A milestone for the European textile craft ecosystem

We are beyond grateful and honored to announce that our project WhyWeCraft is one of the winners of the 2020 EU Social Innovation Competition.

Winning this prize today represents a milestone not just for our project but especially for the European textile craft ecosystem at large.

Having textile craftsmanship recognised as an avenue for reimagining the fashion system by the jury of the 2020 European Social Innovation Competition and the European Commission at such a level highlights once again the unparalleled value of textile craftsmanship in the European fashion context.

In this context, WhyWeCraft is committed to become a catalyst for reviving the textile crafts of Europe and for stimulating long-term, sustainable synergies between fashion and craft that positively impact the lives of artisans at grassroot level.

We start with education to achieve a long-term VISION

We believe in Craftsmanship for a Green and Equitable Future. We prioritise the health of our planet, the well-being of our communities, the value of our diverse cultural identities.

Echoing the cross-disciplinarity of the Bauhaus movement, WhyWeCraft is about merging contemporary fashion design with traditional textile craftsmanship, on a real-life journey from theory to practice. It is a long-term commitment that requires cross-disciplinary collaboration and knowledge partnership.

During the current crisis, more than ever, we all realised the importance of emotional connection to each other. It is strong bonds and emotional connection that will empower us going forward. This emotional connection has to become part of our lives in the way we develop projects, the way we create business and the way we interact with our environment.

At WhyWeCraft we focus on impacting the hearts and minds of all those involved across the value chain - from artisans to the end consumers.

This competition journey was such an enriching experience for us and we are so grateful to have met such brilliant minds from the ecosystem. We wholeheartedly thank the teams at Ashoka Romania and the entire Ashoka Network, Nesta and Kennisland and we hope to build synergies in the future with our fellow participants focusing on our common mission - to Reimagine Fashion!

We want to thank everybody who has been involved so far in the project and hope for more ambassadors, partners, investors and collaborators to join our Mission going forward!

We are immensely grateful to our families in Romania and Germany, to our friends and our mentors, who have been so supportive emotionally and professionally from the very beginning to this day, and beyond.

This project would have not come to life without the support and guidance of the Cultural Intellectual Property Rights Initiative® family.

The members of the Initiative have been our greatest source of inspiration - from India, Laos, Germany, Pakistan and Romania. Winning this prize is your achievement as well!

Yours,

The WhyWeCraft Team: Beatrice, Mara, Maria, Marlene, Monica and Raphael