May 27, 2010 by nina
So the weekly
net-a-porter.com newsletter hit my inbox this morning. This is normally something that gets a momentary glance before winging its way to the trash, however the subject line read ‘Its our eco-chic issue!’ halted my attention before I could click on delete.
So for once I clicked through to the e-tailer’s online magazine to see what they had to say. Their nine page spread entitled ‘Ecopedia’ profiles a number of designers that they stock that all have sustainable credentials of some sort – grown up knitwear from Bamford, punky jewellery from Daisy Knights and luxe jersey from Bassike. Some nice pieces mixed in with a few yawns, all rounded up with everyone’s favourite eco-stars. Yes you guessed it Natalie, Stella and Cameron all make an appearance with their hybrid cars and vegan diets. Now aren’t you inspired to buy that organic cotton tee?
Some of the highlights:
High waisted print bikini by Bantu £150, produced in Africa using reduced waste print techniques
Organic cotton tank dress by Bassike £65, knitted, dyed, finished and produced in Australia.
Gold vermeil silver stud ring by Daisy Knights £125, using 100% recycled silver and produced in the UK.
Some of the editorial was a little bit too cliched for my liking though… time to offer the net-a-porter shopper a bit more credit in terms of her understanding sustainability. Eco-tips really should have moved on from ‘never use plastic bags when shopping’, and who came up with this beauty?
‘Want to save water whilst on vacation? Try swimming in the sea instead of a shower. The salt and sand are natural exfoliators!’
Slow day in the office, girls? All credit to you for promoting some interesting designers and highlighting some of the good work they are doing but PLEASE less of the eco-washing.
May 24, 2010 by nina
It seems the controversial brand that spawned a global love for spandex and basic tees is in trouble. A sales slump of 10% and a right pickle with the US authorities have caused American Apparel’s self proclaimed love guru Dov Chaney to look for support.
Read more at the Guardian
May 23, 2010 by amucklow
Since being in Brazil much time has been spent exploring Sao Paulo, getting to know the city and the local neighbourhoods. This exploration has led me to think of Sao Paulo as an urban jungle. There is so much to see, explore and understand. The colourful images, shapes and lines of graffiti cannot escape attention. They are the flowers, the leaves, the flora of the urban jungle. This art decorates the traffic tunnels, the corners, the lamp posts, the floors, the walls, the kiosks and the doors all over the city. What I did not know, was that Sao Paulo has a bustling street art scene, locally and internationally recognised. This was one of the reasons that the neighbourhoodies project struck a cord – a project about exploring surroundings, understanding neighbourhoods and the political nature of street wear in the form of a hoodie, my looking street art was then something of a fit.
There are many interesting things to note about street art. As the MA students 
explored during their neighbourhoodies project the importance of surroundings, neighbourhoods and habitats are significant for both well being and for a deeper exploration of the structures in which we live. Like art/design/fashion, graffiti is a language, a non-verbal code that provides clues, pointers to understanding how we live. This street art adventure has started a chain of ideas, about the artists, the art, the neighbourhoodies project, sustainability and politics. It seems that a key aspect of these loosely related issues is communication: communication of ideas, and of identity. Street art is, in the words of Marc Ecko “the international visual language of youth culture” communicating a mountain of messages. As for politics, as the results of the election proved what could not be ignored at crunch time was the importance of local issues, loyalty and uncertainty, issues which the neighbourhoodies project addressed and issues that are at the heart of street art as it strives to communicate the contradictions within.
Alongside this work there is also a pichaçao (translated as pitching).
Apparently this style of graffiti developed at a politically tense time in Brazilian history – during the military dictatorship in the 1960s – 1980s, when spaces were used to criticise the government and/or the police. The markings are not dissimilar to hieroglyphic symbols and can be seen atop many towering buildings all over the city. Today, some of these markings used to mark gang territory an are seen as from of vandalism. To notice the colourful street art but ignore the pichaçao would be to disregard an important part of history (including very recent history) and its effects on people and their surroundings.
Why I think street art is great:
- It is constantly changing, evolving, being sprayed over, developed. As ideas grow so the picture changes.
- Street art has gradually become accepted, not as vandalism but as a valid art form. Ideas that are ‘outside’ and ‘radical’ can become accepted and part of the norm.
- It challenges structures, injustices.
- It is free.
- Society is the inspiration; there is celebration, colours and energy.
May 21, 2010 by Hatty
Po-Zu has just launched its ethical and ecological footwear retail website which allows customers from all EU countries to buy their Po-Zu shoes direct as well as through the established Po-Zu stockists, including Terra Plana and the Natural Shoe Store in the UK.
Po-Zu is a range of stylish footwear for men and women with an environmental consciousness. They are safe for the people involved in the manufacturing process and their impact on the environment is minimal. Their coconut fibre foot-mattress is not only biodegradable but also provides a uniquely pleasurable walking experience thanks to its springy fibrous structure.
“The beauty of this web store, is that we are able to offer our entire range for the first time under one virtual roof” explains Po-Zu founder Sven Segal. “It’s also about being transparent and accessible. The site has been designed to be as user friendly as possible, and you can easily find our retail store partners there too”.
With extreme hot weather in mind, Po-Zu’s spring-summer line uses sustainable, breathable, and lightweight materials which are kind to our body and the planet. Po-Zu has also expanded its selection of Vegan shoes this season by incorporating organic hemp and cork to over 70% of its entire range.
