Mutual exchange

In particular, the brand wants to celebrate the decades of shoe-making expertise that local artisans are said to have acquired, as well as textiles typical of the region.

The initiative began in 2015, and since then the brand has produced collections that consist of a vegetable-tanned leather boot and a sandal available in several kaleidoscopic colourways.

Camper has also helped bring about improvements with shoe-making capacity-building, innovation in leather tanning, and better management and manufacturing processes at HAFDE, its partner tannery.

‘We are extremely pleased to work with Camper, a family-owned company with strong values and a long-term perspective on our collaboration,’ says Simone Cipriani, head of the Ethical Fashion Initiative. ‘Beyond developing the collection and providing work for Ethiopian shoe-makers, Camper has provided us with guidance on developing the capacity of the artisans.’