Ethical Fashion Blog

CELEBRATE WORLD FAIR TRADE DAY AT DALEY PLAZA!
If you are in the Chicago area, join us for the biggest fair trade event in the USA! Chicago Fair Trade’s annual 2-day World Fair Trade festival and market will take place at Daley Plaza from 9am to 6pm on Wednesday, May 4, and Thursday, May 5. Come visit Mata at our booth, where we will be selling a large selection of clothing and jewelry, including sale items and one-of-a-kind samples!
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A FIERCE MOM’S FAIRY TRADE TALE

Once upon a time, I was living my biggest fear: becoming a single mom of three kids 7, 9, and 11. I was not prepared for going it alone as a parent, especially as a parent wounded by the quick end of a long relationship that reshuffled my future and severely rocked my sense of self.

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TALKIN’ BOUT A FASHION REVOLUTION
On April 24, 2013, 1,124 people were killed and over 2,500 injured when the Rana Plaza garment factory collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Fashion Revolution Day was started to honor the memory of the workers who lost their lives and to advocate for brands to ensure the safety of the people who make their clothes. At Mata Traders, we share the core belief central to Fashion Revolution: that fashion can and should be made in a safe, clean, and beautiful way, where the people who make our clothing are valued and paid a fair wage.
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WAITING FOR SPRING
Anxious for spring? Check out these two ethical outfits we’ve compiled that will help make the remaining winter weeks a little cozier and brighter.
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NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK FOR MATA TRADERS!

If you’ve fished around our site at all lately, you’ve noticed – we have a new look! Our old website had been up since 2007 so we were well overdue for an upgrade. Imagine our delight when we found just the person for the job – Jess from June Letters Studio. Her designs are clean and refreshing, and her hand lettering is to die for. We knew in an instant that she was the perfect person to handle the new Mata look moving forward.

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DRESS TO IMPRESS

Exciting news! The Mata Dressember team has already reached their fundraising goal of $1,000! Thank you so much to all those who have donated – your support will help fight slavery and human trafficking throughout the world. You can still donate to Mata’s Dressember team through the end of the month, and be part of a movement that has already collectively raised over $400,000 in the first two weeks of December!

 

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AT HOME IN HONG KONG
What’s one thing all of us at Mata love? World travel. Most recently you’ve read about how our Communications Director, Jonit Bookheim, visited Greece, and a lot of our employees and interns have been all over the world, from Europe to Asia to South America. But it’s not just our employees and interns who travel. Our products have recently made their way across the globe to contemporary women’s clothing store Marco Visconti in Hong Kong. After meeting the owners of Marco Visconti, a Hong Kong couple, at a trade show, we loved hearing their cute back story of how they met at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Not only is Madison a beautiful city, but it also has plenty of stores that carry Mata!
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DRESSING UP FOR DRESSEMBER

What are you planning to wear this holiday season? A few of our employees have already picked a theme for this month: Dresses! Why? Because we’re participating in the annual Dressember event, hosted by the Dressember Foundation, to bring an end to modern day slavery and human trafficking. By committing to wear a dress everyday in December, and encouraging friends and family to donate, our employees will help raise money to assist victims of slavery, sexual exploitation, and violence. In 2014, Dressember raised over $465,000, and we’re excited to see how much is raised this year!

 

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WHAT WOULD JESSICA DO?
You’ve got a conundrum. It’s that time of year to start your holiday shopping, and we’re certain there’s one thing you’re probably not looking forward to.  It’s not the crowds or anxiously waiting for sales. 
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