Sourcing in Africa presents a breadth of opportunities and challenges for sustainable designers and product developers. Working with singular artforms and techniques rarely seen in the US marketplace also comes the challenge of working with artisans who haven't yet reaped the opportunities of the global market. 

As designers, we all have the opportunity to contribute to Africa's development by designing for Africa. In this workshop, Summer Rayne Oakes will share case studies and best practices for sourcing in the region. The session will include overview of particular countries and their crafts from Mozambique to Ghana to Mali, stories from the field, the economic structure of the region and how that affects global design and sourcing and upcoming textiles you'll be able to source on Source4Style. 

In addition, Source4Style will unveil its new Customization/RFQ tools that will allow designers to customize their fabric orders directly on the Source4Style platform, plus the Shipment Coordinator tool.

Payments will be accepted at the door. If you choose to pay at the event, simply click "Other Payment Options" below and bring a personal or corporate check.

About the presenter:

Summer Rayne Oakes has helped brands actualize their sustainability goals through her unique platform of environmental strategy and brand ambassadorship. She has launched, Zoe & Zac, a more environmentally-preferable shoe line with PaylessShoeSource; a bedding & bath line with Portico Home; and most recently joined a project to launch a recycled line of eyewear and optics with MODO. Oakes is the author of the best-selling style guide, Style, Naturally, editor-at-large of Above Magazine, founder of SRO, LLC - a sustainability innovation firm, and Co-founder/CEO of Source4Style, the first B2B online marketplace that allows designers and brands to search and source more sustainable materials and services from a network of global suppliers.