tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53648204085529965422024-03-05T09:30:33.218-08:00THREADTHREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-3187556030356155792012-06-05T10:39:00.004-07:002012-06-05T10:39:53.090-07:00Interface Carpets<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The current textile industry is based on economics many are sceptical and
assume sustainable design cannot be economical. However, sustainable business
can also be economic business; the two <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">can</i>
work together and businesses and manufacturers need to see this to be
encouraged to be part of this change. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Interface
Carpets</i> is on its way to becoming one of the first billion dollar corporation
to be carbon zero by 2020, whilst producing good quality and on trend design.
Its first step in 1995 was to eliminate excess waste and this was shown to be
economically viable “We have calculated $372 million in cumulative avoided
waste cost from 1995 to 2007.” (</span><a href="http://www.interfaceglobal.com/Sustainability/Progress-to-Zero.aspx"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.interfaceglobal.com</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">/Sustainability/Progress-to-Zero.aspx</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">They are a company who are taking the
need for sustainable businesses seriously, doing it efficiently and well,
setting themselves real targets and achieving them as well as creating a
working model for others to follow. They are looking at the whole picture and
addressing all needs and not just doing enough to keep the customers content. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Eliminate
all forms of waste in every area of business. For Interface, this means
redesigning products and processes to reduce and simplify the amount of
resources we use, so that material "waste" will no longer be
"waste".(</span><a href="http://www.interfaceglobal.com/Sustainability/Our-Journey/7-Fronts-of-Sustainability.aspx"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.interfaceglobal.com/Sustainability/Our-Journey/7-Fronts-of-Sustainability.aspx</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Interface
are working on 3 main areas; </span>Footprint Reduction, Product Innovation and
Culture Change. This is an interesting approach as footprint reduction and
product innovation are the final aims but what use are they if the consumer
culture does not change to accommodate this new production method.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This section of their website is till
under construction but I look forward to seeing what they come up with.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIE7_QNvmHdAFzkLgILAJX6HyATo4mxVEWnBA6tvLaBZNKN7VUh5y2sm4nMD0b4bVWda1n9bm_zBrE4Qqw-qB4vpzv6jEstB-VRzY3-kiDS4bmK4B7hU25bJlpdVAKcpbqIe2P1t8yn0/s1600/Picture+8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIE7_QNvmHdAFzkLgILAJX6HyATo4mxVEWnBA6tvLaBZNKN7VUh5y2sm4nMD0b4bVWda1n9bm_zBrE4Qqw-qB4vpzv6jEstB-VRzY3-kiDS4bmK4B7hU25bJlpdVAKcpbqIe2P1t8yn0/s640/Picture+8.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">With
examples like this competitors will be encouraged to make similar changes. The
more pressure consumers and designs put on companies, the more change will be
made as companies do not want to miss out on a possible market. The ball has
started to move and it is slowly gaining momentum to achieve a sustainable future
but it needs a lot of research, a lot of work and a lot of cooperation from everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The example of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Interface </i>shows that waste reduction is economically a very
powerful example. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check out their
website to get full details on the facts & figures and the transparent
progress they have made since 1995. </span></div>
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</div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-66633392225765951812012-04-12T03:29:00.000-07:002012-04-12T03:29:36.526-07:00Interview with Modern Humanity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Here's a <a href="http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-thread-project" target="_blank">link</a> to our recent interview with Jenn Viane from Modern Humanity for socialbusiness.org<br />
