Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - November/December 2020

Wraptious has a strong focus on fair trade and sustainability. Simon Wadsworth, director, says, “We take sustainability seriously at Wraptious by believing we can make a positive impact in giving back to our artists, the planet and its communities. We plant three trees for every order we receive, and celebrated reaching our first target of 50,000 trees planted last month! All our paper and timber is from either FSC, recycled or biodegradable materials, including our greeting cards with are also packaged in biodegradable cellophane, saving us half a tonne of plastic waste a year.” T: +44 (0)161 430 2310 www.wraptious.com Lotusfeet works with co-operatives and small family businesses. The company designs and produces high-quality, ethically-sourced jewellery and fashion accessories for wholesale and bespoke collections. According to the company, “The last few months have put unprecedented pressures on all our businesses, not least our partners in the Philippines. Lotusfeet’s immediate response was to ensure that all our partners were financially secure by guaranteeing ongoing and completed orders, thereby securing funds during lockdown and during the uncertainty that continues to lie ahead. “The Philippines experienced far stricter Government restrictions than us here in the UK. As a result, our partners had to withstand far greater limitations on movement together with a scarcity of raw materials, thereby making continued production very challenging. “Despite these challenges, the spirit and inspiration of the Filipino community rose and continues to rise to the challenges of COVID-19. We are extremely grateful to our partners in the Philippines without whose resilience we would have been unable to continue to supply our customers. We are deeply committed to ensuring we can continue to provide for our partners. “We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers who have continued to support us through these challenging times. Your continued support has ensured that all supply lines remain open and that all our partners in the Philippines can move through these times with confidence. “We would also like to invite all our customers to register on to our newly launched website on which you can view our new ranges as well as are popular existing lines.” E: lotus@lotusfeet.co.uk W: www.lotusfeet.co.uk Earth Squared has been “fabulous and fair trade” since 2001. Building a brand from scratch with the idea of creating a fair trade business that was commercially viable has taken the team on a remarkable journey. Now 19 years into the process, Earth Squared is a well-recognised name in the retail sector and continues to go from strength to strength. As customers become increasingly aware of the impact of their buying decisions it is important to provide customers with a product that has ethical provenance. Earth Squared designs of all its products (including fabrics) in-house and has worked with fair trade accredited artisans in Vietnam since the beginning. When you buy an Earth Squared handbag there are direct benefits for the people who make them and the company places considerable emphasis on long term planning so that its producers know they can rely on predictable ordering patterns. The company says, “However, above all, we like to think that our products stand out for their design, quality and value for money, with the ethical back story being a massive bonus. We are also proud to be long standing members of BAFTS (British Fair Trade Network), which does outstanding work promoting the benefits of fair trade. “This year sees continued challenges regarding sustainability, and we are looking closely at ways we can significantly reduce our environmental impact. We have introduced new packaging in Spring 2020 that almost eliminates single use plastics, with more actions to follow later in the year.” T: +44 (0)1620 892 289 W: www.fairtradewholesale.co.uk Giving back With consumers increasingly seeking out brands that have a focus on fair trade, we shine the spotlight on companies doing just that  45 FAIRTRADE