The French company Peau-Ethique (which roughly translates as skin-ethics), is next up on our Fair Trade Fashion Round Up. Peau-Ethique is a member of La Plate Forme du Commerce Equitable, France’s national member organization to the World Fair Trade Organization. Peau-Ethique concentrates on making intimates and nightwear that is organic, fair trade and beautiful.
Peau-Ethique works primarily in Turkey, where the majority of certified organic cotton is grown. They have focused on lifting the lives of their manufacturing partners by:
- Paying workers 20% more than the local minimum wage,
- Partnering with a small factory that employs 90% women from poor neighborhoods,
- Pre-paying their entire order to keep the producers out of dept,
- Creating a long-term relationship to foster sustainable development,
- Paying for employee meals and shuttle service.
They also work with a small artisan village in Peru providing the locals the means to stay in their village rather than having to move to the city for work.
Peau-Ethique was started by a lone women with a mission to improve the ethics and environmental impact of the fashion industry (just like FaeriesDance.com)! Everything they make is Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified, and early on they won accolades for innovation in organic cotton and peace silk lingerie. We’re impressed that Cathy Abruzzo both had the vision to make this eco-lingerie line a reality and took the time and money to get it fully Fair Trade certified.
Our first 3 fair trade company spotlights include a US company manufacturing in Peru, a UK company manufacturing in India and now a French company manufacturing in Turkey. It’s obvious that the fashion industry touches the entire world, and our clothing can make the world better or worse, as we choose.