<br />
With a cover image from Emma Lidstone, one of the students who worked on our <a href="http://sandurxfalmouth.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Sandur x Falmouth project</a></div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-61780721667069637532012-02-29T01:40:00.000-08:002012-02-29T01:40:45.609-08:00Disappearing Dresses - Helen Storey and Tony Ryan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Ok, so science and technology haven't played a huge part in the THREAD's article history but we're going to change that and here is the first step!<br />
<br />
And also, I know this isn't a particularly recent story but it is very interesting one. I was reminded of it by last week's episode of '<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01c7pq0">The Life Scientific' </a>on Radio 4 in which <a href="http://www.polymercentre.org.uk/staff/member.php?id=20">Professor Tony Ryan</a> discussed his work with Nanotechnology, including his collaborations with <a href="http://helenstoreyfoundation.org/">Professor Helen Storey</a> to create dissolving dresses and catalytic clothing.<br />
<br />
Storey approached Ryan with the problem of waste in fashion; the resulting research and collaborative work culminated in the creation (and destruction) of garments which dissolved when immersed in water. Ryan explains how the public reacted to the exhibiton of these at a shopping centre in Sheffied:<br />
<br />
'They asked us, " Why are you destroying these beautiful things?"<br />
Which allowed us to ask them, "What do you think happens when you go shopping?"'<br />
<br />
Watch the video, by Nick Knight, <a href="http://showstudio.com/project/wonderland#fashion_film">here</a><br />
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</div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-58886020350651415882012-02-28T07:33:00.000-08:002012-02-28T07:33:45.339-08:00Fashion Futures 2025<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPU3AxG7V00QYrUjUpols8HaEj9CY2VkGkmpIbDy39X4PA9YOcg2ZK_pumQRqh0R16Z4x5xdOJm3Hyikt8jyDQf_EgWRtQUFfLytEoU_3jbDxtymVGwN85YHU195RFPqc-2XbC8nmrio/s1600/main_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPU3AxG7V00QYrUjUpols8HaEj9CY2VkGkmpIbDy39X4PA9YOcg2ZK_pumQRqh0R16Z4x5xdOJm3Hyikt8jyDQf_EgWRtQUFfLytEoU_3jbDxtymVGwN85YHU195RFPqc-2XbC8nmrio/s1600/main_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPU3AxG7V00QYrUjUpols8HaEj9CY2VkGkmpIbDy39X4PA9YOcg2ZK_pumQRqh0R16Z4x5xdOJm3Hyikt8jyDQf_EgWRtQUFfLytEoU_3jbDxtymVGwN85YHU195RFPqc-2XbC8nmrio/s1600/main_logo.png" /></a><br />
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I first came across this research from <a href="http://www.forumforthefuture.org/">Forum for the Future</a> at the <a href="http://fashioninganethicalindustry.org/static/sewingmachine.html">Fashioning an Ethical Industry</a> Conference two years ago. They've continued to develop with project, run in partnership with Levi Strauss & Co and London College of Fashion, and have now launched educational resources for students and teachers.<br />
<br />
<br />
Fashion Futures 2025 is designed as a call to view the future of the industry; to designers really get thinking about how the industry is going to evole and the part sustainability will come to play.<br />
It involves the generation of four potential scenarios of the fashion world in 2025, four outlooks generated by looking at trends as they are today and created in collaboration with industry insiders and through indepth research. The idea is not to dictate or predict exactly but to explore the potential for development and to inspire and inform the next generation of designers.<br />
<br />
Watch their outcomes <a href="http://www.forumforthefuture.org/project/fashion-futures-2025/more/tutors-and-students-new">here</a><br />
<br />
Alongside their original project there is now a <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_510504864">YouTube</a><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/FashionFutures10?feature=mhee"> Channel</a> with videos exploring issues of fashion, sustainability and climate change.</div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-1891638857035829762012-01-23T15:08:00.000-08:002012-01-23T15:08:42.736-08:00NEW WORK UPLOADED<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPmbMYfMicZvA7GzexZky-WUTEFdQ2s1o5yBK1sm9Ag2eEyHUiNCRddeceJwNhiy6gb8HGWocxp6ncklvPo_qCc9CFtGjtpC2kVdVxQP32IQHqN-6jys0NXt8usVVMPQjxfCTUARudnE/s1600/EL+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPmbMYfMicZvA7GzexZky-WUTEFdQ2s1o5yBK1sm9Ag2eEyHUiNCRddeceJwNhiy6gb8HGWocxp6ncklvPo_qCc9CFtGjtpC2kVdVxQP32IQHqN-6jys0NXt8usVVMPQjxfCTUARudnE/s400/EL+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
