Set to debut at Miele's first London Fashion Week show later this month, their creations will be sold at Brown's in London, Barneys in New York, Maria Luisa in Paris and Joyce in Hong Kong.

Coopa Roca uses traditional patchwork, crochet, macramé and even old plastic bottles in its designs. Sociologist Maria Teresa Leal began the organization in 1981, and the sewing coop got its break when its work appeared at a Rio fashion show 13 years later. Since then, the women have worked with Karl Lagerfeld and given clothes to Naomi Campbell. Last year, they signed a contract with Miele's label, M. Officer, and were able to increase their work force ten-fold, to 80 women, ages 18 to 65.

Among the 47 outfits in Miele's upcoming show will be a range of jeans called ECO, made from recycled soft drink bottles and recycled cotton.

Brazilian beauties Gisele Bundchen and Ana Claudia are among Miele's devotees, and catwalk sensation Suyane Moreira will walk the runway for him on September 18 at the Natural History Museum. The native Indian model has been described by Vogue as the new Alek Wek.

Miele recently explained his motivation in joining forces with Coopa Roca: "We have a society that is about excluding people, and my work is about including people. All I did was give them a chance. Now I am happy because I get a great product, and they are happy because they get work."

Miele has also helped build a children's hospital in his native country, and in 1997 was the first fashion designer ever to put a disabled model on the catwalk.