Ethical Fashion Blog

FAIR TRADE FEDERATION CONFERENCE
FAIR TRADE FEDERATION CONFERENCE
Michelle and I drove up to the very cool city of Milwaukee in May to attend the Fair Trade Federation’s annual conference.  Michelle is an old hat with FTF conferences, but it was my first.  I really enjoyed meeting other folks involved in the fair trade movement, people who dedicate everyday of their lives to providing a way out of poverty to hundreds of farmers, artisans, and skilled workers all over the world.
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1000 Fair Trade Towns
1000 Fair Trade Towns
A few weeks after Chicago was declared a Fair Trade City, several more towns will reach that milestone.  Enough to make 1000 fair trade towns in the world!!!!  Fair Trade is clearly a strong and growing movement, as more people shop for fair trade products and demand fair trade options in their towns.  The fair trade towns campaign really epitomizes that expression, “Think Globally, Act Locally.”
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A Very Mata Wedding Shower
A Very Mata Wedding Shower
Yesterday was Michelle’s wedding shower, and as you can see, Mata Traders was very well represented!  Here we are all decked out in our Mata fashions.  One of the co-ops we work with is making the bridesmaids’ dresses, which will be a similar design to the Gold Coast dress – seen below on Michelle and Andrea (Michelle’s sister and maid of honor).
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Focus Group Fun
Focus Group Fun
It’s early November… time to place orders with our producer groups for Spring/Summer 2011.  To help us determine what to order, we hosted a focus group on Friday, November 5th at our office/warehouse space.  The samples we worked on in India this summer were on display, and our focus group participants completed surveys rating each item’s style and color variations.
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Stop Traffick
Stop Traffick
STOP TRAFFICK is a grassroots effort to raise funds for victims of human trafficking.  If you’re in/near Chicago, please join us at their annual fundraiser this Saturday, October 23rd.
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Fair Trade Month
Fair Trade Month
October is Fair Trade Month.  Last year there were over 250 grassroots events around the country to promote and support fair trade.  This year there are even more opportunities to get involved.
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Fair Trade Futures Conference
Fair Trade Futures Conference
From September 10-12, 2010, the Fair Trade Futures Conference will bring together entrepreneurs, students, advocates, faith community members, concerned citizens, interested individuals, and others in Boston, MA for the largest Fair Trade event in North American history!
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Maureen speaks at Green Fest
Maureen speaks at Green Fest
Do you know where your shirt was made? And under what conditions? Mata Traders is transforming the garment industry, proving it is possible to work with small-scale producers and pay a living wage, all while creating a product that sells.
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Welcome to Mata Traders' blog!

We'll use this space so you can learn more about Mata Traders and the women's cooperatives and artisans that make our clothes and jewelry. Please check back here often for stories and pictures from our travels in India, anecdotes about starting up a small business, information on fair trade, and discussion of the latest fashion.  We'll also use this space to offer special deals on our fair trade clothing and accessories and to announce events where we'll be selling our line.

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