Pour Les Femmes is a social enterprise sleepwear company owned by actor and activist t and designer Karen Fowler. The two friends discussed reforming the broken systems of the fashion industry and how their brand is giving back to women in conflict regions around the world.
When we started this we were just two friends who wanted to do something while having fun but along the way have really wanted to become change leaders. We had a big love for textiles. But could not find our perfect pyjamas. So this is where it started ...
What the "pyjama state of mind" meant for us was comfort and security.
Our focus is on: Slow Fashion, Fair wages, Good working conditions
We wanted to have a ‘give back’ element and Robin wanted to do something with women in conflict regions.
On working with Kongolese women
Over 6 million people had died in the Kongo, more than in WWII and nobody was aware that.
It is the unfinished work of the 21st century. So we asked - what do you need.
They said ‘We don’t have a voice. Nobody knows our hardship. When we go out to get water, we don’t know if we are coming back’.
So we wanted to do sth for these women to have their own business.
On work culture and what's next
We would never ask our most junior people to do sth we wouldn’t do. We want to expand into a lifestyle brand. Linens are coming next. We also want to extend the give work program - where we give work to women in conflict regions.