LOS ANGELES, Dec 6, 2005/ FW/ --- Diane von Furstenberg, the woman who has everything and this holiday season, the New York based designer is extending a helping hand to the women of Rwanda as she showcases Rwandan limited-edition mohair scarves in ‘Scarves in a Basket’ at her flagship store at 385 W. 12th Street in Manhattan.

Ms. von Furstenberg, who visited Rwanda in 2004 with husband Barry Diller admired the craftsmanship of the Rwandan women and when approached by EDImports founder Liz Wald to use her talent and fashion prominence to help these women, Ms. von Furstenberg's response was swift and committed, and the project to create the distinctive scarves in a basket was born.

“This is a way to help the women build sustainable livelihoods for themselves while offering our discriminating customers something very unique," Furstenberg said about the project.

The limited-edition mohair scarves, that are already available at the Diane von Furstenberg’s flagship store comes in cameo blue or ski patrol red, were crafted to Ms. von Furstenberg's specifications and are packaged in distinctive, hand-woven baskets.

The knitters are all members of AVEGA, an association of more than 25,000 widows and dependents created by the 1994 genocide, while the baskets were woven by a cooperative of 600 women founded by EDImports, a firm dedicated to building markets for their traditional handmade products.

The artisans use the fair wages they receive to pay for food, medicine, children's clothing and school fees, and are encouraged to open savings accounts.

EDImports matches their savings account contributions and manages a goat donation initiative.

The artisans, in turn, contribute to a cooperative that develops services and business opportunities for the greater community, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of economic sustainability.

To find more unique socially and environmentally responsible gifts check online at www.edimports.com