EDUN'S SS17 Mashup Of 70's Harlem & African Collaborations Is One For The Books
EDUN has been a pioneer in sustainable and ethical luxe fashion since the brand was founded in 2005. Spearheaded by Ali Hewson and Bono, it's mission was to create "sustainable growth opportunities by supporting manufacturers, community-based initiatives and partnering with African artists and artisans". However, in 2010 Edun took a lot of heat by conscious crusaders for moving the majority of their production to China- obviously for financial reasons. There was a huge shift in their authenticity and notoriety as a responsible powerhouse.
This year however, we applaud EDUN for their Ready-to-Wear Spring 2017 collection called "Harlem in the 70's". Aside from drooling over the beautiful melanin models with natural fros, we admire the push to partner with Africa. WWD shared that the collection included handwoven cotton canvas, striped Lurex jacquard knits and shweshwe - a cotton fabric sourced from one of South Africa’s oldest textile mills- Da Gama Textiles. A series of looks in cotton jersey also featured embroidery in partnership with the Rwandan women’s workshop Ibaba. The brand took it up a notch by collaborating with Soko for their a new line of recycled aluminum, brass and wood jewelry. Soko is a well known jewelry brand which creates ethically modern accessories produced in Nairobi, Kenya, supports local artisans. This collection included the most fabrics developed in Africa than any other previous collection by the brand.
This beautiful series of minimalistic street style was inspired by the late Jack Garofalo iconic Harlem photos. This electric lineup properly pays homage to black culture, style and class. Here are some of Garofalo's images taken in the Summer of 1970 which was featured in 1970 October issue of Match.