First-hand stories, useful guides and the people and places behind them.
Vivi Rufino explains how funding helped Freedom Ecowear rebuild, with Banco Popular’s RD$1.1 million award and FedEx’s US$25,000 prize in official records.
Freedom Ecowear’s founder describes deliberately dismantling a polyester swimwear business and rebuilding around hemp and organic cotton. Her account of a seven-year transition covers the financial strain, supply-chain decisions and the meaning of starting again.
Freedom Ecowear factory in nature: inside the Dominican swimwear workshop built for cooler air, cleaner production and transparent garment making.
Vivi shows me naturally coloured cotton swatches in brown, green and pink shades. We talk about avoiding an added dye bath, the cost of the fibre and how Freedom Ecowear is introducing it through small details.
Vivi Rufino explains the hemp, organic cotton and stretch blends shown during the Freedom Ecowear visit, and why the product label matters.