CHECK OUT THE WORK IN PROGRESS FROM THE FALMOUTH GIRLS!!!!!!<br />
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<a href="http://sandurxfalmouth.blogspot.com/">http://sandurxfalmouth.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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</div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-65781177654952389272011-12-15T23:53:00.000-08:002011-12-15T23:53:10.556-08:00Sandur Kushala Kala Kendra / University College Falmouth<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> Check out our collaboration between Sandur Kushala Kala Kendra (SKKK) and University College Falmouth!<br />
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<a href="http://sandurxfalmouth.blogspot.com/">http://sandurxfalmouth.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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Lambani stitches have been used by the women in India for many many generations, but sadly there are less and less people leaning these skills- the women feel they have no worth and do not want to pass on the tradition. SKKK is an organisation trying to keep these women in work and the skill alive. We have collaborated with them to give them designs for the western market and to play around with other materials. The aim is to encourage the local women by showing them that <span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">their skill most definitely has a </span> worth and giving the organisation new designs.<br />
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It is all very exciting!</div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-68316439017553197352011-12-13T15:33:00.000-08:002011-12-13T15:36:38.365-08:00FASHION REACTION<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</style>‘ The second annual festival of FREE DIY workshops to remake
/ recycle / reimaging / reinvent clothes and our relationship to them.’ </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">
I stumbled across this 6 part series of workshops that took
place at JEM fabric store in SoHo … <a href="http://houseofjem.blogspot.com/">http://houseofjem.blogspot.com/</a> Organised and lead by Michael DiPietro, a Parsons fashion
graduate with a passion for Bargello Needlepoint and Sustainability.
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a name='more'></a><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">This was a collaboration between Michael and Culture Push <a href="http://culturepush.org/">http://culturepush.org/</a> Which is an art
organisation that helps fund and coordinate projects, workshops and symposiums
for the Arts. Everything was free, even the materials- all you had to do was
turn up which attracted a wide range of people all with different abilities and
interests. </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVkIIdBd9rcTKyZrryBJwJi-KgyqKXDRqU9HdsYI0WQo7wsq59YhZMxgIh1Pl_gniOO6ORx2FLV1b-SuFPMJ-jWcOc7IuGbCYe6xSrF0wpVPIw5nXJGwLnvYmyD1jV4-XEK08zViIHho/s1600/fashion+reaction002-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVkIIdBd9rcTKyZrryBJwJi-KgyqKXDRqU9HdsYI0WQo7wsq59YhZMxgIh1Pl_gniOO6ORx2FLV1b-SuFPMJ-jWcOc7IuGbCYe6xSrF0wpVPIw5nXJGwLnvYmyD1jV4-XEK08zViIHho/s320/fashion+reaction002-2.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">I made it to the darning, bargello and the finale symposium,
unfortunately I don’t have any holes in anything at the moment- but I got a lot
of strange looks on the subway with my needlepoint!</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxr5dANT5edb6VNRN7O8JUVCSzn9Wy7gZTUwZ35Ssiczf_WBG02kbrc92LKzAS_Lr8NCy0yBAVuI0NmiGLn9VN8t_odM9EdcBsPGFgz7MeQKMARoP01agUeWju6LKqVCSz9UCvgfkmUv0/s1600/DSCF2653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxr5dANT5edb6VNRN7O8JUVCSzn9Wy7gZTUwZ35Ssiczf_WBG02kbrc92LKzAS_Lr8NCy0yBAVuI0NmiGLn9VN8t_odM9EdcBsPGFgz7MeQKMARoP01agUeWju6LKqVCSz9UCvgfkmUv0/s320/DSCF2653.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">The symposium with Pascale Gatzen, Glenn Marla and Otto von
Busch explored the idea of consumers and designers creating a sustainable
fashion system. Pascale is a Parsons professor as well as an artist and
designer who brought up some interesting ideas about worth. Glenn
