For Earth Day, the why in Manuma

I realized recently that my fashion schooling was punctuated by several significant events– disasters, really– that mark the intersections of my values system as a citizen of the world and as a fashion designer. They were landmarks on the map that lead to me to build Manuma.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Animesh Basnet

 

People, Planet

I started classes at Parsons in Manhattan in September, 2011. Hurricane Irene had just caused flooding, property damage, and deaths all the way up the East Coast of the US. The next year, Hurricane Sandy devastated the coastline again, causing even more extensive flooding, loss of life, power outages, and other losses.

Then, just prior to my graduation in 2013, on April 24, a massive factory complex known as Rana Plaza collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing over a thousand garment workers, and injuring thousands more.

The spring of 2013 also saw the first time since measurement that the element carbon was present in the atmosphere at 400 parts per million, surpassing the 350 ppm at which the the climate and related natural systems remain in balance as we humans know them.

 

Blessing / Curse

My undergrad degree is in political science, with a specialization in human rights. I have always been an environmentalist, having grown up running around in the woods and wetlands near my parents’ house. I was one of the few voices in my classes at Parsons, otherwise a very progressive and globally-connected school, consistently contributing perspectives on human rights and sustainability in class discussions.

I have the dubious blessing of being able to quickly see the bird’s-eye, system-level view of human life and the life of the planet, their overlaps and interconnections. It is not possible for me to do anything, personally or professionally, without giving at least some thought to its broader impacts.

And so I’m chipping away at building a (one day) profitable business that supports me and my employees financially, and our customers personally, while being beneficial to the planet and upholding the highest standards of human rights and wellbeing throughout our supply chain.

 

In a word

manu + ma

Manuma is the name I blended together from the Latin root word for hand, manu-, as in manual labor, with the phoneme ma, widely used in many language families to denote mother. To my  mind, Manuma originally referred to the contributions of mothers in society, especially in the garment industry. But I realize now it also refers to the work of Mother Earth that sustains us all.

#ClothisCulture

The brand’s tagline, “cloth is culture,” is a statement about the value and the many symbolic meanings of cloth in human culture– for better or worse. It is more accurately read with emphasis on ‘is’: cloth is culture. This reading points to my belief that how people treat textiles in their everyday life is a representation of the values the culture upholds. Ergo, how we value cloth is a sign of our cultural values.

Some cultures still give cloth as a gift to each other, or an offering to the divine. In contrast, North American culture plunders the earth to make synthetic fibers into garments we throw in the garbage after very little use. These two diametric examples also indicate how we treat people who work with cloth; how we process fibers in the first place says a lot about how we value the earth we live in.

 

An invitation

It’s not an exaggeration to say that many pieces of cloth have already made your life better in some way today. Many people brought that cloth to you over many miles. For me personally, and as the founder of the Manuma brand, Earth Day is a day to invite you to imbue your wardrobe with your values, and to notice the other areas where cloth and textiles add value to your life.

I invite you to pause for a moment to take a deep breath, close your eyes, and send a thought of gratitude and care to all the mothers and other people who contributed to the cloth in your life today.

Take another deep breath, and exhale a prayer of thanks all the way back in the supply chain, past the machine operators, the chemists, the harvesters and the famers, to the very elements of Mama Earth who gives us everything we need, including the incredible technology we know as cloth.

 

Finally I invite you to learn more about aligning your values with your wardrobe and other cloth in your life.

If you have a certain cherished piece of clothing, you may wish to document it and submit your story to an upcoming exhibit at the Museum at FIT. Here's how to contribute.

You may wish to explore the thorough information and suggestions at Fashion Revolution, a week of action (April 24 through April 30, this year) for a better fashion industry. Here's where you can learn more and participate.

Or simply send me an email with your questions, or leave a comment below.

 

Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring.

#ClothisCulture

allie