Giving back to the ones in need has been in our minds even before our brand has started. When notPERFECTLINEN brand was still living deeply in the corner of our minds, we knew that it must bring value to people. Value that not only exists in the form of high quality clothing, but also in the form of helping others. We believe that sustainability is a state of mind and in order to get, you have to give. The joy, that you provide in the form of material help, for the ones who lack something important in their life, will bring value and meaning to your work and life.
At the very first stages of our company, our milestones were truly humble, but still seemed hardly achievable – from gaining the first international customer to building the team of 2 or 3. When you grow up it is so obvious that your milestones grow up too and you find yourself asking “why am I doing what I am doing?”. And indeed, it seems that there comes a day when you have to think deeply, ask big questions and solve hard problems. After watching “The True Cost” movie, we have asked ourselves whether slow fashion can help fast fashion victims? And this question led us to unforgettable and yet rather sensitive journey where we once again convinced ourselves that we cannot ignore global poverty, social inequality, ecological, educational and aggressive slavery problems anymore. Today our milestones are bigger than ever – from helping fast fashion victims and garment workers, supporting kids and families in need, to providing sewing machines for women in developing countries and rebuilding villages.
Maria Cristina Foundation was the first step in our journey of “giving back”. We spent a lot of time searching for a reliable and efficient charity organization, helping the ones that have been affected by the worldwide craziness of fast fashion the most. We felt that the core values of this organization match our beliefs, as the main focus of The Maria Cristina Foundation (MCF) is placed on youth education. Cooperating with MCF during our first donation campaign, we collected money for the financial support of 3 families (Alamin’s Kolpona’s , Shagor’s and Mim Jahan’s family) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. We also covered Shohap’s mum’s operation costs and paid for entrepreneurship courses for 85 students. After our initial donation campaign, we were absolutely sure, that this is just a beginning of a great and fulfilling journey of giving back.
