People Tree is the pioneer of Fair Trade and sustainable fashion covering women’s, men’s, children and babies ranges. Their products are made to the highest Fair Trade and environmental standards from start to finish and consistently prove that it is possible to wear stylish, exciting and affordable fashion, at the same time as respecting people and planet. It is for this reason that we are delighted to award People Tree our Hot Brands,Cool Places Green Award.

Fair Trade means far more than paying a fair price, we aim to use fashion as a tool to empower the world's most marginalised people. When you look at business like this – as a tool to support people – great things can be achieved. People Tree actively supports 2000 farmers and artisans through 50 Fair Trade producer groups, in 15 developing countries.

For example, we provide technical assistance for artisans and their organisations so they can improve their skills, and strengthen their businesses and social impact. And we regularly make 50% advance payments on orders, to help farmers and producer groups to finance Fair Trade. We often put money into local communities too, like in Kumbeshwar Technical School, Kathmandu, where we help fund education for children who would not otherwise have access to education.

As well as adhering to a strict environmental policy, People Tree champions organic cotton farming and set up the first organic cotton project in Bangladesh.

People Tree creates three seasonal collections a year which are available online at www.peopletree.co.uk and through our mail order catalogue. Our designs are also stocked in over 100 shops throughout Europe. There are two People Tree flagship stores in Tokyo.

Since Spring/Summer 2007 People Tree has been collaborating with internationally renowned designers to create stunning capsule collections that marry high design with Fair Trade and sustainability. We have worked with Bora Aksu, Eley Kishimoto, Foundation Addict, Jessica Ogden, Karen Nicol, Richard Nicoll, Sam Ubhi, and Thakoon We also have an ongoing relationship with Topshop, for whom we have created both organic cotton and knitwear ranges.

People Tree has operations in Britain and Japan and is affiliated to a Japan-based environmental and social justice NGO called Global Village, founded in 1989 by British Fair Trade and environmental activist, Safia Minney. In 2009 Safia Minney also set up the People Tree Foundation, a registered UK based charity that supports and campaigns for Fair Trade and sustainability. People Tree is a registered member of the International Fair Trade Association and, proving their credentials as the UK’s leading pioneer in ethical fashion yet again, they were the first UK fashion company to carry both Fairtrade and Soil Association accreditation on their designs, with over 50% of the collection made from organic and Fairtrade certified cotton.

A Brief History of People Tree

1991 - Global Village, an environmental campaigning NGO, was founded in Japan by Safia Minney
1995 - Fair Trade Company KK incorporated in Japan as a limited company
1997 - Fair Trade and ecological fashion line is launched in Japan
1998 - Flagship store opens in Tokyo
2001 - People Tree launches in UK
2004 - People Tree UK wholesales to Europe
2005 - People Tree Japan launch the first 'prototype franchise' store in Tokyo
2006 - People Tree launch Fair Trade on the UK high street with a concession in Topshop's flagship store in London
2007 – People Tree begins to collaborates with international designers to create the first Fair Trade designer range.
2008 – Safia Minney publishes her autobiography and ‘By Hand’ The Fair Trade Fashion Agenda.
2009 – The People Tree Foundation is launched.

www.ifat.org www.soilassociation.org www.fairtrade.org.uk

What does Fair Trade mean?

Fair Trade is an alternative approach to conventional international trade. It is a partnership between producers and traders, which aims at sustainable development for excluded and disadvantaged people in developing countries. On a personal level Fair Trade enables people to put food on their tables, to live and work with dignity and look forward to a better future. On a global level Fair Trade has the potential to alleviate poverty by changing the unfair structures of world trade.

Fair Trade vs Ethical Trade

Fair Trade differs from Ethical Trade, which seeks to ensure workers’ rights throughout the supply chain of the fashion industry. Fair Trade goes beyond this, working directly with producers, helping them to access trade, and investing in their community development. People Tree sets the gold standard for Fair Trade fashion, seeking to help the world’s most marginalized people, creating livelihoods in rural areas, preventing urban migration, promoting traditional skills and technologies and using sustainable production methods.

People Tree’s products

People Tree’s product range includes Fair Trade and ecological clothing for women, men, children and babies clothing, fashion accessories, homewares, bed linen, and gifts.
People Tree products are designed to make optimum use of traditional skills and technologies. By using hand skills like handweaving, hand knitting or hand embroidery we can create maximum employment in rural areas where work is often scarce. All clothes are dyed using low impact dyes, free from harmful azo chemicals which frequently used in clothing manufacture. We use locally available and natural materials where possible, including handmade recycled paper products, products made from jute and other environmentally friendly materials, and actively avoiding plastics and toxic substances.
Organic Cotton

Cotton is a vital commodity for many developing countries and a vital financial income for many of the world’s poorest farmers. However the conventional cotton industry has a devastating effect on farmers, textile workers and the environment. The World Health Organisation estimates that 20,000 people a year die in developing countries from pesticide poisoning, and a further 3 million people suffer chronic health problems. Many of these are cotton farmers: worldwide, while conventional cotton farming uses only 2.5% of total farmland, it consumes 10% of chemical pesticides, and 22% of all insecticides.

People Tree works closely with organic cotton producers and garment manufacturers at every stage of the production process to avoid the destructive impact of conventional cotton production. As well as protecting their health, avoiding the cycle of debt involved in pesticide purchase, and increasing their yields in some cases, organic farming also means that along with the Fairtrade premium, farmers receive a 30% premium above conventional prices.