Tara Thivolet, Zojora
Love travelling and meeting people from all over the world? So does Tara, founder-and-designer of ZOJORA. From sourcing textiles to meeting artisans, she travels around Asia to put together her collection of boho-chic clothings and home accessories.
Brand story
ZOJORA is a “travel inspired” shopping experience that is influenced by my travels and the artisans I meet along the way.
Working with Fair Fashion
It all started when I wanted to sew my own products and realized the impossibility of this idea due to my poor sewing skills. Instead of finding just any garment factory for production, I knew I needed to find an enterprise that mirrors my beliefs regarding work ethics.
“Fair Fashion” based in Vietnam is a social enterprise that reintegrates survivors of sex trafficking and women in precarious situations by teaching them to be accomplished seamstresses. This allows them to set up their own businesses or work long-term at Fair Fashion or similar enterprises.
“I’ve been working with Fair Fashion for the past six years and am always impressed by their dedication and attention to detail when producing my products.
However, all of this takes time and rushing products is not the solution. As a result, I’ve learned to be patient and concise in my instructions for fewer errors.”
As a Small Business Owner…
I learn to wear many hats at once — whether it is for sourcing, manufacturing, marketing, and selling. Multi-tasking for a small business owner is a necessity and it allows me to find the most rewarding part of my job — working with artisans across the globe.
Social responsibility is
Acting for the benefit of the society as a whole and should be a mandatory duty that every individual organisation performs.
Shopping responsibly
Get to know the brands you shop from — enquire about them, meet the creators, pay special attention to the fabrics being used. Basically, don’t shop blindly.
“Paying your artisans fairly, using natural or recycled fabrics, giving proceeds of sales to charities are just some of the ways that I find important to incorporate social responsibility within a brand.”