Sustainable clothing company founder discusses fashion, economic mobility

Consumers might have an extra incentive when holiday shopping this season, Meghan Sebold explained in a lecture on sustainable fashion on Monday evening.

Sebold is the founder of Afia, a clothing company whose goal is to promote economic mobility for Ghanian textile vendors and seamstresses while also producing affordable apparel for U.S. consumers.

She discussed her role in the growing sustainable-fashion movement, an initiative that aims to use textile resources effectively, noting some concerns that she had noticed while conducting textile research in Ghana.

“I think the biggest problem is that the labor there is not being compensated for the work that they put in,” she said. “These seamstresses have a ridiculous amount of skill, yet they are forced to compete with their neighbors for low wages.”

Sebold also noted that the fashion industry is the second-highest polluting industry in the world. Afia helps to sustain the environment by sourcing and producing in the same place, thereby eliminating pollution generated through transportation of goods.

In addition, Sebold said, the company saves any remnants of their fabrics to use as material for handbags.

The designer attributed the company’s initial success to her academic background — a degree in international relations with a focus on economics.

“I’m glad that my parents convinced me not to go to fashion school instead,” Sebold said. “The perspective that I gained from my studies has been more valuable to me than my background in design. Business is a tool that can be used to create social change. I think it is the most effective and respectful way to develop the sustainable fashion initiative.”

Sebold also noted that misconceptions about Africa, such as the prevalent fear of trading there, debilitate the progress of the continent. She explained that, in addition to excellent resources, Ghana’s legal system imposes hardly any taxes on products made there.

“The cost per unit is therefore very low,” she said. “I can pay my workers four times what they would be paid locally. I encourage everybody to source and produce in Ghana.”

Although the economic component of her work is essential to promoting her social goals, Sebold added that she does not enjoy the act of selling products to consumers.

“I don’t like taking money from people,” she added. “I think it’s important to stay true to who your market is. Afia’s model is beneficial to everyone involved. I want our products to be affordable to most people.”

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Sebold explained that the most enjoyable aspect of her work is the relationships she has made.

“The people I work with are really talented and creative,” she noted. “Their brains work in ways that mine can’t.”

Although Afia has yet to establish itself as a major corporation, Sebold said she believes that sustainable fashion is becoming more commonplace in America.

“Nobody wants their clothes to be made unethically,” she said. “In a few years, sustainability will be a large global force.”

The lecture, held in East Pyne, was sponsored by the University’s Sustainable Fashion Initiative, a student organization whose goal is to promote a socially and environmentally responsible understanding of fashion on university campuses.