As many of you know, we recently welcomed iconic fashion designer Nicole Miller into the Indego Africa family. A woman of impeccable style, estimable grace, and a downright dizzying array of design ideas, Nicole teamed up with Indego Africa’s artisan partners at Cocoki and Covanya on a trendsetting accessory collection of multi-colored textile bangles and woven bracelets.A relationship that began less than two months ago
reached a fever pitch at a product launch event in New York City on October 28th (video here). Colorful fair trade bracelets flew off the shelves and event goers savored the uplifting stories of the remarkable women who made them while they swayed and grooved to soulful mornas and upbeat coladeiras from Fantcha.From both Indego Africa’s and Nicole Miller’s perspectives, we were dazzled and delighted by how quickly and fluidly the partnership came together and then again by the spirited vibrance of the New York City event itself. In short, it became an instant fair trade classic – showcasing the explosive potential of fully-integrated retail partnerships to not only awaken and enlist altruism in the fashion industry, but also to meaningfully enhance the livelihood and long-term economic prospects of African artisan women.
Even though those with a sense o
f humor had to chuckle at the seemingly unlikely marriage of grass roots social entrepreneurship and high fashion, it was clear that the true headliners were the master seamstresses at Cocoki and the expert weavers at Covanya. And they should have been. For it was their world class workwomanship and powerful stories that were the genesis of this promising union.For those of you perched before a computer in The Windy or Lala Land, you do not have to miss out. Nicole Miller is hosting follow-up product launch events for Indego Africa on December 9th in Chicago on North Wells Avenue and on December 15th in Los Angeles on Sunset Boulevard (RSVP information here). We look forward to seeing you there.
Conor French
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