Ida Horner

Female

Weybridge

United Kingdom

Profile Information:

Profession / role:
Social Entreprenuer
Company / organisation:
Ethnic Supplies Ltd
Website (if you have one):
www.ethnicsupplies.co.uk
My primary role in relation to fashion is:
Retailer, Supplier, Consultant
I am looking to discover or buy
Share ideas, Decision makers in the fashion world, access to buyers
About me / About business or organisation:
I am the Founder and owner of Ethnic Supplies Ltd a social enterprise that supports East african women involved in textile and handicraft production reach a much wider market with their goods. I believe that this is a more sustainable way out of poverty.

I am passionate development issues and I bring a "hard earned" approach/exprience to my work or debates to this topic

I am also the lead Trustee of a charity LET THEM HELP THEMSELVES OUT OF POVERTY, whose aims are to enable folk in developing world to share their skills with folk in the developing world.

Our current project is in Ruhanga SW Uganda. The biggest challenge in that community is accessing clean water and currently women and children spend up to 3 hours day in search of clean water.



If I can help you in anyway, please get in touch

My blog is at http://ethnicsupplies.wordpress.com/
Career history / Company history:
Started work in the Hotel industry, I retrained and move in the the Socail hosuing sector where I worked with the poor and homeless of London, changed direction in 2007 to address the poverty amongst African women invoved in textile handicraft production

Comment Wall:

  • Kate Louise Hutchinson

    Dear Ida,

    Great to see you on our network and especially in the Africa group. I'm the Africa Group Administrator so I'll let you know about useful information that I come across. I saw that your social enterprise supports East African women but I also wondered if you have done any work in Ghana? I'm putting together a sourcing from Ghana booklet and am looking for people/organisations to feature as case studies. Do you know anyone else who would be interested in this?

    I hope you find the network useful,

    Kate

    Aug 10, 2009

  • David McGill

    Hello Ida, very impressive project and website. I'd really like to chat to you about possible co-operation.

    Aug 10, 2009

  • jacqueline

    Hi Ida

    welcome to the site

    i totally believe in what you are doing....helping others to help themselves...its not aid but trade that Africa needs...

    will stay in touch to hear more about the work you do

    jacqueline

    Aug 12, 2009

  • BORA ASSUMANI

    Hi Ida,
    I have been reading about your work and check out your website, what a great achievement hun! Hope that you can make it to the spotlight seminar today. You will definitely hear from me once I design my A/W 10 range : ) I dont know where to start in finding suppliers etc

    Anyway hun hope to meet you soon
    x

    Aug 18, 2009

  • Raven + Lily

    My name is Sophia and I'm the co-founder of a non-profit called Raven + Lily. We are located in Los Angeles, CA but we work with co-ops mainly in India and East Africa. We just returned from a trip to East Africa (kenya, ethiopia and burundi) about 3 weeks ago to meet the co-ops, source fabrics, and get to know the women that we're supporting.

    Our non-profit works on designs with these co-ops, pays them a fair wage, helps them market and sell their goods to the U.S. Market and then sends the proceeds back to the local co-op communities.

    We are really having trouble sourcing african prints made locally within Africa. most seem to be made in India and Africa. Do you have any vendors you would recommend?

    Sep 10, 2009

  • Raven + Lily

    Ida,
    Here's a picture of the kangas that we sourced while we were there. But it doesn't seem like we're able to find anything made locally. we might have to resort to something being made elsewhere like India but only if it's fair trade.

    any suggestions or help would really be great. thank you so much!!!!!

    Sep 10, 2009

  • Raven + Lily

    This picture is from kangas that we're bought from a vendor while we were in Burundi. He said that they were designed for export to Germany.

    We really appreciate your help. The fabrics do not have to be exactly like this. We are just looking for some printed fabrics in coordinating patterns that we could create a baby collection from.

    I will check back for photos.

    My contact info is:
    Sophia Hirokawa Lin
    designsilverlake@gmail.com
    310-990-4497 (california, united states)

    Sep 10, 2009

  • Raven + Lily

    these are beautiful designs. did you design these? do you have other prints besides tie dye?

    Sep 10, 2009

  • Raven + Lily

    we are open to using african print fabrics from elsewhere if there are no local options. basically our goal is to provide work for these women so our priorities:
    1. provide opportunities to the women
    2. ideally fair trade fabrics
    3. ideally organic

    (in that order of importance to us)

    thank you for your help!
    sophia

    Sep 10, 2009

  • andrea ojerinola

    Hi Ida

    I am thanks, and you? Hope to run into you at one ofthe upcoming events :-)

    Sep 12, 2009

  • Leona Mani

    Hi Ida
    Thanks, and hope to meet you at the networking evening next week.
    If there's anything you would like me to promote on my website, just let me know.
    Best,
    Leona

    Sep 14, 2009

  • andrea ojerinola

    Hiya, no I'm not going to be able to make it, but I'm going to the fashion diversity show on Saturday. If you're going to be there we can arrange to meet up.

    Sep 14, 2009

  • andrea ojerinola

    Hi Ida

    It's on the events page, it's called Fashion Diversity 2009 and it's about the 3rd down on the list.

    Sep 15, 2009