We prioritise ethical and social responsibility through every aspect of our value chain. This begins with an understanding that social and environmental responsibility can no longer be treated as tradeoffs. Rather, to truly honour all people and resources involved, we emphasise creating a culture of collaboration. 

This involves many social layers behind any relationship, from equal agency and fair compensation to decentralising power, collaborating in design and beyond. We have so much to learn from these partnerships and are constantly in awe of the work and impact each of the women we collaborate with.

We as women have been translating our world and beliefs into cloth for centuries, weaving and stitching our beliefs and wishes with silk spun threads. At Zazi, we aim to celebrate this women's craftsmanship passed on from generation to generation.

By collaborating with and platforming their ancestral knowledge and craft, we can create a culture that naturally understands and respects all participants in the value chain. From the intercropping of different indigenous plants for fertile soil to returning to hand-based techniques, revitalising ancestral practices allows us to co-create and innovate for the future

From the mountains of Uzbekistan to the rural villages of India or Ghana, the regionalization of our production integrates us within the pre-existing structures and networks of our communities. Responsible sourcing from seed to co-creation isn’t a one size fits all story. Rather our production processes and choice of resources depend closely on listening to our partners, (reviving) their local networks, and their local biodiversity.

Through our commitment to collaborate intentionally we can truly bridge our artisans, farmers, natural dyers and weavers to our community around the world in the most respectful and regenerative manner.

For Zazi, transparency and traceability are heavily intertwined with the other pillars that guide our work. It goes beyond sharing clear information about the resources, suppliers, and production behind our products. Everything we make has an impact on the planet and our people.

Through integrity and a willingness to increase our value chain knowledge, we can create high-quality pieces while assessing ways to limit our impact and support a reciprocal and thriving community and planet.

When it comes to running a business with purpose, we must constantly question and rethink what we have been taught to value as success. This is such a personal journey, but one that forms our brand identity and reflects the values behind our work. To us, this requires looking beyond constant growth and emphasising intentionality and authenticity in design. It’s a willingness to take things slow, creating garments you can cherish forever, made harmonically with the seasons and rhythms of people and nature, as well as with intentionality to last.

DECONSTRUCTING, LEARNING, AND RELEARNING.

At Zazi, we prioritise working in the most honest and transparent way. To grow, learn and improve practices together. This starts with acknowledging that we still have work to do in order to honour our Earth and people. When working with very rural communities, there are many layers that must be addressed before reaching these goals. From electricity, clean water access, to women’s financial independence - we prioritise our people before anything else. As we continue to grow and work with a diversity of people and communities, we also are diversifying our knowledge- gaining an understanding of different local capacities and how regeneration may differ per region or circumstance.