Winner: Sustainable Bags from Ethiopia

Before What Women Make, I had a Webby nominated site called girlonthestreet.com. There was no blog software back in 1999 when I started it and I hand coded the entire site in HTML myself every time I wanted to update it. I thought I’d resurrect that site after going to work in advertising from 2004-2006 but I realized I’d changed a lot since then and Girl on the street gave way to What Women Make. In the interim before I discovered that, I rebuilt Girl on the street in 2007 for $3,000, an all flash site which was a complete waste (but very pretty).  When it launched, I was asked to do a trend report for a jewelry site where I could give away a pair of earrings. I decided to look for the most creative entrepreneurial, high-quality ideas in design. It was hard to find people at first, I must admit but Makeda’s bags were a blend of two cultures – Ethiopian textiles (supporting craftsmanship in her native country) and fine Italian leather. Not only were they beautiful, but it was a business close to her heart. Unfortunately, she had to stop the project and go back to work but I’m confident she’ll find a way to have a creative business again one day. Here she is in her own words:

I was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in the 70s to a mother who was a flight attendant for Ethiopian Airlines and a father who was a record producer and entrepreneur. I emigrated to the United States in the 80′s and lived in Washington, DC, where there’s a thriving Ethiopian community, before moving to NYC in late 1998.

I worked in corporate media for a number of years, where I enjoyed my role and responsibility as web producer, writer, and television field producer. But I was eager and itching to find a new creative outlet, away from my Midtown office. So I started sketching and a lot of ideas emerged for a handbag line. Coincidentally, my mother has a wonderful sense of style and her closet happened to be full of vintage bags from the 70′s and 80′s.

I went to Ethiopia a year ago to visit my father and I was blown away by the textiles that I saw in the market and knew that I wanted to someday incorporate these textiles into a handbag.

In the fall of 2007, I finalized the four samples that I wanted to debut and began the process of launching Makeda Collection NYC in Brooklyn – a unique line combining colorful, patterned textiles from Ethiopia with leather. My inspiration was iconic, beautiful Africa. The creative process was unlike anything I had experienced in the corporate world and knew that I wanted to pursue it as a business venture. Interestingly, during my research into the leather industry, I discovered the environmental impacts of the leather tanning process, so I decided that my line would only use vegetable tanned leather and organic cotton. As a treehugger and a longtime pescetarian, it’s important for me to be environmentally-responsible. So I have made a commitment to use a green supply chain and services to reduce the company’s carbon footprint.

Additionally, I want consumers to be aware of the social and environmental challenges facing Africa. One of these challenges is access to clean water. In Ethiopia, 76 percent of the population doesn’t have access to clean water. In order to support the numerous charities that operate in Africa, I am planning to launch an e-commerce store where a percentage of the bag’s proceeds will go to various charities like Charity: Water and The Ethiopian Children’s Fund. I believe that consumers can have a direct role in helping to improve the lives of many with their purchasing power.

I debuted my Fall 2008 collection in February at Platform 2 New York, a ready-to-wear and accessories trade show. At this time, the bags are not sold in stores yet. My goal is to start manufacturing a limited quantity in Ethiopia. I’m fortunate to make it this far, especially with the support of family and friends. And I welcome the challenges in the future.

Tuesday • February 19, 2008 • by Chauncey Zalkin

Category: Africa, Blog, Competitions, Fashion, New York, Sustainable