Empowering Women through Handmade Luxury Goods: An Interview with sourceFK’s Faizun Kamal

As I wrote about the future of social entrepreneurship in my previous blog, I am always curious about what’s the latest in the social enterprise’s space.   One of the more intriguing social enterprises I’ve come to know recently is sourceFK, an innovative business with a social mission that aims to end systemic poverty by partnering with Asian women artisans and connecting them to global markets and training. I recently had the pleasure to catch up with the founder, Faizun Kamal, and find out more about her company and mission.

What motivated you to start sourceFK?

Our company, sourceFK, is the perfect combination of my nontraditional background (international development, policy and business) with my passion (fashion for a cause). Coming from an unusual mix of professional and personal experiences, which has included working at the World Bank and Verizon among others, and growing up in Africa and Asia, I developed an ability to see patterns in things seemingly unconnected, and forge connections in unlikely places.

For years, I had been drawn to the artisans in Bangladesh, who created the most breath-taking silks and cottons, all on a hand loom using no electricity and only their creative energy. Yet, they did not have a sustainable market for their amazing goods. As a result, many artisan families had fallen into poverty, and communities were disintegrating.

So, in 2011, we launched sourceFK – an innovative company with a social mission of addressing systemic poverty by using fashion as a platform for development and change. We partner with Asian women artisans and connect them to global markets, training and education.

I understand that sourceFK’s mission is to create a lasting impact by working with local artisans in Asia countries and offering them access to a global market.  But what is sourceFK’s ultimate goal?

At its core, sourceFK is a global socially conscious brand – one that reflects a new vision of luxury that involves human hands and not technology, and respect for the environment and decency in employment. 

You have beautiful collections. What has been your biggest success so far in the creation and distribution of such high-quality clothes? Also, what have been some of your challenges?

We live in an age of mass-produced, machine-made products. Technology has transformed manufacturing to the point where the artistry has been taken out of the creation process. Contrast that to sourceFK, where the core of our operation is the traditional hand loom, which doesn’t use electricity and runs on the creative energy of the weaver. This truly represents artistry at its height.

We focus on two fabrics that have been in Asia for centuries – the Benarasi (silk) and the Jamdani (cotton). Working on the loom, intricate designs are hand-woven onto buttery-soft silks to create patterns of stunning beauty. To describe the designs on our Jamdanis, I’d have to liken it to fine letterpress stationery. When you look at a piece of Jamdani, it seems as though the geometrical designs are floating in air – they are that light and symmetrically woven! Combining heritage with a modern sensibility, our line appeals to the global citizen of the world.

Currently, we sell exclusively through our website (www.sourceFK.com). However, as you know, online retail is a tough business, and we are in conversations with specialty boutiques around the country that have expressed an interest in carrying our line.

You created a close-knit artisan’s community in Bangladesh. What are the challenges that you face when building good communities for women in a developing country? Which of your efforts have had the most positive impact on the community?

Our business model strengthens local communities by working directly with them, providing fair-wage jobs in a clean working environment, innovative life and skills training to build capacity, and ultimately a sales platform for the artisans’ wonderful mastery and heritage.

Over the years, many communities have become wary of outsiders coming in and claiming to “help” them.  Initially, we faced some resistance and suspicion. Over time, however, these artisans saw our sincerity and the opportunities afforded by working with a socially conscious company.

While sourceFK employs remarkable artisans who are both women and men, we do employ more women than men. Women in Bangladesh, as in the rest of the developing world, face disproportionate burdens and have access to fewer opportunities than men. For this reason, in 2013, we are expanding our innovative training program to provide skills training as well as literacy in basic finance, nutrition and health.

We have seen that when women are given opportunities to lift themselves out of poverty, the multiplier effect on their families and consequently their communities is astonishing. When women get better wages and basic education, the results are dramatic – children’s nutrition improves, education becomes a reality, and the family becomes more financially secure. At sourceFK, we recognize that women are part of the overall community. As such, we engage their spouses and families from the outset to ensure their buy-in into our effort.

Changing the model of global procurement and sourcing sounds like a daunting task. What are the roadblocks to achieve this goal today?

On March 1, sourceFK, in collaboration with the Art & Diplomacy collective, The Soulside OUT and Fashion4Development, launched the Employ One More Campaign I OM. OM is a global initiative aimed at shining light on the socially and economically destructive practices that run rampant in the global retail supply chains, with often deadly consequences for the front-line workers, mostly women in the developing world. It is an effort to showcase how innovative social businesses are working with artisans to create sustainable communal and commercial growth.

OM seeks to make a stronger case for shifting consumer preferences away from cheaply manufactured, assembly-line commodities, toward skilled and sustainable craftsmanship. Soulside OUT started out in Dhaka, Bangladesh on Feb. 14, 2013, by documenting the creative process of women working at sourceFK. Compelling multimedia presentations will provide consumers with an intimate look into the creative process and working conditions of women on the front lines of the garment industry.

Socially conscious consumption has tremendous purchasing power, and we can Employ One More by shifting consumption habits to artisan wares, rather than the standard factory assembly-line work produced by retail giants. A focused investment in women artisans is essential to sustainable community development, and ultimately long-term poverty reduction. Consumers voting with their wallets have immense power – and this is true power that can start to change global procurement and sourcing practices.

Who have you partnered with to set an example?

sourceFK is a partner of Fashion 4 Development (F4D) — a private-sector global platform that supports the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and “Every Woman, Every Child,” the U.N. initiative spearheaded by Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. The mission is to harness the power of the fashion and beauty industries and implement creative strategies for sustainable economic growth, wellness and independence of communities worldwide through the expression of fashion. Through this unique partnership with F4D, sourceFK continues to support and enhance the lives of women across Bangladesh. 

What is your plan to increase the reach to customers who are inspired by the soul behind your work?

Through the Employ One More Campaign I OM, we hope to be able to reach out to socially conscious consumers. If you want to learn more about the OM Campaign and get involved, send an email with your name and contact to me at faizun@sourcefk.com. Also check out our website and Facebook pages, and share them with your friends and family!

What is your biggest hope for 2013?

To drive growth in 2013, we are focusing on diversifying products, extending the number of retail relationships and pursuing funding opportunities.

And finally, what is one way that people who are interested in your mission can get involved and make an impact besides purchasing your products?

The biggest support for our mission is to have a growing number of people who understand why the current global retail model is fractured and why a new model of luxury is needed. There is strength in numbers as we work to change the hearts and minds of giant retailers that in a sense are “simply giving customers what they are asking for.” When customers start demanding something different, they will have to slowly but surely change their sourcing and procurement policies. This will result in creating a positive change in the lives of women all over the developing world who are the front-line workers in the retail garment industry.

Are you inspired and like to find the latest about sourceFK?  You can follow her and sourceFK on the web, twitter, facebook and would love to connect personally with you on linkedin.