Empowering Women Through Fashion

I came into a store to look at a t-shirt that has the simple word “loved” on it. A friend of mind told me that a woman who is blind makes the shirts, and I was intrigued.

Turns out that the shirt is so much more than that. Mary, a blind woman who lives in Cambodia, makes these shirts through the organization Sak Saum, whose mission is to rescue, restore, rehabilitate, and transform the trafficked people of Cambodia. The Marketplace’s director, Marisa Sellman, partners with Sak Saum to bring their goods into her store so that she can help them empower women.

Sellman does this with 78 artisans from 26 countries, and operates the store as a non-profit so that every penny goes to help women all over the globe.

And Sellman is very savvy about how this model works. She personally visits the missions that her store supports and advises them about what will sell in the United States. It’s important to her to honor the cultural heritage of each place, but sometimes the exact color scheme or cut of a shirt won’t transfer to American style. Working with these artisans, she helps edit a color palette or offers a new way to transform a local fabric, and the outcome is flying off her shelves.

The hardest items to keep in stock—the Hepburn dress and the Funky Road Trip Bag—are both from Sutisana in Bolivia, an organization that helps women leave prostitution by providing dignified employment.

Sellman helped design this dress with help from Silvia, which comes in a variety of colors and textures, including dyed cowhide.

Another artisan display that drew my attention featured jewelry made by Dignity Designs in Kenya. All of these pieces are made by women who have disabled children. Often in third-world countries, children with disabilities are considered “cursed” and “throw-away children.” But Dignity Designs is working to change that by providing these special children with therapists (one therapist for every two children); it also offers its on-site well to local villagers for a very nominal fee. As people come to get water, they are able to see firsthand these wonderful children. Through these repeated interactions, this nonprofit is hoping to de-stigmatize disabled children and let the world see their full worth and value.

Everything in the store is a handmade, one-of-a-kind piece, and every item helps a woman in another country. It’s a perfect marriage of fashion and generosity. And it’s a perfect way for women to empower women.

You can visit the online store here.



Elisabeth Richardson loves yoga, dogs, travel, and reading; she is currently going through withdrawal because her only son is a freshman in college.