NICOLE MILLER & INDEGO AFRICA EMPOWER WOMEN

“We always love when fashion finds a way to give back.” – Elle.com

Empowering hundreds of extraordinary women in Rwanda, the iconic fashion designer Nicole Miller has partnered with Indego Africa in an unprecedented collaboration. 2010 yielded an exclusive line of vibrant fair trade bangles and woven bracelets made by the remarkable artisans at Indego Africa’s partner co-ops Cocoki and Covanya. Nicole Miller and Indego are now developing new products for launch later this year, including jewelry and apparel.div style="display: none;">araba oyunları barbie oyunları Oyunlar gelin oyunları

The partnership between Nicole Miller and Indego Africa has been featured in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Women’s Wear Daily and The L.A. Times. The products have similarly garnered much attention; Elle.com raved these hand-crafted, “color-popping” bangles and bracelets from Rwanda are “a tribute to their own culture’s unique designs” and “a fun way to brighten up your look,” while Stylecaster declared them “globally friendly wrist candy” of the season. True to Indego Africa's mission, the bracelets also won the Fair Trade Federation’s 2011 award for “Excellence in Product Design.”

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Nicole Miller and Indego Africa Exchange

Nicole Miller and Indego Africa have planned two groundbreaking trips for Fall 2011! In early October, Nicole Miller will visit Rwanda to meet our artisan partners, teach courses on advanced sewing, draping and tailoring techniques, and lecture at the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women program in Kigali. Later that month, Emelienne Nyiramana and Therese Iribagiza of Cocoki will visit New York for further training with Nicole, as well as execute the first direct purchase order between a Rwandan cooperative and an American retailer. Both trips promise to be visionary in scope and action, and we look forward to them with great anticipation! Click to learn more and invest in the trip!

INVEST IN ADVANCED BUSINESS & PRODUCT TRAINING

By shopping at Indego Africa, you are providing women in Rwanda not only with a fair wage, but also the opportunity to gain invaluable skills, information, and confidence: the keys to long-term empowerment. MULTIPLY THAT IMPACT with a donation to Indego Africa's ground-breaking training programs . With classes in advanced business skills, English literacy, raw material sourcing, computers, trend research, customs & shipping, design, and pricing, you are unleashing the power of independent businesswomen.

Fair trade Federation bestows design Award

Indego Africa is delighted to announce its receipt of the Fair Trade Federation’s 2011 award for “Excellence in Product Design.” The award acknowledges exceptional work in the field of product design for Indego Africa’s bracelet co-design with Nicole Miller, and encompasses both the textile bangles made by partner cooperative Cocoki and the woven bracelets made by partner cooperative Covanya.

“Indego Africa stood out among the ten nominees for our 2011 Excellence in Product Design Award,” explained Mary Rose Parrish, the Fair Trade Federation’s program manager. “Their hip, innovative design and responsible use of materials have resulted in a great product that both speaks to consumers and creates a tremendous impact on artisans’ lives.” The notable fair trade accolade stamps an exclamation mark on part one of what is shaping up to be a dynamic and ongoing collaboration between Indego Africa partner cooperatives Cocoki and Covanya and designer Nicole Miller.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH NICOLE MILLER

From "Indego Africa's Color-Popping Bracelets" on Elle.com, Oct. 29, 2010.

ELLE: How did you first get interested in a collaboration with Indego Africa?

Nicole Miller: I’ve been impressed with Indego Africa’s unique idea of helping women in need. I’m also excited because it’s about using different fabrics which is an integral part of what I do – and the dyes and elements used are natural and non-toxic for the women. To me, that makes it even more appealing.

ELLE: What has been most inspiring about partnering with the women in Rwanda?

NM: It’s a modern, non-traditional re-thinking of the way non-profit work is done. The idea is to teach the women to be in business rather than just charity. We encourage the same kind of mindset in our business. I love creativity and entrepreneurship.

ELLE: What inspired your design aesthetic for the pieces you created with Indego Africa?

NM: I was drawn to some of the weaving techniques and bold colors they use. To me, it’s about the product and using a unique perspective to tell a story. The bracelets are a combination of both.

ELLE: Where do you see this collaboration with Indego Africa for the future?

NM: We’re planning to elaborate on the bracelet designs and make them available in other markets, maybe using new colors and fabrics. I’m hoping to raise some awareness about these women and the mission of Indego Africa. To me that’s what it’s all about.

ABOUT INDEGO AFRICA

Indego Africa is 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise with a simple yet powerful business model: partner with co-ops of Rwandan women; sell the co-op's contemporary accessories and home décor products at 40+ high-end retailers in the U.S. and online; and return 100% of profits to the co-ops for Indego Africa's award-winning training programs in long-terms skills - all taught by Rwanda's top University students. By forging a strategy based on transparency, long-term partnerships, and a business-minded approach, Indego Africa re-defines an outdated handicraft model of economic development and maps out a replicable blueprint for unleashing the power of women entrepreneurs in Africa.

In June 2010, Emelienne Nyiramana, Treasurer and Master Seamstress at partner cooperative Cocoki, and a top graduate of Indego's training programs, was admitted to the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Initiative program at the School of Finance & Banking in Kigali (story HERE).

Indego Africa is a proud member of the Fair Trade Federation, which recently gave Indego Africa the coveted "Most Positive Impact in a Producer Community" award. Indego Africa is also the subject of a Harvard Business School case study and the main practitioner presenter at NYU Stern's Seventh Annual Satter Conference of Social Entrepreneurs.