Contents:

Objectives______________________________________2
Chapter I- It's a Historical World
History________________________________________ 3
Chapter II- It's a Crafty World
P.S.-I Made This_______________________________4
Shlyakhetny odyah. Garments of old made
new_____________________________________________8
Beautiful clothing from skillful
artisan__________________________________________12
Conclusion___________________________________ 17
Vocabulary____________________________________18
Bibliography__________________________________21

Objectives:

To answer why fashion brands are working with

artisan entrepreneurs in developing countries

To enumerate some of the artisans

To describe how are artisans doing their work

To express my own point of view

 Chapter 1 Its a Historical World

It is the nature of the Artisan to express himself through the invention, creation,
manufacture, repair, and manipulation of things. These can be artistic masterpieces,
technological crafts, or mechanical devices. Virtually everything made by man which
you see and use is the work of Artisans.

History
Providing clothing that fits the population is a critical issue for any designer and
manufacturer of apparel.
In prehistoric times, Artisans were involved in such ancient arts as pottery-molding,
basket weaving, weapons- and tool-making, cave painting, and hut-building. In historical
times, an Artisan has typically made his livelihood in such occupations as blacksmith,
craftsman, and tradesman a member of a guild who passed his skills on to apprentices.
There were numerous other cottage industries, and there was always use for a scribe
when not everyone was literate. Whenever and wherever there is something that needs to
be made, there is an Artisan ready, willing, and able to make it. And whatever
occupation an Artisan finds himself in, he will always apply a high degree of skill and
expertise to it. Artisans are technicians in whatever they do.
Even if the Artisan does not have an engineering or technical job, he is likely to
express his creative inclination in his hobby. People who have a workshop in their home
are most likely to be Artisans. They read magazines of applied science like Mechanics
Illustrated or Popular Science. These are the handymen of the world who know how to
fix everything around the house
from a leaky faucet to an electrical
switch. They like to work on the car
too. Artisans love tools, and are
likely to have a lot of them around.
Artisans are good with their hands in
using these tools. In fact,
metaphorically speaking, Artisans
are the hands of the body of
mankind. They like to manipulate
whatever is within hand's reach.

 Chapter 2 Its a Crafty World

Why fashion brands are
working with artisan
entrepreneurs in developing
countries?

P.S.-I Made This

Erica Domesek, founder of DIY site

P.S.- I Made This, partners with fashion and
lifestyle brands to create crafting kits on a
regular basis. (In the past, shes collaborated
with everyone from Splendid to Swarovski.)
But each year, she also sets a goal for
herself to create at least one major give
back product. Doing well by doing good
is how she puts it.
For 2014, Domesek connected with
Indego Africa, a nonprofit that partners with women-run artisan cooperatives in Rwanda
to help them build profitable business. The profits generated by the collaboration will
help fund job-skill training programs like business management, technology and
English literacy for Indegos artisan partners. Domesek, who visited six cooperatives
in Rwanda earlier this summer, lectured on entrepreneurship to a class of artisans.
It wasnt just about the handmade goods, Domesek says of why she teamed up
with Indego. Its the fact that theyre getting training in entrepreneurship the
education. When the Indego Africa first started gathering data on its cooperatives in
2008, most of the artisans were using income to cover the basics: food, electricity and
housing security. Now, many of the artisans are making enough to pay for their children's
school foods, make home improvements, invest in livestock and even launch new
businesses.
P.S.- I Made This isnt a fashion brand in the traditional sense, but Indego works
with plenty. In the past, the non-profit has collaborated with Anthropologie on loop
scarves, J.Crew on cloth wrap bracelets and Nicole Miller on printed shorts. And its just
one of several non-profits that are partnering with apparel and home goods retailers to
create products that support entrepreneurs in developing countries. Since 2005, Kate
Spade New York has worked with Women for Women International on accessories
4

