YEVU

What YEVU does

YEVU is a socially responsible apparel company founded in 2012 by Anna Robertson (Australia) and Felicia Adwubi (Ghana) that produces vibrant women's clothing from locally sourced Ghanaian wax prints. The company operates a vertically integrated model: garments are cut, sewn, and assembled at the YEVU Foundation's factory in Amasaman, Accra, employing 27 full-time staff (80%+ women, many single mothers) earning 4–6x prior informal-sector wages. Raw materials are sourced primarily from female-owned vendors at Makola Market, with over 200,000 yards of wax print procured across the company's history. Annual production capacity sits at ~10,000 units, with 65,000+ garments produced and 40,000+ shipped to roughly 25 countries since 2019.

YEVU sells exclusively direct-to-consumer through its Shopify storefront at yevuclothing.com, fulfilled globally from Sydney by social-enterprise partner Avenue (an NDIS provider employing people with disabilities). Pricing is unit-based with flat shipping tiers (AUD $10 domestic, AUD $20–$40 international, free above AUD $400), and the company has run seasonal collections plus limited collaborations (notably a 2020 footwear partnership with Kenyan label Prince + Pauper). Marketing relies on organic social (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest), earned media (Forbes, ABC, Women's Weekly), and an editorial blog — YEVU reported $0 in grant funding and has been 100% self-funded through trade since founding.

As of July 2025, YEVU Clothing announced it is winding down operations after 13 years and conducting an "End of Era" inventory clearance. The YEVU Foundation was spun off in May 2025 as an independent, Ghanaian-led ethical manufacturing entity that now offers contract production services to third-party brands. YEVU Clothing's operating status is effectively terminal, while the manufacturing asset continues under separate ownership.

Name

YEVU

Legal name

YEVU

Website

https://yevuclothing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

YEVU is an ethical fashion label producing vibrant Ghanaian wax-print clothing through an owned factory in Accra, employing 27+ women and selling direct-to-consumer via Shopify to roughly 25 countries. Founded in 2012 and winding down as of July 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ethical Apparel

NAICS

Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing (except Contractors) (31525), Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing (3152)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Women's, Misses', And Juniors Outerwear (2330), Retail-Women's Clothing Stores (5621)

akta.pro primary industry

Tops & Shirts Cut & Sew (T-Shirts/Shirts/Blouses) (IMAOAEAE)

Keywords

• Ethical apparel manufacturing
• Ghanaian wax print clothing
• Online apparel retail
• Garment cut and sew
• Women's fashion apparel

Headquarters

HQ city

Accra

HQ country

Ghana

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: One-time purchase of clothing items through YEVU's Shopify e-commerce platform, shipping globally to customers in approximately 25 countries. Products are made in Ghana using locally sourced wax prints.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

YEVU designed, manufactured, and directly sold a single-brand line of vibrant Ghanaian wax-print clothing, including dresses, jumpsuits, tops, and jackets. Garments were cut, sewn, and assembled in Accra and sold to individual consumers worldwide through YEVU’s Shopify storefront and Sydney-based fulfillment operations.

