Fast fashion is contributing to our ongoing environmental crisis. There isn’t a doubt about it. And it’s not getting any slower. According to data published by the United Nations Environment Programme in 2018; the fashion industry alone produces 10% of global carbon emissions and 20% of global wastewater! That’s more than all international flights and maritime shipping, according to the same source. But that shouldn’t be a surprise…
After all, we consume tons of clothes and rapidly dispose of them to jump onto new ones claiming to follow the latest trends. And the more we consume, the more the fast fashion industry produces. But Dayra, an ambitious Egyptian female-led social enterprise, is set out to help change this by introducing a more sustainable approach to fashion in Egypt.
The founder and CEO of Dayra, Basma Tawakol, had a chat with us about how the social enterprise came to life and continued to grow into the budding, promising digital platform it is today.
“I always had many unwanted clothes that I couldn’t get rid of, so I decided to benefit from them while helping other people as well,” said Tawakol as she recalls the simple trigger that kickstarted the platform. Dayra sells pre-owned items to discourage the rapid rate at which consumption and production within the fast fashion industry happen. “The main concept behind this model is waste minimization of discarded clothing and this leads to less pollution and more accessibility to high-quality fashion with reasonable pricing,” she elaborated. Sounds simple. They’re just “keeping it circular“. But that’s not it.
Her experience of working in charitable non-governmental organizations (NGOs) showed her their struggles, and one of the struggles that always stood out was fundraising. That’s why Dayra also continually dedicates a portion of its sales to help NGOs devoted to their causes raise funds.
A snapshot from Dayra organization’s website.
“I quit my job to become a full-timer at Dayra because I believe it has so much potential and it will make a great impact in society,” she asserted. Their platform is quite user-friendly and allows you to shop for items by sizes, brands, colors, categories, and much more. One of Dayra’s main targets is to spread the idea that there is no shame in buying second-hand clothes. “We are constantly pressured to buy new clothes and post new outfits on social media, it’s a big influence.”
Dayra’s vision is not only to impact the Egyptian market but the entire Middle Eastern fashion scene. They want fashion consumers around the world to become more responsible shoppers who consider the consequences of their buying decisions. Creating a platform where you can experience a guilt-free shopping spree of affordable items that eventually contribute to funding struggling NGOs is definitely a good start!
Head to their Facebook, Instagram, or website to check out their work…
