Fair fashion meets art: an unusual idea from Bayreuth 

"Asante Sanaa" is Tanzanian and means "Thanks to Art".

Because many African artists are suffering particularly hard from the coronavirus crisis, the Asante Sanaa team has made it its mission to support them. The fair fashion label prints its T-shirts and hoodies with motifs by Tanzanian artists, thereby creating a "travelling exhibition". This increases the artists' reach and draws attention to East African art - and all of that in style!

People involved in Asante Sanaa 

The idea

After their voluntary service in Tanzania, the two co-founders, Jan Schultheis and Valentin Oberle, came up with the idea of a sustainable fashion label associated with Tanzanian art in September 2020. Since the two had already founded the fashion label Matema, which can be found under this link, they were able to draw on contacts and previous knowledge in the production of the clothing itself. 100% organic cotton, also grown in Tanzania, is used in production. The cotton processed into fabric in Tanzania then goes across the border to Kenya, where it is sewn into the finished clothing and textile products at the "Kiboko" production facility. Kiboko Leisure Wear employs around 80 people and mainly produces clothing from natural fabrics. The production facility is a member of the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO), the umbrella organisation for fair trade. 

Certification of Fairtrade conditions is being carried out by the partnering company kipepeo, and is pending. Clothing and goods that are not produced by Asante Sanaa itself, such as hoodies, are also certified.

In addition to the network of seamstresses and the associated infrastructure of Matema, the Asante Sanaa team has also built up a considerable network of Tanzanian artists. To this end, they have asked every Tanzanian they have met during their previous stays in the country to put them in touch with artists. The solidarity of Tanzanian artists among themselves has also contributed significantly to the development of this network. It is particularly important for Asante Sanaa's team to maintain personal contact with their artists and seamstresses.  

Through its online shop, Asante Sanaa opens the door for artists to the European market, which would otherwise remain closed to most.

Asante Sanaa takes care of the transport and sale of their artworks. Two thirds of the total proceeds of an artwork go directly to the artists. In addition, the works are taken out into the world on the "T-shirt canvas", literally "on the street", instead of being exhibited statically in a gallery. This way, they make it to Germany, where - if they were aimed at the art market alone - they would hardly get into the galleries. The artists receive four euros per shirt from the fashion label. 

Asante Sanaa and the University of Bayreuth

Co-founder Jan Schultheis is active in the university group Enactus Bayreuth, which deals with social entrepreneurship. The project was formed from an idea developed by motivated Enactus members, and so the team prepared a pitch for the annual Enactus Germany National Cup, where they came in 2nd place. The corresponding pitch can be found at this link here.

The interdisciplinary team around Asante Sanaa consists of 13 people, including seven students from Bayreuth, who are spread across the Business Administration (BWL), International Economics & Development (IWE), Philosophy & Economics (P&E), and Sport, Business & Law degree programmes. In addition to the students from the University of Bayreuth, the Asante Sanaa team also includes other students who study at various universities throughout Germany. This creates not only interdisciplinary exchange but exchange between universities.

The two Bayreuth students Jan Schultheis and Anna Bergmoser presented Asante Sanaa at the Enactus National Cup: 

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