Virgil Abloh is dipping into the sustainability podcast niche.

As part of the United Nation’s Ethical Fashion Initiative, the Louis Vuitton men’s creative lead and Off-White founder will be joining the “Ethical Fashion” podcast for its second season as the inaugural guest.

“​An Instagram post is as much of an artwork as a 300-look fashion collection,​” Abloh said in the episode. “​Something I made 20 years ago as a student — like my thesis [on] architecture…is just as valid as a new Nike shoe. There is no hierarchy.​”

While the first season spotlighted global artisans, hosts Simone Cipriani and Clare Press are devoting season two to sustainability, diversity, design and female empowerment with an aim to spotlight African creatives and entrepreneurs.

Virgil Abloh is dipping into the sustainability podcast niche.

As part of the United Nation’s Ethical Fashion Initiative, the Louis Vuitton men’s creative lead and Off-White founder will be joining the “Ethical Fashion” podcast for its second season as the inaugural guest.

“​An Instagram post is as much of an artwork as a 300-look fashion collection,​” Abloh said in the episode. “​Something I made 20 years ago as a student — like my thesis [on] architecture…is just as valid as a new Nike shoe. There is no hierarchy.​”

While the first season spotlighted global artisans, hosts Simone Cipriani and Clare Press are devoting season two to sustainability, diversity, design and female empowerment with an aim to spotlight African creatives and entrepreneurs.

The collection features designs with high quality fabrics produced locally. The large hand-woven scarves were inspired by Nicholas Coutts’ style inculcating a mix of rich shades and textures. Key elements of the duo’s aesthetic and also a blend of handcrafted garments and minimalist classic pieces, tricot garments with abstract designs in bold, but warm colors.

The Ethical Fashion Initiative accelerator programme sees the launch of the most interesting emerging talents of the African creative scene and also provides designers with e-commerce entry and a global audience.

Lukhanyo Mdingi, il designer del brand omonimo fondato nel 2015 con sede a Città del Capo, in Sudafrica, è stato selezionato per partecipare a Pitti Uomo 99 durante alla prima edizione di Ethical Fashion Initiative, il nuovo acceleratore che vede il lancio dei talenti emergenti più interessanti della scena creativa africana.

La nuova collezione conferma la vocazione del brand a creare capi senza tempo e dalla fattura squisita che sono il simbolo dell’autenticità e dell’integrità del brand. Ma questa volta sono anche un’ode all’amicizia e all’amore. Al centro della collezione c’è una toccante lettera a un altro giovane designer sudafricano, suo collaboratore e caro amico, Nicholas Coutts, scomparso prematuramente nel maggio 2019.

Por ejemplo, el Made by Women impulsado por la ONG Internacional Care (del que, hasta 2019, se beneficiaron más de 3,5 millones de mujeres) o proyectos más recientes como la Ethical Fashion Initiative, que al amparo de la ONU y la Agencia Internacional de Comercio forma y emplea a mujeres de comunidades marginadas de África. Bajo el lema “Trabajo, no caridad”, Vivienne Westwood, Stella McCartney o la española Camper colaboran con ella, dando visibilidad a las artesanas subsaharianas, de la misma manera que la diseñadora Gabriela Hearst lo hace con las integrantes de la cooperativa Manos de Uruguay en su país natal. “El hecho de que se les dé una oportunidad, les da la fuerza para continuar. Pero más importante todavía que enseñarles un oficio, es acompañarlas durante todo ese proceso”, explica Núria Sardá.

Artisanally crafted in Bujumbura, Burundi, Margaux Rusita’s jewelry tells a story that goes deeper than the necklace chain. The culturally-inspired, custom pieces of wearable art for her brand, titled Margaux Wong, reflect Rusita’s journey with creative expression in the fashion business. Honoring African opulence, the organic pieces don a contemporary design ripened by tradition.

Margaux Wong emerged as part of the selected talent invited to join the Designer Accelerator Programme from the Ethical Fashion Initiative, an organization that connects local artisans to the global market. Through the initiative’s mentorship program, Margaux Wong was able to access guidance with business logistics and brand aesthetics. “We are currently in our second season, as we have been able to successfully produce a collection, now being presented at a tremendously high standard at Pitti, based in Italy,” explained Rusita in an email to Mission.

