua accezione più ampia.

The National Chamber of Italian Fashion (CNMI) has linked up with the Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI) to launch an environmental, social and governance (ESG) due diligence and sustainability reporting framework for the fashion industry.

The framework enables stakeholders to access a system aimed at spotting, eliminating and mitigating environmental, social, and corporate governance risks throughout the supply chain.

CNMI created the Green Carpet Fashion Awards in 2017, but will not be continued as the collaboration with its initiator Livia Firth and her consulting company Eco-Age has come to an end. The initiative will now take the name CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards and will be held on September 25, 2022, together with the start of a partnership with the United Nations Ethical Fashion Initiative.

Project X is a revolutionary opportunity to encourage creative people and is organized by the ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative in partnership with the European Union. In 2021, “The Opportunities Are Here” was launched in Cote D’Ivoire and it has been an incredible success and achievement, it has improved the lives of many young creative people and has had a positive impact; and now it’s here in Kenya.