The inspiration: Preserving heritage

Our parents have been in the business of sourcing and producing beautiful Ethiopian clothing for decades. Since we grew up where it all happened, we have come to know cotton, and we know the intricate craftsmanship involved in transforming it all into exquisite garments.  Although we took it for granted when we were younger, the process of making hand-spun cotton clothing is actually an ancient Ethiopian practice which has resisted the influence of modern industrialisation.  No surprise then, these cotton attires are iconic symbols of the Ethiopian culture. The inspiration behind Yordis Culture is the satisfaction of preserving our heritage, and sharing our culture with the world far and wide. Weaving contemporary creativity with the ancient tradition of cloth-making, we are giving cultural garments relevance to current lifestyles.  By the way, Yordi is not the boss. She is the youngest of the family; a member of the generation to whom we are hoping to pass our heritage, despite the overpowering ‘global culture’ inundating our digitally connected planet.

What we do: Connecting you to the makers

Did we mention we know cotton? We also happen to be really close with the people who transform the raw cotton into wearable beauty. So basically, what we do is give you access to them.  Not only do we make their creations accessible to you online, but we also have experienced consultants at your service to take into account your individual needs and work with the makers to deliver to you the best possible product tailored to your wants and desires.  Really, we do feed off our clients’ satisfaction.  We shouldn’t be bragging that much, but our speed for such service is yet to be challenged, let alone matched.  Our products are delivered to your door, anywhere in the world, in a matter of days (when purchasing available stock).  And when you custom-order, we still make it happen faster than expected. Communication is the key, which we do well!

How we do it: Social and environmental responsibility

Alright, so we are no dirt-patting hippies, but we do care about our planet; we are no Mother Teresa, but we are firm believers in fair trading and supporting the creative hands behind our outstanding products. For you environmentally conscious individuals, we are happy to report that our products are produced from organic materials (predominantly cotton) in workshops that rely on people rather than air polluting machines.  Hand-operated workshops produce the minimum possible carbon footprint, and they are valuable sources of employment and economic sustainability in small communities of growing nations like Ethiopia. As we mentioned before, we are close with the makers of our garments. In fact, they are our families and our friends.  Not only are we committed to making sure they receive fair pay, but we have made it our long term ambition to revive the creative communities of Ethiopia.  Watch this space!