Ethical Fashion Initiative lancia l’edizione 2021-2022 del suo Accelerator Programme specificatamente pensato per brand africani. La nuova edizione del prestigioso EFI ​African Designer Accelerator ​Programme è infatti dedicata a creativi e brand provenienti da Benin, Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Costa d’Avorio, Kenya, Mali e Uganda.I quattro brand che hanno fatto parte, selezionati tra centinaia, della prima edizione del bando sono Lukhanyo Mdingi, WUMAN, Margaux Wong and JIAMINI. Hanno beneficiato di mentoring personalizzato e del supporto per sviluppare il loro brand e il loro business e sono ora protagonisti, grazie a una speciale partnership con Pitti, sulla piattaforma Pitti Connect.

Footwear, accessories, jewelry and ready to wear fashion brands from Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Kenya, Mali and Uganda who have been in business a minimum of five years and have an annual turnover of USD $10,000 or more are eligible to submit their proposals to be a part of this programme.

This Accelerator Programme supported by the European Union is all about supporting clean-lined and sustainably-crafted labels based in these countries and it aspires to propel brands forward, providing them with the support and guidance they need for a successful global debut as well as prepare them to become investment-ready.

Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI), a joint venture of the United Nations and the International Trade Centre, recently selected three Kenyan designer labels—Hamaji, KATUSH by Katungulu Mwendwa and Suave Kenya—to participate in its second Accelerator programme. These were selected based on usage of natural fibres, upcycled and recycled fabrics in their collections.

The selected brands will have access to production support, expand their supply chain and scale up their production, source new products and develop their production team. The accelerator will support the management and production of the key designs of the first collection, which will be manufactured through experienced companies selected within the EFI network.

The Ethical Fashion Initiative – a joint venture of the UN and WTO’s International Trade Centre, has selected three Kenyan designers to participate in the second Ethical Fashion Initiative Accelerator programme; Katush by Katungulu Mwendwa, SUAVE and HAMAJI.

The chosen designers all share a commitment to sustainability, using reclaimed and organic fabrics to create their collections, whilst noting their country and upbringing in Kenya as heavily inspiring their work.

The launch of the EFI Kenya Fashion Accelerator highlights the distinct design talent within Kenya and follows the organisation’s successful launch of their nationwide accelerator search in 2019. Selected designers benefit from mentoring and brand development from the EFI team and industry experts.

The Ethical Fashion Initiative, a joint venture from the UN and World Trade Organisation’s International Trade Centre, has selected three Kenyan brands – Katush by Katungulu Mwendwa, Suave, and Hamaji to participate in its second accelerator programme.
Each of the designers was chosen for their “commitment to sustainability” as they use reclaimed and organic fabrics to create their collections, as well as noting their country and upbringing in Kenya as heavily inspiring their work. The launch of the Ethical Fashion Initiative Kenya Fashion Accelerator aims to highlight the distinct design talent within Kenya and follows the organisation’s successful launch of their nationwide accelerator search in 2019.

There will be a focus on the specific needs of African fashion brands, with this accelerator programme, with a business development approach that prepares its beneficiaries to become investment ready, to accelerate their business in the global marketplace.

Three Kenyan designers have been selected to participate in the second ​Ethical Fashion Initiative Accelerator. Hamaji, Katungulu Mwendwa of Katush and Mohammed Awale of ​Suave welcomed the opportunity as a platform to grow. The initiative (EFI) is a joint venture of the UN and WTO’s International Trade Centre. It follows the organisation’s successful launch of their nationwide accelerator search in 2019. Selected designers benefit from mentoring and brand development from the EFI team and industry experts. The chosen designers all share a commitment to sustainability, using reclaimed and organic fabrics to create their collections, while noting their country and upbringing in Kenya as heavily inspiring their work.

Ethical Fashion Initiative, a joint venture of the UN and WTO’s International Trade Centre has chosen three Kenyan designers to take part in its second Accelerator programme. They are HAMAJI, Katush by Katungulu Mwendwa, and SUAVE. These designers were selected based on their usage of natural fibres, upcycled and/or recycled fabrics in their collections whilst noting their country and upbringing in Kenya as heavily inspiring their work.

The selected brands will have access to production support, expand their supply chain and scale up their production, source new products and develop their production team. The accelerator will support the management and production of the key designs of the first collection, which will be manufactured through experienced companies selected within the EFI network.

Three Kenyan designers have been selected to join the Ethical Fashion Initiative’s Accelerator Programme.

Katush by Katungulu Mwendwa, SUAVE and HAMAJI will benefit from mentoring and brand development from the EFI team and industry experts.
In a press statement by EFI, it was noted that the three designers share a commitment to sustainability, use reclaimed and organic fabrics for their creations and credit their country and upbringing as a source of inspiration.

