For the last feature in this Fashion Revolution Week series, I’m focusing on social entrepreneurship in the fashion industry. It’s been great to see many businesses popping up disrupting the industry and providing sustainable and ethical clothing consumers are demanding. As a consumer, I am thrilled to have more choices and it is refreshing not to have to worry about where my clothes were made. As more entrepreneurs are entering the market with their products, it brings more awareness to the realities of the environmental and human rights issues along the supply chain and ultimately pushes big apparel brands to follow suit.
NYU naturally fosters an entrepreneur community and creates countless opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds to connect. In an environment where people are pursuing their passions, pushing boundaries and challenging their preconceived notions of what is possible. It is a breeding ground for creative thinkers to come together and make projects, organizations, and businesses come to life.
There’s no better example of this than how Lian Wairimu Kariuki and I connected through our Politics of International Development course this semester. Both of us are MPA students at NYU Wagner specializing in International Policy and Management. We realized our mutual interest in ethical fashion when we found ourselves advocating for using handicraft and sewing skills to help empower people in developing communities during a class discussion. Lian – a budding social entrepreneur interested in starting a social apparel factory in Kenya, and me – an ethical fashion advocate wanting to make a positive impact along the apparel supply chain. Lian asked me to help establish and grow her new business, Loocid Global, and I excitedly agreed.
Originally from Kenya, Lian has always been passionate about making a difference in her country. Growing up it was everyday life to walk outside and see poverty, especially among the youth. After high school, she took a two year gap year and started her own nonprofit, Adopted Dreams which provided business and entrepreneurship training to youth in Kenyan slums. Simultaneously, Adopted Dreams partnered with Uzima Center an organization that teaches youth useful skills like welding and seamstressing, allowing them to make money for themselves and motivate them to start their own businesses. Around 80% of the youth involved in the program are now employed or run their own businesses.
While running her nonprofit, she had one program that generated money for the organization, relieving some pressure to apply for funding elsewhere. The project involved women making eco-friendly shopping bags from kanga, a traditional Kenyan textile. Not only were the products providing revenue for the organization, they also empowered marginalized women in the community and gave them opportunities to earn a living. Lian was inspired by the positive social impacts of this program and sustainability of this type of a structure.
Starting the MPA program she wanted to learn more about social entrepreneurship and the social impacts it could have back home in Kenya. Seeing the success of the shopping bag program, and having connections with the garment manufacturing industry in Kenya, Lian plans to start her own ethical clothing manufacturer, Loocid Global. The facility would provide fair wages, health insurance, and programs for their workers to further their business and leadership skills. Although the company is still formulating and taking shape, Lian would like to use her time at NYU to take advantage of the resources available to get her business off the ground.
Benefits of having resources on campus like the Leslie eLab, professors and classmates to learn from, as well as the flexibility to build a business, make it an ideal environment to be an entrepreneur. Lian has already spoken with professors about her idea and has gotten valuable feedback and support that will help her get started. Partnering with classmates that have the skillset and background to fill the gaps has been instrumental to move forward as well. The MPA program has also given her the tools to run a financially stable organization that also drives economic development and leverages policies in the area.
The Leslie eLab is a great resource to help guide students through their entrepreneurship journey. Their funding and competitions provide opportunities for students to launch their businesses and develop their ideas. With competitions like the Changemaker Challenge, D-Prize Social Venture Competition, and Green Grants, there are several avenues for social entrepreneurs to realize their vision of social impact.
The NYU entrepreneurial spirit has already led to a few successful socially conscious fashion businesses, including Thando’s and Sukoon Active, and I look forward to seeing many more. Since the main driver of the fast fashion movement is our consumer culture, it seems only natural to fight this mindset by introducing better business models and products to choose from. Instead of an industry that exploits people in developing countries, through disruptive social entrepreneurship, we can shift to creating models that empower the people who make our clothes.
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To follow our journey with Loocid Global you can follow us on Instagram @loocid_global