Mata Traders
Mata Traders is a Chicago-based, women-owned fair trade fashion brand founded in 2007 that designs and sells ethically-made women's apparel and accessories through direct-to-consumer e-commerce, wholesale, and international shipping, sourcing from five fair trade manufacturers in India and Nepal.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Mata Traders does
Mata Traders is a privately held, women-owned ethical fashion brand founded in 2007 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The company designs women's apparel and accessories in Chicago and produces them through longstanding partnerships with five fair trade manufacturers in India and Nepal. Its product portfolio centers on a core clothing line spanning dresses, tops, bottoms, and jumpsuits, with dedicated sub-lines for Plus Size (1X-3X) and Organic Cotton Jersey, plus an E-Gift Card offering. Products are made primarily from natural fibers including organic cotton, linen, and modal blends, with proprietary print designs that change seasonally under a small batch production model.
The company's revenue model is built on direct-to-consumer e-commerce sales through its Shopify-powered website (matatraders.com), supplemented by a wholesale program for retailers, local pickup at the Chicago headquarters, and international shipping to Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand via DHL. Unit pricing ranges from approximately $79 to $249+, with sale discounts of 10-60% and free standard U.S. shipping on orders over $200. The target customer base is segmented primarily into conscious consumers seeking fair trade and sustainable fashion and plus-size women seeking size-inclusive ethical options, supported by marketing through Instagram, email newsletters, content marketing via an ethical fashion blog, and SEO. Mata Traders is an active member of the Fair Trade Federation and operates as a bootstrapped, founder-owned business with no disclosed external funding rounds and a team of 11-50 employees.
Mata Traders firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mata Traders
- Legal name
- Mata Traders
- Website
- https://matatraders.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Mata Traders is a Chicago-based, women-owned fair trade fashion brand founded in 2007 that designs and sells ethically-made women's apparel and accessories through direct-to-consumer e-commerce, wholesale, and international shipping, sourcing from five fair trade manufacturers in India and Nepal.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Mata Traders is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Mata Traders business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales: The primary revenue stream is direct-to-consumer sales through their e-commerce website, selling women's clothing, accessories, and gift cards at varying price points from $79 to $249+.
- Wholesale: The company offers wholesale options for retailers interested in carrying their fair trade fashion products.
- Gift Cards: E-gift cards sold in denominations of $10, $25, $50, $100, $150, and $200, with no expiration date or processing fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Women's Clothing (Dresses, Tops, Bottoms, Jumpsuits) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | E-Gift Cards |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Shipping |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Mata Traders product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mata Traders designs and produces fair trade women's clothing — including dresses, tops, bottoms, jumpsuits, and accessories — in small batches using natural fibers such as organic cotton, linen, and modal. Garments are designed in Chicago and handcrafted by artisan cooperatives in India and Nepal, then sold direct-to-consumer online and through select wholesale partners.
Product overview
Mata Traders is a small batch, women-owned ethical fashion brand established in 2007, offering women's clothing and accessories made with natural fibers and playful prints. The company designs in Chicago and crafts in India and Nepal through fair trade partnerships. Their product portfolio centers on a core clothing line spanning Dresses (with hidden pockets as a signature feature), Tops (blouses, shirts, tanks, cardigans), Bottoms (pants, shorts, skirts), and Jumpsuits. They differentiate through dedicated Plus Size (1X-3X) and Organic Cotton Jersey collections. Additional offerings include Sale Clothing, E-Gift Cards, and accessories. The brand emphasizes fair trade production with five manufacturing partners and sustainable materials including organic cotton and natural fibers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Dresses Women's dresses in small batches, made from natural fibers and crafted by artisan cooperatives in India and Nepal.
- Tops Women's tops designed in Chicago and produced by artisan partners in India and Nepal using organic cotton, linen, and modal.
- Bottoms Women's bottoms (pants, skirts, and shorts) made from natural fibers by artisan cooperatives in India and Nepal.
- Jumpsuits Women's jumpsuits in small-batch, fair-trade production using natural fibers.
