We often marvel at well-constructed garments, innovative silhouettes, and eye-catching design details, but how often do we really stop to think about the fabrics with which these pieces were made, about where they came from and how they were woven or dyed? Well, now’s the time to ponder the issue. See, Piece & Co. is reinventing the way textiles are created and sourced within the global fashion market, focusing on producing socially responsible and environmentally sustainable fabrics. It’s no secret that apparel companies often source their textiles from factories abroad, and consumers don’t ordinarily know much about the conditions under which these textiles are produced (in other words, whether workers are being compensated fairly, treated humanely, and ushered into safe facilities) — that is, until they read about a tragic incident such as the 2012 blaze in Bangladesh that claimed the lives of over 100 factory workers, a calamity that could have been avoided had factory owners fired proper fire prevention and emergency protocols. So how can consumers do their part to make sure workers are treated fairly? Well, one way is to support companies like Piece & Co. that source materials from artisan groups creating traditional and stunning textiles. Piece & Co. connects textile-producing, female-led artisan groups from all over the world — from Zambia to Bolivia — with major companies, thereby providing thousands of women with constant work opportunities. Most recently, Piece & Co. joined forces with Banana Republic to launch a capsule collection featuring fabrics hand-crafted by artisan groups in Ghana and South Africa, all boasting stunning and unique prints created using techniques indigenous to these regions.

The Banana Republic x Piece & Co. collection, available at BananaRepublic.com consists of a variety of pieces — from floor-length shirt dresses with utilitarian silhouettes to floaty one-shoulder tops with dreamy floral prints. Three prints can be seen throughout the collection: two abstract floral prints inspired by South African flora and fauna and executed through a sun-dyeing technique; and a striped print made through a wax-resistant  batik dyeing process. All the prints feature rich blue and purple tones with hints of black, white, and gray.