Fair trade is a unique business model that was developed more than forty years ago to create a sustainable economy for disadvantaged communities or areas that don’t have access to the marketplace. Fair-trade indicates a trading partnership puts consumers in touch with the manufactures, where the supply chain is transparent and often certified by a third-party such as The International Fair Trade Association. A fair-trade label also ensures that artisans receive long-term trading agreements, living wages, fair working conditions, and, often, reinvestment back in their community through education and other facilities.

People Tree, a label based out of the U.K. and Japan, really helped put the term “fair trade fashion” on the map. The founder, Safia Minney, and her team, partner with talented cooperatives throughout a number of countries and help provide design and marketing assistance to develop wearable, fashion-forward pieces for men, women, children, and teens. Companies like TopShop and Marks & Spencer have made fair trade brands more widely available to the public, too.

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