Rachel Roy Announces Africa Initiative
February 9, 2010 by Aarti Ruparell
Filed under Featured, Paints & Potions
Many designers are inspired by African cultures but Rachel Roy is helping to create jobs for women through a new partnership that will source accessories from Africa. Designer Rachel Roy has partnered with Fairwinds Trading to integrate hand crafted items by female-owned businesses in Africa into her collection. Via her label, Rachel Rachel Roy, a unit of Jones Apparel Group, women in a few sub-Saharan African nations will have their work sold in the U.S.
Among the products to be sold starting this spring, at rachelroy.com, macys.com and select Macy’s stores, are a clutches crafted in Tanzania using indigenous fabrics and textiles, and bracelets and earrings made of beads and woven paper, from Rwanda. The partnership is part of Roy’s aim to support the independence of women through employment.
Fairwinds has a number of partners, including ABC Home & Carpet, Starbucks, O, The Oprah Magazine and the United Nations Development Fund for Women. According to its website, Fairwinds practices fair trade.
