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Working with artisinal communities

Working with artisinal communities

At Ilio Nema we value unique craftsmanship. Hand-crafted practices are at the forefront of all that we do.

We will continue to search for the world’s most beautiful artisanal techniques and celebrate the communities who have preserved them for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Traditional handlooms, beading, shibori technique, block print and basket weaving; all of these techniques will be celebrated in our up-and-coming collections. 

We aim to keep these traditional techniques alive by partnering with variety of artisan communities to make sure their culture and crafts are appreciated and continue to stay alive. We wish to showcase traditional practices that have been long overlooked by the fast fashion industry.

In working with artisan communities we support rural development, stimulate employment where opportunities are lacking and sustain production circles that are in proximity to farmer producers. Ilio Nema helps artisans to keep their skills alive, keep families together and keep knowledgeable elders engaged in community life.

We love hand-woven textiles. To watch the production process is transfixing, and in each woven piece we see the artisan's unique signature. With two people working simultaneously on the loom it can take up to three days to weave fabric for one of our garments. The result is beautiful, completely personal, and that encapsulates the moments of its creation.

Human rights and the wellbeing of our partners

Human rights and the wellbeing of our partners

The wellbeing of our Supply Partners is crucial. Our partners are family-owned businesses in rural locations in countries that are too often exploited for cheap labour.

Slow fashion is a rejection of modern slavery, including child labour. We will regularly report here on what we are doing to ensure slavery is not in our supply chain.

We acknowledge that as a fashion label our supply chain is continually at risk. We realise that the most apparent risk lies in where we source our cotton. We have taken action to address this risk by:

1. Adopting BCI Cotton (Better Cotton Initiative) where possible .

2. Being signatories to the Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan cotton pledge.

3. Declining to use cotton sourced from forced labour.

4. Taking a stand against human exploitation and supporting the Modern Slavery Act.

If what you buy is inexpensive, then understand the human cost.

"When something is super inexpensive, it likely means that the person who made it wasn't paid fairly" ~ Cate Blanchett

Part of a global family

Part of a global family

Our garments are created out of dedication, passion and labours of our global partners. We encourage our partners to strictly abide by our code of ethical trade including: compensation rates, health and safety, working hours, overtime payment and the complete rejection of the use of child labour.

We will employ the same principles as we expand our supplier base in the future and will adhere to our Supplier Onboarding Process. Each of our new suppliers will be asked to acknowledge and adhere to our ethical code.

If you would like more information please contact us at info@ilionema.com.