Marla is a performance artist and shopgirl at Re/Dress, a plus-size thrift
store in Brooklyn, NY, She was very inspiring and reiterated how we have to be
designing sustainable fashion for the masses- not just those who can afford it
or fit into it. Otto is founder of the brand and research project
>Self_Passage<, an open-source project investigating empowerment through
fashion hacktivism. </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3nHBuFatk2CJFanGHq2wpq0OFnmD3Rji5kL8wMdPbjPpZKTfQU5HMqrvyKzAB1GAMLsEUH3ezcQZB4tEY8nV6OkqQHLJjZJfX2wyqm5r-8O0bOjemGQwMYVbSt9SxdH-CI1AIfxYoxU/s1600/DSCF2657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3nHBuFatk2CJFanGHq2wpq0OFnmD3Rji5kL8wMdPbjPpZKTfQU5HMqrvyKzAB1GAMLsEUH3ezcQZB4tEY8nV6OkqQHLJjZJfX2wyqm5r-8O0bOjemGQwMYVbSt9SxdH-CI1AIfxYoxU/s320/DSCF2657.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4MkXjU6mHg8fft773vyL469zPhwPlMVmH2C7PPYymtklg6qtqRdurxbC-8CV_q1iXNHJrHAhnkLPzBjeCCdP4iPQpycTWrPCqUuQCmcDvtAYI68V8z3fG_EgIfyB-o8WZ4OTXLna4CEE/s1600/DSCF2655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4MkXjU6mHg8fft773vyL469zPhwPlMVmH2C7PPYymtklg6qtqRdurxbC-8CV_q1iXNHJrHAhnkLPzBjeCCdP4iPQpycTWrPCqUuQCmcDvtAYI68V8z3fG_EgIfyB-o8WZ4OTXLna4CEE/s320/DSCF2655.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">It finalised in a hand made quilt (lovingly made by Michael)
which we all contributed out ideas to create a flow chart. This was a wonderful
series of workshops- I learnt many skills and the symposium opened up a lot of
questions and ideas for me. VERY INSPIRING!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQHBARQnJo0CPjyABOBUPXiCOnD2JIkUK_TOoT0PahS-1UVqlVDiEZUucWdG1jNFEFjTP5qR7SRQDOrybY5NFIkezRgRC7W_org1ra9Jp11cOYpBRVXxFbjsBtjLE5r-PxFnHIwYebC8/s1600/DSCF2656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQHBARQnJo0CPjyABOBUPXiCOnD2JIkUK_TOoT0PahS-1UVqlVDiEZUucWdG1jNFEFjTP5qR7SRQDOrybY5NFIkezRgRC7W_org1ra9Jp11cOYpBRVXxFbjsBtjLE5r-PxFnHIwYebC8/s320/DSCF2656.JPG" width="240" /></a></div></div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-20987829877011648042011-11-09T05:30:00.000-08:002011-11-09T05:30:15.077-08:00Forum for the Future<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Forum for the future. 12th September 2011, New York.<br />
<br />
Action for a Sustainable World…<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/sustainable-business-event-new-york">http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/sustainable-business-event-new-york</a><br />
<br />
Forum for the Future is a non for profit organisation that works with businesses and has been doing so for over 15 years.<br />
<a href="http://www.forumforthefuture.org/">http://www.forumforthefuture.org/ </a><br />
This year they collaborated with the Guardian Sustainable Business <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business">http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business</a><br />
To host an expert panel discussion, Q&A and group discussions. The panel was made up of Ian Yolles Chief sustainability officer, Recyclebank; Freya Williams Senior partner, director of strategy, Ogilvy Earth; Sally Uren Deputy chief executive, Forum for the Future and Jeffrey Hollender Co-Founder Seventh Generation, sustainability author and activist.<br />
<br />
The role of brands as change agents is growing rapidly. Brands can have more power than any international organisation by sheer force of the number of people they touch. With that power comes responsibility – and the potential for brands to act as agents of transformative change.<br />
<br />
Here are my bite size notes on the topics of the evening!<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Who is going to create the change? <br />
The business sector- they have the power and the freedom that the government and the consumer do not have. The government’s financial model is still a very short term one. Businesses have the opportunity to create long-term financial models that can incorporate sustainability as an investment rather than a cost.<br />
<br />
The system in place is wrong- good products are expensive and bad products are cheap. So it rewards companies and consumers for behaving badly. What can big brands do to make a difference? We are too worried about being less bad rather than being good. <br />
<br />
