Policy of Fair Trade Clothes
We are aware of our responsibility to the peoples who produce such wonderful knitwear and fair trade clothes. Perhaps the story of Domingo goes someway into showing the relationship between our producers. The photograph below is of one of our suppliers in Peru. The photograph was taken when we first met them. Through their ability to produce and our customers’ willingness to buy fair trade clothes, we have been able to create a framework for them to build a house and a small knitting factory.
Domingo and his family in the old Alpaca stockroom
“At that ceremonial opening of the house, cerveza and guinea pigs were consumed together with home grown sweet potatoes. It was all very emotional and I was delighted that we could help support and improve the lot of a very skilled but disadvantage family. What really bought a tear to my eye was being referred to as the Godfather of the house!”
A chance glance at a market bazaar enabled friendships to be developed with a family whose lives have changed beyond all recognition - without compromising their values and their independence. “Fair trade” is currently the ‘in’ phrase in the world of fashion. Stories such as this will linger on long after buzz words have gone. There are many similar cases where behind the scenes and away from the bright lights, people go about helping others. They use the traditions and skills of their culture to produce highly desirable items that lead to a secure future for them and their children. Surely that is fair trade?
Domingo - our man in Cusco
This is his story.
“I was born in southern Peru, in 1971, in a farm land community near Puno. I lived there and worked on the fields until I was 16 years old. My father was a very good knitter. Sometimes I would help him and by watching him, little by little, I learnt how to hand knit. Sadly, poverty in that area was getting worse and I went to stay with friends in Lima.
I started at a workshop and have learnt how to knit on hand loomed machines, I worked in Lima for 3 years but the political situation was not good; there was not enough sun. So I decided to return to Puno. I was working for a short time at Artesanìas Puno, one of the biggest export companies in Puno. My father was one of their hand knit supplier, but I specialised in knitting on hand loomed Intarsias. However weather and economic conditions in Puno were not as I so wanted, so with some friends we decided to move to Cusco. At least there the weather was much better than in Puno.
With some friends we worked for a while on the land as potato harvesters, then one day I met Nellie, who was a single mother, and her daughter Sandra. We became very good friends and I started work by giving a knitting service to various small workshops. I assumed the responsibility of the 5 of us, and 10 years ago I proposed to Nelly and we got married. We rented a small house and had a son Oliver, who is 15 years old now.
In one of the little workshops where I was doing the knitting, the owner liked my work and promoted me to be in charge of the workshop. She gave me all the facilities to produce the collections. I was also knitting by myself, doing the finishing, colour combinations, taking care of the trims, packing, etc I had worked there for about 2½ years, but then thought it time to improve my position. I had decided to leave since payment was always delayed, not enough compared to all the work I was doing.
With the help of some relatives I borrowed $ 3,500 to start my own business. I was knitting the sweaters and selling them in various big shops, then I could rent a small shop at Plaza de Armas where I could sell my sweaters and also providing a knitting service to various shops.
It was in 2003 that a chance meeting changed my family’s life. I met an Englishman who was looking for original designs in Intarsia; he liked my sweaters and he gave me a small order of 20 pieces. That was the beginning of our relationship. Each year the orders were increased. Now thanks to this business, I have been able to build my own three floor house where I live and have my small workshop. We have a group of 8 knitters that come to our house and work the entire day, plus 4-5 more people that are in charge of ironing, finishing and quality control; we supply for them the lunch, constantly trying to help them to improve their lives; on top of this are all the other knitters and embroidery people that are involved in our business by working in their houses.
I am producing 80% of my capacity to send hand intarsia cardigans and alpaca jumpers to Europe , the remainder is used to supply shops and help my workers to continue working throughout the year, so they can support their families. My aim is to get better every year so I can have enough orders to maintain my workers all year round and ensure that the Englishman is pleased with our work. I would like to move to another area where I can set up a complete work shop with all the facilities as laundry, steaming, etc. and be able to give more work to help others. There is land that is being offered to us, (200 sq m down in San Jerònimo) with water supply already done. We are very excited about this as it will more than double the space we have. We are now looking at ways we can finance this. We are told that the amount they are asking $ 35,000 is a very good offer and we hope we can manage it.
In the meantime, our family has increased, besides taking care of my sister and her little boy Brian, we had assumed the responsibility of raising Nellie’s youngest brother, Tomàs, who is an 8 years old boy, taking care of his school and all other needs, since his mother is very ill, she is in a wheel cheer. As a family we like to help when we can and we also like to spend some Sundays visiting our relatives.
