female empowerment
Monrovia, Liberia – June 10, 2013: Latty teaches a class of More Than Me girls how to draw using instructions from Eric Coly. By Carielle Doe

Le Dessein — a socially responsible fashion line that addresses educational needs for underprivileged girls through art — was first established a couple of years back when Eric Coly decided to start a meaningful career using fashion as a vehicle for positive change. Recognizing that the number of opportunities he had benefited from due to the simple fact his mother and grandmother were able to attend school, Coly chose to focus on education.

By featuring the underprivileged girls’ designs on their fashion items and contributing 25% of their profits to the girls’ yearly school tuition fees, Le Dessein promotes female empowerment in Liberia through their women’s line of tops, dresses, jackets and sweaters. A men’s line is also expected towards the end of the year, and an expansion to other developing countries over the coming years. Their logo, a handmade ladder, signifies ascension, growth and journey.

Le Dessein’s most recent project, however, involves a jewelry line planned for the end of the year consisting of beads, each with a unique attribute which ranges from serenity to harmony and balance. The line will be entirely made by young girls and women from Haiti to help create a local economy.

The Founder’s Source Of Inspiration

Eric Coly finds his inspiration from the women of his family, starting with his grandmother who was able to go to school in Senegal — his country of origin — in the 1920’s. His mother, the youngest of nine, studied pharmacy overseas, and his two sisters graduated with Masters Degrees. Explains Coly:

This form of achievement can only be traced first to my grandmother, then my mother, who made sure that her kids would make full use of education as a tool of empowerment.

As a child, he grew up seeing powerful Senegalese male figures respect his mother, leading him to believe that this was the norm. The actually unusual fact, however, was certainly a result of his mother’s career success, but most importantly of her education levels which allowed her to become independent and influential.

Coly also developed an interest in fashion from a very young age as his mother would often ask for assistance in getting dressed when going to soirees and receptions. He now believes that fashion is “the perfect vessel susceptible to be paired with art in order to bring about attention to underprivileged girls’ education.”

Underprivileged girls drawing designs for Le Dessein - Courtesy of Eric Coly
Underprivileged girl drawing designs for Le Dessein – Courtesy of Eric Coly

Collaboration With NGOs

Le Dessein assists non-profit foundations with a mission to help educate underprivileged girls by providing them an ancillary layer of income on top of their revenues. They base their criteria on the following:

“What is the opportunity and how big are their needs? How can we create the largest impact impossible? And lastly, does the foundation share similar values, interests and ambitions with us?

The girls don’t necessarily have a prior background in the arts as the initiative is meant to “increase their self-esteem through the learning and application of their own designs which, combined with our fashion efforts, magnifies the nature of their work.” The benefit which is most visible is the level of economic autonomy these girls achieve through their participation in the program.

Why Focus On Girls?

Young girls around the world, especially in developing countries, suffer from a lack of educational engagement. This causes strong social, cultural and economic repercussions — leading Le Dessein to believe that focusing on girls is paramount.

To help illustrate that, they use a couple of facts and statistics issued by the United Nations and the World Bank:

  • If all girls had a secondary education, there would be 65% fewer child marriages (there are currently over 10,000 forced child marriages every day).
  • More than 65 million 6 to 12-year old girls are currently not in school in the developing world.
  • If all women had a secondary education, 3 million children’s lives under the age of 5 would be saved every year.”

These are only a fraction of the overall dire picture.

So far, Le Dessein has worked with over 30 girls who have each produced designs during art activity sessions.

Monrovia, Liberia -  June 10, 2013: Latty teaches a class of More Than Me girls how to draw using instructions from Eric Coly.  (Photograph by Carielle Doe).
Monrovia, Liberia – June 10, 2013: Latty teaches a class of More Than Me girls how to draw using instructions from Eric Coly – By Carielle Doe

Le Dessein’s Message

The ethical fashion brand aims to transmit messages of pride mixed with elegance and sophistication through their collections. Pride as they stand for economic independence, empowerment and self-reliance, and the creation of legacies through the educational engagement of young girls. Elegance and sophistication since their designs reflect the importance of highlighting efforts targeting women’s education.

Women's Line By Emmanuelle CHOUSSY
Women’s Line By Emmanuelle Choussy

Make A Difference

If you too want to support the education of young underprivileged girls, you can do so by shopping at their online store, both on their website and on Etsy, or by visiting one of their many stores in Los Angeles, and soon in San Francisco and on the East Coast.

By Sarine Arslanian

Also Check Out:

Artisans Of Rwanda: A Visit To Gatagara Pottery Near Kigali [Blog Inspiration]

Free As A Bird Necklace [Travel Style]

Zulu Beer Vessels: In the Twentieth Century by Frank Jolles [Good Reads]

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Sarine Arslanian is a writer, documentary filmmaker, researcher and photographer with a passion for travel, arts and culture, society and development. She graduated from the University of Cambridge with an MPhil in Development Studies.

Sarine Arslanian

Sarine Arslanian is a writer, documentary filmmaker, researcher and photographer with a passion for travel, arts and culture, society and development. She graduated from the University of Cambridge with an MPhil in Development Studies.

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