Bold Summertime Looks, Handmade in Ghana
With our summer 2021 collection in high demand and limited production capacity to offer our normal range of online products, we've been embracing the opportunity to share pieces from some of our favorite makers and brands. In addition to offering beautiful products, each of these collaborators has been fully vetted by our team to ensure our community is still getting the quality they expect from a business that aligns with our own high production standards and ethical values.
@Chloejackmanphotos wearing the makola jumpsuit in pathways. Global Mamas textiles are hand batiked in house creating an additional layer of income generating opportunity for makers in Ghana.
Today we’re pleased to launch a curated selection of beautifully bold summertime looks to bring a little West African color to your wardrobe this season. A longtime connection through friends in the fair trade and slow fashion community, Global Mamas is a guaranteed member of the WFTO and has been operating in Ghana since 2003. To date their community consists of around 350 primarily women identifying makers who use traditional techniques to create a range of hand batiked textile products, recycled glass beaded accessories, and all natural shea body products.
The osu shorts were designed as a classic boxer short- but we're taking this gorgeous saturated look to the streets this summer! Shirt + shorts available for top/down pairing in multiple cotton batiks.
Like tonlé, Global Mamas is a vertically integrated brand which means from start to finish, production to sales, decisions are made based on what’s best for their team. Raw materials such as the hand stamped batiks and recycled glass beads are all made in house, creating an additional layer of income generating opportunities for makers in communities around Ghana. Ghanaian managers oversee operations at each of their locations, with a focus on promotions from within. As a 501c3 nonprofit they have a dual focus on production while offering capacity building opportunities for interested ‘Mamas’ (as the founders named themselves) - from practical skills training, to education around women's health, small business management, and bookkeeping.
In addition to hand batiked textiles, Global Mamas offers recycled glass jewelry made with beads crafted from discarded bottles and window panes. Here Justine is wearing the fast forward necklace in teal with tonlé's zero waste otres dress.
tonlé is pleased to share these products with our community and style them alongside fabulous pieces by tonlé makers and others, with a nod towards a gender-expansive, equitable, and FUN vision for the future of fashion. In addition to paying a fair share of the price to the people who made the products, profits from these pieces will support our operations while our own production capacity has been limited. In keeping with our mission to build a business where everyone thrives, we’re so excited to be able to expand our circle of community, distribute funds and opportunities more equitably, and bring fresh inspiration and delightful experiences to our supporters. Thank you for being a part of this vision!
