Ali Hewson, wife of U2's lead singer Bono, launched her socially conscious clothing label Edun during the Pitti fashion week in Florence on Wednesday.
"I have four children and when I dress them I want to be sure that their clothes are not the result of other children being exploited," Hewson said, explaining why she and her husband set up Edun in 2005.
The Dublin-based company encourages fair trade with third world nations and the abolition of sweatshops and child labour. It produces clothes mostly made in Africa with non-GM cotton which is coloured with vegetable dyes.
The Edun label is a collection of men's and women's clothing that is sold in upmarket stores in New York and London. A straight T-shirt costs 40 euros, an African organic knit scarf with a poem printed on it goes for 70 euros.
"Edun is not a charity. It's a project for social development aimed primarily at Africa," said Hewson, pointing out that Africa's share of world trade was shrinking below the 6% it had in 1980.
The company teaches its suppliers how to grow the raw materials and shows the workers how to use the cloth weaving machines. Edun clothes are produced in India, Peru, Tunisia, Kenya, Uganda, Lesotho, Mauritius and Madagascar.
The Edun Live sub-brand consists of a line of blank cotton T-shirts manufactured in Africa from materials grown there and is aimed at a wider market.