“Africa has a wealth of talent and creativity yet to be discovered. Artisans, know-how and skills, all in one place and are currently underrepresented in the global fashion community,” says Simone Cipriani, Head and Founder of the Ethical Fashion Initiative (International Trade Centre).

For Pitti Uomo 99, in a world exclusive, the Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI) is launching the collections of four of the most interesting talents from the African creative scene. JIAMINI, Lukhanyo Mdingi, Margaux Wong, and WUMAN have been selected among hundreds of applicants from all over the continent to take part in the first edition of its Accelerator Programme.

El concurso acelerador de talentos de la ‘Ethical Fashion Iniciative’ ya tiene ganadores. Cinco creadores y marcas que son una apuesta de futuro ética y sostenible, al amparo de Naciones Unidas, con enorme potencial de negocio internacional.
“La única manera de devolverle la honestidad a esta industria es siendo justos y ofreciendo una condiciones laborales dignas”, dice al respecto Simone Cipriani, director de Ethical Fashion Initiative, la plataforma concebida específicamente para el desarrollo creativo y empresarial de moda africana bajo el paraguas de Naciones Unidas.

Industry experts have long touted Sub-Saharan Africa as the next global fashion sourcing hub. Often, these discussions centre on the potential cost-saving benefits or the logistical challenges of sourcing from the continent. However, little has really been said about the potential to change the way we do things. The existing model pays little attention to who makes our clothes, how they are being treated or what kind of impact our practices are having on our planet. With transparency and sustainability becoming a key concern for the everyday consumer and news of garment workers across the globe being subjected to exploitative working conditions, could an African sourcing hub represent an opportunity to learn from our mistakes and embed more ethical and sustainable practices from the outset?

Every region in Tajikistan has their own symbols and colour combinations. You can always recognise where the marriage has taken place based upon certain elements and colours in the suzani. In the south part of Tajikistan you can find big flowers and various Zoroastrian symbols. These include, but are not limited to, earth, wind, fire, water and the four sides of the world like east, west, north and south. Certain flowers and circles mean sun. Every element of life is translated into fabric.

In the Penjakent Valley, suzanis mostly use traditional ornaments. The embroidery is done on white fabric with black thread. The philosophy behind this region’s suzanis is that life and death always walk hand in hand. The small red flowers you can find (dancing) in between the white and black are the moments of happiness we experience. In our region (northern region, Khujand) we mostly use the symbols of pomegranate and pepper. The pomegranate is a symbol of fertility and the pepper is a protection for the evil eye, in the form of male fertility.

Simone Cipriani has made it his mission to build a more responsible and sustainable fashion industry, by transforming it into a vehicle of poverty reduction and of empowerment of women, throughout the developing world. He founded and manages the Ethical Fashion Initiative, a flagship programme of the International Trade Centre, a joint agency of the United Nations and of the World Trade Organization
The Ethical Fashion Initiative enables artisans who live in marginalized conditions, in Africa (Burkina Faso, Mali, Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda), the Caribbean (Haiti) and Asia (Afghanistan and Nepal, soon also in Iran, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan), to become regular suppliers of international fashion and lifestyle brands, thus reducing poverty and empowering large numbers of women artisans

Recognizing the need for more structures in place to support emerging African fashion talent, the Ethical Fashion Initiative recently announced the launch of its first Accelerator Programme, which targets existing fashion brands producing in Africa who require additional support to accelerate their business in the global marketplace to become investment ready. The organization selected five designers to participate in the platform: REIGN, Margaux Wong, Lukhanyo Mdingi, WUMAN and Jiamini.

The five talents were picked out of a pool of 250 applicants by a judging panel comprising of Nigerian actress Dakore Egbuson-Akande, Japanese retail magnate Hirofumi Kurino and creative consultant Susi Billingsley. As part of their selection, the designers will get to reveal their latest collections in 2021 during Pitti Uomo, the bi-annual international menswear trade show where guest designers such as Telfar, Jil Sander and Givenchy have all shown in the past.

Orsola de Castro, fundadora do movimento Fashion Revolution; Livia Firth, ativista ambiental e fundadora da Eco-Age; Clare Press, jornalista e autora; Andrea Rosso da Diesel e Simone Cipriani, porta-voz das Nações Unidas e criador do Ethical Fashion Initiative estão no time de especialistas internacionais que comandarão as palestras sobre o movimento de transformação do mundo por meio da moda. O primeiro lote de ingressos, que dão acesso à programação completa, totalmente on-line e exclusiva, já está à venda no site do REF. O ingresso dará acesso ao Fórum por um período de 30 dias a partir de 30 de outubro, com debates inéditos on demand e legendas automáticas. Associados Abit têm desconto de 15% no valor da inscrição, basta utilizar o código ABIT15 no momento do credenciamento.

