My ethical career: Creative director of an ethical fashion company

Age
25

Education
Trained at London College of Fashion. After graduation I worked in fashion marketing and PR.

So, what do you actually do?
I am the founder and creative director at Gifted Label which sell handbags made in Mongolia, called the Empress Borte Collection, in the UK.

How did you get into it?
I decided to set up the company after meeting a group of inspirational women in Mongolia last summer. At the time I was working for a London-based fashion company and so when some of the local people heard this they were keen to show me their handicrafts and get my feedback.

I was shocked at what I saw. Many of the traditional skills were stunning but the tools they used weren't. For example, one group of women proudly showed me their handbags which they'd woven with real eagle and owl legs and feet. I realised they needed some guidance so drew up a few embroidery designs which they copied into patterns. I brought some of these samples back to the UK and showed them to friends and industry insiders. The response was very positive.

What's so ethical about your job?
We believe that there should be positive connections between the people that make products and the people that buy them.

I now employ four women paying fair wages and ensuring they have a warm and safe place to work. In addition we have a fund which is managed by a local NGO providing money for fuel and food during the cold winter and education for their children. We took the view that it was more "ethical" to provide jobs and promote the use of traditional local skills than to recycle the ancient embroideries that are available to buy in Mongolia. Some of these are 80 plus years old. They take at least three months to make and can be purchased very cheaply. I believe that these are heirlooms and should be kept for future generations.

What does your typical day involve?
I communicate with Mongolia several times a week to check on production and explain new designs and ideas. At the moment, Gifted Label in the UK is just me so in any one day, I deal with magazine journalists organising coverage; liaise with fashion stylists; talk to store buyers to secure wholesale accounts; and members of the public who want to buy the products.

What are the best things about your job?
Providing secure and fair jobs. The Gifted Label concept is transferable to other product areas such as homewares, clothing and jewellery and we are hoping to develop this further using manufacturers in the UK and abroad. We are sampling a canvas bag range made in Norfolk collaborating with local sail makers. We have other plans for India and Pakistan using personal and British Council contacts so I'm very excited about the future.

Gifted Label
www.giftedlabel.com