About EMPWRMNT by NATHALIE BALLOUT
EMPWRMNT by Nathalie Ballout is a global movement conceived by the London-based Swedish-Lebanese Sustainable Fashion Designer. Challenging the idea of clothing, Nathalie creates upcycled, handcrafted pieces of wearable art, deconstructing and reconstructing pieces – each unique to its owner.
By combining fashion with a purpose, our long term goal is to create a recognisable brand that becomes synonymous with supporting movements for social and environmental issues across the globe.
We need your help in expanding our reach by becoming an informative outlet and a transformative platform to uplift and empower women and minority communities along its way. We do not only make beautiful sustainable items, but most importantly we seek to teach something through these items.
With the belief that our struggles do not represent nor define our identities, EMPWRMNT’s mission is to focus on raising the voices of women artisans by celebrating their beautiful craftsmanship and casting a light on their stories.
Lebanon
Our first project sees as protagonist Alsama Studio, located in the heart of the Bourj al-Barajneh camp in Beirut, Lebanon! The Studio currently employs 24 artisans, particularly Syrian and Palestinian refugee women, as well as Lebanese women living below the poverty line, who create bespoke, hand-made embroidery art.
Most of the women artisans are the sole breadwinners of their extended families. Moreover, many have received only rudimentary school education and 10% cannot read or write. Alsama Studio does not only give the women a chance to be financially independent and provide for their families, but it also provides a safe space where they give and receive support.
With transparency at the heart of her collection, Nathalie Ballout has designed a sustainable handbag made from upcycled denim that will be produced in collaboration with the incredible women of Alsama Studio. On top of producing the handbag, the women will also receive 10% of the profit made from the sales to reinvest however they wish.
What We Do
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With your help we will have the ability to film a documentary on Alsama Studio. It will take people on a journey to view the process that goes into the creation of each bag whilst shining light on the wonderful artisans that have handcrafted them in an effort to give them new possibilities for the future. We are confident that by strengthening and sustaining the women of Alsama Studio, their community as a whole will benefit and in turn, be empowered.
Alsama Studio represents the first-step in our path towards supporting women’s empowerment through a collaboration with local artisans on a global level.
What We Need
By reaching our minimum crowdfunding goal we will be able to:
1. Cover the basic expenses for the filming of the documentary.
2. Arrange all necessary travel, food and accommodation for the team and the women of Alsama Studio.
3. Pay the Alsama Studio artisans a fair wage for their work in the creation of our bags.
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1. Direct Production Costs: £3,800
2. Food & Travel: £2000
3. Bag Production: £1,200
We would ideally love to exceed our initial target of £7,000 so as to use the additional funds for:
1. Studio development – upgrade and purchase additional equipment, machinery, and materials for the Alsama artisans.
2. Marketing of the documentary – the more people we reach, the more support we can give the Alsama ladies!
What You Get
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Please note: We have provided gift options, but feel free to enter your own amount by clicking the 'BACK IT' button at the top of the page.
If you have any questions or trouble getting your donation through, please send an email to: Chloe@nathalieballout.com
Risks & Challenges
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