Reef Launches First Fair-Trade Project
Reef, the Carlsbad, Calif.–based sandal and swimwear maker, is taking its first steps into fair-trade footwear with the Ugandal, a women’s leather sandal made with paper beads handmade by displaced women in Uganda. The project, which was created in partnership with 31 Bits, an organization that supports the entrepreneurship of Ugandan women, is the first of three such projects for Reef.
“In this case, fair trade is about taking a craft that these women are already practicing, paying them a fair wage for their work, and helping to introduce them to an international market and helping them expand their network,” said Lindy Williams, Reef’s girls’ marketing director.
The Ugandal, which is made from chrome-free leather and includes a recycled-leather wedge, will debut for Spring/Summer 2010 and will continue to be offered through Spring 2011.
The beads are all unique and sustainable, made of pages from magazines, newspapers and posters and coated with a water-based lacquer. “These women turn something that would have ended up at the dump into something beautiful. Through [projects] like this, they have the opportunity to turn their craft into employment and are able to provide for their families,” Williams said. “We’re seeing a new dimension when we talk about environmentally friendly products. Now there is a human component.”
In total, 65 Ugandan women will create hundreds of thousands of beads for Reef. For the January launch of the Ugandal, which included 15,000 units, Reef purchased a minimum of 240,000 beads. Additional seasons and updated styles, as well as promotional bracelets Reef is creating, will push the number of beads significantly higher.
In the works are two more fair-trade sandals that will focus on recycled, sustainable and environmentally friendly fabrications. One, which launches for Summer 2010, will feature accedil;ai seeds. A later sandal will incorporate recycled grocery bags.
Distribution of the Ugandal, which retails for $58, and the soon-to-be-launched fair-trade items will span the breadth of Reef’s retailer roster, Williams said. “Everyone from Zappos and Piper Lime to Jack’s and Hansen Surf took this sandal. We’ve gotten a great reaction because the Ugandal is more than just a sandal; it’s a great story that people want to participate in,” Williams said.
Additionally, 1 percent of the sales will go to the Reef Redemption fund, which gives money to organizations such as Surf Aid and contributes to Haiti relief efforts. Reef has created a micro site and a video to support the Ugandal.
To see the video and to learn more about the sandal, 31 Bits and the women who create the beads, go to www.reef.com/girls/ugandal.php.
