Fashion Gives Back: LemLem

Investment Piece: Fashion Gives Back: LemLem

It’s always my pleasure to share with you ways that you can be fashionable, and yet give back. This month I’m thrilled to share with you LemLem, founded by model Liya Kebede. Beyond staples that are stunning and comfy, perfect for summer, LemLem was founded to support the women of Ethiopia. What does that mean for you? You can look amazing, and every piece you buy was hand woven by an artisan, paid for her trade, and part of the proceeds go to providing maternal care and economic empowerment for all women in Africa.

Investment Piece: Fashion Gives Back: LemLem
Model and Founder, Liya Kebede by Kava Gorma

lemlem is an artisan-driven collection of women’s, men’s, children’s and home goods made entirely in Africa. Supermodel Liya Kebede was inspired to launch the brand following a trip to her native Ethiopia where she met a group of traditional weavers who no longer had a market for their craft. Meaning to bloom and flourish in the Ethiopian language of Amharic, lemlem is committed to elevating artisanship and expanding production and jobs across Africa. The core collection is handwoven from natural cotton in Ethiopia and lemlem is steadily expanding partnerships with additional artisan groups across Africa. Women are at the heart of lemlem and the brand is committed to helping them thrive both within its workshops and beyond through its support for lemlem Foundation.

The collection is versitaile and beautiful, featuring common and traditional motifs, patterns, and techniques. The yarn is hand woven, as is every garment. When you buy a piece from LemLem, you’re not only getting a piece that will take you from resort to summer, and all the way back; but you’re helping the artisans who make your clothes make a living.

The LemLem Foundation provides support to the women in Africa, knowing that women are the backbone of the continent, and that as women get more economic empowerment and better maternal care, the better the women and the countries in Africa will be. In terms of maternal care:
lemlem Foundation is proud to support Amref Health Africa, the continent’s largest international health organization and it’s Stand Up for African Mothers Campaign which aims to reduce maternal deaths by 25% in six countries by training 15,000 new midwives. These midwives could reach 7.5 million mothers with critical care. Through the campaign, Amref is rolling out innovative classroom & mhealth learning programs for midwives, enrolling women who serve in the most vulnerable communities, and advocating for better working conditions for midwives in Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
And you can visit AmreFusa.Org to find out more.

In terms of economic empowerment:
lemlem and its Foundation work together to create employment and extend social services in artisan communities in Africa. The artisan and garment sectors are among the continent’s largest employers of women – but industry leaders cite a lack of skilled workers as a major challenge to growth. Currently few women artisans and entrepreneurs in Africa have access to professional training opportunities that could help them advance their technical, business, and leadership skills. Through a new special investment, lemlem Foundation is developing a design innovation initiative to help address this gap.
You can find out more at LemLem.

When I did my research for this piece, I absolutely fell in love with this line, the founder, and the mission. I’ve picked some of my favorite pieces for your shopping pleasure below. I hope you’ll join me in supporting the women of Africa!

Xo RA

Note: This post does contain affiliate links, and while that doesn’t affect the price to you (or my opinion), I may recieve commission from them. Thank you for shopping!)

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RachelAdelicia

Actress, avid shopper, and a lover of fashion. Hoping to make the world a better place one pair of shoes at a time.