- Plus Size Collection (1X–3X) Inclusive-size women's apparel (sizes 1X–3X) carrying Mata Traders' signature fair-trade, natural-fiber styles.
- Organic Cotton Collection Apparel made from organic cotton, handcrafted by artisan cooperatives under fair-trade conditions.
- Natural Fiber Clothing Women's apparel made exclusively from natural fibers such as organic cotton, linen, and modal.
- E-Gift Card Digital gift card redeemable on matatraders.com for purchase of women's apparel and accessories.
- Wholesale Program B2B wholesale offering that allows independent boutiques and specialty retailers to carry Mata Traders' fair-trade women's apparel.
Companies that use Mata Traders
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Mata Traders technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Mata Traders partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Fair Trade FederationcoreMata Traders is an active member of the Fair Trade Federation, which promotes fair trade principles and ethical business practices. The Fair Trade Federation link is displayed on their website footer, indicating adherence to their fair trade principles and access to the broader fair trade ecosystem.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Mata Traders competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- People Tree: Pioneering fair-trade fashion brand offering women's clothing made through ethical supply chains in developing countries. Direct overlap with Mata Traders on fair trade certification, artisan partnerships, and women-focused apparel assortment.
- Elizabeth Suzann: Small-batch women's apparel brand with strong ethical production values and natural fiber focus. Comparable to Mata Traders on small-batch DTC model, women-owned positioning, and limited-edition drops.
- Indigenous: Fair-trade certified women's clothing brand working with artisan cooperatives in South America and other regions. Closely comparable to Mata Traders on fair trade positioning, natural fibers, and small-batch artisanal production.
- Fair Indigo: Ethical apparel brand focused on organic cotton and fair-trade-certified manufacturing, with a comparable women-focused product line and direct-to-consumer model. Strong peer on ethical supply chain and natural fiber positioning.
- Pact: Direct-to-consumer brand specializing in organic cotton basics and apparel with fair-trade-certified factories. Comparable to Mata Traders on natural fiber focus, DTC e-commerce model, and ethical production credentials.
Broad incumbents
- Everlane: Direct-to-consumer apparel brand known for ethical factories and transparent pricing. Overlaps with Mata Traders on ethical production narrative and DTC channel, though with a much broader assortment and scale.
- Reformation: Larger sustainable fashion brand offering women's apparel with a focus on natural fibers and responsible manufacturing. Comparable on sustainable women's apparel and DTC e-commerce, but at a much broader scale and price point.
- Patagonia: Iconic apparel brand with deep fair-trade certification, organic cotton, and environmental commitments. Comparable to Mata Traders on fair-trade certified manufacturing and natural fibers, though primarily serving outdoor and unisex markets rather than women's boutique apparel.
- Eileen Fisher: Established women's apparel brand with strong sustainable and ethical production commitments, including organic fibers and responsible supply chains. Comparable to Mata Traders on women's apparel and sustainability ethos, but at significantly larger scale and price points.
- Sézane: Direct-to-consumer women's fashion brand with responsible manufacturing commitments and natural materials. Comparable on DTC women's apparel and ethical production positioning, though with broader assortment and larger international footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Mata Traders social profiles
Digital presenceMata Traders financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mata Traders leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Mata Traders funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mata Traders M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mata Traders
What does Mata Traders do?
Mata Traders designs and produces fair trade women's clothing — including dresses, tops, bottoms, jumpsuits, and accessories — in small batches using natural fibers such as organic cotton, linen, and modal. Garments are designed in Chicago and handcrafted by artisan cooperatives in India and Nepal, then sold direct-to-consumer online and through select wholesale partners.
Is Mata Traders a public or private company?
Mata Traders is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Mata Traders founded?
Mata Traders was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Mata Traders based?
Mata Traders is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Mata Traders make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are wholesale and gift Cards.
Who are Mata Traders's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are People Tree, Elizabeth Suzann, Indigenous, Fair Indigo and Pact. Broad incumbents are Everlane, Reformation, Patagonia, Eileen Fisher and Sézane.
Does Mata Traders have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mata Traders.