Robin Wright, giving back
Well-known for her role as Claire Underwood in House Of Cards (and her presidential style), Robin Wright is also the co-founder of a socially-conscious clothing range. Having spent over a decade visiting the Congo, meeting female survivors of violent crimes via the Washington-based Enough Project, Wright was determined to do something to give back. To help give Congolese women a ‘sustainable life’. Along with her friend, designer Karen Fowler, the pair created a range of beautiful sleepwear with the aim of providing economic opportunities for women living in war-torn regions around the world.
Pour Les Femmes launched in 2014, the nightwear collection is inspired by vintage designs and crafted from soft Indian cotton and linen. ‘We’ve always said we want to build our perfect idea of a pyjama because we could never find it. And we love being in bed,’ Wright has said. The initiative helps to give the female survivors of violence the chance to learn a trade. Through sewing classes the Congolese women provide for themselves and their families, and then pass the skills on to other women. In a country where women have been systematically abused and silenced and have little or no rights (it is reported that 2.5 million girls are out of school), Pour les Femmes provides the opportunity to work and be independent. ‘We want to give these women a feeling of comfort and security. That’s what you get when you pull on a pair of pyjamas and get into bed. We feel safe at night and they don’t.’
Linen shirtdress
Photographed by Rory Payne and interviewed by Ella Alexander, Wright is wearing a combination of Pour Les Femmes, Raey and The Row. Read the full feature HERE.
Quotes are from the Telegraph.
Pour les Femmes is available HERE. Listen to Robin Wright and Karen Fowler in conversation with Livia Firth HERE.
Please note affiliate links in this post may generate commission
Discussion (13 Comments)
Jodi Brown says:
These are a little beyond my purse but really nice, and a great initiative to empower these women and their communities. As a keen sewist myself we shouldn’t underestimate the power of these skills for change.
I’ve long admired Robin Wright and applaud these older women who seem to have more oomph than a lot of the younger ones 🙂Lesley Somerville says:
One of the most powerful agents for change in the world, in my view, is the growing influence of older women. They have more financial independence; better health and therefore energy; greater community engagement due to their roles as carers within their own families and beyond; and thus as a group more power than at any time in history. We are growing in number and influence and we intend to make a difference. It’s the thing that gives me most hope for the future.
Mrs Tonia says:
Many good points expressed here. Once again thanks Alyson for introducing us to this work in Africa as well as the lovely nightwear.
I support Red Nose Day and Fairtrade initiatives ,even if I wear more modestly priced pyjamas. Good that high profile actors wish to promote these sort of charitable campaigns.
Anna K. says:
I love initiatives like this that are so positive: helping women to help themselves is a brilliant way of improving their lives through empowerment . As there are more women heading up businesses in the developed world, so there is more focus on directing some of the profits to encouraging women in the developing world. Great stuff!
I support a project called KIVA (Alyson – delete this please if it’s off topic). You lend a small sum of money to a specific person or group and they repay you as their businesses grow. Default rates are minuscule; poor people don’t renege on their debts. I recycle repayments into a new project. On International Women’s Day I had a repayment from a woman who had been able to buy a better sewing machine for her small business and recycled it to a co-operative of women in Africa who are growing and selling vegetables, and are therefore able to send their children to school. It’s great to feel that you are helping women to be self-supporting, independent and confident of the future.
Ana says:
I understand that initiative is based on the economic theory developed by a Nobel Prize in Economy named Muhamad Yunus, who promotes giving small loans to poor people in order to help them progress in their work; it has proved extremely succesful. It is applied in many parts of the third world; one of its ambassadors is Maxima, the queen of Holand, who is an argentinian Economist.
Maylis says:
£320 is quite a lot for linen pyjamas. I can’t help thinking that charity is, once again, a pretence for making money off the poor. I would like to know how much a Congolese seamstress gets for one pyjamas.
That’s a good point, Maylis. The Telegraph feature says 50% of profits go to Congolese women…
Rosemary Abbott says:
My daughter is trying to help people in her area (Cambridgeshire UK) learn to sew patchwork and maybe recycle clothes. She has received funding and buys old fashiond hand sewing machines so no electricity needed.
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I’ve always loved pyjamas, you can never have too many, and I’ve always had a huge girl crush on Robin. This item just makes me adore her even more!