ConscioUS Collaborator: Meet Ngozi Okaro
Welcome to our NEW quarterly newsletter, ConscioUS Collaborator
featuring the incredibly creative people we work in community with to bring ethical accessorizing to the fashion world.
We are honored to feature Ngozi Okaro, the visionary powerhouse behind Custom Collaborative—the New York-based sustainable fashion non-profit that trains, mentors, and advocates for and with no/low-income and immigrant women.
Elegant and humble, dynamic and down-to-earth, to be in Okaro’s presence is to experience a woman who sits rightly and comfortably in the seat of her own power. Naturally, this is what she aims to do with Custom Collaborative—create and hold space for women to deepen their connection of their own agency and empowerment.
Okaro has earned distinction upon distinction, from the U.N. to the Fair Trade Coalition, however, she’s remarkable at turning the focus from her accolades to the participants of Custom Collaborative’s 15-weeks-long program, all of whom live in underinvested communities. Her necessary organization regularly partners with fashion icons such as Chanel and Mara Hoffman, was a recipient of the 2020 Gucci Changemakers Impact Fund and was a 2023 finalist for the .Org Impact Award, and yet, she’d rather talk about that incredible denim jacket designed by Christina, a program participant.
Spend a few moments on Custom Collaborative’s website or social media and you immediately imagine a more hopeful future for women and fashion, one that is equitable and sustainable. You also understand that Okaro is one of the visionaries working to get us to this brighter tomorrow.
CH: Your vision for Custom Collaborative includes “a world in which all women possess the skills, confidence, and agency to design their futures and contribute to a sustainable world — regardless of race or socio-economic background.” How does CC approach confidence and agency?
NO: Custom Collaborative offers training and mentorship in sustainable design, but we don’t dictate how the participants use our training out in the broader society. Training in sustainable fashion is simply the vehicle to their own agency and empowerment.
We’re also passionate about the advocacy work that we do. Our mission statement reads that Custom Collaborative “…advocates for and with no/low-income and immigrant women to build the skills necessary to achieve economic success in the sustainable fashion industry and broader society.” The “with” part of that statement is important. We see ourselves as partners of women already working in the garment industry or as partners with women who want to learn the leadership skills needed to do advocacy work that impacts fair wage practices.We’re proud of the fact that many of our participants want to be part of the human rights solutions for the fashion industry. For example, a few years ago, some of our participants did advocacy work for California’s bill SB 62 – Garment Workers Protection Act that passed in 2021.
Agency is simply another word for choice, and choice leads to a more fulfilling life. Custom Collaborative’s vision is to offer women more choices so that they can achieve what they want, on their terms. We expose women, all of whom live in underinvested communities, to the vast array of job opportunities and entrepreneurial skills related to fashion, sustainability, and advocacy work. In our view, it’s our participants’ choice how they put the skills we teach them to use in their lives, communities, and society at-large. That is a different kind of non-profit model when working with underinvested communities. Our approach is not top-down.
CH: How do you hope your work with Custom Collaborative impacts the fashion world on a greater scale?
NO: We want fashion to be more aligned with human and environmental rights. Custom Collaborative offers a model of investment in the fashion workforce that is rooted in sustainable thinking and practice. My hope is that we encourage others in the industry to test and follow this new business model, one that protects people and the planet.
Many in the industry know that the fashion industry’s impact on human rights and the environment are issues that need to be dealt with and we are offering a model that has a proven success record. We want nothing less than to impact the industry on a global scale
“Agency is simply another word for choice, and choice leads to a more fulfilling life. Custom Collaborative’s vision is to offer women more choices so that they can achieve what they want, on their terms.”
CH: Can you explain your vision behind “On the Move” and how did your move to the bigger space go?
NO: Custom Collaborative needed a bigger space to grow our impact and strengthen our winning strategies. Our move to our own space in the Garment District has been transformational. We now all work together in the same location, meaning our participants have easier access to those of us working behind the scenes to make Custom Collaborative run, and we get to be closer to them and their process. We're hosting more events, have higher attendance at classes, and consequently, we are of greater service to more people. "On The Move" signifies both the transformative effect of our physical space, as well as the internal shifts that the organization is undergoing.
CH: What are you personally excited about for CC right now? What gets you up in the morning?
NO: I'm excited about the work that we're doing that capitalizes on our strengths and shines a spotlight on our participants. Seeing our participants thrive is what keeps me going. We have some partnerships that will help us deepen our impact and get more money into our participants' homes. I'm still very excited about our new space, and partnering with Chanel and Frederick Tang Architecture to design the interior so that we can make the most out of the opportunity that our space offers.
“We want fashion to be more aligned with human and environmental rights. My hope is that we encourage others in the fashion industry to test and follow this new business model, one that protects people and the planet.”
CH: I imagine as an ED you hold a lot of space for others. What communities lift you up and allow you to feel held as you do this important work?
NO: I hold so much space for others, thank you for acknowledging that. I think that some of the people that I hold space for don't even realize how much space they're occupying. I love being that for them, so it can take up a lot. I'm held by a group of Black and brown women nonprofit business leaders that came together during 2020; I'm held by my church; I'm held by my family, particularly, my great husband.
CH: What are your favorite pieces for pulling an outfit together?
NO: I routinely wear our participants' incredible designs, like a denim coat finished flowers and fringe made by Christina or a beautiful gold belt made by Isabel. I also love colors, textures, and structure. My current favorite is a long coat of many colors that I bought in Rwanda last year. It is my version of a" technicolor dreamcoat," and it goes with everything, making me look way more pulled together than I sometimes feel.
Photography by Camila Falquez
“I routinely wear our participants' incredible designs,
like a denim coat finished flowers and fringe made by Christina, or a beautiful gold belt made by Isabel. I also love colors, textures, and structure.
My current favorite is a long coat of many colors that I bought in Rwanda last year.”
CH: How can people best support Custom Collaborative?
NO: We are currently in the midst of our giving campaign, which is focused on supporting and growing our 15-week cohorts, business incubators, and sustainability workshops. Donations to Custom Collaborative will help us provide participants with stipends, create business growth opportunities, and educate the community about sustainability practices. Contributions go directly to support low/no income and immigrant women, their families, and communities through creative entrepreneurship and sustainability.
You can donate here:
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/custom-collaborative
Another great way to support our work is to buy the participants designs directly on our site:
https://www.customcollaborative.org/shop-new-products
Visit Ngozi Okaro and Custom Collaborative
on Instagram to learn more and donate during their giving campaign.
See how Ngozi’s wears her favorite Jil Dever Scarves
L to R: Bleecker, Pine, Lovejoy, and Greenwich Leopard Wrap.
The views expressed here are those of the individual we have interviewed and not necessarily of Jil Dever. We kindly respect every individual’s right to their views and beliefs.