Design with a Cause - Style Her Empowered: how sustainable design is transforming education in Togo
Published 18th September 2025
Style Her Empowered (SHE) is a non-profit organisation showing the true power of design and technology to change lives. Founded by Payton McGriff, SHE combines innovative textiles, sustainable fashion design and community partnerships to keep girls in school and create long-term employment opportunities for women in Togo.
The story behind Style Her Empowered
The idea began with a simple but powerful insight: for many girls, access to something as basic as a school uniform determines whether they can continue their education. Inspired by the book Half the Sky and supported by Dr Romuald Afatchao, Payton travelled to Togo to understand the challenges first-hand. There, she met Elolo, a young girl whose daily responsibilities left little time for study. Her story became the driving force behind SHE’s mission.
Instead of teaching girls to sew their own uniforms, which proved unworkable with their busy lives, SHE hired local seamstresses who had missed out on schooling themselves. This provided stable employment and led to the creation of the ‘Paid-to-Learn’ programme, where women earn an income while accessing adult education.
Innovative school uniform design
SHE’s school uniforms have become a cornerstone of its success. Each uniform is designed to expand six sizes and up to a foot in length, adapting to a girl’s growth over three years. By replacing the need for five standard uniforms, they reduce costs for families and limit textile waste.
The organisation also embraces zero-waste production. Fabric off-cuts are recycled into reusable menstrual pads, while retired uniforms are repurposed into backpacks and other practical products.
Real impact on education and community
Since its launch, SHE has provided more than 8,000 expanding uniforms, cutting the need for over 40,000 traditional garments. Alongside practical benefits, the programme is driving change in literacy, numeracy, confidence and leadership for the girls it supports.
Elolo’s journey captures this transformation. Once at risk of leaving education at 15, she became the first girl supported by SHE in 2017. Four years later, she graduated from high school, the first in her family to do so, and is now Assistant Director of SHE Togo. Today, she inspires thousands of girls across 21 villages, showing what is possible when education and opportunity are combined with innovative design.
Why this matters in the D&T classroom
For design and technology teachers, SHE’s story offers a powerful classroom case study. It demonstrates how sustainable product design, textiles and community-centred thinking can have real-world impact. From analysing how a single uniform can grow with a child, to exploring zero-waste textile solutions, this is an inspiring example of design with purpose.
By bringing SHE into classroom discussions, teachers can show students how design and technology goes far beyond the workshop. It is a subject that can empower people, tackle global challenges and create a more sustainable future.
To support teachers further, a handy downloadable PDF article is available. This resource can be kept in your classroom as inspiration to revisit and share whenever you want to highlight the impact of design and technology.
