Since 2010, we have been producing an accessories line in Kenya thanks to a collaboration with the Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI) of the International Trade Centre – a joint body of the United Nations and the World Trade Organisation – which currently supports the work of thousands of artisan micro-producers from African communities.
OUR WORK WITH ARTISAN FASHION
Since 2015, our products have been manufactured through a local social enterprise, Artisan Fashion, which specialises in the production of high-end accessories with community groups of artisans. Originally set up by EFI, Artisan Fashion is now a completely independent and successful business due in part to the continued workflow from Vivienne Westwood, which supports 2,600 artisans. In our SS26 season, over 70% of all the artisans employed by Artisan Fashion were women and 100% improved their skills through on-the-job training.
MARKING 15 YEARS OF MADE IN KENYA PARTNERSHIP
Vivienne Westwood, alongside her creative partner and husband Andreas Kronthaler, visited Kenya in 2011 to collaborate with the Ethical Fashion Initiative at the inception of the Made in Kenya collection to understand the craftmanship, spend time with micro-producers including Satubo Women, Oldanyatti Women and the team at Ethical Fashion Africa hub, as well as to personally lead training with the artisans. Now 15 years later, the collection originally produced with ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative has evolved, establishing Artisan Fashion, a local social enterprise that has produced for Vivienne Westwood independently since 2015.
