Sourcing
Our designers handpick second-hand garments and textile surplus from local markets in Nairobi.
OUR MISSION
THE POISENED GIFT
FAST FASHION HAS CREATED A GLOBAL SYSTEM OF OVERPRODUCTION AND OVERCONSUMPTION. IN THE GLOBAL NORTH, PEOPLE BELIVE THEIR UNWANTED CLOTHES, DROPPED INTO COLLECTION BINS, ARE DONATED TO AFRICAN COUNTRIES. IN REALITY, THOSE CLOTHES ARE COLLECTED BY PRIVATE COMPANIES TO BE SOLD FOR PROFIT.
LARGE AMOUNTS OF EUROPE’S TEXTILE SURPLUS ARE EXPORTED, SHIFTING THE ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH-RELATED CONSEQUENCES TO THE GLOBAL SOUTH.
OUR MISSION
KENYA IS ONE OF THE CENTERS OF THIS GLOBAL SECOND-HAND TRADE. AROUND HALF OF THE GARMENTS THAT ARRIVE THERE ARE NO LONGER WEARABLE. BECAUSE OF LIMITED WASTE-MANAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE, TEXTILES END UP IN LANDFILLS, RIVERS, THE ENVIRONMENT OR ARE BURNED. AT THE SAME TIME, THE INFLUX OF IMPORTED SECOND-HAND CLOTHING HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE WEAKENING OF LOCAL TEXTILE INDUSTRIES AND THE LOSS OF JOBS, IN A COUNTRY THAT IS STRUGGLING WITH UNEMPLOYMENT, ESPECIALLY AMONG URBAN YOUTH.
BUT THERE IS ANOTHER SIDE TO THE STORY
NAIROBI IS HOME TO A VIBRANT COMMUNITY OF VISIONARY DESIGNERS, TAILORS AND ARTISTS BEING PART OF SHAPING THE FUTURE OF CIRCULAR FASHION. THEY SEE POTENTIAL AND VALUE WHERE OTHERS SEE WASTE.
FARO BELIEVES THIS POTENTIAL SHOULD BE TAKEN FURTHER.
TOGETHER, WE TRANSFORM DISCARDED TEXTILES INTO UNIQUE, HANDMADE STREETWEAR AND BRING IT BACK TO EUROPE, TURNING A GLOBAL WASTE STREAM INTO A NEW CREATIVE AND ECONOMIC RESOURCE.
OUR VISION
WE ENVISION A FASHION SYSTEM WHERE WASTE IS NOT THE END OF A PRODUCT’S JOURNEY, BUT THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ONE.
A SYSTEM WHERE THE PEOPLE CREATING NEW VALUE FROM OUR TEXTILE WASTE GAIN GREATER VISIBILITY AND ACCESS TO GLOBAL MARKETS.
FARO CONNECTS CIRCULAR SREETWEAR FASHION, CULTURE AND SUSTAINABILITY WITH EUROPEAN CONSUMERS AND RAISES AWARENESS OF THE DIVERSE STORIES AND PEOPLE BEHIND GARMENTS. WE BELIEVE IN THE POTENTIAL OF CIRCULARITY TO CREATE A MORE JUST TEXTILE INDUSTRY.
From past life to next hype.
Cleaning
The selected garments undergo a thorough cleaning process before being reworked.
Rework
Pieces are deconstructed, reshaped, printed, painted, dyed or reconstructed — depending on each designer’s vision.
Re-identified
Every finished piece receives its own product identity with information about its origin, transformation and maker.
Quality Check
Before leaving Nairobi, every piece is inspected by the designer and checked again by FARO in Germany.
From Nairobi to Europe
The finished pieces are shipped to Germany, prepared for delivery and sent to their new owners across Europe.
ABOUT US / MEET THE FOUNDER
faro
faro is a circular streetwear brand, that connects visionary designers from Nairobi with the european market. through close partnerships with our designers, faro supports visibility for creatives who transform discarded textiles into unique, handmade pieces. we demonstrate how creativity and circularity can turn waste into something valuable. we draw attention to global textile flows, supply chains and the realities of waste colonialism through fashion and the stories behind it. our aim is to build a community that celebrates streetwear, sustainability, art and culture while creating new connections between people across africa and europe.
biography
salina araya is a german creative with east african heritage and the founder of faro. with a background in environmental anthropology, she brings an interdisciplinary perspective to fashion.
for her fashion carries histories, identities and cultural perspectives while revealing larger social and environmental realities. she explores global textile flows, the environmental and social consequences of the fashion industry, and the potential of circularity and creative practices.
with faro, she wants to make space for fashion culture, art and sustainability
ABOUT US