knitted by groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Rwanda. EDUN,
founded by Bono and Ali Hewson in 2005 and backed by LVMH since 2009, has been
working with artisans since the beginning and currently produces 85 percent of its
collection in sub-Saharan Africa. And West Elm recently announced that it was
collaborating with more than 20 artisan groups in 15 countries, which it estimates will
impact the lives of 4,500 workers and 18,000 family members. (It's worth mentioning
that this stuff doesn't tend to be schlocky: in general, it's beautifully made product that
also has an upscale edge. The kinds of things consumers would want to buy regardless of
the mission.)
There are dozens more examples of brands eager to tap the talents of artisans in
developing countries. But there are probably even more companies many not for
profit eager to be the liaison between the artisans and the labels. Along with Indego
Africa, which was founded in 2007, theres Women for Women International founded
in 1993 as well as the Bootstrap Project, co-founded in 2011 by Maxine Bedat. Zady,
the e-commerce site which Bedat cofounded in 2013, often sells products from Bootstrap
Project artisans. Many of these groups connect artisans with brands, but they also often
sell products on their own sites. One startup, Soko, is sort of like an Etsy for artisans.
The company gives makers the tools to easily sell their goods via Shopsoko.com. (The
goods are shipped from Soko's offices in Nairobi, Kenya.)
The most robust fashion-artisan partnership, though, has to be between Maiyet and
Nest, an independent non-profit that the luxury brand has been working with since its
founding in 2010. Nest identifies artisan groups that have strong leadership and the
potential to scale, then works with them to
do just that.
Its really trying to give them the
tools to stand on their own two feet, not to
support indefinitely, says Maiyet
cofounder Kristy Caylor, who is also its
president and creative director.
For instance, Caylor works with
weavers in Varanasi, India to whom she
was introduced by Nest four years ago
to create new silks each season,
addressing challenges with production as
they arise. Early on, Caylor found too
many inconsistencies with the fabric. Nest
and Maiyet sent in a master weaver to
assess the situation, determining that
5

because the women were working from their homes which are typically not climate
controlled the material was often altered or damaged. Much of the group made up
of both Hindu and Muslim weavers are about to begin working out of a David
Adjaye-designed building that will allow them to efficiently produce silks that Maiyet
can use for an entire collection's worth of orders. Along with consistency, it's also
important to Caylor that the fabrics are fresh and exciting season after season, which
means pushing these craftspeople to think in non-traditional ways, either in terms of
color or design. Working with the same group year after year is equally as crucial. We
want to have a sustainable social impact, to create sustainable employment
opportunities," Caylor says.
Indeed, one of the downsides to many of these projects are that they arent long term.
While an artisan group might benefit from a big order from a single retailer one season,
theyre often abandoned the next. Bedat, who has worked with artisans in Tajikistan for
several years, says that like Nest, the Bootstrap Project aims to help these groups build
long term partnerships - and more than one partnership at a time. We team up with local
micro-financing or womens organizations so that these women get the training to
develop a market for their product she says. We want to help create sustainable jobs.
Bootstrap's profits go toward education that addresses things like basic budgeting and the
pricing of products. (Many of these women underprice their work.) West Elm, which has
done one-off projects in the past with groups like South Africas Wola Nani Crafts, has
pledged that it will make three to five-year commitments with each of the 20 artisan
groups with whom its currently partnering.
And thats why education is such an important element of Indego Africa, which does
many one-off collaborations. While orders offer short-term income, the group is
cognizant that it's not a long-term answer. Its definitely one of our biggest challenges
its hard to say no to a big order, says Deirdre King, the non-profits creative director.
But education allows them to grow in the right way. Indego works with artisan groups
in diversifying their client lists, and it's launching its education program this fall to offer
even more classes.
To be sure, these brand-artisan partnerships are good for both sides: new businesses
are blossoming in developing countries, and brands benefit from the halo effect that
brings. But the real winner might be the consumer. Its really about storytelling, says
Domesek. It brings meaning whether its a necklace or a dress to an already
beautiful object.