We have to work from the inside. We have to work on behaviour change. The consumers have been resistant to guilt and to reason and so to reach the mainstream consumers we have to use the same methods that we have always been using because they work. We need to use mainstream advertising in sustainability. SUSTAINABILITY IS AN OUTCOME NOT A MARKETING STRATERGY. <br />
<br />
Language is a problem- sustainability suggests that we have to get to a stage of sustaining where we are- but this is not how we should be thinking- how we are got us into this mess and we have to learn from it and adapt to a new way of being. We need to get back to social currency, social value is a large part of the monetary value of a commodity or service.<br />
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You can’t leave it to consumers- if Steve Gibs would have let consumers lead we would have never got his innovation. He told us what we wanted.<br />
<br />
EDUCATION- we need to educate consumers- especially the young ones- they are the citizens of tomorrow. <br />
<br />
How to get sustainability into your brand:<br />
<br />
The price is a major issue- we have to kill the sustainability tax. We need to change the price at the back end so the mark up is not passed onto the consumer. Large companies have to see it as an investment and not a cost. Take Heins Mayonnaise as an example- they changed their eggs to free range – their product was more expensive to make but the cost did not go up. As it was the same price but it was better- the sales went up which covered the initial cost. M&S and their carbon neutral bra- they did nothing to the marketing or the price- they just added the label and it went from the 16th best selling bra to the best selling bra within a week. It did not take much to change habits. <br />
<br />
P.S. WE ARE SUSTAINABLE is such an important marketing plan. We do not want people buying our products because they are sustainable but because it is a good product. It should not be a trend. <br />
<br />
Value is subjective- if a customer values a product they will invest in - it is up to us to put value on the product. <br />
<br />
You have to get off the escalator and take the stairs! You will still reach the top- it might take you a little longer and a bit more effort- but you have control of how you get there and are healthier at the end. <br />
<br />
<br />
</div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-61669866548498303562011-11-02T04:45:00.001-07:002011-11-02T04:45:44.026-07:00Inspired to consumed!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">With a difference<br />
<br />
After attending Juliet Schor’s talk on connected consumption I started thinking about how much I consume. In 2007 the average American shopped for 67 items of clothing, today I am not sure but am looking for the number and will get back to you but I am sure it has increased tremendously! Now that seems like a lot to me and I am sure I don’t buy that much (I am not American but I’m guessing that Europe is not far behind). So I decided to put it to the test- to keep track of how many items of clothing I consume in a year, to be more specific I will categorise it into new, secondhand, sustainable and ethical- now I am sure that there will be some crossover there and where do you raw the line? <br />
<br />
And hey if I’m doing that I might as well keep track of everything I buy? And how much I spend on it. Yes everything… food, going out, books, toothpaste, fabric – EVERYTHING.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Now I understand this is going to be a massive challenge and I’m not going to count all the pennies so there will be a little rounding up. I am almost a month in and its not going too bad – although I have spent a lot of eating out – but maybe that’s just because I am in New York. That will be interesting to compare New York to London. And of course this will not be 100% accurate- there will be things that I forget and what about things I consume that I get for free? Or get bought? Then there is the question of what am I throwing away (thanks Josie!). Maybe next year I will get into that, if I even make it through this year. But I am hoping keeping track will make me more aware and it will be interesting to see where I am spending my money. I will keep you updated!<br />
<br />
