In release the Benevolence Collection, we showed our manufacturer, Tuly Pena, and her team of eight, some compassion by throwing our first factory clean up project. Volunteers and the MPCo. team helped clean her facility, build ergonomically sound chairs, and fund posture improvement supplies.


In a report by the Garment Worker Center (GWC), UCLA Labor Center, and UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health,

72% of garment workers said their work areas were filled with dust. 60% reported excessive heat and dust, 42% claimed exits were regularly blocked, and 49% said there were no first aid kits.

High-temperatures in the summer, primarily due to the poor ventilation and dust, impairs cognitive performance, causes dehydration and discomfort, and increases psychological strain for garment worker's.

Redeemer Center for Life (@redeemermpls) is a Black-led non-profit in North Minneapolis with transformative community programs including affordable housing units, youth leadership programs, financial staility courses, and career development opportunities.

They are committed to both social action and financial and programmatic investing in the local community’s people, ideas, and businesses. By creating a space and for the community to get involved and voice their concerns, they help identify and create resources, programs, and other events that best fit the communities interests and needs.

As the metro area expands into the Northside and the Harrison Neighborhood begins to gentrify, RCFL focuses on residents’ concerns about predatory rent practices, increased cost of living, and plateaued wages, especially in light of North Minneapolis’ staggering 23% unemployment rate.

Northside residents drive RCFL programming, which aims to empower participants and help create financial stability for youth, adults, and families. Twenty two years of experience prove that through programs like Venture North, a full-service bike and coffee shop that offers leadership positions and employment to high school-age youth, RCFL can increase the prospects for young people to create meaningful and prosperous lives by supporting their educational needs and helping them develop work and social skills that lead to a career path vs. a job.

For adults and families working toward economic stability, RCFL offers 26 attainable and transitional housing units. These safe, dignified, and well-positioned homes offer access to public transport, local amenities, and other resources available on the RCFL campus. RCFL attainable housing offers financial, emotional, and community support to all residents.

 

Redeemer for Life Resources:
Donate
Youth Development
Attainable Living
Creative Outreach

While we are a non-Black POC-owned brand, we urge you to #buyblack and find Black-owned brands and stores to support during this time and always of course. From now indefinitely, we will be donating 100% of all profits from each item you purchase, to Reclaim the Block.  

Reclaim the Block works to ensure community and city council members distribute money from law enforcement into other areas of the city budget that promote healthy and safety such as violence control, mental health response teams, youth resources, and housing.

We organize around policies that strengthen community-led safety initiatives and reduce reliance on police departments. We do not believe that increased regulation of or public engagement with the police will lead to safer communities, as community testimony and documented police conduct suggest otherwise.

Reclaim the Block Resources:
Sign the Petition
Digital Toolkit
Onepager

Attendees at the Make It Last Clothes Drive helped donate over 100lbs of textiles; however, the true impact goes beyond weight.

About the event
In honor of Fashion Revolution Week, we hosted a clothes drive for the Make It Last Program and collaboration with C.Mota Studio on repurposed first responder uniforms as a reminder to turn fashion into a force for good.

Enjoy free custom prints if you donate clothes—bring any piece of clothing or textile-covered item you want customized (e.g. hoodie, tote bag, canvas shoes).

Donate clothes into one of three bins that represent a different non-profit:

1. Garment Worker Center
2. Fabscrap
3. Clean Clothes Campaign

If we repurpose and sell a garment you donate, we will give 15% of the sale to that non-profit. (Clothes we do not get around to upcycling will go to Helpsy who prevents textiles from ending up in landfills.)

About the C.Mota Studio Collaboration

15% of every purchase from the collaboration will be donated to ReMake.

Pioneering the shape of sustainable living by reclaiming & repurposing existing materials, C.Mota Studio builds community in alignment with innovators advocating progressive social & environmental solutions to protect people and our planet.

The founder of C.Mota Studios, Carla Mota, was the former Design Director of Champion and now advocates for progressive social and environmental solutions.

The art of giving.

Psychology tells us that the joy of giving lasts longer than the joy of receiving. With the help of Nous Tous LA, we created a space for event attendees to give back and support other organizations.

Attendees chose from a set of boxes to drop clothes into. Each box represented a different nonprofit fighting for garment worker rights and sustainable fashion locally in Los Angeles and on a global scale—Clean Clothes Campaign, Garment Worker Center, and Fab Scrap.

For each donated item that we repurpose through the Make It Last Program, we will donate 15% of the sale to one of the nonprofits. Clothes we do not get around to repurposing will be sent directly to Helpsy, a certified B-Corporation company that handles textile collection and keeps clothes out of landfills.

Using fashion as a force for good.

An exclusive look into the First Responder Series collaboration with C.Mota Studio was also released at the event (available online this month). The series showcases repurposed first-responder uniforms with the message to use fashion as a force for good.

We will donate 15% of each purchase from the collaboration to REMAKE, a nonprofit using firsthand documentary footage and stories to make the invisible women who power the fashion industry visible.

