Year Founded:
2013
Project Stage:
Growth
Project Summary Elevator Pitch
Concise Summary: Help us pitch this solution! Provide an explanation within 3-4 short sentences.
Gissy is a sustainable label of cork and eco leather products. Cork Oak provide a beautiful bark and men found a way to harvest it and work it without harming nature. Because the production process is transparent.
WHAT IF - Inspiration: Write one sentence that describes a way that your project dares to ask, "WHAT IF?"
What if we worked with nature following it's rythm and lead?
About Project
Problem: What problem is this project trying to address?
With our label we make people aware of the fact that nature provides us with everything we need. Knowing which natural resouces are available and choosing the right way to exploit them will create more balans. We address the fact that people have become blind for their surroundigs, what is the real value of the world arround them and the world they gather arround them?
Solution: What is the proposed solution? Please be specific!
Fashion labels should only propose products that are made out of natural, environemental friendly materials. Fashion labels should only propose products that are made by people that receive good treatement in all senses of the word. Fashion labels, small brands, big brands are the solution. If we have our priority straighten up we will create more awarness and consumers will follow. Fashion labels are not only responsible for designing beautifull peaces for people to wear, we are responsible for the whole process, from design to the wardrobe.
Impact: How does it Work
Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.
Gissy makes a difference by only having products in her collections that are made of sustainable materials and that are made in a sustainable way. Our designs are modern, gorgeaous and in line with the trends, that makes them very desiarable to customers. We meet many of our clients directly and because cork is such an unusual material we always get the opportunity to have a chat with them. In our own little way we rise awarness fro products origine and quality.
Impact: What is the impact of the work to date? Also describe the projected future impact for the coming years.
All clients we have had up untill now have had the opportunity to appriciate the qualities of our cork products. in the future, once we will be able to reach more people we will be able to teach people about cork and we will be able to organise big scale projects linked to fashion, the environment, equal qorking rights.
Spread Strategies: Moving forward, what are the main strategies for scaling impact?
Between now and 5 years time we want to promote the Gissy cork products in 20 different countries spread on all continents. Our plan for that is to use local agents that know their countries best and know where and how to reach the public. The Gissy products will make their place in the fashion world of each country depening on the specific taste of that country. From that point on, when we are setteled as a fahion item we will move into the wider public and make a larger group fall in love with Gissy's cork products.
Sustainability
Financial Sustainability Plan: What is this solution’s plan to ensure financial sustainability?
We intend on investing the profits of our next collection back into the project in order to grow bigger, rach more people and creat a new collection.
Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?
There are many companies that are working with honest natural materials as a base product and that are producing according to fair trade standards. Our strenght is that we are small company. Because of that we are flexibel in our working relationships and we can switch quickly when we need to.
Also, we do not need to keep the market to ourselves. We would love to have all the fashion industry work the same way as we do. With our succes we want to show fashion companies that they can work in different ways and that working together is a possibility.
Team
Founding Story
Ghislaine Albina started the company back in 2013 as she had decided to follow her life's passion. Her passion is handbags, designing and combining. From day one she knew she wanted to work with cork as a main material. After 2 different collections and testing her products she is creating now handbags, wallets an some juwelery that are from cork and leather. There was no doubt in her mind that those products should be hand made. what inspires Ghislaine is craftsmanship. Being able to work with your hands has always intrigued her. She is for example fascinated by painters and sculptors. And that is exactly what she trie to achieve with her hand bags.
Team
Ghislaine Albina: founder head designer
Jennifer Colajjezi: marketing manager
Mark Terberg: Responsible for international development
Guido Backerra: IT manager
Maus van Vliet: Sales manager
Value Chain: Where does your work fit into the apparel value chain? [check all that apply]
Raw Materials, Manufacturing, Consumption.
Your Role: What is your relationship to the apparel industry? [check all that apply]
Target Population: What stakeholder groups do you engage or empower in your work? [check all that apply]
● Intervention Focus: What are you trying to achieve / influence? [check all that apply]
Conscious Consumerism, Environmentally Sustainable Practices.
Is your project targeted at solving any of the following key barriers?
Consumers Aren't Motivated to Care: Neither Compelling Reasons Nor Easy Means to Change Consumption Habits, Sustainability is Not Yet in the DNA: Fast Fashion’s Current Model Disincentivizes Value-Driven Economies.
Does your project utilize any of the innovative design principles below?
Disrupt Business as Usual: Target Key Players Who Can Influence the Bottom Line.
Innovation Inspiration: When you first conceived of your project, did you think of it as applicable to the apparel industry?
● Replicating in the Apparel Industry: If your project didn't initially target the apparel industry, how are you specifically tailoring it to do so now?
Are you nurturing or inspiring others to be changemakers? If so, how?
Insiring, by setting an example for peaople from the industry and by explaning the origin of my products to all the people I met
● Tell us about the partnerships that enhance your approach. How have you collaborated with others in the industry to increase your impact?