odyah.
old made new

Shlyakhetny
Garments of

There is a designers atelier in Kyiv which calls itself Shlyakhetny odyah which
means Noble Clothes. The atelier designs and makes
clothes which are replicas of authentic Ukrainian
traditional dresses and garments worn mostly but not
only by the upper classes in the seventeenth and
eighteenth century. They also make clothes in a style
they call Ethno Casual. And they reconstruct age-old
clothes which come from the family trunks, and which
were once worn at weddings, at various solemn
ceremonies, on Sundays to church, or at any other
occasions that required something fancier than everyday
wear.
The group of like-minded designers and tailors who
work at the atelier is headed by Ms Lyudmyla Sivtseva
who is not only highly enthusiastic about the beauty of
the attire of the past, but is full of ideas of how to make such clothes wearable today. The
Shlyakhetny odyah people believe that it is a much greater chic to appear in such an
7

attire at a glamorous party than to wear modern-style clothes purchased from the top
designers.
Says Ms Sivtseva, We are very careful in
choosing fabrics, accessories and all the details
to make our clothes look truly authentic. We do
some considerable research into all the stages of
making clothes in the traditional way. We take
into consideration the peculiarities of color
schemes and other features of clothes
depending on the geographical area they
originally come from. We do our best to use
fabrics which are as close as it is possible to the
original fabrics in texture, we use the original
patterns and cuts once used to create replicas which retain the most important features of
the originals.
Also, we take care to preserve the symbolism of certain parts
of the dress. The shirt, for example, is a sort of the second skin
and the embroidery guards the parts that give access to the
skin proper the cuffs, the opening round the neck and the
slits, and the lower parts. The approach to embroidery in mens
shirts and in womens shirts is different too.
Different parts of the womens dresses had different functions
and also had different symbolic meanings zapasky, plakhty
and obhortky (sort of skirts and aprons) were regarded as
protection and enhancement of the reproductive power of the
woman; belts of various kinds had, in addition to their function
as a part of the dress, a decorative and protective function as
well. The ornaments and decoration of the dress indicated the
social and family status, and we have to be very careful in
using ornamental and decorative patterns in the dresses we make today in order not to
violate the age-old traditions. Even the way certain parts of the dress were put on
differed depending on whether it was a married or single woman who used them
We do believe that the dresses we design and make, help people who wear them
relate to the past of the country they live in, to the traditions and thus we open the way to
a heightened national awareness. People learn of ancient customs, traditions and
symbolisms through the dress. People wearing our dresses turn up at all sorts of ethnicculture events ethnic-culture conferences, soirees, and music festivals. We also attend
them.
8

We do our best to make traditional culture a part of everyday life, not just a fleeting
fancy to be indulged as a whim.
The ateliers philosophy is based on the precept that dress is much more than
covering, or clothing and accessories, for the human body. The varieties of dress are
immense, varying with different sexes, cultures, geographic areas, and historic eras. The
Ukrainian traditional dress, particularly that of the upper classes but not necessarily so
(the traditional rural womens and mens Sunday dress was highly picturesque and
colorful as well), provides an inexhaustible source of ideas for making dresses to be
worn today.

Traditional dress reflects ages of clothes making and of sophisticated skills of

adornment and decoration. Besides, almost every detail and accessory in the traditional
dresses carries some symbolic meaning in addition to the sanction of the ages.
Traditional dress was supposed to protect the wearer against the pernicious influence of
the evil forces, and to show the status and taste of the wearer. Things made by hand
with loving care were believed to retain the positive energy of the maker. A bride would
make an embroidered shirt for her beloved and her love would be encapsulated in the
particular design of the embroidery and in its colors, and in the general design of the
garment.