After careful deliberation of over 250 applications, five African designers have been chosen to participate in the first Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI) Accelerator program; REIGN, Margaux Wong, Lukhanyo Mdingi, WUMAN, and Jiamini.

To celebrate their selection by an expert judging panel comprising Hirofumi Kurino, Susi Billingsley, and Dakore Egbuson-Akande, the EFI has issued a series of videos capturing the process and inspirations of the African designers who will have their collections formally revealed during Pitti Uomo 2021 through a digital showroom and presentation.

The EFI Accelerator program focuses on the specific needs of African fashion brands, with a business development approach that prepares its beneficiaries to become investment-ready. The accelerator targets existing fashion brands producing in Africa, who require additional support to accelerate their business in the global marketplace.

The EFI has been helping to bring African Fashion Design to the world stage since 2013. Having previously mentored a number of African fashion brands and brought designers to events such as Vogue’s Fashion Night Out, Pitti Uomo, and Altaroma.

Two South African brands, REIGN and Lukhanyo Mdingi, recently completed an accelerator programme with the Ethical Fashion Initiative. As part of a cohort of six hand-picked African fashion brands from across the continent, they spent four-months tailoring their businesses to become investment-ready.

Head of the EFI, Simone Cipriani says: “Africa is home to a wealth of creativity, of talent, of artisans, know-how and skill which is currently totally under-represented in the global fashion industry.” The designers were mentored through every aspect of the business of fashion from scaling production to managing finance to securing investment to creating brand value, and to writing a good business plan. The selection was based on the design potential, the maturity and focus of vision and finally, EFI’s wish to enhance the diversity of the selected designers’ collections.

The Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI), a program of the International Trade Centre, organized a brainstorming Hackathon and has just launched an accelerator program supporting five African designers: REIGN, Margaux Wong, Lukhanyo Mdingi, WUMAN and Jiamini.

We do care about initiatives talking about ethical fashion, and we know that there is still a lot that can be done, both locally and globally.

That is why we have actively attended as qualified mentors to the aptly titled ‘Ethical Fashion Hackaton‘, an initiative with 120 participants, with representatives from over 45 countries.

This is part of the ‘Ethical Fashion Initiative‘ which acts as a bridge, connecting marginalized artisan communities in challenging and remote locations with global lifestyle brands.

Some of the fashion industry’s biggest problems need to be solved. That is why starting on May the 6th, until July 23rd, passionate people from all around the world came together to think, exchange and imagine proper solutions.

The COVID-19 pandemic, once again, has created a very complex situation around the world, but it also allowed us to further rethink the future of the fashion industry.

Pitti Immagine unveiled a schedule of side initiatives developed in partnership with online publication Highsnobiety.

Aimed at enriching the fairs’ digital showcases, the range of digital events organized under The Billboard moniker will involve figures from the fashion, art and cultural worlds, said Lapo Cianchi, director of communications and events at Pitti Immagine.

They include Fashion Souvenirs by Olivier Saillard, a digital library gathering the most iconic men’s looks across the history of fashion; “Useless” by Francesco Bonami, a collection of quotes from Pitti’s guest designers from seasons past reflecting on the most useless objects they have ever designed; a showcase of six emerging African fashion designers as part of the Ethical Fashion Initiative, and Pitti Meets, a range of talks with leading entrepreneurs, designers, buyers and influencers breaking down the fashion business.

Welcome to your new favourite podcast: ‘Ethical Fashion’ with hosts Simone Cipriani and Clare Press! Featuring a diverse group of thought leaders, experts within the fashion industry and EFI collaborators, the series travels the world exploring major topics of sustainability. From the future of fashion weeks to luxury fashion from Afghanistan to Mali, the podcast will open your mind to the possibilities of Ethical Fashion.

Experts say the first step international brands can take to change their ways is ending price bidding, in which brands reward vendors with the lowest prices thereby devaluting artisanal skill in the global market. Instead, Cipriani of the Ethical Fashion Initiative suggests what he calls “open costing”. That involves brands determining their costs around a living wage and decent labour environment before agreeing on margins with suppliers.

I started working with NGOs from the very start of the brand. Initially, it was just commissioning small samples in rural parts of South Africa. Then I started to work closely with the United Nations Ethical Fashion Initiative. They invited me to Milan to present my collection during Fashion Week and our relationship developed from there. I was introduced to various workshops – and the rest is history.