Meet Colèchi, A Sustainable, Black-Owned Agency Pushing Farming To The Forefront Of Fashion

Colèchi, founded by Tina and Piarvé Wetshi in 2018,  is a beacon of innovation in the fashion industry. The Black-owned collective and research agency based in the U.K. is making space for farming and how it intersects with clothing. Many farmers actually would love to connect and work with designers but just don’t have the resources. Here enters Colèchi. One of the agency’s groundbreaking initiatives is the launch of “AGreenCulture,” the first issue of the brand’s crowdsourced journal which explores the intricate connection between farming and textiles. This edition focuses on regenerative farming. “I’ve always been interested in society,” Tina Wetshi shared in an interview with Sleek Mag. “We want to know how we can bring everyday people closer with the craftsmanship involved in making fashion and how we can encourage people to engage with positive fashion ecosystems.” The core goal of Colèchi is to rehumanize clothing while providing an intimate look at four key areas: sourcing, making, media-making, and afterlife.

“AGreenCulture” serves as a starting point where writers, weavers, designers, scientists, and upcyclers can provoke new methods of thinking in regard to sustainability. It also documents collaborative efforts, mainly on how the clothing industry can work with nature.

The issue covers a wide spectrum of topics, ranging from eco-friendly fabric production to the utilization of organic dyes derived from agricultural waste. It even explores the harmonious relationship between agriculture and fashion, emphasizing the importance of ethical sourcing and production methods. Upon starting the agency Colèchi, the founders did not know any farmers–but they did have experience in both public relations and the expansive textile market.

Since founding Colèchi, connecting fashion farmers from producers who create Eko Alpaca to British Pasture Leather, and also regenerative leather farms, the organization has made large strides toward sustainability. Textiles like hemp and wool are featured in the journal, giving readers insight from start to finish into production and why certain fabrics are better for the environment. And that’s what makes the work that Colèchi is doing so interesting. 

As Black women founders, the Wetshi sisters are working towards proving that sustainable fashion can be both ethically driven and inclusive. Many times the women doing this work are assumed to be white, and even that sets the tone for why their agency is important. Colèchi’s intentional work in an industry that is often the cause of environmental degradation and exploitative practices showcases that fashion can be a force for positive change when guided by a commitment to social responsibility.

“It’s essential that we re-humanise materials and our connection with clothing,” Wetshi shared. “If we think about our relationships with humans, with our friends. These relationships are irreplaceable. When something is human, living, we cherish it. So, let’s recognise the human involvement in our garments and the living organisms that they come from. They play a big part in our wider ecosystem.”

You can purchase Colèchi’s “AGreenCulture” issue on colechi.com.