Seattle-based Fuchsia uses blockchain platform Provenance to share details about the workers who hand-make the brand’s shoes in Pakistan..
Fuchsia sells shoes called “khussas” that are modified slightly for the Western wearer. Additional padding has been added to the sole, and the shape was modified slightly to appeal to women who wear modern ballet flats. The vibrantly colored embroidery and shoe assembly are completed by hand in Pakistan.
The startup isn’t trying to replicate what Western audiences are already familiar with, it’s trying to introduce a whole new category and bring something unique to the table.
In collaboration with FACES Pakistan - a non-profit organization which aims to empower the underprivileged in society, Fuchsia Shoes has launched a public-spirited project aimed at improving the lives of disaster-affected females of mixed communities.
Waqas do leather cleaning once it is acquire from Faisalabad and brought into shop. He also works on shoe Insole. Waqas has 3 daughters and a son.
I love the idea of handmade pieces as much as I love the investment in empowering and employing the artisans whose skills continue the tradition of the handicraft industries of South Asia.
Fuchsia contracts out the shoe makers, paying them one and a half times more than their typical wages. The company also provides medical benefits and shares profits. This is big. Normally people in this profession don’t have consistent income and must hold multiple jobs to make a livable wage.
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