Ibulliance: The Luxury of Handmade?
What defines the luxury of fashion? The industry has taught us to associate high-end clothing, accessories, and footwear—made with superior-quality materials and crafted with exquisite attention to detail—with the luxury nomenclature. The term connotes exclusivity, high price tags, and limited availability, as well as innovative design. Often, there is a celebrated figurehead leading such brands whose name is spoken with reverence and excitement. But what about the artisans who bring the designs to life?
At Ibu, our focus is on the women who handcraft high-quality designs, employing heritage techniques passed down for generations. They use materials harvested locally in their communities and natural dyes with low environmental impact. They innovate on time-honored traditions meant to have staying power, and the clothes they produce become signature pieces, worn year after year instead of being discarded like fast fashion. They invest their earnings in education, community, and preservation of their environment.
We know the names of women like Jane, who beads voluminous necklaces in Kenya, or Arushi, who trains women in the himroo weaving tradition of India, or Amelicia, who helps preserve the mola heritage of the Guna Dula women in Colombia. We visit them in their communities through our Fringe Road Adventures, bringing allies to meet them in their studios and homes, and seeing firsthand the conditions in which they live and work. We pay a thriving wage that reflects the hours of labor spent on the embroidery, or weaving, or printing of each handmade piece.
Ibu ally Terri Weinberg learning the art of cherry button embroidery in Sefrou, Morocco.
We know the names of women like Jane, who beads voluminous necklaces in Kenya, or Arushi, who trains women in the himroo weaving tradition of India, or Amelicia, who helps preserve the mola heritage of the Guna Dula women in Colombia. We visit them in their communities through our Fringe Road Adventures, bringing allies to meet them in their studios and homes, and seeing firsthand the conditions in which they live and work. We pay a thriving wage that reflects the hours of labor spent on the embroidery, or weaving, or printing of each handmade piece.
With Gratitude,
Lasley Steever
Chief Marketing Officer
