Edun is a contemporary fashion business founded by Ali Hewson and her husband Bono in 2005 with the purpose of developing trade with Africa. Edun offers collections for men and women made internationally, including in at least eight factories in Africa. (And yes, that's the famous couple wearing Edun in the Louis Vuitton ad above.)
"Edun requires every factory to be audited by a third party on a biannual basis to ensure they follow our code of conduct. Edun stands by the quality of our products made in Africa and are actively working towards increasing our capacity there."
Edun has produced over 700,000 t-shirts in Africa since 2007, including the Bidii T-Shirt Project, which comprises shirts designed by children from the Bidii School in Kenya. The Bidii school is also where all the profits go back to.
For their fall/winter 2011 men's campaign, Edun got together a group of male "Pioneers" to model the line, including Blake Myscokie (TOMS), Neil Blumenthal and David Gilboa (Warby Parker), Jeffrey Azize (Grassroots Films), Graham Hill (TreeHugger.com), Jim Moriarty (Surfrider), Adam Braun (Pencils of Promise), Sean Carasso (Falling Whistles), Aaron Rose (Make Something), Waris Ahluwalia (House of Waris), Jonathon Prince (an athlete-activist) and Marcus Samuelsson (Food Republic blog).
Edun is quickly growing a fan base online, with over 7,000 likes on Facebook and over 3,400 followers on Twitter. To see their social profiles and support them, follow the links below.
Contact Information
Edun website
Edun on Twitter
Edun on Facebook
Trade-Enabling Fashion
'Edun' by Ali Hewson Helps Support Manufacturing in Africa
Trend Themes
1. African Manufacturing - Businesses can focus on developing trade with Africa and investing in African manufacturing to support economic growth.
2. Socially-conscious Fashion - Fashion companies can prioritize ethical and sustainable practices, incorporate social causes into their brand values, and market their message to attract socially-conscious consumers.
3. Community-driven Profit Models - Businesses can create community-driven profit models that prioritize reinvesting profits back into local communities and supporting social causes, while also delivering quality products and services.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion - The fashion industry can invest in African manufacturing to create more sustainable and ethical supply chains while fostering economic growth.
2. Social Media - Fashion companies can utilize social media to connect with socially-conscious consumers and promote their values and products.
3. Education - By incorporating community-driven profit models and reinvesting profits back into local education systems, businesses can support educational institutions and programs that benefit lower-income communities.