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magazine | Jul 24, 2019 |
10 brands that put their workers first at every step of the supply chain

Evaluating every step of a company’s supply chain to make sure that its practices are in keeping with the business’s values is no easy feat. These brands cultivate exceptional relationships with their partners and maintain ethical manufacturing and workplace practices through every step of the supply chain. In short, every worker is treated well. “Many of the artisans we work with are dependent on this work for their livelihood, and we are committed to working with them in such a way that there is some constancy to their income via our partnership,” says Laura Aviva, the founder of furniture and accessories brand L’Aviva Home, which has nicknames for the sheep they source their wool from. “It’s a commitment on all sides to build something together that stands the test of time.” Shopping with philanthropy or upcycled materials in mind? Find the rest of BOH’s green shopping guide here.

Homepage photo: Courtesy of L’Aviva Home. Product photography: Courtesy of brands.

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54kibo: The contemporary African design destination’s hand- carved Djembe side table is sourced from the family-run Tekura Studio and crafted by a small group of skilled artisans in Ghana with a WFTO membership in process.

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Tai Ping: Protected by fair pay and safe conditions, Chinese artisans make the hand-tufted Apogean rug in state-of-the art workshops.

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Boll & Branch: The online retailer has invested in organic cotton farms and fair trade factories in India to make luxury bedding like these striped linen sheets.

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The Urban Electric Co.: The Charleston, South Carolina– based manufacturer of made- to-order lighting like Cubism invests in employee amenities, apprenticeships and education.

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de Le Cuona: The textiles house works closely with accredited mills in Europe to make its fabrics, including the silk velvet and linen of this Flange cushion.

Globeln

GlobeIn: The subscription box company sources handmade objects—like the Moroccan plate and Malika mug—from fair trade vendors around the globe.

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Merida: The brand’s jute rugs are made in partnership with GoodWeave, a network of nonprofit organizations dedicated to preventing child labor in the rug industry.

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L'Aviva Home: Materials for the Jujuy rug are sourced from an Argentinian women’s cooperative that raises sheep, then shears and hand-spins their wool. (The sheep are given nicknames according to their coloring: hormiga, meaning bee, when they are multicolored; chola when they are white; and choco when they are brown.) The co-op is one of many artisan groups the New York design studio collaborates with; another, in Bolivia, creates Árbol lamps from salvaged tropical hardwood.

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ducduc: Crafted in the children’s furniture company's restored 1890s production facility in Connecticut, the Regency bunk bed—and all of the brand’s catalog—is made to order by master builders in a safe, clean work environment in an area of high unemployment.

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Ngala Trading: Founders Lawson Ricketts​ and Nick Geimer visit with their manufacturing partners in Africa about four times per year. (The pair, having lived in South Africa for a decade, are close to many of their partners’ families, as well.) The Nama side table is made with ostrich eggshells, a byproduct of the local food industry.

This article originally appeared in Summer 2019 issue of Business of Home. Subscribe or become a BOH Insider for more.

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