Malia Designs offers fashionable high-quality fair trade products that are designed from materials sourced locally in Cambodia and often use recycled materials, which helps preserve the earth! They believe the way to counteract human trafficking is to provide economic opportunity to the most affected areas. Malia Designs works with cooperatives to employ disadvantaged people in Cambodia -- primarily disabled and at-risk-women.
Here is a brief overview of the 3 groups they work with:
- Their upcycled cotton canvas line is created by a social enterprise that employs artisans who are primarily polio survivors or have been injured from landmines.
- The largest group is located just outside of Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. This group advances skill and career growth of the artisans through training for design and patternmaking.
- Their upcycled feed bag collection is created from a sewing group located in Phnom Penh. This group’s focus is hiring deaf and disabled individuals, and hosting extensive training to help artisans gain the skills needed for their chosen path to success.
Our love for Malia Designs doesn’t stop here, they take it a step further by helping vulnerable children in Cambodia by donating to their grassroots partner - Damnok Toek. Damnok Toek’s mission is to ensure that vulnerable or marginalized children have all of their basic needs met and their rights respected. They are focused on assisting trafficked victims, street working or street living children, young people living with physical or intellectual disabilities, and victims of exploitation or abuse.
A purchase for Malia Designs items on Belle + Blossom has a direct impact on helping rebuild, reshape, and boost the lives of individuals in the US and Cambodia.