“It's the time you spent on your rose that makes your rose so important... People have forgotten this truth, but you mustn't forget it. You become responsible forever for what you've tamed. You're responsible for your rose.” ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Working with artisinal communities
At ILIO NEMA we value unique craftsmanship. Hand-crafted practices are at the forefront of all that we do.
We will continue to search for the world’s most beautiful artisanal techniques and celebrate the communities who have preserved them for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Traditional handlooms, beading, shibori technique, block print and basket weaving; all of these techniques will be celebrated in our up-and-coming collections.
We aim to keep these traditional techniques alive by partnering with variety of artisan communities to make sure their culture and crafts are appreciated and continue to stay alive. We wish to showcase traditional practices that have been long overlooked by the fast fashion industry, and for our footprint to be as light as possible.
A UNIQUE SIGNATURE
In working with artisan communities we support rural development, stimulate employment where opportunities are lacking and sustain production circles that are in proximity to farmer producers. Ilio Nema helps artisans to keep their skills alive, keep families together and keep knowledgeable elders engaged in community life.
We love hand-woven textiles. To watch the production process is transfixing, and in each woven piece we see the artisan's unique signature. With two people working simultaneously on the loom it can take up to three days to weave fabric for one of our garments. The result is beautiful, completely personal, and that encapsulates the moments of its creation.
Meet our suppliers
Region: Delhi, India
Years we've known them: 15 years
Number of staff: 350
Youngest employee: 20
Oldest employee: 65. Babu started work in this factory when he was 25 in quality control and when the owner saw his potential he was sent for further training with an Italian pattern maker. He is now the Production Director.
We have known the owner personally for over 15 years. She is warm, dynamic and amazingly knowledgeable about traditional techniques as well as modern fashion industry standards. She's an expert at making beautiful garments and cares about the quality of what she is producing. She has worked with the same team and with some of the same senior staff members for over 35 years and treats them as family. They celebrate holidays together, dancing with colour on Holi and distributing gifts on Diwali.
Region: Lima, Peru
Years we've known them: 10 years
Number of staff: 18
Youngest employee: 25
Oldest employee: 70
We've had the pleasure of knowing the founder personally for over 10 years, and her unwavering commitment to sustainability and addressing the harmful effects of overproduction in the fashion industry is truly inspiring. Her team is equally dedicated to uplifting their local and rural communities, with a strong focus on empowering women. Through innovative programs, they provide valuable training on creating products like toys and bags from deadstock materials, offering women in remote communities an opportunity to earn a living and gain new skills. It's a remarkable example of how business can drive positive change and create lasting impact.
Region: Bengaluru, India
Years we've known them: 4 years
Number of staff: 12
Youngest employee: 28
Oldest Employee: 50
As a women-owned business, we’re always eager to collaborate with and support other women-owned and operated ventures. So when we met the founder, we knew it was a perfect match. She’s a true expert in dyeing, and her commitment to integrating sustainability into every step of her process made working with her an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. Beyond her exceptional craftsmanship, she empowers local women by teaching them valuable skills, helping them create a source of income. Her team is not only incredibly passionate but also exceptionally talented. Her dedication to sustainability extends to her water purifying process, where runoff from the dyeing process is purified through a regenerative coconut farm, allowing them to reuse the water for irrigation.
Human rights and the wellbeing of our partners
The wellbeing of our Supply Partners is crucial. Our partners are family-owned businesses in rural locations in countries that are too often exploited for cheap labour.
Slow fashion is a rejection of modern slavery, including child labour. We will regularly report here on what we are doing to ensure slavery is not in our supply chain.
We acknowledge that as a fashion label our supply chain is continually at risk. We realise that the most apparent risk lies in where we source our cotton. We have taken action to address this risk by:
1. Adopting BCI Cotton (Better Cotton Initiative) where possible .
2. Being signatories to the Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan cotton pledge.
3. Declining to use cotton sourced from forced labour.
4. Taking a stand against human exploitation and supporting the Modern Slavery Act.
If what you buy is inexpensive, then understand the human cost.
"When something is super inexpensive, it likely means that the person who made it wasn't paid fairly" ~ Cate Blanchett
Part of a global family
Our garments are created out of dedication, passion and labours of our global partners. We encourage our partners to strictly abide by our code of ethical trade including: compensation rates, health and safety, working hours, overtime payment and the complete rejection of the use of child labour.
We will employ the same principles as we expand our supplier base in the future and will adhere to our Supplier Onboarding Process. Each of our new suppliers will be asked to acknowledge and adhere to our ethical code.
If you would like more information please contact us at info@ilionema.com.
Knowing and supporting our makers
At ILIO NEMA, we honour all our relationships.
We value all their partner relationships: not as purely transactional, but mutually beneficial.
Our mantra is "quality over quantity" and this applies not only to our physical product, but also to establishing and deepening our partnerships. We concentrate on nurturing selected partners and on establishing good relationships with people who are willing to commit to with us for the long term.
Currently we have two supply partners with whom we have built a strong rapport over many years, and we know they treat their staff with respect.
For more than a decade we have enjoyed visiting and talking with them in person. We see no better way to grow these relationships and continue to be inspired. Travel, cultivating relationships and working with unique fabrics have fired the passion that brought ILIO NEMA to life.
