Saved Searches: lemlem
An abundance of fun summer cover-ups and dresses from a favorite, ethical brand.
My grandmother passed away this week and I do not have much head space for writing, but I wanted to share something quick that I had planned (may edit later!). She died peacefully and though it was not unexpected, it still shatters you when the soul of someone you love/who loves you the most departs this earth.
She was kind, witty, stylish, adventurous, never missed an opportunity to celebrate with champagne, put everyone before herself, and loved nothing more than her family. So, in her honor I just want to remind us all that the little things are the big things, and in the end it is kindness, love, family, and friends that matter the most.❣️
At times it can feel like everyone is searching for/talking about/buying the same brands on resale platforms and the hunt can be quite competitive. But sometimes you discover a brand that is just sitting there in plain sight, seemingly undiscovered. Like lemlem.
I have a lemlem cover-up that dates back many years and feels more unique than my other cover-ups. The cotton is light and airy, and the details are special. Here is their story, from the brand website:
lemlem is an artisan-driven brand of beautiful women resort wear made entirely and responsibly in Africa, with a core mission of preserving the local art of weaving in Ethiopia and inspiring economic growth on the continent. Meaning to bloom and flourish in the Ethiopian language of Amharic, lemlem is a label of love, celebrating women and nature. Inspired by the unique Ethiopian handwoven patterns and the vibrant colorful combinations in the streets of Africa, lemlem is all about happy colors and stripes, creating new casual and chic pieces easy to wear on all occasions.
On a trip to her native country of Ethiopia, supermodel Liya Kebede discovered that traditional weavers were losing their jobs due to a decline in local demand for their goods. Recognizing the beauty and rare quality of their work, Liya started lemlem in 2007 to preserve this ancient art form and simultaneously create job opportunities for local artisans. Since then, lemlem has expanded its presence in Kenya with ready-to-wear and Morocco with swimwear. lemlem is the first international brand made in Africa, with a core mission of inspiring economic growth in the region and preserving the local art of weaving.
lemlem dresses are handwoven in Ethiopia, and their artisans receive fair, living wages and benefits. While ethical fashion is a wonderful movement, the commitment to responsible, sustainable practices often results in a higher price point. This is understandable, as quality materials and ethical production come at a cost. However, I recognize that spending hundreds of dollars on a single garment, like a cover-up, may not be feasible—I get it.
Luckily, shopping ethical brands secondhand is still supporting sustainable fashion and lemlem can be found in abundance on The RealReal at lower prices. So, I’m sharing some current finds that are available.
Fast fashion has also distorted our view of clothing prices. We now spend much less and buy far more low-quality garments than we did a few decades ago. When taking into account cost per wear, higher-quality items you’ll wear again and again end up costing less in the long run despite the initial investment.
— good on you
Resale links are fleeting so if you’re visiting from the future 👋🏻, try a general search to see what’s available: https://www.therealreal.com/designers/lemlem. I’m also loving Gem, which searches across all resale site: https://gem.app/search?terms=lemlem — I really like how clean the search results are with just a picture and price. Tip: copy and paste a product image into Google Search to see the item on a model and find the original price and description.
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I've been trying to not buy anything new for about a year --- big fan of secondhand shopping, been using some fun tools to make it easier like the chrome extension that finds me resale alternatives for the items I'm looking at as I shop bit.ly/Phia
Hope this is helpful for people!
Wow I’m SO happy to know about Gem! I’m trying to be savvier finding products on resale sites and gem feels clutch! Had also forgotten about lemlem, but agree with you, such a stand out brand!