Mission by Design - Vol 2
June 23rd, 2025
Our mission to empower women is why MarketPlace India exists, and it is embedded in everything we do. Employment, business development, skill building, education, social programs, and connection to a global audience are critical components of that mission.
The design process, like everything else, starts and ends with the women artisans; designs are built from what the women need, and what they can beautifully produce for our customers. Because of the way we work, my job in design and product development for MarketPlace is special and pretty different than most design roles. I facilitate a creative process that engages fabric suppliers, stitchers and embroidery artisans. Each season, it is an exciting challenge to balance—or maybe juggle—fashion and tradition, while keeping mission at the center. As a clothing brand, what we make, and how we make it, is a reflection of who we are as an organization, and who the artisans aspire to be.
Because our product development is 100% mission-focused, we are unique even among other fair trade and slow fashion brands. What does it mean to have mission-driven products? Well, for starters, looking at it from the people point of view, we do not work with professional tailors (which, in India, would be easy to do). Instead, we train women who may have never operated a sewing machine before to stitch our garments. Since we want to provide employment to as many women as possible, styles are designed to be mastered easily, with a range of details and complexity, so we can assign the right garment to the right woman tailor. While the more experienced stitchers are making your favorite dress, newer artisans might just be learning to sew for the first time by creating patchwork from recycled fabric. After the garment is sewn, every single piece is hand embroidered. This detailed embroidery adds value and allows more women to participate with MarketPlace.
We love the easy, relaxed clothing we make; it's arty, spirited, high quality, and fun to wear. And because our mission is designed into every piece, wearing MarketPlace really is a life-changing experience. We wouldn't have it any other way!
—Adele Mattern | Creative Director
• Do you think about who made your clothes–and under what conditions–when you shop?
• What does it mean to you when a garment tells a story beyond fashion?
• How do you balance fashion with your values when you shop?
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