Stella McCartney’s Recycled Faux-Python Bags Boost Employment in Africa

faux-python bags

Stella McCartney, has recently launched recycled faux-python bags that are made in Africa! This British designer, famous for her commitment to animal rights and vegetarian lifestyle, is an industry leader in creating eco non-leather shoes and handbags.

This year Stella McCartney is continuing her company’s responsible fashion projects by releasing a line of ethical faux-python tote bags.

The new collection isn’t just good news for snake advocates; it also benefits communities in Nairobi, Kenya, where it’s manufactured.

The designer teamed up with Ethical Fashion Africa, a United Nations-backed program that works with bold-faced designers such as Vivienne Westwood, on a line of Kenyan-made accessories.

faux-python bags

The faux-python bags are made by hand in Kenya from printing to stitching, with production involving 160 people in poverty stricken areas. “To have the work in Kenya is important – not only to support women and give them a much-needed income, but also to encourage this line of industry for small communities,” says McCartney who passionately supports the project.

It is an initiative that encourages financial independence as well as a long term opportunity for artisans, who receive training, to grow their skills, as Stella McCartney notes, the experience is “a two-way street – everyone feels valid.”

The tote bags in python-patterned screen prints are made of recycled cotton safari tents and sewn by seamstresses in Nairobi.

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