April 28, 2011 by Hatty
Interested in volunteering in the fashion area at the London Green Fair this June?
The London Green Fair, taking place in Regents Park from 4-5th June 2011, is a free festival that reflects the green aspirations and achievements of London as a whole, as well as providing an enjoyable and engaging day out for people from all walks of life.
MA Fashion and the Environment graduate Saida Bruce is coordinating the fashion area this year and, with the help of her fellow graduates, will be running a range of fantastic workshops throughout the weekend including up-cycling/customising, bag making and knitting workshops, as well as a swap shop and fashion show on Sunday 5th June.
Saida is looking for:
volunteers to assist with and/or run workshops
volunteers to coordinate the swap shop; giving out tickets and communicating how the swap shop works to participants
dressers back stage at the catwalk show
models for the catwalk show
If you are interested in being involved in any of the above please contact Saida directly: saidabruce@gmail.com
April 20, 2011 by Hatty
The Environmental Justice Foundation are looking for enthusiastic, happy spirited and friendly volunteers with an passion for ethical fashion to help at the charity’s pop-up shop in Covent Garden.
Do you love talking about ethical fashion? Dream of changing the world one organic t-shirt at a time?
The EJF is a human rights and environmental charity making a direct link between environmental security, social justice and basic human rights. Top names in the fashion industry are gathering their might to support our cause, including Alice Temperley, Richard Nicoll, Jenny Packam, Ciel, Giles Deacon, Allegra Hicks, John Rocha, Zhandra Rhodes, Luella, Betty Jackson, Christian Lacroix and Katherine Hamnett.
This will be the fifth retail space the charity has taken over in the past 2 years bringing the issues to some of London’s most prestigious High Streets about ethical consumption, fair trade and solutions to environmental and human rights abuses from fisheries to fashion. Our t-shirts are designed on the theme of childhood, lost innocence and hope and represent more than a million children forced to work in cotton fields around the world.
As a volunteer you will be helping the general running of the shop to promote designer organic cotton t-shirts and other ethical fashion brands, talking to customers about ethical fashion, learning about EJF campaigns, flyer-ing for the shop around Covent Garden and helping to organise upcoming events for the shop.
Basic lunch costs will be reimbursed.
Can you help? Retail experience preferable but not essential. If you are interested in joining the team just email you CV and availability to: popupshop@ejfoundation.org
Shop opening hours are 10am – 7pm Monday – Saturday and 11am – 6pm on Sunday.
We are looking for people immediately and for the next 6 weeks.
April 12, 2011 by Cath
Italian-born Valli Colpani’s enthusiasm for fashion and her natural flair for pattern-cutting translated into a successful hat-making business during her early years in London. The range proved hugely popular at her base in Covent Garden. In 1999 the designer opened Atelier Colpani, a tailoring studio in the heart of Mayfair. In 2005 Valli opened a shop in Portobello.
“I started making clothes as a child, wrapping fabric around myself and cutting it. When I start a new project, this is still my preferred technique for creating clothes.”
As a self-taught tailor and experienced pattern-cutter, Valli’s initial philosophy to make stylish, distinctive, well-fitting pieces using only natural fabrics remains. The quality of fabric, attention to detail and versatility of her designs bring a unique, modern spark to the clothing.
The clothes are made at the Mayfair tailoring studio, a friendly environment where the expert team of tailors pride themselves on the highest standards of professionalism and care.
A designer conscious of sustainability, Valli often carefully sources fabrics leftover from other more established labels, as well as always recycling her own offcuts into accessories such as scarves.
“Being part of the Business Support Programme at CSFwas a total mind-opener. While I have always taken an ethical approach to the fashion industry, embracing fair trade and prioritising a good working environment for my assistants, the course provided me with a lot of important information regarding how to go about sourcing, and making the most of the natural fabrics on offer such as hemp, bamboo and seashells.
The Programme was also significant in helping me to focus on and develop my brand. I am preparing to rebrand for AW/11, the collection will be called ‘Ora’ (fashion makers).
I plan to create garments with longevity and am working towards a better way of creating and exploring fashion in sustainable terms, involving local manufacturers and sourcing local materials.”
by Cath
As an antidote to mass fashion ideals, Holly Berry designs and makes woven textile pieces and comfort blankets for adults using traditional weaving practices. A cross over between home and wearable art, the cloths are designed to be a best friend, providing the familiarity of a companion-like object, and containing hidden messages of love and comfort. Holly uses her own Morse code pattern woven into the cloths double layered structure, meaning that she can create vivid statements on each side of the cloth, for use in interiors and on the body.
