From The Source
From The Source offer exclusive and high quality fair trade products - silk scarves, hand woven men's shirts, textiles, bags and gifts. Original, handcrafted textile products, the techniques behind them, and the producers and artisans that make them, inspire us. We specialise in ethical fashion that uses organically produced, naturally dyed, hand woven fabrics. By bringing together these traditional techniques with contemporary design we develop products that are unique, personal and a joy to wear. We hope to make people think about the origins of things they buy, and offer the opportunity to own products that are beautiful, ethical, and made to last.
Ethical and Environmental Policy
All of our suppliers have positive employment practices providing good working conditions and pay, and encourage gender equity. We work directly with producers, mainly in Laos, South East Asia, and also in Afghanistan. Whilst living and working in Laos we personally met all of our producers there, and have teamed up with a development charity, based in North Yorkshire, to build new links with producers in Afghanistan. Whilst some producers we work with have already been accredited by the WFTO, many are small, independent organisations with limited or no experience in international trade. From The Source offer an opportunity to people in marginalised communities to export to the UK for the first time, and also assist producers in achieving international fair trade certification. It is generally women that provide the skills such as weaving and dyeing in making our products, and the producers we work give a vital and secure income for women, often in rural areas. Working towards gender equity and empowering women through good paid work is a fundamental part of development, and we actively encourage this when sourcing our products. For trade to be sustainable it is essential to manage the environmental impact of production as well as social and economic factors. Our producers use locally available raw materials wherever possible, for example silk and cotton produced organically in small-scale farms in Laos. Our products are dyed using natural botanical dyes from trees, plants and flowers, avoiding the impact on the waste stream of chemical dyes. We are working on developing organic certification for product from Laos. We aim to build long term relationships with our suppliers that are based on trust and respect, and assist in the design and development of new products.
From The Source is listed in the following categories
Clothing & Fashion / AccessoriesClothing & Fashion / Menswear
Clothing & Fashion / Fabric & Textiles
Clothing & Fashion / Fair Trade Clothes