The Shlyakhetny odyah atelier uses only top-quality fabrics and materials, some of
which, incidentally, are made at the atelier; this and the dexterous and skilled hands and
the perfect taste of the designers and clothes-makers guarantee top quality of their
products. They do not slavishly follow the patterns and cuts they find in the authentic
9

traditional clothes they introduce whatever changes are necessary to make the wearer
feel comfortable and snug in the clothes created at the atelier.
The Shlyakhetny odyah do thorough research into the history of costume to come
with the best ideas and a great variety of options for their customers to choose from.
They seem to have achieved the impossible Shlyakhetny odyah clothes look both
absolutely faithful to tradition, and yet reflect the basic contemporary concepts of clothes
design and comfort. A great care is taken to make every little detail and accessory matter
in the overall scheme.
At the time when globalization robs people around the
globe of their age-old traditions, traditional clothing
included, the Shlyakhetny odyah atelier makes sure that its
customers will be highly distinguished both in the
literal sense of standing out and in the metaphoric sense
of being different at a reception, presentation, soiree,
masque or any other occasion which requires a dress that
transgresses the bounds of the ordinary.
Rebellion against the established or dominant fashion
has been a constant theme in the history of costume. The
reasons prompting such rebellion are various: to shock, to
attract attention, to protest against the traditional social
order, and to avoid current trends. Cultural rebels have
often chosen to adopt antique fashions in order to reject, or at least distance themselves
from their own time or to identify with what they believe to be a distinctive age.
Artists have similarly often preferred older fashions, but this is usually because they
wish to achieve an effect of timelessness. The desire to make the wearer look highly
distinctive has led to many rebellions in fashion, and the Shlyakhetny odyah atelier is
proud that it supplies such cultural rebels with its highly distinctive products.
The Shlyakhetny odyah atelier also makes clothes which retain basic elements of the
traditional dress, and at the same time are of a kind that are good for everyday use,
providing the wearer with the desired level of conspicuousness among the drab standard
modern clothes and emphasizing the personality of the wearer, and yet without any
clownish or masquerade effect. The desired degree of casualness, which has marked the
general trend of world fashion since the mid-twentieth century is happily achieved by the
Shlyakhetny odyah designers.
Clothes designed and made at the Shlyakhetny odyah atelier find a compromise
between the sartorial demands of today and the respect and love of traditions.
10

 Beautiful clothing from skillful artisans

Socially conscience Eco-Fashion is defined by the use of organic or natural fibers
and fair trade labor in every step of the supply chain. Sustainable products, for any
industry including the fashion industry, must be produced with respect for people and the
planet. Imagine how much better you would feel, if what you wore was made from
sustainable materials and crafted by people paid livable wages in humane and safe
workplaces.
Their mission is to elevate
artisans in the poorest regions of
South America to world renowned
status in the handicraft textile market
while paying a fair living wage. They
work with over a dozen fair trade
field organizing teams and quality
control centers that coordinate over
300 artisan work groups.
This is the story of Mario and Maria Huisa. They are just one of the 700 family
members who have benefited from collaboration over the past decade. When Jessica first
met Maria and Mario, they were living and working in a modest brick home in the
highlands of Peru. Together, Mario and Maria wanted to find opportunities to work
within their village while continuing to practice their ancestral knitting heritage. They
also wanted to find a way to help support their community. Jessica recognized a special
spark within Mario and Maria. She explained, 'They had passion and wanted to make a
difference within their village and family, but because of their distant location the
opportunity for work was scarce.' Through collaboration with Indigenous and Jessica
Rodriguez, Mario and Maria were provided with just the opportunity they needed. They
started with only one knitting machine and the passion to make a difference in their
community.
Today, Mario and Maria have built a new home, own ten knitting machines, four
linking machines and provide work for up to 40 artisan knitters within their community.
Mario and Maria shared in our vision and the fundamental belief that if given the
11

opportunity, change could happen. They are just one example of the courage and tenacity
that indigenous artisans possess. Thank you for allowing us to provide the opportunity
for change.

