Unkara
A Slow Fashion Brand Made by Women, for Social Impact
How Kickstarter works
We use Kickstarter as our first fundraising platform. We will offer tiers of rewards for your donation (purchase). Instead of selling single items on our website, we offer NINE(9) reward tiers, including 2 yearly subscription tiers and 7 single-item reward tiers.
Pledge $819 ($999 Regular Value) - year subscription
Unkara plans a new collection seasonally. You are entitled to THREE whole outfits (ONE each season - spring, summer, and fall) from our brand-new products, with the option to return them to us after a year of owning them, to exchange Unkara token ($1 equals 1 Unkara token), which can be used in next year's subscription. Based on an evaluation of the quality of the returned pieces, we will decide the amount of Unkara tokens being awarded (100-700 Unkara tokens). In the second year, members have the option to roll in a second-hand year subscription, which starts from 700 tokens. Unkara tokens can only be used to purchase our products OR donations to support Unkara Movement's charity work.
Pledge $519 ($699 Regular Value) - half year subscription
Unkara plans new collection seasonally. You are entitled to TWO whole outfits (ONE each season, spring and summer) from our brand-new products, with the option to return them to us after a year of owning them, to exchange Unkara coin ($1 equals 1 Unkara token), which can be used in next year's subscription. Based on an evaluation of the quality of the returned pieces, we will decide the amount of Unkara token being awarded (50-500 Unkara tokens). Second year, members have the option to roll in second-hand half year subscription, which starts from 500 tokens. Unkara tokens can only be used to purchase our products OR donation to support Unkara Movement's charity work.
Lower Pledge tiers ($25 to $429) - Single piece trial
These will allow customers and donors to purchase our products through donation to try our products. We are building a non-profit foundation. Single item sale won't be available after Kickstarter. GET IT NOW!
Ankara print is unique
We use linen and African print (Ankara cotton) as decoration to make our products. You may not get the exact same Ankara pattern but we guarantee the consistency of style and aesthetics. We are also working with artists and designers to have those fabrics uniquely designed, inspired by visual images of nature or environmental damage done to our nature, and peace-building missions as their interpretations.
Where does your donation go?
We will send you video and pictures of the production process, the story of the seamstress who made your dress, and how your purchase would benefit her and her family.
WHY DID WE START UNKARA?
"I Have Nothing to Wear."
We feel compelled to tell a story.
Walking into a three-level fast fashion retail store, picking something similar to what you have seen trendy online, with one-fourth of the price in other couture stores, you can get away with a sexy look for a cocktail party or a professional look for an office happy hour the same night. Next week, why not get another one? There are new styles every week. Those dangling chic dresses plant a seed of desire in your mind.
The problem?
We end up having exploding wardrobes after a few months, yet we only 10% of your wardrobe more than 3 times a year, the rest goes to thrift stores. The irresponsible and impulsive over-consuming culture becomes a norm in our society. Negative feelings such as insecurity, inadequacy and anxiety start consuming our mental health.
Meanwhile in the Fashion Industry.
For centuries, style and beauty have remained at the core of our expression and exploration of value and identity. Yet it is an undebatable fact that the fashion industry is often tied to consumerism and materialism.
According to a GlobalData's research in 2022, U.S. secondhand market is expected to more than double by 2026, reaching $82 billion. Currently, the U.S. leads the world in secondhand clothing exports. Many African countries have become second-hand textile dumpling destinations.
The final destination of the second-hand supply chain is heartbreak.
Our Solution
A creative solution and a social movement is coming from UNKARA Fashion. Unkara Fashion is leading a social movement with our sustainable and environmentally-friendly value chain.Our mission is to promote African authentic fashion with our modern touch, provide jobs to marginalized women in Africa, and bring joy and happiness to rural areas.
We designed a sustainable membership business model to perserve authentic culture, promote local job creation, and generate revenue to create a healthy cycle from production to distribution. Our action is based on three pillars which are formed by our philosophy.
In June 2023, Unkara Fashion was recognized and included by INSPIRO network initiated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
1) Stand against textile pollution caused by fast fashion and propose sustainable alternatives with high-quality and slow fashion designs.
2) Promote Africa authentic garment and design to generate local jobs.
3) Help female refugees in Africa by empowering women to combat abusive and violent situation.
Kickstarter
Our team is proud to announce the launch of our new U.S. based non-profit organization dedicated to empowering women refugees. With a team that includes a refugee protection specialist, one experienced venture philanthropist , and a licensed seamstress and designer, and savvy community engager. We are committed to providing tailoring training programs, mental health counseling, and dancing classes to help women gain financial independence.
Join us in our mission to support and uplift these amazing women. We hope you can join us to help spread the magic! Stay tuned by signing up for notifications on our Kickstarter profile for limited amount of pre-sale. We've provided instructions for you there and are happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you for your support!
