Longtime friends Rosario Dawson and Abrima Erwiah knew exactly what they were doing when they launched a sustainable line of clothing. After the pair took a trip through Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2011, they formed an idea that’s as simple as it is impactful: use fashion and other creative fields as platforms for social change.
The pair noticed that people living in developing countries were able to grow sustainable businesses through the practices of craft, art, and music. After that "a-ha!" moment, Dawson and Erwiah embarked on a journey to create Studio One Eighty Nine, an online magazine, e-commerce portal, and artisan-produced fashion line that promotes African culture. Studio One Eighty Nine also empowers women: its fashion line, now available at Opening Ceremony, was launched in support of One Billion Rising, the global campaign to end violence against women.
Studio One Eighty Nine’s Spring/Summer 2015 collection was entirely produced in Mali and Ghana, where the company is based, helping provide jobs and education to local artisans. Pieces like the Aggie Printed Military Shirt, a unisex button-down, were hand-batiked on Ghana’s Cape Coast—a process involving hot wax and hand-dyes that produces gorgeous, completely singular prints. The Bogolan Printed Shirt and the Random Bogolan Printed Sun Dress, meanwhile, are made of traditional bògòlan textiles from Mali, printed by applying fermented layers of mud to cotton. All of the garments were assembled by skilled second- and third-generation tailors in Ghana, for impeccable cuts that scream "bring on summer."
"Boa me na me mwoa wo," a symbol found printed on multiple garments in the collection like the Boa Me Printed Short Kimono, means "help me and let me help you"—a pay-it-forward motto that the brand epitomizes.
Also look out for Studio One Eighty Nine's collaboration with lingerie line and micro-finance pioneers Empowered By You. Founded by Renata Mutis Black, Empowered By You uses 20 percent of its net profits to grant loans to impoverished women around the world. In the case of the African-inspired undies created with Studio One Eighty Nine, those are going to women in Ghana.
Summer-ready outfits with impactful prints and a worthy cause? Now that's something we can stand behind.
Shop Studio One Eighty Nine for men and women![]()
Click through to view Studio One Eighty Nine's newest collection. ![]()
Printed Jumpsuit in wine ![]()
The pair noticed that people living in developing countries were able to grow sustainable businesses through the practices of craft, art, and music. After that "a-ha!" moment, Dawson and Erwiah embarked on a journey to create Studio One Eighty Nine, an online magazine, e-commerce portal, and artisan-produced fashion line that promotes African culture. Studio One Eighty Nine also empowers women: its fashion line, now available at Opening Ceremony, was launched in support of One Billion Rising, the global campaign to end violence against women.
Studio One Eighty Nine’s Spring/Summer 2015 collection was entirely produced in Mali and Ghana, where the company is based, helping provide jobs and education to local artisans. Pieces like the Aggie Printed Military Shirt, a unisex button-down, were hand-batiked on Ghana’s Cape Coast—a process involving hot wax and hand-dyes that produces gorgeous, completely singular prints. The Bogolan Printed Shirt and the Random Bogolan Printed Sun Dress, meanwhile, are made of traditional bògòlan textiles from Mali, printed by applying fermented layers of mud to cotton. All of the garments were assembled by skilled second- and third-generation tailors in Ghana, for impeccable cuts that scream "bring on summer."
"Boa me na me mwoa wo," a symbol found printed on multiple garments in the collection like the Boa Me Printed Short Kimono, means "help me and let me help you"—a pay-it-forward motto that the brand epitomizes.
Also look out for Studio One Eighty Nine's collaboration with lingerie line and micro-finance pioneers Empowered By You. Founded by Renata Mutis Black, Empowered By You uses 20 percent of its net profits to grant loans to impoverished women around the world. In the case of the African-inspired undies created with Studio One Eighty Nine, those are going to women in Ghana.
Summer-ready outfits with impactful prints and a worthy cause? Now that's something we can stand behind.
Shop Studio One Eighty Nine for men and women
Click through to view Studio One Eighty Nine's newest collection. 
Printed Jumpsuit in wine 