The cork is produced from the bark of the Cork Oak tree Quecus Suber, which grows in Portugal where the shoes are produced. The harvesting does not harm the tree and a new layer of cork re-grows, making it a renewable resource. The hemp is organically grown, unbleached, with low-impact dyes, free from heavy metals.
Apart from shoes there are a few accessories on offer like edible shoe cream and coconut shoebox planters. Also, a sweet, short film follows the shoe production route, from the coconut husk in Sri Lanka, through to England and finally Portugal where the shoes are made.
Check out the Po-Zu website for more details.
by Hatty
Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Lacroix Bead Embellishments
On June 12th 2010 from 10:00 til 12:45
Learn to emulate and surpass the beaded, 3D embellishments of the masters in this inspirational and enlightening Extended Life Textile Techniques class. Discover new techniques for addressing zero waste strategies and prolonging the life of your textiles.
Students £28; Slow Textiles members £28 and non-members/non-students, £45.
Pop-Up Patchwork
On June 12th 2010 from 14:00 til 16:45
A fun, engaging and informal gathering to connect with people and practice and to learn more about Slow Textiles and how you might apply the ethos to your life and business.
Just £15 for everyone.
Vintage Garment Construction & Reconstruction
On June 26th 2010 from 14:00 til 16:45
A stimulating, one-off class with BIBA’s original dressmaker that teaches you how to deconstruct your favourite garment and create a pattern from it. The skills, tips and techniques you will learn are transferrable to diverse fashion projects thus enabling many Slow Fashion lives for application and development beyond the class.
Students £30; Slow Textiles members £30 and non-members/non-students, £45.
All workshops take place at the charming Gracelands Yard, just north of Portobello Docks.
Booking is through the Slow Textiles Group, London website
by Hatty
ETHICAL FASHION WEEK KICKS OFF MONDAY 24TH
FASHIONING ENTREPRENEURSHIP
WEDNESDAY MAY 26TH
International designer Katharine Hamnett in conversation with fashion editor, Constance Harris. Hear Katharine’s story of her journey from one of the world’s most prolific designers to being voted No.1 Ethical Hero.
The evening will be introduced by Professor Angela Woods, who will speak about her views on Irish Fashion and what we can do to revitalise the industry.
Doors 8.30pm, begins 9pm SHARP.
The Sugar Club,
Lesson Street,
Dublin 2.
Tickets 10 from re-dress.ie :http://t.ymlp174.com/beaxameqalamusbaaawqq/click.php .
READ MORE <http://t.ymlp174.com/beaxameqalamusbaaawqq/click.php>
CLEAN CLOTHES CAMPAIGN – OPEN MEETING
TUESDAY MAY 25TH
This event will introduce the work of the Clean Clothes Campaign and pay tribute to Neil Kearney (General Secretary of the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers Federation) a tireless campaigner for labour rights in the textile industry, who unexpectedly died while on mission in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
8pm in The Greenhouse, St. Andrew Street, Dublin 2. Entry is FREE.
READ MORE <http://t.ymlp174.com/beaxameqalamusbaaawqq/click.php>
IRISH PREMIER OF HOME – FREE SCREENING
THURSDAY MAY 27TH
Re-dress and the Light House Cinema Smithfield present HOME, a film by Yann Arthus-Bertrand – funded by the PPR Group (who’s portfolio of brands includes Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent) HOME aims to to help people understand and share the issues facing our planet and provoke a general raising of awareness of the stakes of social and environmental responsibility.
Entry to HOME (Cert: G) is FREE, however booking is essential at homethemovie@re-dress.ie.
READ MORE <http://t.ymlp174.com/beaxameqalamusbaaawqq/click.php>
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE FOUNDATION – EXHIBITION
EJF Cotton T-Shirt Exhibition – Exclusive designs from John Rocha, Alice Temperley, Christian Lacroix, Giles Deacon amongst many others encapsulate the ideals of the Environmental Justice Foundation campaign on child labour in the cotton industry.
The exhibition will run from 24th – 29th May in The Greenhouse, Andrew Street, Dublin 2.
READ MORE <http://t.ymlp174.com/beaxameqalamusbaaawqq/click.php>
DIY FASHION SKILLS
Taking inspiration from Vivienne Westwood’s ‘Do It Yourself’ manifesto, Fashion Evolution will host a week’s worth of fashion workshops including Crafternoon Tea, French Knickers and Cocktails, Curious Collars amongst others, showing that it’s easy and fun to be sustainable where fashion is concerned.
For booking CLICK HERE <http://t.ymlp174.com/bmarameqakamusbakawqq/click.php>
by Hatty
by Hatty
Celebrate the glorious weather and check out the many gorgeous fair trade and organic dresses and casuals from Komodo at Rococo, one of the brands on the CSF Business Support Programme, at: http://www.rococoboutique.co.uk/category/news/
This season’s Must-Have’ Maxi Dress from Komodo at Rococo is particularly stunning. The Roxie comes in a tribal print making the essential update for your summer wardrobe.
May 17, 2010 by Hatty
May 14, 2010 by Hatty
The latest edition of The Times Luxx magazine focuses on design and features an article about the growing demand amongst consumers for luxury items that are both aesthetically pleasing and sustainable. Ethical fashion designer Ada Zanditon, who is enrolled on the CSF Business Support programme, shares her views on making ethical fashion desirable. Read the full feature at: Times Online.