Product overview

YEVU is a single-brand ethical fashion company offering a unified product line of vibrant Ghanaian wax print clothing. The core offering consists of women's garments including dresses, jumpsuits, tops, and jackets made from locally sourced African wax prints. YEVU produces these garments through its own factory in Accra, Ghana, operated in partnership with the YEVU Foundation. The company sells directly to consumers globally through its Shopify e-commerce platform, with fulfillment handled by Australian social enterprise partner Avenue. The brand operates seasonal collections (Spring, Summer, Autumn/Winter) and occasional limited collaborations. As of July 2025, YEVU Clothing announced it is closing shop after 13 years of operation, with the YEVU Foundation becoming an independent ethical manufacturing operation in Ghana.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• YEVU Clothing A direct-to-consumer ethical fashion line of vibrant Ghanaian wax-print clothing for individual consumers worldwide. The assortment included dresses, jumpsuits, tops, and jackets made in Ghana, and the line was sold globally through YEVU’s Shopify storefront.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4-6x wage increase for employees compared to previous informal sector earnings
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The COVA ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020NGO delivering menstrual health solutions to girls and women experiencing period poverty around the world. Since 2020, have delivered over 700 menstrual cups and training to women throughout Ghana. Partnership involves workshops with health professionals, education on menstrual health, and distribution of period cups providing up to 10 years of use.
• AvenuecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Australian-based order fulfillment partner and NDIS service provider. Handles all order fulfillment, packing and shipping for YEVU globally. Provides meaningful work opportunities for people with disabilities who complete work tasks, socialize and develop skills. Capacity of 50 orders/day, up to 7600 units/year. Approximately 33 people with disabilities employed through this partnership since 2019.
• Australia PostminorOthersShipping carrier partner providing 100% carbon neutral shipping for all YEVU domestic and international orders through Auspost's Go Green carbon offset program.
• Green Africa Youth Organisation (GAYO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Sustainable Community Project in New Edubiase area. GAYO runs waste management programs in schools, repurposing plastic waste. YEVU partnered to repurpose water sachet waste into water-resistant lining for pot planters.
• Prince + PauperminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKenyan label specializing in sandals made from overlooked and discarded materials. Collaboration created limited edition slides using recycled materials (car tyres, glass bottles, brass fixtures). First YEVU footwear venture, produced in 2020.
• GTP (Ghana Textile Printing)minorOthersMajor Ghanaian textile printing company. YEVU aims to procure majority locally manufactured textiles through GTP, ATL, and Printex when available.
• The YEVU FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister organization and ethical clothing manufacturer established by YEVU Clothing. Locally owned and led in Ghana with highly skilled workforce. In 2025, became independent, offering ethical manufacturing services to brands looking to produce on the African continent. Generated its own revenue, managing costs and driving growth independently.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Studio One Eighty Nine: African artisan-made fashion and lifestyle brand producing in Ghana and Kenya, founded with explicit social mission and creative-director-led collections. Closely comparable on African production base and ethical-fashion positioning.
• Mata Traders: Fair trade women's apparel brand selling ethically made garments through its own e-commerce store, with artisan-led production in India and Nepal. Comparable in mission, channel mix, and small-scale DTC operating model.
• Brother Vellies: Ethical accessories and apparel brand producing in Africa with artisan cooperatives, founded on a social mission to preserve traditional craft. Overlaps with YEVU on Africa-based ethical production and premium DTC positioning.
• Mayamiko: Ethical fashion label and social enterprise producing garments in Malawi with a focus on women's economic empowerment. Shares YEVU's African-led production, women-focused employment, and conscious-consumer positioning.
• People Tree: UK-based fair trade and ethical apparel brand with a similar DTC-led, transparency-focused model. Operates own supply chains in developing countries and targets conscious consumers — the closest direct analogue to YEVU Clothing.

Emerging players

• Soko: Kenyan-rooted ethical brand and B2B manufacturing platform using artisan and factory production in East Africa. Relevant as a comparator for the YEVU Foundation's pivot to contract manufacturing on the continent.
• Bibi Russell: Bangladeshi designer-led ethical fashion brand producing handwoven garments with artisan communities. Comparable on artisan-led, ethically certified apparel with strong cultural design language.
• Kilungu Eco Fashions: Kenyan ethical apparel producer combining factory and artisan production for conscious brands. Relevant as another emerging African ethical manufacturer evaluating the contract-manufacturing opportunity.

Broad incumbents

• Patagonia: Global ethical apparel incumbent with vertically integrated supply chain transparency and a worker-wellbeing focus. Provides the scaled benchmark for the ethical-fashion mission YEVU has pursued at small scale.
• Eileen Fisher: Established sustainable women's apparel brand with long-running take-back and ethical sourcing programs. Comparable in values-led women's apparel but operates at substantially larger scale and with broader wholesale distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/yevuclothing
• Instagraminstagram.com/yevuclothing
• Pinterestpinterest.com.au/yevu_clothing
• Xx.com/yevuclothing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yevu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about YEVU