Archive for month: October, 2021
We can hardly believe it ourselves, Fair Fabrics turned 10 today!
The first visit to a weaving cooperative in the Moroccan Atlas mountains has been the great start of realizing our dreams; growing together in entrepreneurship by stimulating the local economy in our production countries in a fair way.
This image of Khadouj was taken during the first visit to the Moroccan Atlas Mountains (2011).
It didn’t all go smoothly, but that’s not what we do it for either. The most important thing is that we make as much impact as possible. We want to build a lasting bond with the makers. For example, we develop new interior products, the studios produce at a fair price and we help the makers in the field of entrepreneurship and professionalization.
Designer Willemiek is weaving together with ‘mama’ and in the meantime also shows her own ideas on the loom (2018).
Language and cultural differences make international business extra adventurous. That sometimes means that you don’t necessarily solve complicated dilemmas in the most businesslike way, but that’s why we are a social enterprise; profit is not an end in itself, but a means to achieve our mission.
While we visit the various cooperatives, we are often welcomed with open arms at home by the weavers, which takes us to the most remote but very special places (2014).
And yes, we also have many ups and downs. We will spare you, much rather we look to the future where there is still a lot of fair profit to be made. In the coming period we will try to be an even greater stable factor for many of our workshops, which do not have an easy time under the circumstances of Covid-19, among others. Many studios have hardly any income with the loss of tourism, so our mission is perhaps even more current than 10 years ago.
This seems like a route to the end of the world, but this is the kilometre-long road to one of our fine cooperatives in the deep mountains (2014).
There are many beautiful projects in the pipeline and actually do not even have the time to dwell on this beautiful milestone.
We would like to celebrate our anniversary together, which is why we have come up with various beautiful and appropriate promotions during our anniversary year. November 1st we will start with the very first anniversary promotion of 10 years of Fair Fabrics. More coming soon!
Most weavers’ living rooms are often at least as colorful as the rugs they weave (2013).
Moncef and Karin in Tunis after a conversation with Tunisian designer Chamseddine (2016).
The very first professional photo shoot with photographer Geert (2014).
A couscous meal together with the family of the ‘president’ of the cooperative (2015)
Geert in action photographing a rug for a customer order (2021).
Founder of Fair Fabrics, Karin. Photographer: Kate Lewis for TBE (2018).
Fair Fabrics will soon be 10 years old, really! We are extremely proud to have reached this milestone. Despite all the recent challenges surrounding Covid-19, but also at a time when we are short of hands to actually be able to celebrate properly. Of course we have some fun moments planned, so more stories and more festivities are coming soon!
Morocco, October 2011. This photo was taken 10 years ago, during the very first artisan workshop visit.
What many probably do not know is that we have drawn up our philosophy based on a number of core values that arise from the volunteer work that Karin has performed for the Melania (Ontwikkelingssamenwerking) Development Cooperation Foundation for a few years. This foundation is committed to gender equality and to improving the economic position of (underprivileged) women in Asia, Africa and Latin America, so that they can build an independent existence. Melania does this by financing small-scale income-generating projects, from a transparent and effective organization with committed and expert employees. Here in the Netherlands they are building a community of socially involved women who donate money to realize the projects.
Nepal 2006. Women of Melania’s sewing machine project proudly show Karin how their business got off to a successful start thanks to Melania’s project financing.
Working with existing initiatives and cooperatives, making the connection between the different worlds, immersing yourself in the different culture with sometimes complex circumstances, but also the drive of women’s groups within a local community have been well-considered choices for Karin to set up her social enterprise Fair Fabrics as it is now.
The portrait of Melania founder Caroline Theresia Maria van Rijckevorsel, a nurse, who traveled with her husband to the Dutch East Indies in 1921 at the age of 25 to dedicate herself to the ‘upliftment of the native woman’, has been recorded in a jubilee book. On October 10, the 100th anniversary of Melania will be celebrated in Utrecht with workshops and lectures. A total of ten women’s portraits are included in the book, of which 1 is about Karin from Fair Fabrics. What an honor!!
The booklet was written and compiled by Ceciel Bruin-Mosch, Caro van den Acker, Eliane Bavinck and Tanja Beekman. The booklet can be ordered from the better bookshops, ISBN: 9789403639468.
Melania also organizes an (online) auction where the proceeds fully accrue to Melania. Various social entrepreneurs have donated products, such as Yoni with a set of organic sanitary towels, Karen Kammeraat with her book ‘Just Good’ and of course Fair Fabrics with a hand-woven cushion set. Link to auction: https://melania.nl/15824-2/
Nepal, August 2006. Karin was not only warmly and hospitably received, but also fully dressed by the ladies of Melania’s sewing machine project. The women had to get used to those extra long meters of fabric.