About Us

Mission:

Our mission is to bring bold African fashion to customers who care about the world, while creating sustainable employment opportunities.

Values:

All events and practices shall be as inclusive as possible.
The company shall maintain as direct a relationship with its suppliers and partners as possible.
All products will be made of quality materials that are as biodegradable as possible (minimal use of plastics).
Supplier and company workers shall enjoy positive and supportive conditions and be paid a fair wage for their labor.
Animals should be humanely raised and harvested, in compliance with international and domestic laws.
The surrounding community and environment shall be respected and protected.

Kerry Slade, President & Founder

Kerry is an attorney and businesswoman with significant expertise in emerging markets. She received her BA in Sociology from Brown University, a JD from Northwestern University School of Law and an MBA from Temple University. Her goal for Slade Unlimited, LLC is to offer customers bold international fashion that supports sustainable employment opportunities.

The company was born from Kerry's determination to improve the lives of others. In 2005, Kerry worked in rural Malawi as a sixth-grade teacher and small business facilitator. Once she returned to the U.S., she sponsored several of her former students through high school in the hope that they could afterwards find a job and give better lives to their families. However, due to a lack of employment opportunities, most students were not able to meaningfully improve their quality of life. Slade Unlimited was born to fill this gap in sustainable employment in developing countries.

Watch our founder explain how she got started:

OUR SUPPLIERS AND PARTNERS:

Kenneth and Annie Rajabu, Malawi Production and Quality Control

Ken is the lead tailor in charge of production of Slade Unlimited's Malawi Bags. He learned how to sew from his father, and wants to establish a real tailoring shop where it will be easier to interact with customers. His wife Annie inspects each Malawi Bag to ensure it meets Slade Unlimited's standards for design and construction. The family lives in Lilongwe.

Watch Ken talk about his work for Slade Unlimited and his goal of opening his own tailoring shop:

Yewo Longwe, Malawi Supply Chain

Yewo is one of Kerry's former students whom she sponsored through high school and some computer training. She is in charge of sourcing and quality control for our new product lines, such as jewelry and paintings. Yewo is a young mother of a sweet baby girl named Blessings and lives with her husband in Blantyre.

Watch an interview with Yewo to learn about life in Malawi:

Springbok Antelope Bags, Cape Town, South Africa

Our springbok antelope bag supplier is a woman owned workshop in Cape Town, which employs about 30 artisans. All hides are sourced from the meat industry or government approved sources (for example, in the case of overpopulation in a park). Animals enjoy a free range lifestyle and they can be seen on the hills around South Africa. The tanning process is done in compliance with strict environmental standards. Cow-hide leather and suede supplement these gorgeous bags. Slade Unlimited supports the use of hides and leather when the whole animal is used, and because it is a biodegradable material. Labor and wages are tightly regulated in South Africa, and the workers collectively negotiate their compensation and benefits once a year.

Cape Town South Africa springbok antelope Africa African bag purse workshop sustainable ethical employment emerging markets