Giving Compass' Take:

• Causeartist speaks with Jen Lewis, founder and executive director of Purse & Clutch, about ending the cycle of poverty through slow fashion.

• What is the intersection of fashion and environmentalism? What are examples of ways that donors can support both?

• Read about a social enterprise that is using sustainable fashion to fight human trafficking. 

Jen believes good fashion is as much about the maker as it is about the finished product. It’s about art, about connection & about sustainability. By working directly with artisans in Guatemala, Mexico & Ethiopia, Purse & Clutch provides thoughtfully designed & ethically made handbags to help end the cycle of poverty – to be a part of changing the fashion industry for good.

At Purse & Clutch, every purchase contributes to the mission of supporting long-term employment for men & women in developing countries with limited opportunities. These handbags are one of kind, slowly handcrafted by dedicated artisans.

When the connection between maker & customer is made, the brand is able to participate in the celebration of fashion as art. From Gloria in Chiapas, Mexico who hand makes each & every pom pom in the collection to Higemengist in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia who is the mastermind behind the sewing machine & sews in such a perfectly straight line you’d think it impossible not to.

Read the full article about ending poverty through slow fashion by Grant Trahant at Causeartist.