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Carly Burson has two goals: make fashion more compassionate and sustainable and give women safe employment and equal opportunities within the industry.
Burson is on her way to achieving both through her LAUDE the Label fashion brand. The company has allowed Burson to challenge the fast-fashion industry by building a business that pays workers above minimum wages and uses natural materials that are environmentally friendly.
“I know for certain that we’ve deeply impacted the lives of many, many women, and if that’s all we do, then that’s truly enough for me,” she said.
‘An industry that was perpetuating poverty worldwide’
About a decade ago, Burson was in the corporate fashion world, but she didn’t realize that garment workers were making less than $2 a day to produce clothing for some of the largest U.S. brands that profited millions each year.
Workers — most of whom are women — labored many hours yet couldn’t provide for their families.
“I was working in an industry that was perpetuating poverty worldwide,” Burson said.
Burson decided to use her experience in the fashion industry to build a brand focused on righting what she sees as the wrongs of the conventional industry.
The reward of not having fear
After being in business for two months, Burson’s company received an order for 10,000 bracelets, which prompted her to quit her full-time job and move to Honduras with her 2-year-old daughter to oversee the production. The company received an order...