Feminine and flowing: With the new super-light summer dresses, the fair fashion company ARMEDANGELS is once again focusing on one of its most important materials from the very beginning: Lenzing TENCEL™ – Lyocell fibers made from sustainably grown wood.
For this very special TENCEL™ Dresses photo campaign, ARMEDANGELS traveled to Togo and met the new generation of influential Togolese entrepreneurs who empower other women to take their lives into their own hands and drive political and ecological change locally and globally. In the flowing, light summer dresses, the inspiring changemakers* were put in the spotlight during the shoot and together celebrated their commitment to female empowerment, leadership, environmental protection and culture.
Changemaker Stories – How women in Togo are changing the world
Togo has the largest proportion of African women in leadership positions. For the campaign, female leaders from a wide variety of areas met and slipped into their favorite dresses from the ARMEDANGELS TENCEL™ Dresses summer collection 2022.
ARMEDANGELS TENCEL™ dresses are made from lyocell fibers that are produced in a closed-loop system. Carbon-Zero clothes made from CO2-neutral TENCEL™ are brand new here. Emissions occurring during production are reduced and unavoidable emissions are compensated.
For the impressive pictures, the female leaders came together with the Togolese-German photographer Delali Ayivi, who has made a name for herself in the international art scene with awards from the Italian Photo Vogue Festival and the Photography Prize from the National Portrait Gallery. In order to offer young African artists a platform for exchange and networking, she launched the Togo Yeye project together with her friend and creative partner Malaika Nabillah. Delali says about the courage to change:
“It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you think about how many things need to change. So I think it’s best to focus on your own corner of the world and find something there that drives you and then go from there. It has always been a big dream for Malaika and me to strengthen the creative community in Togo so that it gets more opportunities internationally.”
Meet Togo’s Changemaking Women
Aimee Abra Tenu Lawani
“A better world is a world marked by peace, justice, equality and friendly relationships between people in our communities. And with the necessary commitment, we can drive projects to realize this vision and make it a reality. In doing so, we can set a good example in our daily actions by respecting others, valuing local raw materials and traditional traditions and paying fair wages.”
As a social entrepreneur, Aimée is committed to protecting the environment and promoting Togolese handicrafts. Her self-founded NGO STEJ Togo has launched numerous companies, including Zam-Ké, which makes accessories from recycled plastic bags, and Kari Kari Africa, a manufacturer of artisanal organic soaps. Through her work, Aimée supports a women’s collective that makes shea butter, a farm dedicated to agroecology, and a program that provides jobs for inmates in local prisons.
What was your magic moment when you decided you wanted to change something?
As a child I always wanted to be a journalist and at the age of 13 I won a competition to host a radio show about children’s rights. That’s how I first became aware that there are many children who don’t grow up as privileged as I did. I soon founded my NGO, with which I was able to initiate many projects related to recycling, drinking water and sanitation. I have a great team around me with young people who know how important it is to work for a better world.
Adyova Koufam
“In a better world, public goods will be administered fairly, nature will once again thrive and we can live surrounded by forests. My vision is to encourage everyone to take action to protect nature.”
Adjowa Koufam is an official in the Ministry of Environment of Togo and Secretary General of the African Women’s Network for Communal Forestry (REFACOF). She is also the founder of the association “Women Committed to Local Development”. Throughout her career, she has been an active advocate against deforestation and climate change across Africa.
What are you doing to bring about change in Togo?
My contribution is to facilitate women’s access to public relations and city administration through the protection of natural resources. With my initiative, we are also educating women in rural areas about how they can plant community forests. With this we kill two birds with one stone, because these forests enable the women to be financially independent and at the same time protect the environment in Togo.
Do you think that makes a difference?
Yes it does. Recently the government has started to entrust women with the administration of our country. For example, the head of the National Assembly is a woman, as is our Prime Minister. Female leadership is on the rise in Togo.
Afi Sitsofe Deborah Dali
“For me, a better world is one in which people love and respect each other. I want everyone to understand that the environment is indeed at risk and take responsibility for it. Change starts with yourself. Being authentic, living by your own principles and meeting other people with a smile can really inspire.”
Déborah is a senior medical student. In her free time, she is involved in her university’s environmental club, which travels to different parts of the city several times a week to clean the streets there. She also visits schools to educate children about the use of plastic.
What was the moment when you decided to change something?
At school, everyone made fun of me and called me “Miss Clean” because I always picked up the garbage. When I got to university, I realized that our environment was really not good, so I founded with some Friends of the environmental club, with which we regularly organize clean-up campaigns throughout the city. Among other things, we inform local residents that they should not throw their rubbish down the drains so that the water can drain properly. In addition, the girls here often use synthetic hair, that harm animals and the environment if disposed of incorrectly. We also provide tips here.
What is the biggest obstacle to change and how can we overcome it?
The greatest obstacle is humanity. Humans are the ones who caused the environmental destruction. So if we manage to change the mentality of our society and improve our behavior towards nature, then we have managed to change the world.
About ARMEDANGELS:
Since 2007, the Cologne label ARMEDANGELS has been proving that fashion can be done differently: ECO & FAIR. No wage slavery, no chemical madness, no cheap mass-produced goods. From the simple idea of printing T-shirts and collecting donations for charity projects through sales, a company has grown that is now one of the largest ECO & FAIR fashion labels in Europe. With a 140-strong team and four collections a year, ARMEDANGELS shows that sustainability and good product design are not mutually exclusive.