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Camper x Ethical Fashion Initiative

The limited edition collection Camper in partnership with Ethical Fashion Initative made by Ethiopian artisans that recreate Camaleon, the first Camper shoe

21 May 2016

Camper has teamed up with the Ethical Fashion Initiative to launch a long-term footwear project. EFI is part of the International Trade Centre, a joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations and connects talented but marginalised artisans in Sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti, mostly women, with the international fashion industry.

Camper’s collaboration with EFI is a long-term project that aims to produce a limited edition footwear collection each year. This partnership creates fair and dignified employment in Ethiopia while minimising impact on the environment. Through creative long-term collaborations such as these, artisans living in extreme poverty can change their lives. This collaboration aligns with Camper’s brand values of partnership and creativity.

In 2015 Camper began working with a tannery and local artisans in Ethiopia to create a summer collection made in and inspired by Africa. Designers, technicians and cordwainers have all visited the region sharing techniques of leather preparation, shoe making and pattern cutting to create an ethical and covetable product of quality. The design and production combine Camper’s vast experience of craftsmanship with local artisans’ unique skills and techniques.

For Spring/Summer 2016, Ethiopian artisans have worked to re-create Camaleon, Camper’s first ever shoe that draws reference from the local Mallorcan farmers who wore this design over a century ago. The result is a unisex boot made from local Bati goat leather. Tie Dye techniques, which have been used for centuries in different regions of West Africa, have been applied to the leather using natural dyes giving the handcrafted and sustainable product a psychedelic twist. Working from the same concept, a unisex sandal is also part of the collection offered in kaleidoscopic blues, greens and oranges.

The very special capsule collection for Spring/Summer 2016 carries three different options for both men and women and is available at select CamperLab stores and at CamperLab online.