September 2, 2011 by Cath
What are the top tips from your sartorial story, adventures in attire, fashion follies and frolics…?! Hmm. Here’s a few to get you going, from speakers and audience at the Good Fashion Perspectives event in London, part of A Good Week – A Global Celebration of Good:
Nin Castle – Founder of Goodone
1. Buy half the amount for double the amount. Nobody wants to hear this but I promise if you do you will love your wardrobe and the clothes you wear a great deal more.
2. Don’t throw Clothes away always take them to charity shops and or textile recycling banks.
3. Support designers you like, up and coming labels need your support to keep growing, for every 1 garment you buy on the high street try and buy one garment from an independent label.
Lyla Patel – Head of Education at TRAID
1. Clear out your wardrobe and donate it all to TRAID. Once you have got rid of the clothes you never wear, don’t really fit and don’t really like you’ll be able to assess and value of the good clothes you have.
2. Shop at TRAID. Refill your wardrobe, but with handpicked second hand fashion. Try out more than one store, they are all different and constantly changing. Keep your eyes peeled for the legendary TRAID sales!
3. Skill yourself. Come to one of TRAID’s Sew Good workshops and mend, remake or upcycle a garment with us. Improving your skills will insure your clothes last longer, get a new lease of life and allow you to buy more great second hand stuff! If you like, you can join the mailing list: sewgood@traid.org.uk
Jocelyn Whipple – Founder of Element 23
1. Always ask questions about the things you are buying including clothing – even if they cannot be answered or the answers are startling! By informing ourselves about supply chains we become better equipped to make wardrobe choices that reflect our own sense of value whatever that may be.
2. Slow down your personal style – take time to really get to grips with what does and doesn’t work for you –including colour, shape, texture, family traditions, and of course ethics. With a clear criteria we can become more discerning and focused and avoid impulse buys or wasteful spending that doesn’t serve us or the planet.
3. Read the new book just out by Lucy Siegle called ‘To Die For – Is fashion wearing out the world?’.
My tip is to have a go at making a piece of clothing yourself. This is good because:
1. You know the garment has not been constructed using sweatshop labour – you are the production line!
2. You can make something that fits your body, from the fabric of your choice, so you will make something you love, wear again and again and never throw away.
My advice is (of course!) to get yourself a DIYcouture book! Suitable for absolute beginners! Or if you want to be sociable and have hands-on advice, go to one of the many sewing schools in London. These include:
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Oh Sew Brixton
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The Thrifty Stitcher
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The Papered Parlour
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The Make Lounge
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Our Patterned Hand
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Fabrications
June 21, 2011 by Cath
As part of A Good Week Amisha Ghadiali and A Very Good Company are working with TRAID to offer you the chance to turn your old clothes into something new and spectacular.
This 90-minute workshop, run by TRAID’s design team, will help develop your sewing skills, and teach you how to mend, re-fit and re-style your own wardrobe.
You will need to bring along at least one item of clothing you no longer wear or are bored with. You will then work with TRAID designers to give it a new lease of life, leaving with a beautiful new item of clothing, and the skills to do it again…
There will be two workshops running during the day: 2pm – 3.30pm and 4pm – 5.30pm, both will be held at their Old Street studio.
Tickets cost £10 inclusive of all materials.
Register here for the 2pm workshop: sewgood2pm.eventbrite.com
Or here for the 4pm workshop: sewgood4pm.eventbrite.com
November 23, 2010 by Cath
Recycle for London is hosting a week of clothes swapping parties or ‘Swishing’ events across the capital. Londoners can get together and swap fabulous but unloved clothes, absolutely free.
The aim of the events is to reduce the amount of textiles dumped in landfill sites. In London we throw away an estimated 20 million black bin bags or 100,000 tonnes of textiles each year. 95 per cent of clothes that are binned could have been re-used or recycled and textiles are particularly problematic in landfill. Synthetic, man-made fibres do not decompose, woollen garments do decompose, but in doing so they produce methane, which contributes to global warming and climate change. Swishing is a fun and free way of combating the impact of the fashion industry on the environment as well as encouraging long-term sustainable behaviour change.
