“There have been plenty of times I’ve been sitting on a roadside
in Ghana, covered in dirt, in 55°C heat and just thought, ‘this is
the stupidest thing’,” laughs Anna Robertson. Yet the 30-year-old
founder of YEV U, the social enterprise clothing line she began
in 2012, isn’t complaining: “Watching women that work for
us juggle two children under the age of two, with very little
economic support, maybe no spouse, but who still have a real
resilience and determination to work, earn money and be self-
empowered [is inspiring].”
So what makes a 26-year-old Sydneysider with an honoursdegree in Political Economy—with no fashion experience—start
a clothing label in West Africa? “It really came out of my year
working in Ghana in the good governance sector,” says Robertson.
“It’s a thriving part of the world, there’s a huge amount of potential
and a lot of underemployed young people. The potential to support
a female-led enterprise and celebrate the vibrancy and culture of
Ghanaian wax print and textiles was the catalyst.”
Fast-forward five years and Robertson has grown a label thatnow employs 20-25 makers and support staff, and indirectly
impacts the lives of 170 family and community members. W hile
the growth and success of YEV U seems swift, it’s been anything
but easy, with cultural, geographical and ethical barriers along
the way. From the most pragmatic problems—“not having enough
electricity to [run] a functioning factory in the centre of the
city”—to the often tricky-to-navigate cultural nuances—“things
that I thought [might not be] in the best interests of people but [it’s]
not really my place to say”—Robertson says compromise has been
key. “Sometimes I have to put my foot down on things, but I think
where we want to get—which is having completely local ownership
of the business—you’ve got to relinquish the responsibilities and
trust that people are going to operate in the best interests of the
cooperative,” she explains.
Robertson has spent approximately a third of her time in the
Ghanaian capital, Accra, since founding YEV U—“building our
team, fostering relationships, researching textiles and creating
our workshop”—and is equally busy at home in Australia, selling
the brand both online and in pop-up stores in Sydney and
Melbourne. “Risk-taking, making mistakes and making brave
choices are essential if we want to grow and develop, and I try
to do as much of this as possible with YEV U,” she says. “Fashion
wasn’t a predictable career move, but the social elements of the
business very much reflect my passions and experience.”
Style statement: “W hat am I proud of? Seeing people walk
down the streets of Sydney wearing YEV U and knowing
exactly where it has come from, knowing there’s full
transparency.” —FAITH CAMPBELL“THE DAUGHTERS OF
WOMEN WHO WORK
FOR US ARE GOING TO
BE EDUCATED AND CAN
THEN GO ON TO PROVIDE
FOR THEMSELVES”
Women of Style
JUNE 2017 In STYLE 97