Artisans of Fashion
Artisans of Fashion is a social enterprise with social and ecological principals at the
very heart of its business practice.
"Promoting cultural sustainability, authenticity and social change"
With a firm commitment to Ethical Fashion, these are the principles they support:
1.Fair Working Conditions - from the sourcing of raw materials to creation of
products, Artisans of Fashion supports organizations, local village artisans, cooperatives
and NGO's who have structured their business practice around ethical principles. This
includes fair pay, working hours and conditions, additional health services and facilities
for child care where appropriate.
2.Environmental Sustainability - They support organizations who value the use of
raw fibers, materials and processes which are sustainable and non-exploitative. Natural
fibers including native and organic cottons that are grown at village level, locally grown
silk, wool & cashmere is easily recyclable and natural products, they are better for the
environment as well as for the health and well-being of the people who wear it.
3.Preservation of traditional skills - Our mandate is to promote and preserve
traditional artisan skills with long term benefit to the local community with the
establishment of further training and co-operatives.
4.Eco Conscious - They support artisan communities and cooperatives that are
conscious of the negative impact that chemicals including dyes and finishing processes
have on the earth and the environment. They support the use of fabric dyes that are either
ISO/AZO free or vegetable dyed from local
plants, berries bark or flowers. They promote
the use of water based dyes for all printing
processes.
They look to a continued improvement in
our business practices and seek out partners
with the same ethics and vision for a sustainable
future.
Artisans of Fashion is a member of the
Ethical Fashion Forum Fellowship 500
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Their primary objective is to work with these communities to help them create high
quality, hand-crafted product with appeal for the international market. Through these
partnerships we aim to help preserve traditional craft skills, support community projects
& bring consistent work to communities, mainly where women are effected by extreme
poverty allowing them to become financially independent, increase their families
income and live their lives with dignity.
They work with designers and retail brands to develop unique, artisan produced
products that utilize the traditional skills. This provides artisan groups with access to the
consumer market with increased production volumes as well as the opportunity to share
their stories.
Artisans of Fashion promotes and facilitates partnerships between designers and
artisans in marginalized communities throughout India with the primary aim to enhance
women's economic empowerment.
As well as facilitating collaborations we offer design and production services
working with designers and retail lifestyle and fashion brands that will provide dignified
work at a fair wage as well as safe working conditions that priorities women's health and
welfare along with childcare.
By introducing designers and mainstream brands to communities in remote regions
as well as urban slums, we hope to reduce poverty and create sustainable livelihoods.

13

1.

Anoothi Women- Jaipur

AOF has partnered with the Anoothi

Women in Jaipur to develop a number of
projects including the newly established Block
Printing Facility in Achrol, outside Jaipur. AOF
is developing designs and products that are
suitable for the International market & will
facilitate partnerships with retail brands for
ongoing sales & distribution.

2.

Rabari women embroiderers- Gujarat

AOF has worked on the design development

of contemporary designer accessories to appeal
to the current Boho Chic consumer in
partnership with fashion retailer, SAMBAG.
With 10 stores nationally as well as Hong Kong
we are looking to help raise awareness of the
womens skills and an appreciation of the
handcrafted quality.

3.

Womens spinning- Uttarakhand

AOF in partnership with Panchachuli

Women Weavers is helping support the
establishment of Mandakini Women Weavers
rehabilitation project to train the women &
elderly left after the devastation from landslides
& flooding in 2013 that resulted in the loss of
30,000 lives; to produce handspun, merino
wool, cashmere and alpaca yarns & hand
knitted accessories suitable for the International
market.

4.

Women weavers- Uttarakhand

14

AOF has been working with Panchachuli Women Weavers to develop designs &
contemporary color palettes for accessories & homewares suitable for the International
market. AOF in partnership with Australian cricketer, Brett Lee developed a collection of
scarves for the Australian market to provide a sustainable income.

5. Block printing- Udaipur

AOF has established a collaboration between the ANOOTHI WOMEN in Jaipur and
AAVARAN in Udaipur to create beautiful bed throws and table linen suitable for the
International market. Aavaran are producing stunning indigo dyed, block printed textiles
& the Anoothi women have developed skills in kantha stitching to produce home
accessories.

6. Women weavers- Tamil

Nadu
AOF has been working on design
development with a group of marginalised
women who have been trained in weaving
techniques by a local cooperative in the hills
north of Madurai developing beautiful
handloomed organic cotton towels with
contemporary designs suitable for the
International market.

