Geography: Global
Founded: 2010
The IOU Project makes unique, handmade, traceable apparel. That alone is exciting. But the real difference lies deeper. Because each fabric is unique, we provide end buyers with the ability to trace the process from finished item right down to the weaver that hand-wove the fabric. The stories of how that item was created, of the people involved, of the customers who purchased them, are the essence of the e-commerce social network which The IOU Project has built as a meeting place for a community that shares our brand values of authenticity, transparency, uniqueness and both social and environmental responsibility.
We are as much a fashion brand as we are an idea - that business, when carried out with true transparency and authenticity, can elicit extraordinary and unexpected reactions, and foster a sense of shared responsibility from its customers, partners and suppliers - towards each other and towards the environment. This key attribute of any organized social group can become a catalyst for change well beyond the initial scope of our fashion business, causing a positive feedback loop - what we call a Prosperity Chain. We would like people to join us in taking this idea to places we can't even imagine.
When you buy an IOU item, you complete a story that began in India, continued in Europe and ended up with you. Before the Internet these processes were connected but hidden from view. Now they don't need to be. Your picture wearing an IOU item will fill the weavers and artisans with pride, and also remind you that you are part of their chain.