Studio One Eighty Nine is a fashion social enterprise based in Ghana and the United States. Its goal is to promote African and African-inspired fashion. It has its own label and supports other brands. Studio One Eighty Nine co-founders, Hollywood actress Rosario Dawson and former Bottega Veneta communications executive Abrima Erwiah,[2] created Fashion Rising in 2013 in honor of V-Day Movement's One Billion Rising campaign.[3]
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Formation | 2013 |
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Founders | Abrima Erwiah and Rosario Dawson |
Headquarters | Accra, Ghana |
Region | West Africa |
Products | Luxury artisanal handmade pieces |
Website | studiooneeightynine |
[1] |
Origins and developments
editDawson and Erwiah started Studio 189 after visiting several African countries in February 2011, as part of V-day.[4] They believe that increasing the market share of the fashion industry and encouraging traditional techniques will lead to social change.[5]
Studio One Eighty Nine is partnered with the United Nations International Trade Centre's Ethical Fashion Initiative.[6]
Distribution
editStudio One Eighty Nine creates womenswear, menswear and home goods. From apparel, to shoes, to accessories, to bags and pillows. The brand is sold online on their ecommerce site, in addition to other external points of sale. Studio One Eighty Nine have also partnered with Vogue Italia and YOOX[7] and have released an exclusive collection for this platform with proceeds benefiting the charity Fashion 4 Development. The collection can also be found at Opening Ceremony,[8] Smithsonian, Maison de Mode, Free People, Parisi, the Surf Lodge, and Biffi Boutiques.
Accolades
editDawson and Erwiah received the Taormina Humanitarian Award at the 61st Taormina Film Festival in June 2015.[citation needed] In January 2015, Dawson and Erwiah were awarded the Martin Luther King Junior Award on Social Justice from the University of Pennsylvania’s .[9]
They have also received positive reviews from fashion magazines and newspapers like Vogue Italia,[1] WWD,[10] Grazia,[11] Vanity Fair Italia,[12] El País,[13] The Wall Street Journal,[14] Bloomberg Business,[15] ABC News[16] and NY Times.[17] Erwiah was one of the 100 people featured by TRUE Africa for her role in Studio 189.[18]
The Spring/Summer ‘15 and ‘16 collections were showcased at the Lower East Side Girls’ Club as a part of New York Fashion Week.[19] In 2014 and 2015, Studio One Eighty Nine was selected to be featured as part of Design Indaba’s “Africa is Now” exhibit in Cape Town and Durban, South Africa.[20]
References
edit- ^ a b "Studio One Eighty Nine".
- ^ "Abrima Erwiah".
- ^ Pang, Jeanine Celeste. "Rosario Dawson's Adventures in Ghana, Celebrating Women and Her First Clothing Collection".
- ^ "Studio One Eighty Nine". Urban Bush Babes.
- ^ Ediciones El País (27 February 2015). "Rosario Dawson: Musa de Quentin Tarantino y diseñadora sostenible - Estilo - EL PAÍS". EL PAÍS.
- ^ "Ethical Fashion Initiative - African Designer - Studio 189". ITC.
- ^ "VOGUE BLACK".
- ^ "Studio One Eighty Nine Throws A Party For A Cause".
- ^ "Penn News - Rosario Dawson Headlines MLK Lecture in Social Justice at Penn Jan. 20".
- ^ Joelle Diderich. "New Talents Get Spotlight in Milan". WWD.
- ^ "Rosario Dawson: "Per chi ci battiamo oggi?"". Grazia. 11 June 2015.
- ^ "Rosario Dawson crea collezione in esclusiva per Yoox.com - VanityFair.it". vanityfair.it.
- ^ "Rosario Dawson: "La moda es tan personal que define quién eres" - S Moda EL PAÍS". S Moda EL PAÍS.
- ^ Marshall Heyman (29 June 2015). "Surfing, Shopping and Bundling Up in a Very Cool Montauk". WSJ.
- ^ "Retro Polo Shirts for Summer Fridays - Bloomberg Business". Bloomberg.com. 27 July 2015.
- ^ ABC News. "Actress Rosario Dawson's Mission for Sustainable Fashion". ABC News.
- ^ Pang, Jeanine Celeste. "Rosario Dawson's Adventures in Ghana, Celebrating Women and Her First Clothing Collection".
- ^ Team TRUE. "Abrima Erwiah: the designer on fresh talent - TRUE Africa". True Africa.
- ^ "WhoSay - #CelebsUnfiltered, Social Celebrities, Entertainment News, Photos, Videos, and Exclusives". WhoSay.
- ^ "Fashion takes flight". Design Indaba.