Rosario Dawson and Abrima Erwiah co-founded Studio One Eighty Nine as an agent for social change. The luxury fashion label’s collections are made in Africa by skilled artisans that celebrate traditional crafts like indigo dyeing, weaving and batik. In addition to artisanal collaborations, Studio One Eighty Nine utilizes their platform to empower communities in Africa through job creation, education and skills training. As the brand continues to grow, Dawson and Erwiah are now investigating the holistic sustainability of their collections.
“Our decisions as brands and as designers trigger a domino effect as they touch all parts of the supply chain,” Erwiah explained. “I can see that a small gesture can make a big impact on the environment and on humanity.”
For Studio One Eighty Nine, designing sustainably means focusing on the humans that make the clothing as much as the ones buying them. However, the social consciousness side of the sustainability conversation in fashion can often be a sensitive discussion.
“I have had to learn to deal with serious issues no education could prepare me for… poverty, sexual violence, disease…,” Erwiah said as she discussed the brand’s journey. “It was not our role to tell people what they should do, but it was our role to listen and to amplify and to support the development of local communities.”
Since being named finalists for the CFDA + Lexus Fashion Initiative 2.0, Studio One Eighty Nine has begun expanding their brand’s sustainable development goals to incorporate environmental consciousness. Working in a developing economy in Africa, however, brings a unique set of challenges for the small and nimble company to navigate. Items like plastic packaging, required by the mainstream fashion industry, can pose significant risks like clogging open drainage that, according to Erwiah, can lead to sometimes deadly flooding.
Looking to the future of fashion, Studio One Eighty Nine wants to inspire the agent of change in each of us.
“No action is too small,” said Erwiah. “Appreciate this journey that you are on and celebrate your successes, regardless of their size.”
