Celebrating International Women’s Day 2023: The CAMFED Interview

International Women’s Day has a rich history of commemorating the fight for equal rights and a better world for all women. Today, many use IWD as a time for celebration and repose. Whether you're looking to add more feminist authors to your reading list or just to buy an International Women’s Day gift for someone who inspires you, we hope this special day animates you like it does us...

Our team at Marcella likes to spend IWD reflecting on why we do the work we do—to revolutionize the fashion industry for the benefit of women and girls globally. To us, fashion is not just what we wear, it’s a vehicle for creating lasting change. 

From day one at Marcella, we've sought to incorporate ethical and positive female impact practices at every step of our process. From the employees that create your garments, to how much less you need to pay for our original designer minimalist apparel and accessories, to caring for the one planet we have, to the School Days Project, today's International Women's Day message is naturally at the core of what Marcella is.

Ethical Production

We believe that truly ethical feminist fashion should support and nurture the endless amount of female talent that exists in our industry. That’s why our predominantly female garment production teams all have an equal voice in the work that we do.

Anyone who ever touches a Marcella garment enjoys a truly living wage, free healthcare, paid maternity leave, a 40-hour work week, 20 days paid vacation annually, and much more. It is ever important to us to build a workplace environment that inspires the well-being and growth of our team, both in and out of the workplace. 

Democratizing Design

What you wear has meaning. We believe that every woman deserves access to clothing that makes her feel confident, empowered, and seen. Even as we create all of our pieces in Europe using locally sourced fabrics and trims, we price our designer apparel and accessories at between 25% and 75% less than the competition. For us, creating truly ethical designer clothing at an accessible price point is central to our mission of empowerment—look good, feel good, and do good, all without breaking the bank.

Sustainability

Our sustainability pledge centers on several innovations we have implemented for the benefit of our planet. We believe that future generations of women and girls still deserve a world that allows them to thrive and pursue their dreams. Through a timeless aesthetic, eco-friendly materials, and our "just-in-time" small batch production model, sustainability is central to our brand’s ethos.

We start by designing every garment and accessory to be worn and re-worn so that they transcend fads/trends and can last for seasons to come. We use premium, refined fabrics, like our European Tencel jersey, materials that are easy on the environment and elegant on your skin.

And when it comes to actually making our garments, despite working in the world's second largest polluting industry, we've innovated a “just-in-time” small-batch production process that allows us to sell well over 99% of what we make, minimizing textile waste. That means a smaller ecological footprint for both us and every one of our customers. Like we said, a timeless aesthetic is never out of style—nor is ethical female impact-driven clothing.

Social Impact

When considering where we could have the greatest social impact - a core aspiration for Marcella - we realized education globally is the stepping stone for girls to have a successful and secure future. Through previous professional experiences, we had come to admire the work of the global NGO CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education) and their mission to facilitate girls' education.

In April of 2021, we began a partnership with CAMFED that now allows us to send a girl to school for three days with every design we sell. Every one of your purchases covers the cost of school fees, books, uniforms, and menstrual pads for a full day of schooling—not just one of things, but everything needed by a girl to get to school, as tailored by need. 

So far, with your help, we've provided over 725,000 school days to our next generation of female dreamers, entrepreneurs, and scientists.

For Marcella, women are (and will always be) woven into our DNA. It is women who inspired us to develop our aesthetic of accessibly-priced designer minimalist fashion in the first place—and the same women who now inspire us to use our elevated essentials as a vehicle for promoting positive female impact globally.  

When we consider momentous days like International Women’s Day, we're always humbled by the opportunity and responsibility of living, loving and continually growing Marcella. We thank you for being a part of our journey and our mission to help create a more female-friendly world.

Truthfully, it’s only ever been possible because of you. Happy IWD!