Why real star of Rosario Dawson’s ethical fashion start-up Studio 189 is an African community
Studio 189, founded by actress Dawson and fashion executive Abrima Erwiah, is helping poor Ghanaian communities take advantage of the global fashion market by combining traditional handicrafting with contemporary chic
It is hard enough to build a fashion brand, let alone a fashion empire. Rarer is the person who makes a mission of using fashion to build communities. Such is the case with Studio 189, a label founded by long-time friends Abrima Erwiah, a former marketing executive at Bottega Veneta, and Rosario Dawson, an actress most recently seen in Netflix’s Marvel franchise.
“The idea is to produce everything in local markets,” Erwiah says. “Particularly in Africa, particularly in Ghana.”
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The founders set up the company in partnership with the United Nations’ Ethical Fashion Initiative, which also works with such socially conscious brands as Edun, Marni and Vivienne Westwood. The mission of Studio 189 dovetails with the slogan of the initiative: “Not charity, just work.”
“It’s a social enterprise,” Erwiah says. “We think that’s much more powerful than aid.”
The company, founded in 2011, put out its first collection in 2013. It has since thrived in its effort to allow impoverished communities to take advantage of the global economy – rather than the other way around, as is usual – by fostering an industry grounded in traditional craft.
