Fashion As A Cottage (and Sustainable) Industry

Kids make beaded, rubberband, and knot bracelets at home. Adults make a living selling handmade wedding dresses, posters, furniture, and other items on the Etsy website (etsy.com).

     In Pakistan, a fashion house has revived the 18rh century European "putting out" process in which textile entrepreneurs brought wool and flax to rural families who supplemented their farm incomes by turning raw materials into yarn and cloth. Using air and courier delivery systems, Pakistan's Shubinak, whose parent company, Looptex, is certified as a Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) manufacturer, sends samples, embroidery thread, materials, and color swatches to rural artisans who return finished goods for sale online and through outlets in Pakistan and Canada. In a month, households earn anywhere from 51 to 205 British pounds. Shubinak also has plans that go beyond engaging its artisan suppliers in piece work. The company aims to provide 5000 artisans with entrepreneurial skills and to invest in healthcare and childcare facilities.

     Artisans trained in needlework and design by India's Self Help Enterprise (SHE) charity benefit from sales in London thanks to Buqa Woman, the not-for-profit unit of Buqa Couture. Money from sales of the SHE collection returns to India to fund women's education, village infrastructure projects, and welfare.

     Recognizing that women make up 80% of garment workers worldwide, GAP developed the Personal Advancement and Career Enhancement (PACE) program that involves women in a variety of leadership, financial literacy, and legal training modules. From its initial program at India's garment manufacturer, Shahi Exports, GAP has taken 25,000 women through the PACE program at its affiliated factories around the world. Working with CARE International and Swasti-Health Resource Center, PACE now has gone beyond factories and into communities in Cambodia and India. Next, the program is scheduled to expand into Bangladesh, Haiti, and Indonesia.

     By going to theguardian.com/sustainable-business/fashion, you can check up on fair business practices in the fashion industry and sign up to receive an exclusive member newsletter. You also can read about the Guardian's 2015 contest to find businesses that make a profit by helping people and the planet. Entry deadline is February 13, 2015.