These are the values guiding our research, collaborations, and conversations around African fashion. From cultural preservation to circular systems, we see sustainability not as a trend 0 but as a way to design a better future. One that's rooted, regenerative, and radically local.
intro
[How it's made]
Sustainability starts at the source.
This section focuses on the inputs: the raw materials, the ethics of the labour, and the ecological footprint left behind. How we make things matters — because fashion begins long before the garment is worn.
[Who's involved]
Fashion is a human story.
This section centers the people: communities, systems, and economies behind the work. We believe fashion must be accountable to the people it affects — especially across the continent.
[How it's used]
Sustainability doesn’t stop at checkout.
This section focuses on the consumer experience. Is the product built to last? Can it be reused, repaired, or recycled? A sustainable system supports the full life of fashion.
[Why it matters]
This is the soul of our work.
Beyond supply chains and carbon counts, this section gets to the root: the philosophies, traditions, and innovations that make African fashion sustainable by design.
[sustainability pillars]
At OneThread, we don’t define sustainability by trends, checkboxes, or buzzwords. We look at it as a living ecosystem — a thread that runs from how things are made, to who is involved, to how fashion lives in the world, and finally, why it matters. Our sustainability pillars are organized to reflect this flow. Because sustainability isn’t static — it’s layered, local, lived-in, and long-term.
how it's made
Is it organic, regenerative, indigenous, or ethically produced? Materials should heal the land, not strip it.
how it's made
From water to waste, emissions to energy — we look at brands lowering their footprint and measuring what matters.
who's involved
What’s visible? What’s verifiable? The future of fashion is traceable — from fiber to final stitch.
how it's used
why it matters
African creativity is inherently resourceful. From tech integration to indigenous systems, design can solve — and sustain.
Why Ubuntu Grounds It All
At OneThread, Ubuntu isn’t just a pillar — it’s the soul of our approach. We believe that "I am because we are" must inform every step of sustainability: from how we design to who we uplift. Shared value isn’t a strategy — it’s a worldview. We’re not building in isolation; we’re building in relationship.
