Made the Movie - Trade Not Aid

Ethical accesories brand - An insight into Made and its production facility in Nairobi, Kenya

Jane Shepherdson (CEO Whistles): "Made for me is all about great well-designed jewellery

and secondly, its an ethical brand, it's sustainable,

and so therefore there's a feel-good factor for buying it."

The powerful concept behind Made is the brainchild of Christina Cisilino.

Having spent many years in the world of fashion,

Christina's love of Africa and her belief in "trade not aid"

led her to create an accessories brand with a conscience.

The majority of Made's employees live in Kibera,

Nairobi's largest slum, and home to as many as 1,2 million people.

Paul Asunga (Workshop Director): "Made is really trying to uplift us from the slums

up to areas like now we are. We are no longer working in slums,

we are now being invested."

Following the principles of fair trade,

we train local artisans in new skills,

providing fair wages and support at every level.

Mercy Simalio (Artisan): "Made has helped me in many ways.

Right now, at home, I can support the family,

I can pay school fees for my brothers,

I can help the neighbors who can't work.

Sometimes we have some piece of work here

and we're going to give them so they can get a living."

Via this "trade not aid" ethos, we believe

we can help break the cycle of poverty,

and empower the people who create our products.

Wilfried Kamau (Artisan): "My life has greatly changed.

I used to dream of art, and everything that is made here is

out of art, and I feel they are gorgeous, they are beautiful.

And out of that, I feel it's like my life has really moved forward.

When I was still out of Made I was really looking

for somewhere life where will be controlled more

by art, and when I was given a chance here to make that finally I was

like exactly this is heaven for me, here, working at Made."

Isabel Wambui (General Manager): " Made is a certified ethical company,

more to that we ensure that our employees

receive fair wage which is way above the minimum required.

We also ensure that they have free bank accounts,

and give them good reference to the bank so that

they can access the loan facility.

We also have additional benefits to our employees,

We have a social security fund, and also the health insurance fund."

Vicky Sarge (founder of Erickson Beamon): "Well after meeting with Christina and really learning all

about the company, and really realising that Made actually

supports a whole community of people, I found

that very exciting to work with because, I think that

is the way of the future, to provide people with jobs

where there aren't any."

All Made products are designed by influential designers from across the globe,

then sourced from sustainable raw materials and created within the Made workshop in Nairobi.

Pippa Small (designer): "When I come to Nairobi I work with everyone in the workshop.

Mostly people in the workshop are from Kibera, I work with

Arman on the metal work, Sami has also helped me develop some new designs.

So various people in the workshop who are then

specializing in different areas, whether it's making chain, or beading, or setting the glass, or drilling.

I'm actually working with most people in different areas.

When I came we did handling chain, so it was about teaching them how to do chain work,

then we did ligating. I bring a lot of samples of my own jewellery, so they can see different techniques, different ways of setting things,

different ways of hanging things, so yeah, there's a bit of training that goes on.

Charlie Miller (Executive Fashion and Beauty Director): "Made first and foremost is about beautifully designed jewellery, very unique pieces,

and then of course when you delve deeper, it's about jewellery with a conscience."

Jane Shepherdson (CEO Whistles): "I think she has really made quite a difference in this arena, she has shown that ethical can be very fashionable,

can be very directional as well as helping people and being very sustainable."

Made produces beautiful, high-quality accessories. Walk down any high street and you'll see our jewellery.

From Topshop to Erickson Beamon, from Jigsaw to John Lewis.

"Made is about the combination of great design, a huge amount of passion, and I think the ability to

change people's lives."

"To sum up what Made means to me is, the future."

Christina Cisilino (founder of Made): "It is Made's mission to make stunningly beautiful fashion accessories created by influential designers.

And in the same process to empower artisans from developing communities in Africa,

to be a sustainable business, following the principle of fair trade. We truly believe that

trade is the key to eradicate poverty in Africa."