Mata Traders

We’re so pleased to have discovered Mata Traders in time for this spring’s clothing season. Our first shipment is now at Nest, and we think you’re going to love this line!

Mata Traders is a fair-trade women’s clothing line, with production done by over 600 women in cooperatives and artisan groups in India and Nepal. In addition to the fair-trade basics of a living wage and safe working conditions, Mata Traders also offers the women on-site childcare, medical check-ups and overtime pay. The women determine all aspects of the production process, and the skills and confidence they gain often ripples out as they become more socially and politically involved in their communities.

Mata Traders is everything fair-trade ought to be. The women are self-organized, do meaningful work they enjoy, and often have the option of working at home or in one of the workshops. They gain an expanded social network of co-workers, professional skills, increased empowerment, and the ability to send their children to school. Their fair-trade work enables them to make a change for themselves and their families now and into the future.

And, by the way, the clothes are cute, feminine and comfortable!

We think the dresses are Mad Men-retro meets classic Audrey Hepburn with a dash of eco-chic… in a way that’s really fun. Hand block-printing and hand embroidery add  a unique quality to many of the pieces. Perfect for warm weather fun!