The CLIC® Chronicles: SEP – a luxe, ethical fashion brand taking refugee women’s embroidery skills to Fashion Week

What do you think about the role of investors in creating a more sustainable fashion industry? Are you seeing consumer behaviour/consumption patterns change?

We recently closed our first round of financing and indeed the investors who are now involved in SEP have a clear vision and see us as one of the ways they can create a more sustainable fashion industry. Consumer behaviour patterns are also very encouraging. Since we started in 2013, we have seen a growing interest from customers who are seeking an alternative to traditional luxury brands and are interested in our story, mission proud to wear our brand and be part of it.

Read also: Sustainable fashion: how do we get there?

How does working for SEP improve the lives of the women in the camps? What is the end goal?

We work with Palestinian as well as Syrian refugees in Jerash camp, in North Jordan. We decided to start operations in the poorest and the most forgotten part of this camp, where women have not been considered “active economic agents” for the last four generations. These women we work with may remain refugees for the rest of their lives – or a new political solution may arise so they are free to return home. Either way, it is unfair to expect them to live in poverty while they are waiting. At SEP, we value their talent and offer them employment. It’s not philanthropy, it’s giving them an opportunity to be active and independent economic actors, to be part of a wider community, share their message and have a worldwide impact with their craft. We give them a purpose whilst they wait, a wage and an education in the camp. Furthermore, they develop their skills for what might await them outside the camp.

SEP was built on the specific craft of embroidery. Why this craft?

When you are displaced and become a refugee, you lose everything. The one thing nobody can take away from you is your heritage. It was important for us to base our business model around a skillset that celebrates the artists’ roots. Cross-stitch is by far the most well-known and widely used embroidery technique in the Middle East. It requires time, accuracy and passion. So this is why SEP put this ancestral craft at the forefront.

One of the SEP artists went as far as to tell me that in each piece she makes, she pours all her emotions and stories – she sees it as her message in a bottle.

You’re now a B Corp! What does it mean for you?

Becoming a B Corp is a difficult process, as you know all too well. But for us it was a priority to have a third-party audit which confirms that we mean what we say.

It keeps us accountable to our stated values as a company. Moreover, we want our customers to be proud brand ambassadors and we’d like to see more businesses in the world that balance profit and purpose.

And how do you plan to improve your score and have a better impact on people and the planet?

Positive impact on people is the core of our business. Besides creating employment, we organise social impact activities such as first aid or English classes for the SEP artists and their children on a regular basis and we will soon open a cultural centre which will host an array of activities mainly focused on children. For us, the next step is working on our impact on the planet. We plan to reach net-zero emissions in a transparent and measurable way as soon as possible. To do so, we started talking to several companies who might help us in this process and we are brainstorming the right course of action.

What will be your most important challenge in becoming net zero?

Our shipping partner Aramex uses biodegradable bags and both DHL and Aramex offer offsetting programs. Still, we are importing most raw materials such as our linen and cashmere from Italy to Jordan: shipping is where most of our carbon footprint is and we are looking to hire a third party who can calculate it and help us offset it.

Read also: Technology is at the heart of change for the transport sector

Where do you see SEP in the 5 next years? What’s your expansion goal?

Our ambition is to become a global brand in the next 5 years and hopefully we can get there. We are very excited to open the first SEP store in Berlin, in Prenzlauer Berg next month and we are looking for the perfect location in Zurich and Basel at the moment. We also plan to expand operations to other camps and other countries

What “tips” would you give to other fashion companies trying to have a better impact whilst retaining a sound financial business model? What about consumers?

I would refrain from falling for the temptation of shortcuts and I would build a model which is truly impact-focused (ie no greenwashing); sadly it takes longer and it is more costly to build a company this way, but it is worth it. 

We’re in the midst of fashion weeks. What do you expect from this season?

We are very excited to have been invited to take part in Milan Fashion Week by its organisers Camera della Moda and we are looking forward to meeting press, buyers and fashionistas at the Designers Hub in Museo ADI. We’re taking part in an event focused on Ethical and Social fashion with a special focus on disadvantaged women and the victims of violence, immigrants and refugees. Another great sign that what we are doing is slowly becoming mainstream!

Read also: Making fashion take responsibility

What do you do in your daily life to have a better impact on the planet and be more sustainable?

Never enough! But as a family we are now avoiding meat and we are mindful of our impact on the planet when we plan our trips (we offset where possible, we do not travel as much anymore and we give priority to sustainable hosts). And as soon as our car comes to the end of its lifetime, we will switch to an electric one.

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