A textile and fashion business designed for sustainability

Whenever I explain UndaMeta’s business model to anyone, there is always an exclaiming ‘ahhhhh…’ — a moment of acknowledgment that the work we are doing is profound and clever. I therefore thought it necessary to expound on this model for all to appreciate its innovative qualities that are well appreciated amongst my friends, colleagues and peers.

Undameta is a marketplace for African-inspired surface pattern design for the production of unique fabric for the fashion industry. Established in 2022 and based in Kenya, the company emerged as a result of a research-design-and-pilot fund from AHSCE in collaboration with the University of Nairobi.

Allow me to explain and share my views of how this unique business model offers potentially great benefits to all stakeholders in its value chain and positive outcomes for the planet. 

Posed as a model that puts people and planet to the fore with a promise to promote local sustainability, UndaMeta’s model is one that experts call Sustainable Product-Service System (S.P.S.S) for Distributed Economies (D.E). This decentralized business model may be relatively new in the Global South context but it is well documented and has recently become more prevalent in the Global North. 

Nevertheless, this model has been proposed to be a most promising approach to consider for low-middle income economies and has both economic and competitive benefits (Vezzoli et al., 2021) embedded within its model. 

Distributed Economies has been described by Vezzoli et al (2021) as ‘small-scale value-adding units (manufacturing, services) where there is a shift in the control of core activities towards the user/client. Johansson et al. (2005) defines DE as a “selective share of production distributed to regions where activities are organized in the form of small scale, flexible units that are synergistically connected with each other” in a network. 

These networks tend to be local, peer-to-peer or standalone and often also tend to shift control of essential activities towards the end users whether individuals, entrepreneurs or organizations (Vezzoli et al., 2021).

Due to their ‘distributed’ networks, they are capable of offering on-demand solutions and at the same time benefiting a whole chain of stakeholders who are embedded within the system. Not only are they stable in creating shared value, but inherently, they drive social cohesion and equity within the communities they serve. 

Having reflected on DE, let’s now demonstrate how UndaMeta’s model is squarely sitting in this strategic space that drives sustainable outcomes for all in its value chain. One by one, we look at some of the beneficial and advantageous traits of SPSS for DE specific to this textile and fashion brand. 

UndaMeta SPSS for DE traits

Multi-user participation: the Provider (UndaMeta) connects and links ‘textile designers, fabric producers and buyers (Kibuchi, 2022; Infinite Insight, 2022)’ within the network. For example, take the textile designer’s role.  Any textile designer/ creative can join the platform to sell their designs but at the same time they can purchase their own design or another’s as a buyer on the system. In this instance, the vendor (textile designer) has a dual role; he/she takes on the role of the service provider as well as the buyer.

Localized units; the platform fosters a ‘super’ decentralized network of local collaboration through digital technology via a multivendor platform (hosted on an e-commerce system) that enables all stakeholders to be a part of. This means that all products and services can be produced locally, speedily, efficiently and sustainably benefiting participants across its value chain. 

Say a purchaser buys a product from the platform, a chain of ‘benefits’ ensues. 

1. The Provider benefits; 

eco-efficiency

Provider makes a profit, as well as production, is on-demand, enabling responsible consumption. Its model is a Sustainable Distributed Design (S.DD) as it has a shared digital technology where all vendors from the creative community can sell their designs on a multi-vendor platform.

social-ethical 

The Provider promotes curation and sharing (pool of surface pattern designs to select from); promotes ethics and fairness; cultural sustainability (only sell contemporary African fabric designs); preservation of heritage; and

‘competitive and economic benefits’ (Vezzoli et al 2021) by fostering customer loyalty and strategic positioning.

2. the textile designer benefits;

eco-efficiency 

designer earns royalties paid per fabric produced or per digital artwork sold; 

social ethical 

social pride in their creative talent and gain recognition for their work; curation; the have the opportunity to sell in a global market 

3. the fabric maker;

eco-efficiency

the textile mill profits; digital printed fabric produced ‘on specification’ prompts energy and material consumption minimization; light (minimal) distribution network  direct to consumer (and other benefits such as locally sourced and organic fibres choice); consequently spur local sourcing, production and manufacture of textiles.

social ethical 

textile mill fosters local manufacture, transport distribution reduction (particularly when scheduled and local)

3. The buyer / fashion designer/ fashion house 

eco-efficiency

as an end user they benefit by purchasing an eco-designed product – that minimizes environmental impacts, is customized, durable and unique; increase brand affinity  

social ethical 

support, promotes and fosters both social and cultural sustainability of African textiles

As demonstrated, the benefits are immense. Because the platform has been properly instituted and designed for sustainability, such a business model can promote local sustainability within Kenya’s local fashion industry and have a global audience. According to Vezzoli et al (2021), such a model is described as S.DE (Sustainable Distributed Economies), they share or jointly use various forms of local resources, including skills, knowledge, manufacturing/service capabilities. 

So when we say we put people and planet ahead of profit we mean it! UndaMeta not only offer a distributed fabric manufacturing solution, it is multiple-user, fosters participatory co-design, has localized units and provides ‘comprehensive communication between all key stakeholders in order to facilitate customer-oriented production’ (Petrulaityte et al, 2017).

Undameta may be a disruptive textile and fashion business model that may at the first sound complex, but when one looks closely, one sees it inherently promotes good design practice and goodwill; the ambition to enhance social cohesion, equitable distribution of skills and resources and keeping our economic power local with sustenance.

References:

C. Vezzoli, Parra B. G., Kohtala, C. (eds). (2021). Designing sustainability for all. The Design of Sustainable Product-Service Systems applied to Distributed Economies. Lecture Notes for Mechanical Engineering. https://doi.org/20.1007/978-3-030-66300-1_2

Johansson, A., Kisch, P., Mutara, M. (2005). Distributed economies – A new engine for innovation. J Clean Prod 13 (10–11), pp.971-979

Petrulaityte, A., Cheschin, F., Pei, E., Harrison, D. (2017). Supporting sustainable product-service system implementation through distributed manufacturing. In: The 9th CIRP industrial product-service system conference: circular perspectives on product-service systems. Denmark.