Empowering women through ethical fashion.
By Laurel Sanchez
Today, "sustainable” and “ethical” have become buzzwords in the fashion industry as many fast fashion brands play with greenwashing techniques to increase sales and cater to consumers. Anne Drane, SAWA SAWA Co-Founder, is committed to changing this narrative. Her brand represents the positive potential of the fashion industry. Coexisting as a brand and a nonprofit organization, SAWA SAWA contributes to the Kenyan community by directly compensating the women who handcraft the products sold.
Growing up in Kenya and attending boarding school, Drane faced many societal expectations, including the pressure to "be a good example, make straight A's and get married." This pressure prompted her to move to the United States, where she discovered the vast opportunities available to women; particularly in business.
“I never thought I would have a brand,” Drane said. “It started with a longing for home and missing certain aspects of my culture. I called my mom and asked her to go to the village and get me the beautiful baskets and the traditional shoes made with beads.”
Eventually, these women started reaching out to Drane’s mother and walking miles to sell her their craft. She saw the potential to create something bigger. These women were producing beautiful, sustainable products. But, they needed structure. Instead of tasking every woman to make something unique, she envisioned a more organized approach of creating collections with intention.
“At the beginning, you don't really know what you're doing,” said Drane. “You can see the vision. You can see these women come together – they weave. That's how they fellowship, that's how they talk, that's how they sing.”
In 2023 and 2024, Drane returned to Kenya to immerse herself in the process. Every step is done by hand, from extracting the agave fibers with a machete to dying them with flowers, tree bark and even soot from fires. “Everything is handcrafted; they're authentic, not the type of souvenirs tourists would buy.”
Drane is a part of the Bantu culture, who migrated from Egypt centuries ago and brought back Egyptian weaving techniques. Other tribes specialize in beading and leatherwork. Each community works with available materials and the deep-rooted culture in their techniques.
SAWA SAWA’s mission extends beyond fashion. By working directly with women, they cut out the middleman.
“When a woman makes a basket we buy it, so she makes the money from us buying the bag,” says Drane. “However, when we make the profits on this side, the profits are invested in programs.”
Their menstrual program is the largest, as this is what every woman inquires about. They have transitioned from providing disposable menstrual pads to reusable menstrual cups, offering a sustainable solution in areas with limited sanitation.
SAWA SAWA also partners with organizations like Well Aware to fund well-digging projects and install rainwater collection systems. A single $700 project can provide clean water for an entire village. Additionally, the nonprofit focuses on providing food aid to Kenya. This started after a trip to Kenya and Co-Founder, Kate Wamu Mun’ara offered a single banana to a young Kenyan boy.
“Kate gave one of the boys there a banana, and he grabbed the banana, ate the peel…then looked at the banana like it was fudge cake or something, and slowly ate the rest of the banana,” Drane said. “And we were like, ‘Oh, my God, they're hungry.’”
The potential is immense. Every village has thousands of women skilled in weaving. One of the most heartbreaking moments for Drane was witnessing women standing on the sidelines, waiting for their turn to weave and make a profit. But, the only way to include more women is to sell more bags. “Hopefully, we'll get orders into the thousands in the future as we partner with more brands and more stores.”
The dream is big. With every handcrafted piece, SAWA SAWA moves closer to a future where fashion uplifts communities and protects the planet. Drane’s personal journey from building a brand to advocating for ethical fashion proves that fashion can be a force for good. Every bag sold is more than a product; it’s a story of empowerment, sustainability and transformation.
“It's a poverty issue, and the big thing we do with our fashion brand is eliminate poverty. You don't realize what you're doing when you start. But as you grow, you realize what a big deal it is.”
