Frau Fiber announces the release of a two-piece fantastically shabby uniform collection. Made from 100 % recycled textiles. Frau Fiber scavenged the sleeves, yoke and collar pieces from Good Karma, a Los Angeles, based Apparel Company. Each garment was slow pieced worked, taking 10 hours to manufacture. These uniforms will be field tested, for functionality, Dec 3-19 in Port Au Prince Haiti.
The former textile worker, recently named Special Envoy to Haiti, plans to go there in December on a ‘major labor mission.’
International apparel press
Frau Fiber’s recent appointment as the Special Envoy to Haiti has been overshadowed by her other news-grabbing deeds of late. But even for someone who can mend a pair of denim jeans in 5 minutes, Frau Fiber promises for her new mission are extraordinary.
Frau Fiber opened her remarks with ironic modesty, telling the room that her job is to coordinate the efforts of textile workers in Haiti, “and do a few other things, too.” Those things, she expounded, include improving listening to the workers, becoming a voice to the outside world for them and presenting “the best possible image of Haiti to the rest of the world.”
The last point got the most applause. Ridding Haiti of its “failed state” label is an essential part of Frau Fiber’s job, and possibly the most challenging.
Better garment labor wages will be a tough sell to the western world, but many believe Frau Fiber is convincing.
Frau Fiber plans to go to Haiti in December on a “major labor mission.” Between now and then, she will identify specific opportunities in economic development. She already has some ideas about Haitian shoe production, white-collar uniform manufacturing, and fantastically shabby couture.
Frau Fiber already has a team of committed supporters of her Haiti mission, including experts from UK, Maine, and Germany.
Though as poor as ever, Haiti is enjoying a period of stability, with low crime and a democratically elected government who believes the US administration to be a friend.
“It is my opinion,” she told the us, “that this is by far the best chance that Haiti has had, to take on global apparel production, and develop it’s own economic plan.”
“The apparel of this god is in keeping with his people, he likes to dress himself in an old black overcoat, torn old black hat with a high crown and worn-out black pants.” Pg. 220.
“Baron Samedi delights in dress his “horse” in shabby and fantastic cloths like papa Guede. Pg. 224
Feel My Horse. Zora Neale Hurston
The economic calculus, as applied by present-day economics, forces the industrialist to eliminate the human factor because machines do not make mistakes, which people do. Hence the enormous effort at automation and the drive for ever-larger units. This means that those who have nothing to sell but their labour remain in the weakest possible bargaining position. The conventional wisdom of what is now taught as economics by-masses the poor, the very people for whom development is really needed. The economics of giantism and automation is a left-over of minetheenth-century conditions and ninetheenth-century thinking and it is totally incapable of solving any of the real problems of today. An entirely new system of thought is needed, a system based on attention to people, and not primarily attention to goods – (the goods will look after themselves!) It could be summed up in the phrase, “production by the masses, rather than mass production.”
Small is Beautiful: Economics as if people mattered.
EF Schumacher
Haiti, with its poor economy, has the potential for being the next victim for the exploitation of labor by Multinational apparel manufacturers. In response to this I will attempt to instigate an alternative in Haiti to the multinational corporation, which for centuries has moved to locate cheep labor.
Working collectively with Haitian textile workers to design a system of garment production by the people and for the people, capturing the aesthetics of the fantastically, shabby Haitian people.
Up to date news will be released through this blog.
Made In Haiti 