Edun promotes "Trade not Aid" for developing countries

Bono and his wife, Ali Hewson, founded apparel company Edun in 2005. In just 4 years, the line has been picked up at Saks and Barneys with French luxury conglomerate LVMH taking a recent minority stake in the eco-friendly and socially-conscious fashion house.

Edun is a feminine and sexy brand with a rock ’n roll edge. Ali says that the clothes can take you from “day to night, the office to the club.”

Edun promotes the concept of “Trade not Aid” for developing countries by opening its factories in poor communities and employing and training locals in the business of apparel manufacturing. Rather than just giving aid to Africa, Edun encourages production in these countries, helping to build the skill sets of the factory workers while compensating them with fair wages. Its textiles are produced in India, Peru, Tunisia, Kenya, Uganda, Lesotho, Mauritius and Madagascar.

In this way, Edun is inspiring the entire fashion/luxury industry to invest in poor countries and their people.

Edun has also launched The One collection of t-shirts  in honor of ALAFA and The One campaign – global initiative to end extreme poverty and preventable diseases. T-shirts are $40 and are made from 100% African cotton in Lesotho. For every purchase, Edun donates $10 to the ALAFA charity. Apparel Lesotho Alliance to Fight AIDS works toward assisting the 46,000 apparel workers in the African nation who are largely unskilled women with an overwhelming percentage of them HIV positive. Celebrity fans of these tees include Liv Tyler, Ben Affleck, Penelope Cruz, Brad Pitt and Cameron Diaz.

To date, Edun has donated over $600,000 to ALAFA.

Organic Cotton shirtdress, $150 available at Saks

Ben Affleck wearing Edun's One Campaign t-shirt, $40 - $10 goes to ALAFA in Lesotho