The uplifting colour pallet is inspired by vintage treasures and Holly’s drawings and photography. She uses carefully sourced natural yarns such as cashmere, lambs wool and merino from UK suppliers to create a unique colour pallet.
Whilst enjoying the intimacy of production when hand weaving the collection of scarves, wraps, shawls, collars, snoods and hoods, Holly also enjoys working very closely with an established mill in Scotland to manufacture the larger pieces. This offers an opportunity to celebrate and promote traditional UK manufacturing, and further enriches the work.
Weaving and all of its processes speak strongly to Holly Berry’s ideals of time, storytelling and sustainable practice, taking the time, effort and skill to produce special work with a unique sense of value. Each piece is a wearable piece of art whilst remaining wholly functional; a colourful and contemporary interpretation of a craft almost abolished by the industrial revolution. Holly celebrates the traditions of this craft and community as well as honouring her long standing belief in slow textiles, responsibility and emotionally durable design.
Holly Berry is currently undertaking a residency in the North of the Shetland Islands to further enhance her practice, absorbing the traditions of the local crafts and celebrating this unique place full of history and skill. She is inspired by the local materials and subtle colours of the islands, and will be producing work directly influenced by Shetland.
Luxury woven cloths and wearable blankets are to be used continuously. Holly is proud to create pieces that will remain with a family for a lifetime. They provide the warmth of wrapping yourself up in a protective layer, preparing you for the world and enriching your experience with colour, warmth and love.
“The Business Support Programme at CSF has offered me the opportunity to develop my business focusing on the practicalities of running a business with an ethos of sustainability, quality and tradition.
It has been difficult to source help and advice in the sector, as it is often considered not good financial sense to do things sustainably, so it has been great to be in an environment where this is celebrated and encouraged, in a community and network of like minded businesses.
It has allowed me to focus on making my work and business practice as sustainable as possible, in a way that is unique and personal to me, and has really opened my eyes to the pioneering nature of sustainable design, production and story telling within my work.”
by Cath
adamo is a range of unique and limited edition clothing designed and produced by Antonio Gianasi in East London using reclaimed materials.
Born in 2009 from a keen interest in image and design, adamo developed instinctively through involvement in art and fashion.
adamo advocates handmade and home-made as metaphors for individuality. They translate into craft-based production and a non-corporate attitude. The basis of each collection is primarily driven by the pleasure of making and the excitement of change.
At its premise, adamo operates with a concern for minimal waste, recycling, micro and local production.
adamo’s latest collection is based on the idea of lines as a definition of design and language, also as borders and confinement. In a blood or clothing line or as a military operation.
“Being part of the CSF Business Support Programme, has enabled the brand to strengthen its ethos, helping it turn towards becoming a viable business and therefore improving its scope for success as a sustainable fashion label.”
April 8, 2011 by Cath
The California College of the Arts in San Francisco is pleased to announce its new Fashion Sustainability Workshop Series / Certificate Program
An intensive, creative, educational experience for fashion professionals wanting to accelerate and deepen their understanding of sustainability, sharpen their capacity to innovate, and respond to complex problems in a continually shifting environment.
Workshop 1: Diagnoses
6 Days / June 20-25, 2011
Workshop 2: Waste
6 Days / August 1-6, 2011
Enrolment is limited.
Apply now to ensure your place in the program
April 6, 2011 by Cath
It is essential that you have time on your hands so you can get started on the build asap. Hopefully you’ll appreciate our vision and get the ideas we have created. Negotiable fees paid on a Freelance basis.
Drop us an email if you are interested and let us have examples of your work and an idea of your experience to: curious@choolips.com
Closing date: 8th April 2011
April 5, 2011 by alex
So the CSF blog theme for April is interdependence, I’ve been thinking about this word, mulling it over in my head and pondering both the positive and the negative connotations it conjures in me; I’ve actually reached the point where I’m not entirely sure I know what the word means, or more to the point whether the meaning of the word represents the concept it has come to embody in today’s society. People talk about living in an interdependent world but what they mean is living in a globalised world. A true state of interdependency only exists when all the component parts in a system interact and the significance of each part is recognised and respected; then if one part fails the structure is strong enough to withstand the blow. The depth and severity of the recent global economic crisis is an example of how far we are away from living in a state of interdependency; let’s face it our economic wellbeing was entirely dependent on a flawed financial services system and when it failed there was no safety net.