Conclusion

Artisans are interested in how things work. But Artisans are so multifaceted that they can't be boxed into a single field of expertise. They can be in
any occupation that generates something new, different, and unique. They
15

also excel at occupations that involve fixing or manipulating things that

already exists.
Artisans are very concerned with how one thing relates to another thing.
They see the physical world as parts, working together. Indeed, they tend to
view the entire universe as a giant machine.
Objectivity and mental detachment of Artisans has its advantages and
disadvantages. Because of their sense of separation and indifference, in their
worst expression Artisans can be unperturbed by the thoughts and feelings of
other people as they concentrate their mental energy on the creation or
manipulation of inanimate matter. Here is the manifestation of the "technonerd". It is not that they are unaware of what others think (because they are
outwardly focused), but since they see themselves as detached from others,
and as rather insignificant parts of a huge mechanistic universe, it doesn't
matter what others think about them. This is in contrast to Sages, who are
very much concerned to have their audience appreciate them. Artisans are
concerned with the substance rather than the image of life. This outward
focus of attention upon the physical world also means that Artisans are often
unaware of their own inner workings. They may very well be out of touch
with themselves.

Vocabulary
Issue-rezultat, consecinta
Pottery-olarie
Livelihood-trai, mijloace de trai, intretinere
Blacksmith-fierar
Tradesman-negustor
16

Guild-societate, corpoatie, asociatie

Apprentice-ucenic, novice, incepator
Scribe-scriitor, autor, carturar
Willing-dispus, pregatit
Degree-grad, ordin, rang
Handyman-mester
Leaky-permeabil
Faucet-robinet
Switch-comutator
To reach-a ajunge, a atinge
To give back-a inapoia, a returna
Fund-fond
Entrepreneurship-antreprenoriat
Loop-bucla, la, nod, cheotoare, gaura
Scarve-esarfa
To wrap-a infasura
Upscale-luxos, de lux
Edge-margine
Regardless-fara deosebire
Eager-dornic, nerabdator, aprins
Liaison-legatura
Inconsistency-inconsecventa, necorcondanta
To asses-a evalua
Sustainable-durabil
Downside-dezavantaj
Pricing-stabilirea preturilor
17

To pledge-a se angaja, a promit

Commitment-angajament
Cognizant-informat
The halo effect-aura, aureola, effect de halou, nimb
Storytelling-povestiri
Trunk-trunchi, tors, bust
Fancier-cunoscator, specialist
Like-minded-cu aceleasi gusturi
Attire-tinuta
Peculiarities-particularitati
Certain-anumit
Apron-or
Enhancement-sporire
Belt-curea
Fleeting-efemer, trecator
Precept-povata, notiune, instructiune
Adornment-podoaba
To carry-a efectua
Wearer-purtator
Pernicious-daunator
Encapsulated-incapsulat
Incidentally-intimplator
Dexterous-dibaci, abil, indemanatic
Slavishly-servil, ca un sclav
To rob-a jefui
Distinguished-distins, deosebit
18

Sairee-serata
To transgress-a depasi, a gresi
To establish-a stabili
Conspicuousness-frapant
Drab-monoton
To emphasize-a sublinia, a accentua, a evidentia
Sartorial-vestimentar
To elevate-a ridica
Renowned-renumit, slavit, celebru
Heritage-mostenire, patrimoniu
Tenacity-tenacitate, staruinta, perseverenta
Aim-scop
Empowerment-imputernicire, responsabilizare
Welfare-bunastare
Mainstream-multime
Slum-mahala,cartier

Bibliography

http://www.artisansoffashion.com/our-ethics/
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 https://www.indigenous.com/artisan-made-clothes-apparel
http://fashionista.com/2014/07/fashion-artisan-entreprenuers
https://www.facebook.com/ArtisansOfFashion
http://www.artisansoffashion.com/artisan-partners/
http://www.artisansoffashion.com/couture-for-a-cause/
http://www.wumag.kiev.ua/index2.php?param=pgs20092/82
http://www.michaelteachings.com/artisan_role.html

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