The Problem The Program Addresses:

Artisans from developing countries, such as Vietnam, are economically, socially and culturally disadvantaged which have resulted in their exploitation.

Even though Artisans are able to produce their traditional crafts they struggle in developing and understanding new products in terms of craft, design and market.

There are countless cases of designer and brands that, intentionally or unintentionally take inspiration and skills from these artisans without any question of intellectual rights, financial compensation or recognition of the source. Alongside this these marginalized groups have no understanding of what is happening.

The Solution: Master Artisan Program

This non-profit education program has developed in response to the problem highlighted above and through the experience and knowledge of the personnel within the social enterprise Fashion4Freedom (please see below more info on this). It provides a mixture of design and business education while being heavily embed within a work integrated learning (WIL) approach. It is education model in which education goes into the field and is adapted to the needs and requirements of the individual artisan while understanding their cultural, economic and social needs.

It also provides opportunity for artisans to interface with industry (and visa versa). This is done through real projects working with clients, designers, F4F's brand and internships. Through this the artisans gain new skills and knowledge that they can directly apply within the crafts they practice while also providing economic opportunity.

Aims of Program:

Through a combination of pedagogy, academic research, WIL and studio practice to:

1) Enable master artisans from developing countries to adapt their craft so that they are competitive in a world market. Competitive both from a business perspective (price, quality, product development etc.) and from a contemporary design perspective.

2) Preservation of traditional craft

3) Bridge the gap between artisans, designers, educators and students so that a climate evolves where collaboration, education and sharing of knowledge become fundamental in the design, preservation and production.

To provide more clarity of the program it is important to understand the context of where it operates. This needs to be done geographically, economically, socially and culturally alongside understanding both the work and mission undertaken by Fashion4Freedon.

Background:

Vietnam's fashion and textiles manufacturing industry is a key contributor to its economy and currently is in the top five garment producers for the world. As a result Vietnam has undergone a huge metamorphosis.

The move towards globalized mass production has had an enormous impact on Vietnam's heritage. Already many of the traditional crafts and ways of living have either disappeared or are struggling due to lack of economic opportunity. It is imperative for organizations and people to support and enable craft villages, artisans and manufacturers to meet these challenges by providing opportunities, training and support.

In 2010, Fashion4Freedom was formalized, using an AID + TRADE model to leverage philanthropic funds to help marginalized producers into scalable entrepreneurs.

FASHION4FREEDOM – Project to date

- A social enterprise and local non- profit that works directly with Vietnamese artisans, villages and co-operatives.

- The NGO (based in Hue) has the responsibility of incubating artisans with 0% equipment loans and other tools of development while F4F works at developing artisans in entrepreneurs by focusing on design, quality, and new market opportunities for sales.

- The vision is to establish a business model that preserves Vietnamese heritage through an ethical, sustainable supply chain.

- Has been operating in Vietnam for 8 years

- F4F's collective includes 71 communities of villages, artisans and tailors.

Hue:

Hue City is a worldwide known cultural hotspot in Vietnam, for example the Imperial City and the Forbidden Purple City (from the Nguyen Dynasty). The city and surrounding region is rich in both history and culture and has a wide breadth of traditional makers practicing crafts.

Obstacles artisans face:

1) Artisans in Vietnam lack fundamental and technology acumen to access outside markets. This weakness has barred artisan villages from accessing financial assistance & working capital.

2) Preservation of traditional craft can only be achieved if the artisans and rural communities are able to meet their economic needs through practicing these traditions.

3) Lack of Business and Design Education (Master Program was developed in response to this)

I. Business skills (finance, budgeting, costing).

II. Design skills (adapting their craft, product development, trends and market awareness)

4) Resources

I. Lack of available investment for small-scale entrepreneurs.

II. Lack of equipment: computers, photography, sewing machines, tech tools etc.

III. Lack of access to customers and buyers.

Development of The Master Artisan Program

Through working closely with artisans and providing training workshops (please refer to website www.fashion4freedom.com to learn more about the work we do) it became evident that a tailored made approach for business and design training was needed. Creative Director and Co-Founder Victoria Ho saw a need for a special type of education that would go into the field. Artisans do not have the time, opportunity or funds to go to university. An education was needed that fit around their need to earn money, keep them in their homeland and provided opportunity for them to continue their craft.

