Edun Clothing has cool points coming from all directions.

First of all, and most importantly, Edun is a for-profit business that works on a micro-level to help build the skill set of African factory workers and acts as a voice to encourage the often uptight and selfish fashion community to do business in Africa as a way to bring the struggling continent out of its current dismal state: extreme poverty. Edun works with the philosophy of trade vs. aid to help build sustainable communities in places of abject poverty. They currently produce in India, Peru, Tunisia, Kenya, Lesotho and Madagascar. Edun's official mission statement is "to help increase trade and create sustainable employment for developing areas of the world with an emphasis on Africa, providing a business model that others can replicate and follow."

Here's the second cool thing about Edun. Guess who owns it? None other than Bono of U2 and his wife, Ali Hewson. They launched the line in the Spring of 2005 (New York based artiste Rogan Gregory designs the clothes). Bono has the charity experience; he is known the world over for his dedication to helping third world nations, and Hewson has the fashion expertise. She has thrown a number of charity fashion shows in Dublin, which featured supermodels like Naomi Campbell. While some may see Hewson as the bored socialite wife of a busy rocker, the very ambitious project was hard to get off the ground and is still struggling a bit. It hasn't yielded a huge profit for the third world yet, and the couple is still forced to funnel their own money into the business. But it is undeniable that if this company works, it could make a huge difference in the lives of the poverty-stricken people who will benefit.

And the last cool thing about Edun is, of course, the clothes. Hewson has said that their company can't yield a profit and in turn help third world nations if the clothes aren't pretty fabulous. And they are. The clothes are inspired by the art noveau movement of the late 1800s, and the designs draw from the flowing forms found in the world of nature by day and by night. The art nouveau movement was characterized by a blending of disciplines from artists, poets and musicans coming together in reaction to the coldness of the Industrial Revolution. Look for flow-y, romantic tops and ultrafeminine dresses.

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