// SYMBOLOGY // ART MEETS FASHION Symbology is a sustainable fashion label that merges handcrafted fabrics made by artisan women in developing countries with trend-forward style–-or as we like to say, fair trade made sexy.
Using fashion as a platform, Symbology empowers marginalized artisans, preserves traditional crafts and provides customers with handmade pieces that tell a story.
With each Symbology purchase, our customer invests in a fashionable, one-of-a-kind piece that empowers women across the globe.
// PRESERVING ARTS // EMPOWERING WOMEN // BUILDING A GLOBAL COMMUNITY
// THE BRAND // MAKING A FASHION STATEMENT IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE Symbology seeks inspiration in textile arts rooted in global cultures and gives them a modern update.
We create figure flattering, comfortable pieces that take our customer from work to weekend. Our eclectic mix of whimsicial patterns and textures make our pieces true fashion statements; additionally, by wearing a Symbology dress, customers make a statement in supporting a more sustainable world.
Symbology is carried in 30 stores in the U.S. and sells online at symbologyclothing.com.
as seen in
RACHEL ZOE’S BOX OF STYLE // Symbology Selected As Featured Brand in Spring 2017 Box // Exclusive Design for Box of Style // 27,000 Screen Printed Scarves // Provided training and work to 30+ artisans // Women Founder Themed Box
// MISSION + IMPACT //
We believe that the well-being of our artisans is central to who we are as a company, which is why we pay each of our artisans a livable wage, allowing them to provide for their families. Through sustained work opportunities and involvement in the design process, our artisan partners can affect change not just in their own lives, but our world.
// DESIGNER’S INSPIRATION // Since I was a little girl, I’ve yearned to be a fashion designer. I dreamed of fashion shows and photoshoots. As I got older, I became passionate about social justice, putting fashion on the back burner. However, that all changed in 2006, when as a college student I decided to go to India on an independent research project.
There I visited with many groups of women artisans in slums and villages, learning about handcrafted arts. Watching Gita, a young artisan, block print a tablecloth by hand, I was inspired by its intricate patterns and precision. With a few tweaks in design and colors, I envisioned it as a beautiful dress. Thus the seed was planted for Symbology, a brand that interprets artisan traditions into fashion forward collections.
I have since worked with a multitude of artisan communities in India, the West Bank, Mexico and the Philippines. I decided to name the line Symbology in reference to our shared beliefs and means of expression through art that connects us in a global community. That common thread is a major inspiration in each collection, which I explore in my TEDX talk, Weaver to Wardrobe, viewable at http://bit.ly/2qiQrRY.