Like many small businesses, we felt the challenges of 2025 - soft markets, rising costs, tariffs, inflation. And yet, what rises above it all is gratitude.
Sales were lower than we had hoped, and that matters deeply to us because fewer sales can mean fewer orders going to the cooperatives—and fewer paid hours for the women who rely on this work. That reality stayed front and center for us all year.
So, we adapted. We curated pieces that you would want, refreshed our website, and worked to strengthen our social media presence—changes we believe will support us (and the cooperatives) for the long term. Most importantly, we did everything we could to keep orders as steady as possible.
Because of that collective effort, here’s what 2025 made possible:
- 46,320 paid stitching hours
- 57,884 paid embroidery hours
- 18 new artisans trained
- 4,265 paid hours of quality control by artisans
Those numbers represent far more than production. They reflect women working in cooperatives they help manage—deciding their schedules, balancing family responsibilities, and shaping their own workplaces. Even in a challenging year, that sense of agency and dignity remained intact.
We’re always mindful of the environmental impact of apparel production and take steps to reduce it. Using coconut shell and seashell buttons not only repurposes materials that might be discarded but also adds a distinctive, natural touch to each garment.
When garments are cut, leftover scraps—known as Chindis—are unavoidable. They vary in size, color, and pattern, which makes reusing them a real puzzle. We sort them by color family and overdye them to create a cohesive, beautiful look. Then, women who can sew but can’t work at the cooperative full-time join the pieces at home, turning scraps into vibrant new textiles while giving them flexible, meaningful work and income.
What this adds up to:
- 71,477 Recycled Shell Buttons used
- 27,339 Recycled Coconut Shell Buttons used
-
312 pounds of Chindi recycled, incorporated in 1,512 garments across 19 styles
We can’t avoid having some leftover or deadstock fabric after production, but we minimize it by placing smaller, more regular orders allowing for more accurate consumption calculations. And we design pieces that use it up. But it is easier said than done. Sometimes a fabric runs out or colors don’t match, so we overdye the deadstock to create a uniform hue—turning a challenge into a creative solution.
Our organic cotton is grown naturally—no pesticides, chemicals, or GMOs—protecting soil, water, and farmer health. It’s non-toxic, gentle on skin, and eco-friendly. It guarantees fair wages, safe working conditions, and no forced labor aligning perfectly with MarketPlace’s artisan-first values.
The results of those choices:
- 1,310 Meters of Deadstock Fabric Repurposed, creating 548 garments in 5 products
- 4,346 Meters of Organic Cotton used
With industrialization and machine-made fabric, hand-printed textiles have slowly become rarer. Many printers today work in small workshops, often family businesses where printing and dyeing skills are passed down through generations. By nature, hand printing happens in shorter fabric lengths, and color formulas aren’t rigid or scientific. Weather, humidity, and sunlight all play a role, which makes consistency a real challenge.
We’ve learned to work differently adjusting our cutting, designing around smaller lengths, and spending time with printers to achieve the best possible color results. That means listening when a shade is hard to replicate, using colors they know well, and also encouraging experimentation with new techniques.
The results have been remarkable. Printers become curious, confident, and willing to push their craft further. It’s a lot of work—but deeply rewarding for everyone involved. We know you value the individuality of these fabrics, and together, this is what it adds up to:
- 39,956 meters of hand-printed fabric.
Every step forward is shaped by the artisans’ remarkable creativity and resilience, which continues to inspire us.
Thank you for showing up for us—through your purchases, your curiosity, and the way you so generously share MarketPlace with others. Every time you tell someone about MarketPlace, our circle grows, our impact deepens, and together, we move the world in a more thoughtful, humane direction. Together.