To achieve the balance implied in the true meaning of interdependency, I guess we have to run the gauntlet of dependence, independence, co-dependence and then finally we might reach interdependence, or at least that’s my thought process. We start our lives dependent, needing everything done for us; we are protected, fed and clothed. Through childhood and in to adolescence we give independence a trial run, kicking against the dependency that has kept us safe and fighting to establish our individual identity. Often as young adults flung out into the world, we establish co-dependencies with other people and things, loosing ourselves in these intense but often short lived relationships. Finally if we’re very lucky we reach a state, where we are able to function and express ourselves as individuals, take responsibility for our own decisions and achieve a balance in our lives that recognises both our own needs and those of the people and planet around us. Problem is most of us never reach this elevated state; often we get stuck at the independent/selfish stage, rejecting commitment or responsibility, or at the co-dependent stage relying on external stuff to make us happy, like money, property, cars, and of course clothes; forgive the awful clunky bridge but I really felt I had to move this on, it’s a blog post after all!
Fashion is an example of an industry that has become dependent on co-dependency, relying on people’s need for external validation, usually achieved by purchasing a copy of the dress they saw on Cheryl Cole in Grazia; surely fashion can be more than this, contributing to a balanced and connected community. Fashion can play a role that recognises and respects the need of individuals to express themselves through what they wear and how they wear it but also celebrating the creative and practical process of making clothes. Surely fashion shouldn’t flow from an egotistical need to control and direct but rather reflect a collaborative process that involves developing an idea/concept, the realisation of that idea and the resulting pleasure and joy that realisation brings to the people who experience it. Surely designers should be encouraged to innovate whilst recognising that their creativity only comes to life when supported by the skills and knowledge of others. No man is an island as they say and if we think about fashion as an interdependent system, we can put in place a whole new set of values. I don’t really want to be dependent on an outdated introverted ego driven industry but I am very happy, in fact thrilled, to be part of an interdependent, informed relevant industry that uses its cultural influence to achieve beauty and fulfilment.
by Cath
Ada Zanditon- a designer who has taken part in our Business Support Programme- has teamed up with London bespoke fine jeweller Ingle & Rhode to create a necklace exclusively for VOGUE.COM, made from the first ever batch of Fairtrade and Fairmined 18 carat gold. Worth over £3,000, this gorgeous one-off piece is now available to win on VOGUE.COM.
Ada Zanditon “It’s an incredible chance to win a unique exclusive design that is not just a really elegant beautiful piece of jewellery that is worth a great deal but has the added value of being made from Fairtrade and Fairmined gold.
I think it is at once incredibly chic and modern but also a classic understated elegant investment piece.
Fairtrade is an incredibly important issue to me as it is part of my brand philosophy and approach. I believe in creating beautiful, desirable pieces that respect the balance between people, planet and business. Fairtrade is a really key way of being able to know that producers are being paid fairly for their work.”
Combining Zanditon’s signature bold, geometric shapes with the ethical values of Ingle & Rhode, the pendant is inspired by origami and the shape of icebergs.
The piece is one of the first necklaces to have been made with gold that’s been certified to a recognised standard, and mined in a socially and environmentally friendly way. The Fairtrade label means small-scale gold miners to have sourced the piece are all guaranteed a fair price.
Founder of Ingle & Rhode, David Rhode “At Ingle & Rhode we’ve always sourced responsibly mined gold but we’ve been one of just a handful of jewellers to do so. Now we’re hoping the fairtrade label will take jewellery to the next level.”
April 1, 2011 by Cath
On the subject of forests Paper Print Environment is a website that aims to help people make informed choices to reduce the environmental impact of printed materials. It was created by David Shorto- print buyer for both Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace- and addresses recycled, FSC-certified and other options.
“The mutating myth that will not go away: ‘Using FSC-certified virgin fibre is better for the environment than recycled paper’. Substitute for FSC-certified, any one of the following : ‘virgin fibre from sustainable sources; chemically pulped virgin fibre; virgin fibre from Scandinavia, where mills are next to the forest. Not one of these statements has a basis in creditable research.
WRAP has commissioned the most exhaustive life cycle analysis ever undertaken, to inform this debate. View the summary here. Or consider the following conclusions:
Energy: The report identified an average of 50% less energy consumption when recycling instead of incinerating paper and cardboard over the entire life-cycle. In other words, on average, virgin fibre production followed by incineration with energy recovery, consumed twice as much energy as recycling.
Carbon: As one of the most commonly raised impact categories, and of increasing importance, the report identified a clear carbon saving for recycled paper versus virgin paper.”
