Wildlife fashion label taps into fair-trade sector with eco slant

A new fashion label called Wildlife Works UK is aiming to preserve wildlife while tapping into a growing trend for fair-trade products, and says it can provide “style alongside substance”.

The niche brand, which originally launched in the US in 1997 and is now ready for a UK roll-out, is committed to animal preservation while producing high-quality, organic and fair-trade clothing.

Wildlife Works UK has attracted financial investment and support from a range of celebrities including tennis player Tim Henman and comedian Alistair McGowan.

Wildlife Works UK garments will only be available online at www.wildlifeworks.co.uk and selected stores. The pricing policy of the company means the price tag covers the funding of its own wildlife eco-sanctuary in Kenya as well as local education projects and the building of schools.

Label founder Mike Korchinsky says: “Consumer-powered conservation is a distinct and powerful marketing differentiation for the brand. Many people are interested not only in the brand, but the good it does for the planet.”

Wildlife Works UK clothes are all hand-made at the company’s 80,000-acre eco-sanctuary.

The company claims to have made significant changes in rejuvenating local wildlife and the community. Korchinsky says that, previously, locals were forced into stealing money and food, but there are now more than 60 full-time employees producing clothes and 26 full-time guards deterring poachers.