In 2017 the Master Artisan Program was formed which utilized educational approaches, tools and ways of thinking within a grass roots approach.

Master Artisan Program

The Master Artisans are identified from the extensive network Fashion4Freedom has access to. They are the individuals that practice a traditional craft, show a high level of creativity and/or ability, and are economically disadvantaged and culturally vulnerable.

In University a program is divided into years, this program is categorized by stages/ levels which allows artisans to develop at their own pace and to a level that meets their needs and abilities. The length will vary from 2 to 6 years and all will be part time.

Stage 1: INCUBATION = Sampling, testing, quality, stage 1 design, costing, quality

Stage 2: DEVELOPMENT = co-design, know-ledge sharing, business, industry interfacing, manufacturing, small runs.

Stage 3: ESTABLISHING = design/ product development, co-design, knowledge sharing, manufacturing, industry.

Stage 4: SHARING = back to community, knowledge transfer

Each stage is focused on both design and business and as they progress the WIL component increases. The artisans are paid labor and material costs while undertaking any aspect of the program.

Model of Excellence:

1. Ethically sound.

2. Transforms vocational education in developing countries through:

- The " in the field" approach

- The combination of pedagogy, WIL and practice.

3. Benefits for Artisan/ communities:

- Design practices and methods that can be taken back to communities.

- Cross-culture exposure

- Established links with and exposure to global industry, academia and research.

4. Benefits for Industry, outside education and research:

- Opportunity for co-learning and design

- Opportunity for ethical production and design.

5. Quality of Learning:

- Monitored by Project Leader.

- Monitored by Fashion4Freedom in relation to ethics and needs assessment and assessment of designers and companies (WIL component).

Program Coordinator

VICTORIA HO Co-founder + Creative Director: Victoria has an MA in Fashion Design (Central Saint Martins), 14 years experience in education (last role as Head of Fashion, RMIT Vietnam), 10 years of industry and is undertaking a practiced- based PhD at London College of Fashion.

LANVY NGUYEN Founder + Creative conspirator: LanVy offers experiences from two separate careers: a decade of corporate development and finance in New York and factory consultation and production experience in Asia since 2003.

Master Artisan: Chi Thoai and Chi Tha From The Ta Oi (A Lu?i ) Tribe

Chi Thoai, head of A Luoi fabric weaving cooperative and Chi Tha, vice head are both currently on the program at Stage 2. Please refer to video clip (in application) for interview with Chi Thoai and hear her talk about her craft. For the full video please follow this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gpny8Zt4PA&feature=youtu.be

The Ta Oi Tribe speak a hybrid dialect that shows influence from both Vietnam and Laos. The tribe are still very cut off from the modern world and seem centuries away from the fast developing cities of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

They are known for their beautiful woven textiles using wooden back looms, the techniques have been passed down from generation to generation for more than seven hundred years. One truly amazing design aspect of the aLuoi textiles is that there is a symbolic language woven into the fabrics.

The Ta Oi Tribe, due to their location, education, tech tools and access to global markets are struggling to make a living off their craft and as a result their traditional way of living is under threat. Last year we found out that they had taken out a loan from the mafia, to pay for materials, which put them at even greater risk.

Achievements in 2017:

I. Cloth from the Ta Oi Tribe (designed and made by tribe) was used in a collection for an American designer that went down New York Fashion Week SS18 in February 2017 (Neubryne SS18 Collection).

II. Coats Threads Partnership: Coats Phuong Phuc (Vietnam) are supporting the Ta Oi Tribe through donations of their left over threads. These threads are being used to weave the cloth.