Threading Cultures Through Fashion

THREADING CULTURES FASHION INIATIATIVE (TCFI) is a non-profit 3-year initiative through HER EMPACT International based in Maryland (U.S.). TCFI provides a network to emerging and small fashion brands to connect with digital marketing professionals, universities, business consultants and local designers in various countries. TCFI also provides the tools to navigate in the fashion industry in a more sustainable way with the possibility to donate funds to local social projects, to collaborate with local artisans primarily in African communities and to train designer delegates.

TCFI goals are to empower delegate designers, to do that we promote new partnerships between the brands, universities/consultants and local designers in Africa and the U.S. interested in reducing poverty and inequalities, to educate and train and to support financially more women.

TCFI curates a marketplace for traditional and sustainable clothing and accessories. TCFI enables customers a choice to align their values with their consumption habits, thereby fostering a more environmentally conscious and socially responsible community. TCFI promotes traditional and circular systems thinking. We combine traditional fashion design with creating designs exemplifying a circular economy in fashion. Our intent is to “train” our designer delegates with the mindset to think “sustainability” with an added focus on the 5 Rs —reduce, reuse, recycle, repurpose, and repair where it applies. We work with diverse clientele where their needs range from high end to community purposes.

TCFI promotes and encourages adherence to fair trade principles, responsible business and ethical supply chains, providing knowledge exchange opportunities for diverse stakeholders such as corporations, individuals and emerging designers across the fashion industry. TCFI collaborates on advocacy and networking events with like-minded organizations, as well as offering a plethora of free online resources. TCFI contributes to driving grassroots capacity building by local community involvement, creating an inclusive space to train on import/export strategies, the importance of using traditional and a circular economy system and the strength of collaboration and partnerships.

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TCFI proposes to partner with stakeholders including educational institutions like the University of Maryland-Fashion Institute of Technology, University of Maryland Eastern Shore-Fashion Institute of Technology, Stevenson University and the Community College of Baltimore County College (CCBCC) and companies such as the Fashion Institute of Cote d’ Ivorie, the Fashion Institute of France, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T)  and government extensions such as Benin Republic’s Handicraft Development Fund and the.

TCFI proposes to work with and train through such organizations as the United Nations Fashion and Lifestyle Network, which provides global platforms to train, connect and contract.