Diesel has announced some plans for the upcoming year. The brand is teaming up with the EDUN label founded by Bono and his wife Ali Hewson, “a global fashion brand bringing about positive change through its trading relationship with Africa,” to launch a new collaborative collection in spring 2013. So far, the brands do not say much about the new line, but considering Diesel’s braveness and EDUN’s Africa-benefitting philosophy, the denim range is expected to combine a creative twist and a social/eco conscious approach.
Photo: Diesel founder Renzo Rosso and EDUN founders Ali Hewson and Bono, www.diesel.com/diesel+edun (click to enlarge)
In January 2012, Ali Hewson and Bono, the two major figures behind EDUN, and Diesel founder Renzo Rosso made a trip to Africa to raise awareness of their companies’ initiatives—Diesel’s Only The Brave Foundation project in Mali and EDUN’s Conservation Cotton Initiative (CCI) in Uganda. The experience they got during their trip inspired them to create a collection that would be 100% made in Africa, using high-quality Ugandan resources. Ms. Hewson calls the new collaboration a “two-way street” since it combines Diesel’s expertise and international popularity with an important philanthropic component of CCI. As to the design, EDUN notes that «special features include Malian textile prints in the lining and embroidery details that reference traditional Zulu weaving patterns.»
The new initiative will contribute to EDUN’s commitment to reach the goal of manufacturing 40 percent of its men’s and women’s seasonal colelctions entirely in Africa in 2013, which will definitely help create more jobs and support manufacturing in the area. Previously, Bono, a longtime activist for Africa, also created the concept of the Product Red Africa-benefitting project and recorded a song with Alicia Keys, with proceeds going to Keep a Child Alive, initiatives aimed at helping eliminate AIDs in Africa.
“With this project we wish to show to consumers and to the industry alike that it is indeed possible to source, produce and generate sustainable trade—and, hence development—in Africa,” commented Renzo Rosso. “I think working in Africa is both brave and smart: Brave because we are currently investing our time and money in building know-how in these parts of the world; and smart because Africa is the next big market, as the Chinese have already understood before anyone else. I don’t feel I am doing it for philanthropy. We are doing it to generate sustainable development.”