First I've started with a reading list on fashion, especially fast fashion. In a single word, it is terrible, just like anything else defined as "fast."
The garment industry is one of the most labor-intensive industries. Every piece of clothing you buy is sewn by a person, mostly a woman. In order to reduce the cost, garment workers are forced to work under terrible conditions with low wages and frequent overtimes without any job security. It is described as the modern-day slavery. The industry practices not only violate human rights but also have severe damage to the water supplies and environment. Low-cost clothing lures consumers to buy more and more, and therefore more clothes end up in landfills every year.
On April 24, 2013, a major garment factory, Rana Plaza collapsed, and 1,134 people died, more injured. It was the deadliest garment factory accident in the history. It was neither the first nor the last.
In the aftermath of this horrible accident, various organizations and many consumers have started to pay closer attention to the fashion industry. What they are seeking is a more transparent and humane industry so that any piece of cloth is not produced at the cost of a violation of a human, animal or environment.
While I was reading on fashion, I've come across with an amazing documentary, the True Cost. After watching it and learning the horrifying magnitude of the damage the fashion cause, I couldn't continue to be an ignorant consumer that I used to be. The documentary is only 92 minutes long, but the effects of it will be longer on you. So please, watch it!
The True Cost will be an eye-opening experience for you. It is now available on Netflix. You may also see it as part of the Fashion Revolution Week between April 23rd and 29th.
The Fashion Revolution is a global movement calling for greater transparency, sustainability, and ethics in the fashion industry. You may read more about why we need a fashion revolution here.
Throughout the Fashion Revolution Week, There will be various events all around the world. There will be a screening of The True Cost and a panel discussion on April 24, 2018, in DC. For location and time details click here.
After learning all these, I've stopped shopping with apparel brands which are not transparent in their supply chains. It is the best shopping decision I have ever made. Before, I was a terrible consumer. I would follow all the sale events and buy anything without even thinking if I need it.
I've been a more conscious consumer in the past year. I've started shopping with smaller, transparent, and fair trade brands. I have to say, fashion is richer and more quality when you start shopping small. There are tons of brands out there which are good on both the people and the environment. You can always shop in second-hand stores, and exchange clothes with your friends and family.
I have started volunteering in Alexandria store of Ten Thousand Villages, which is a fair trade and not-for-profit gift shop. They work with fair trade artisan groups in developing countries to form a long-term relationship. Thanks to them, I've been introduced to many artisan groups all around the world.
As a consumer, you have so much power over apparel brands. You can simply ask who makes your clothes, shoes, or accessories. There are many brands that are doing business in the right way. Switching to those is just super easy!
I have started Mom&I by EK to make a difference in artisans life and to make our customers' life more colorful.
We are working with women artisans and paying them fair wages. Each of our necklaces is handcrafted by a woman artisan in 7 to 9 hours. By shopping with us, you are helping us to employ more women, and them to support their families. You, in turn, have a unique and colorful handcrafted necklace.
]]>If you need more reasons, here are five of them:
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Mother's Day is coming soon! We have unique gifts for the most special woman in your life. Our necklaces are colorful, fun, elegant, and 100% handmade with love.
If you need more reasons, here are five of them:
Shop our Mother's Day picks.
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At Mom&I by EK, we have only our designs available online right now. We have started with necklaces. We will have bracelets and anklets soon for the summer. My mom was the only artisan when we first started. Now my aunts and another two women have joined our team. We hope to grow more soon!
We will host guest artists and sister brands on our website to support other women making the world a better place with their amazing work. And, yes ladies, we are stronger together.
Soon we will have our first guest artist joining us on our website. It’s quite exciting! Anna Yakubovskaya is a fiber artist. She makes beautiful silk shawls, dresses, and paintings. She is at studio 302 at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, VA. Her studio has this beautiful view of Potomac and always calm and peaceful with the fairy silk paintings on the wall. If you are visiting the DC area, you should absolutely visit her studio and other artists’ at the TFAC.
"My passion is working with textiles, especially silk painting. I've always wanted to do something which would bring happiness to people. This is why I chose applied art as a vocation. Wearable art is especially unique- it brightens the life of not only the wearer but of those nearby as well.
Just as every person is an individual, no two silk creations are completely alike. A hand-painted shawl is a timeless treasure that can be worn and cherished from generation to generation."
Anna Yakubovskaya
]]>During the summer, I have been to many farmer’s markets in Turkey, met with many artisans. Most are women and they make beautiful handmade jewelry or accessories, but they cannot sell them at the fair price they deserve.
A handmade product takes time to make. Actually, a lot of time! Advancing one’s technique requires lots of practice, talent, and patience. What is great about a handmade product is that each one is unique. Although the same artisan makes the same product twice, there are always slight differences. And of course, these differences give the character and the soul to the product.
Unfortunately, very few people appreciate the beauty and value of a handmade product nowadays.
I have been planning to create a platform to promote women artisans and their work. After a long nesting period, Mom&I by EK was eventually born.
]]>The next year, when I was on a vacation in the same town, I went to the farmer’s market hoping to find the artisan. I was wearing the necklace on that day, and she recognized it while I was next to her booth. It was an amazing coincidence. I ended up buying three more necklaces from her.
She was a housewife. They moved to that lovely coastal city after her husband’s retirement. She makes those necklaces in the fall and winter and they sell them at the farmer’s market in the summer. She is a very talented artisan and had so many beautiful necklaces, bracelets, and many other handmade accessories. She uses old fabrics, various beads, and elegant lace techniques in her designs.
My mom is a very crafty person, too. She loves knitting and crocheting a lot. She has crocheted lace table runners, curtains, even a throw over the years. She got really inspired by the work of the artisan in the farmer’s market, and one day, she sent me a photo of a crochet necklace she made. Next day, she sent another photo. She so much enjoyed making those necklaces that she started trying a new design with different beads and patterns every day. This is how my mom got into making necklaces.
I’m so grateful to my dear friend Selcan for buying me that beautiful gift. Thanks to her, I found my passion! I’m also very happy that I met the artisan. I hope to find her again the next time I’m in Turkey. Who knows we may even collaborate one day.
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Welcome to Mom&I by EK. My name is Ezgi Kaya (a.k.a. EK) and I am the founder of this new initiative. This is our first blog post!
Since we’ve started our journey in this January, it has been really hectic. I am facing new challenges and learning new things pretty much every day.
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Welcome to Mom&I by EK. My name is Ezgi Kaya (a.k.a. EK) and I am the founder of this new initiative. This is our first blog post!
Since we’ve started our journey early this year, it has been really hectic. I am facing new challenges and learning new things pretty much every day.
I can say that starting a new business is anything but boring. It’s frustrating, maybe disappointing, but also really exciting, rewarding and fun. There are some days I feel like I don’t know anything, and on some other days, I am creative as I’ve never been before. Sometimes, it takes me hours to pick a photo to post on Instagram, some other times I can plan a week’s posts in an hour. Overall, starting a business has been an amazing experience so far, and hopefully, it will continue to be. (Fingers crossed!)
I have been planning to start a blog ever since the first day we launched Mom&I by EK. I’d like to write about the challenges I face in this process and introduce the women artisans we work with. Also, there will be interviews with artists and I want to share some articles on women empowerment, fashion revolution, and fair trade.
Once again, welcome!
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