Walk the halls of some secondary private schools in Ohio and you will see students adorned in what appears to be typical school attire: striped skirts, traditional ties and stark white button-up oxfords.
What you do not see are the amazing women around the globe who use sewing skills, passed down from generation to generation, to craft the uniforms. Nor do you see a Kent State University alumna whose heart for humanity has turned a fashion dream into an ethical business that empowers women out of poverty.
Meet Hilary Dell. In 2010 she graduated from Kent State’s Fashion School and entered the fashion industry only to be dismayed by the waste and unethical practices that surrounded her. Instead of taking part, Hilary reflected on an internship she once completed in Uganda, Africa.
“I just saw the effect that fair trade had on women living in remote areas who don’t have a lot of access to income,” Dell said. “I was really inspired by that and just decided to make that what I do with my life, is to help those women.”
Dell started One Seed Heritage, a company that partners with women around the globe to ethically sew sustainable uniforms for private schools in Ohio, including Gilmour Academy, Gates Mills; Our Lady of the Elms, Akron; Beaumont School, Cleveland Heights; Magnificat High School, Rocky River; and St. Ursula Academy, Cincinnati.
The women sew recycled jeans into skirts. The shirts are made with organic cotton from fair trade organizations that work with small farmers. The ties are created out of previously worn skirts.
Dell credits her success to Bad Girl Ventures® - a nonprofit organization that helps women start and grow businesses in Kent, Ohio and surrounding