To participate in these Recycle for London ‘Swishing’ events, all you need to do is bring along some items of clothing, pairs of shoes, bags or accessories. The items must be clean, in good condition and something that you are proud to hand on. In return you can swap them for anything that takes your fancy. The events are being delivered in partnership with London-based textile reuse and recycling charity TRAID, who will take away any unwanted items for resale in their charity shops.
‘ These events are a fantastic way of recycling clothes that are in good condition and saving them from the landfill site. ’ Mayor of London Boris Johnson
‘TRAID is a charity helping communities to give up their unwanted clothes for good. We love fashion, but hate its impact, and initiatives like this are a brilliant way of reducing textile waste by giving people sustainable alternatives to the high street. TRAID fund projects fighting poverty and exploitation in the global textile supply chain through the collection and resale of unwanted clothes. In London alone, TRAID operates over 300 textile banks in partnership with councils, local businesses and schools to encourage households to divert textiles from landfill, reduce waste and shrink their fashion footprint.’ TRAID’s Chief Executive Maria Chenoweth-Casey
The Lambeth Swish
Tue 23 Nov 2010 19:00-21.30 Venue: Upstairs at the Ritzy, Brixton Oval, Coldharbour Lane, London SW2 1JG
Recycle & Restyle
Fri 26 Nov 2010 15:30-1800 Drop off/swap anytime during these times. Venue: The Greenside Community Centre, Lilestone Street, London NW8 8SR
Other activities at the event: Restyle Studio, Puppet workshop, refreshments
The Slim Bin Swish
Sat 27 Nov 2010 11:00-13.00. Venue: Croydon Library, Clocktower Activities Room, Ground Floor, Croydon Clocktower, Catherine St, Croydon CR9 1ET
Swap ‘til you drop, Bow
Sat 27 Nov. Starts at 12.00. Venue Tredegar Community Centre, 333 Morville Street, Bow, E3 2DZ
Recycle for London’s message is that if you can’t make one of these events, why not throw your own party at home or at work? www.swishing.com has lots of information to help you plan and run your own Swishing party. They have a range of toolkits to provide advice and support and also offer a free events listing service on their website.
- For further information on all Swishes see www.recycleforlondon.com or www.Swishing.com/events
- The week of events is part of the European Week of Waste Reduction. For more information visit www.ewwr.eu
- TRAID is a UK registered charity (297489) working to divert clothes from landfill at its nationwide network of 950 textile recycling banks (300 in London). The profits raised support projects fighting inequality and exploitation in the global textile supply chain, and projects establishing environmental sustainability in some of the world’s poorest communities www.traid.org.uk / www.traidremade.com
July 19, 2010 by Cath
TRAID, 154 Camden High Street, London NW1 0NE
Tel: 020 7485 5253
Asia – Sourcing Models that Change Lives
Ethical Fashion Forum partner with TRAID (Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development) and One World Action to present the sourcing potential and difficulties of working in this culturally vibrant continent.
Held at TRAID’s flagship Camden store stocking TRAID Vintage, TRAID Secondhand and TRAID remade – their eco and socially conscious recycled fashion label. TRAID plans to protect the environment by diverting clothes and shoes from landfill, to reduce world poverty by raising funds for overseas development projects and to educate UK public on environmental and world poverty issues. ‘Madeleine Bates’, TRAID’s International Development Manager will be presenting TRAID’s latest projects and developments.
One World Action aim to put democracy at the heart of development. Working with communities all over the world, Andy Rutherford, Acting Director and Head of International Partnerships, will present the home-based members of SEWA Delhi who stand firm in competitive global markets and have gained visibility and recognition.
This event is free to attend but the Ethical Fashion Forum encourages attendees to support the continuation of this regular event dedicated to sustainable fashion industry by donating or becoming a Ethical Fashion Social Network Event sponsor.
The Ethical Fashion Social Network Event takes place monthly, on the last Thursday of the month. RSVP to this event on the Ethical Fashion Network and find out more on the Ethical Fashion Calendar.
Be a part of the Ethical Fashion Map; Ethical Fashion Network Events can highlight your business and initiatives to the leader of the sector.
Contact Emily at marketing@ethicalfashionforum.com to become a venue host, speaker or sponsor.
www.ethicalfashionforum.com
