Building a Sustainable Labour Movement to Empower Women in Local Communities

**我是一名企业家，也是三个孩子的母亲，他们的初创企业正在颠覆服务不足的传统缝纫行业。我热衷于从快速时尚转向可持续的未来，并赋予女性成为微型企业家的权力。我的想法将带来改变、灵感和经济机会，同时满足人们对替代浪费的、大规模生产的服装的日益强烈的需求。**我的企业**丽贝卡·佩奇有限公司(“RP”)成立于2018年。RP创建和销售一系列简单的、包含大小的缝纫图案。我从厨房的桌子上为11个国家的30多人的团队建立了RP。RP的创始人、管理团队、董事会和投资者几乎都是女性。对于我们的RP团队来说，在家工作是常态。本着相互支持和庆祝创新的精神，我们利用在线平台创建了一个高度参与度高、充满活力的社区。商业街时尚和缝纫图案满足狭窄的标准尺码范围。然而，67%的女性尺码是14码以上，所以很少有女性找到或制作合适的衣服。标准的尺码也不能适应各种体型。RP解决了这个问题，软件可以创建定制的、个性化的缝纫图案。快速时尚行业是浪费、环境灾难和非个人的。今天的女人想要做工精良、合身和独特的衣服。从千禧一代到退休人员，人们都喜欢创造、分享想法和升级。RP让女性可以接触到华丽的面料、教育视频和不同的同行“制造商”社区。**我的想法。**我想为那些不自己缝纫的女性提供制作精良、合身的定制服装的体验--同时让那些缝纫的人发展自己的微型企业。我想建立一个将当地微型企业家与当地消费者相匹配的市场。购买定制商品的女性将受益于其持久的质量、与衣柜其他部分的凝聚力、独特性和有意识的选择；同时支持当地的创意和手工艺女性网络。帮助女性从家里建立可持续的收入，以适应家庭、COVID经济和其他挑战的需求，将改变一个巨大的制造商社区的生活。他们的技能和创造力将使消费者和当地其他人受益。我的想法将减少对快速时尚的依赖，鼓励回收利用，并支持当地工业。它为时尚业的问题提供了强有力的解决方案，例如供应链废物和很少使用的服装的垃圾处理。

**I am** an entrepreneur and mother of three, whose start-up is disrupting the traditional, underserved sewing industry. I am passionate about moving away from fast fashion to a sustainable future, and empowering women to become micro-entrepreneurs. My idea will bring change, inspiration, and economic opportunities, while answering the ever louder need for an alternative to wasteful, mass-produced clothing.**My business,** Rebecca Page Ltd ("RP"), was founded in 2018\. RP creates and sells a range of easy, inclusive-size sewing patterns. I built RP from my kitchen table to a team of over 30 in 11 countries. RP's founders, management team, board and investors are almost all female. For our RP team, working from home is the norm. We have created a highly engaged, dynamic community using online platforms in the spirit of mutual support and celebrating innovation.High street fashion and sewing patterns cater for a narrow range of standard sizes. However, 67% of women are size 14+, so few women find or make clothes that fit properly. Nor does standard sizing accommodate a large variety of body shapes. RP solves this problem with software that creates bespoke, personalised sewing patterns.The fast fashion industry is wasteful, environmentally disastrous, and impersonal. Women today want clothes that are well-made, well-fitting, and unique. People from millennials to retirees love to create, share ideas and upcycle. RP gives women access to gorgeous fabrics, educational videos, and a diverse community of fellow "makers".**My idea.** I want to offer the experience of well-made, well-fitting, bespoke garments to women who do not sew themselves -- while empowering those who do sew to develop their own micro-businesses. I want to build a marketplace that will match local micro-entrepreneurs with local consumers.The women who purchase a bespoke item will benefit from its long-lasting quality, cohesiveness with the rest of their wardrobe, uniqueness and conscious choice; while supporting a local network of creative and craftswomen.Helping women to build a sustainable income from their homes, that can accommodate the demands of family, the COVID economy and other challenges, will transform the lives of a huge community of makers. Their skills and creativity will benefit consumers and others in their local area.My idea will reduce reliance on fast-fashion, encourage recycling, and support local industry. It offers a strong solution to fashion industry problems, such as supply chain waste and landfill disposal of barely used garments.