KARL LAGERFELD unveils tote bags made by African artisans
With fabric handwoven in Burkina Faso and crafted by artisans in Kenya, a new limited-edition tote bag bridges African skills with global high fashion. It’s the result of collaboration between the Maison KARL LAGERFELD and its Sustainability Ambassador, Amber Valletta, working with the ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI).
Blending artisan tradition with modern aesthetics, the bags celebrate local creative heritage, promote female empowerment and support sustainable development. With just 320 exclusive pieces available worldwide, each one-of-a-kind bag is individually numbered and signed by the artisan who made it.
‘This tote is more than a bag — it celebrates creativity, community, and thoughtful design. Collaborating on this project has been an energizing experience, highlighting our interconnectedness and the beauty of honouring traditional heritage alongside contemporary design,’ Valletta said.
Knowing a project like this would not be possible without on-the-ground support and expertise, KARL LAGERFELD invited EFI to share its local insights into the tote’s production processes. EFI aims to create jobs, foster trade, and enhance the quality of life in rural and marginalized communities across Africa. Its focus on empowering women provides households with additional income and education for children.
The tote’s textiles are handwoven in Burkina Faso from organic, 100% rain-fed cotton and with dyes certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard. It has been thoughtfully designed with no plastic-based elements and minimal trims, which increases its circularity potential for future recycling. The Faso Dan Fani textiles are handwoven by female artisans of CABES GIE, the EFI social enterprise partner in Burkina Faso.
It has then been assembled at Artisan Fashion in Nairobi and embellished with intricate glass beadwork made by Tujikuze artisans. Each bag is finished with the signature of the artisan who made it, on an interior patch.
The story of the bag
The story of this bag began in early 2023 at the Maison KARL LAGERFELD in Paris, where Creative Director Hun Kim met with Valletta to discuss the future of their long standing collaboration. With a shared commitment to more responsible fashion and a deep appreciation for handmade craftsmanship, they envisioned a one-of-a-kind tote produced with marginalized communities and female artisans in Africa.
The collaborators
During this project, EFI collaborated with various local organizations and social enterprises. Commerce et Artisanat pour le Bien-Être Social (Trade and Crafts for Social Welfare – CABES) was created in 2014 with the support of EFI, to promote the work of (mostly female) artisans from Burkina Faso. Initially launched with just four cooperatives, today CABES counts over 91 structures and more than 2,400 member artisans.
Tujikuze is a partnership of like-minded Kenyan companies: Africa Collect Textiles, Savio Youth Enterprise, Virtuous and Satubo. Founded in 2024 with EFI’s support, Tujikuze produces fashion with some of Kenya’s most talented artisan groups.
Founded with EFI support in 2009 in Kenya, Artisan Fashion creates and produces jewellery, bags, accessories and apparel of social significance. Artisan Fashion engages over 1,000 African artisans to produce and deliver more than 100,000 bags and accessories each year. Artisan Fashion was the main production hub for the making of this tote bag.
