“Many
of us find a charity or a mission to involve ourselves. Some of us do
it on one level, others to a deeper extent. Christine Hutchison has
designed a business model that "gives back" on virtually every
level…."says Bruce Crane, Executive Director of StreetWise, of our founder.
five ACCESSORIES is a socially conscious company featuring handbags and accessories sourced through fair trade practices in FIVE countries. Our mission is to help generate income for
individuals in developing areas, donate a substantial portion of the
revenues to worthy causes in those areas, and to foster the use of
sustainable materials in fashion. For every handbag sold, FIVE dollars
gives back to the country from which the handbag originated to help
underprivileged schoolchildren receive their education.
In addition to our work with artisans in Bali, India, Honduras, and Cambodia, five ACCESSORIES is also partnering with several local organizations. In April 2009, we launched an accessory line titled 'Off The Street', which is sourced and produced by vendors of StreetWise, a Chicago based social enterprise designed to help elevate severely impoverished men and women out of
poverty. By employing individuals that have formerly been homeless and
using littered material "off the streets" of Chicago, we are offering a
unique eco-friendly accessory line consisting of bracelets, buttons,
belts, pins and picture frames constructed and adorned with items such as transit cards, bottle caps, ticket stubs from sporting events and other urban refuse. As with all of our
accessory sales, 15% of gross income will be donated back to the local
organization, StreetWise.
five ACCESSORIES is also a part of the Chicago Fair Trade Association. "The purpose of Chicago Fair Trade is to increase support for fair trade in the Chicago metro area through education, advocacy, and targeted major-purchaser
campaigns. We are committed to the principles of trade that fairly
compensate people for their labor, permit dignified wages and working
conditions, and promote ecological sustainability in production techniques. We believe that these principles of equity, human dignity, justice and compassion for all life support the larger principles of each of our organizations." (Direct quote taken from Chicago Fair Trade Association's website)
said on September 24, 2009