Ethically produced clothes and accessories with the lives of the people who make them at the heart of everything we do.
Do you know where your clothes come from?;
Who are the individuals working every day to bring us the clothes and accessories we see on the shelves?;
Are they being paid well? Are their working conditions good;
Are they treated with respect and fairness as we all should be?;
These are the questions we wanted to find answers to when we began our dream of creating BIBICO.
We felt so strongly that our collections wouldn’t just come at any cost.
It’s been very challenging to find solutions to these issues but happily we did!
We feel it's more important than ever to share our story with you so that with each purchase from BIBICO you can remind yourself that it’s more than just a beautiful garment you are buying, but that you are helping to support and change the lives of hundreds of individuals for the better.
If you have ever purchased one of our fantastic woven dresses, skirts and trousers you are helping to support an outstanding Fair Trade, non-profit co-operative in India.
This incredible organisation has around 270 women in full time employment, around 400 in flexible part-time work, also providing educational sponsorship to around 150 children, childcare for its workers, health insurance and training sponsorship programmes.
The women working each day to make our garments come from the slums of Mumbai and without the support of the co-operative they would
face a life of extreme poverty and deprivation.
BIBICO has worked with the co-operative for over 13 years and we visit them regularly to see at close hand the wonderful work they do. We are extremely proud of the warm relationship of trust and mutual support we have built with them.
Over the years we have had wonderful feedback about the quality and luxurious feel of our knitwear. But what gives us real satisfaction is the relationship we have built with the women who create our hand-knitted designs and the impact our business can have on their lives.
Working with our specialist Fair Trade partner in Nepal, our hand-knits are created by a dedicated team of women who are able to work from home to support themselves and their families.
These highly skilled individuals are supported by our partner, a non-profit organisation created by UNICEF in 1989 to promote and sell Nepalese handicrafts and a member of the World Fair Trade Organization.
At BIBICO we believe that behind each garment is an individual whose hard work and skills are properly rewarded and fully acknowledged.
By working with these fantastic Fair Trade organisations the future of this largely female workforce and the next generation to come is vastly brighter and more secure.
We hope that by leading by this example, other businesses will have to follow as we all ask more questions and make more informed choices about our clothes.
Written by: Vanessa White
Images: Taken by Snow during her travels
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