This Is Going To Be Your New Favorite Brand When You Know Its History

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

Did you know that more than 80 percent of textile workers are women? Taking this into account, and when it has been shown that when women receive aid, they invest more than twice as much as men in improving the situation of their families, Barrett Ward, CEO and founder of ABLE, turned on the light bulb. After teaching a group of women to knit scarves by hand in Ethiopia, today their brand manufactures and sells thousands of shoes, jewelry, clothes and accessories, which, in addition to having a trendy design, employ hundreds of surviving women. to situations of violence and poverty. Discover the history of this brand that will touch your heart.

For many, fashion is a superficial business. Why use fashion to end poverty?

My wife and I were in Ethiopia when we decided to create a business that would help women overcome difficult situations. Thus, we thought of a profession that made sense for that community: scarves. Its manufacture was considered a job for men at that time, so we taught a group of women to knit scarves and began selling them under the name fashionABLE. That Christmas we sold over 4,000 and then we knew we had hit on something that resonated with people.

Why women?

It is known that female empowerment is key to ending generational poverty and that fashion is one of the businesses in which most women work. So if we can lead responsible employment and educate consumers to demand more of the brands they love there is a very good opportunity to have a global impact. We want to invest in a better world for the next generation, one with less poverty and more equality, where there are fewer sick people and more children go to school and Investing in women is the way to reach that goal. It has been shown that women invest twice as much of their salary as men in improving the situation of their family (80 percent compared to 30-40 percent of men), which means that when they receive a living wage, their education,safety and health of the next generation. For me investing in women is not only fair, it is the smartest thing to do if you want to see changes.

How do you select the countries or cities where Able works?

We work in the most vulnerable communities. We make leather bags in Ethiopia, clothes in Peru, Mexico, Brazil … and since 2015 we also employ women who have overcome addiction problems and who design and manufacture jewelry in Nashville.

Every woman who works at your brand will have an incredible story of improvement, but are there any cases that have particularly impacted you?

In Nashville, in our base offices, we have more than 60 employees and only two are men. This is truly a women-run business. I think of a woman who makes jewelry in Nashville, who came to ABLE after completing a rehabilitation program. In her first year with us, she designed her own collection and has become a light that illuminates the rest of the team with her triumphant spirit, her kindness and her vulnerability. I will never forget the moment when she said to me "I used to have a needle in this arm two years ago, and now I am a successful jewelry designer!" I need more people in my life to teach me that I can overcome difficulties too, regardless of the circumstances.

When you think about ethical design, many people think of something brown, minimalist and boring, what do you think of this perception?

I would tell them to visit our website to demonstrate that it is not true. We want to teach consumers that you don't have to compromise on style to shop consciously. We make beautiful products that you would want to buy in any case, but when you wear an ABLE garment you also want to share the story [behind the garment]. The only way ethical fashion can be a sustainable business is by doing things that people want to wear.

What is your favorite piece of ABLE's proposals for autumn?

Since I don't understand anything about trends or what's cool now, my favorite piece is always the one that sells the best and the one that creates the most jobs! So right now it's The Jacket, a denim jacket that's available in two different finishes. It has already been sold out twice, which means that we have been able to support and maintain our partners in Mexico, because as the fans of this jacket increased, more jobs have been created.