A “Reuse Forever” mentality.

Efforts around innovative production and sustainable textiles are already in motion. But what about already existing clothes? Exhibiting a “Reuse Forever” mentality means doing what it takes to keep items in use and out of landfills.

The idea behind the Make It Last Program and First Responder Series collaboration is to demonstrate that anything can be turned into something of value through minor alters or complete reconstruction.

Special thanks to the following organizations and people:

• Nous Tous LA (@noustousla) for the community space: Kayla (@pairofsocks), Brendan (@brendanmelvile), and Ashley (@smashley.fajardo) for coordination help.
• Carla and Jay from C.Mota Studio (@cmotastudios) for the upcoming First Responder Series collaboration (releasing this month).
• Nick (@nicholasjb) from Fashion Revolution West Coast (@fashrevwestcoastusa) for stopping by despite the dozens of other events going on in Los Angeles for Fashion Revolution Week.
• The nonprofits for being the driving force behind the event: @cleanclothescampaign, @garmentworkercenter, @fab_scrap, @remakeourworld.

We donated 10% of all sales from this event to Akasa Community, a non-profit teaching families in underserved neighborhoods about healthy eating and wellness.

Sarina Ho and Jenny Nayoung have only known each other for a little over a year. They recently made the switch from a career in health care to creative paths of fashion and graphic design respectively. It was Instagram that brought the two together.

Sarina and Jenny’s passion for sustainable fashion and wellness compelled them to curate an ethical pop-up market even with the short time knowing each other.

The MPCo. team and five other mindful creatives were invited to table at the event:

• Indah Nur + Adisa Alice
  
• Hey Moon Designs
  
• Alyssa Julian
  
• Diana Diaz
  
• Vele
  

We got Sarina and Jenny’s take on the influence of bringing people of mutual interests together on a seemingly small scale.

In what capacity do events like this shape those involved and the greater community?

Jenny: We initially put together this event to bring together a community. Sarina and I are both very passionate about advocating for small businesses and brands we believe in, and also all about teaching people about slow fashion and the merits of it.

We wanted to foster a bigger community amongst local creatives, encourage a minimalistic and slow fashion lifestyle, and more. We wanted to make sure that all the creators involved with this pop up were all our friends, and most importantly, who aligned with our core values.

I think the most inspiring thing that happened at the event was how locals came through just by walking by.

It’s truly astounding to see how approachable and open a place like Hey Hey is. It was amazing to see locals come up to us and have them learn about our brands and the stories behind it all.

What was the driving force behind the pop-up market?

J: We have a lot of talented friends who create such amazing things. We wanted to bring them together. We are strong advocates for sustainable and ethical practices in the creative world, and wanted to help get everyone exposed to the local community.

I think we were conscious in choosing who to ask to participate. We got friends together, knowing them via school, work, personal relationships, mutual friends, and even through Instagram.

The main conversation was with Chris, the founder of Hey Hey, who allowed us to occupy his space. He is also such an advocate for community and supporting young creatives to find their path.

What outcome were you hoping would happen?

J: Honestly, we’re both advocates for “letting things happen” and “going with the flow”. We didn’t really expect much, but more so, we wanted to uplift all the creatives involved and showcase their work in such an approachable and accessible way.

I think what was important to us was that everyone involved got to meet one another and locals from the area. We truly wanted everyone to have fun and overall harness a bigger community in this way.

How did you go from health care to creative work?

Sarina: Jenny and I were both in health care and transitioned into a creative field prior to us meeting. I am so grateful to have met her because we have grown so much in the creative field together! I moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles for a job as a nurse, but found my creative path in fashion, more specifically ethical and sustainable fashion.

This desire to advocate for slow fashion developed after I watched the documentary "The True Cost," which completely changed my view on fashion. I started working as an intern and eventually became an assistant at Father's Daughter, a denim company designed and produced in Los Angeles started by a father and daughter duo.

This was my first step towards fashion and during this time, I started going to school for fashion design where I further developed my design and technical skills. I worked for several fashion positions after and am currently a freelance pattern maker as well as social media manager. My current goal is to work on my own clothing line while trying to implement as many sustainable and ethical practices possible.

J: I’m kind of a person who likes to do everything. Blame it on my need to do new things all the time (full-on Aries over here), but I like to be involved with many things. I initially studied health care and science in school, but I wasn’t happy doing it.

I realized I wanted to do creative things, and my first gig was a marketing and social media internship at P.F. Candle Co - a small business candle brand based in Los Angeles. I was very lucky enough to learn what I could from various gigs and from working different retail jobs. I realized that eventually, I want my own shop and community space, and want to work towards that goal. Currently, I am studying graphic design and do it freelance, along with styling for different photoshoots on the side.

Do either of you plan to host something like this again?

J: We would love to! This was our very first pop-up event, and it was honestly for the intention of bringing people together and bringing light to those truly making a difference. We felt really happy with how everything flowed so naturally amongst everyone, and we definitely have plans to do more events.

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