Athleta debuts its first Fair Trade Certified styles

Athleta’s latest line will provide a premium to the female workforce that created it.



The athleisure brand’s spring collection was manufactured in a factory certified by Fair Trade USA, an organization dedicated to creating social and economic opportunities for factory workers globally. For a product to earn Fair Trade certification, it must originate from a facility that operates according to the rigorous social, environmental and economic standards set in place by Fair Trade USA.



Athleta’s new line, which consists of more than 40 Fair Trade Certified styles, updates some of the brand's most popular product pieces, including the Sculptek Stealth collection, the High Neck Chi tank, and a range of additional tops and bottoms. The new merchandise is available in the retailer’s stores, catalog and online.



The goal of the program is to empower the female-dominated workforce manning the manufacturing facilities that create the merchandise. For example, these debuting styles are produced by a newly-certified facility in Sri Lanka. Among the facility’s 2,100-plus workers, more than 80% are women, Athleta reported.



For every Fair Trade Certified product sold, factory workers directly earn an additional financial premium which they collectively invest in the needs of their community. Previous investments, which are voted on and executed by the workers themselves, have included childcare, transportation, women's health programs, and education – all programs that directly benefit the lives of workers and their families.



"Supporting women in their ability to come together to reach their full potential is core to our brand," said Nancy Green, president, Athleta. "Partnering with Fair Trade USA is an important and natural step in di-rectly enabling the women who create Athleta clothes to positively affect their communities and families.”



Keeping up its Fair Trade commitment, Athleta plans to introduce more styles throughout the year. Its goal: to feature approximately 100 Fair Trade items by the end of 2017, the retailer said.