</div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-4724526158930647272011-10-21T05:41:00.000-07:002011-10-21T05:41:19.801-07:00CONNECTED CONSUMPTION IN A CHALLENGING AGE- A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE MIGHT ACTUALLY BE MORE SUSTAINABLE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Tq-GTM_BdKJ0QXiPFs-EsOl-0VLQTCLaEirVgRvi79FGu39VhebB6bhAhi5YJdqfUa5tD1tiBg9mWtFq74fACtzvafVVfKnzJQiMgN_4unx8fqFz32wN-26OsoodWxgnCphlOkpF8-I/s1600/archit_ExteriorFromFirst2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Tq-GTM_BdKJ0QXiPFs-EsOl-0VLQTCLaEirVgRvi79FGu39VhebB6bhAhi5YJdqfUa5tD1tiBg9mWtFq74fACtzvafVVfKnzJQiMgN_4unx8fqFz32wN-26OsoodWxgnCphlOkpF8-I/s400/archit_ExteriorFromFirst2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from http://www.bmwguggenheimlab.org/what-is-the-lab/architecture</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Talk by JULIETE SCHOR<br />
<br />
<br />
The BMW Guggenheim Lab is a mobile laboratory travelling to nine cites over six years. It will spend a few months in each city exploring issues of contemporary urban live through art, architecture, design, science, technology, education and sustainability. It aims to create new ideas and forward thinking solutions for city life. The lab has just left New York and I am very sad to see it go, it offered a wealth of free activities and talks for the public (and had a pretty good café).<br />
<br />
One talk in particular that was very interesting was by JULIET SCHOR, she is author of The New Economics of TRUE WEALTH, has a background in economics but a passionate interest in a sustainable and stable future. <br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
She started the talk by setting the scene. In the last few decades we have seen a large productivity growth- but this has been because technology can do so much now and not because more people are working- in fact less people are working and this has resulted in 99% of wealth ending up in the hands of 1% of the population. Sometime in the 1980s the amount of natural resources that we were using overran the amount of natural resources that can be used without exploiting the planet- and this has continued to increase steadily since then. This combination of worldwide material extraction and reliance on technology has found us in a very unsustainable position. We have become a culture of consumerism, our luxuries are now necessities, this negative consumer model has spiralled way beyond its means. Lets take clothing as an example- we all need clothing but households in the US have taken this to the next level. In 1991 an average of 34 units of apparel were bought per person per year, in 2007 it had increased to 67- this is almost double and at the same time the amount of discarded clothing has also dramatically risen. Second hand clothes have become so cheap that in many cases they are cheaper than food- and clothing is an expensive commodity both in terms of natural and human resources. There is now a disjuncture between the real economic and the financial economic. We are seeing the same pattern in other household commodities; furniture, cell phones, laptops, vacuum cleaner, ovens and other electrical goods. In 1998 14.2 million cell phones were purchased, in 2005 177.2 million were purchased, that is an increase of 1200%. But it is not only in new commodities- the amount of vacuum cleaner has also doubled in just seven years. <br />
<br />
After the economic crash views and attitudes in the United States have started to change; people are frightened of spending beyond their mean and are starting to think in terms of “we” rather than “me”, many commodities have gone back to being classed as luxury rather than necessity, people are taking a larger interest in savings and most importantly they have started to realise that a more sustainable future might actually be more sustainable. <br />
<br />
She then went on to talk about what connected consumerism is, how it is happening and what positive effects it is having. Connected consumerism is consumerism with a conscience, it is about sharing resources, connecting socially and reducing our impact. Technology has allowed us to develop creative commons like file sharing, blogging, Wikipedia and even eBay to a global audience. Sharing is now easier and it is expanding offline too. Connected consumption is not a new idea but one that was probably the norm up until mass production came into play and people could afford to want their own rather than share or reuse and it has begun to reappeare; exchanging, swapping & sharing commodities, initiatives like swapshop, freecycle, tool libraries, car sharing, bike sharing, land sharing have all become very popular.. The shift back to the “we” rather than the “me” is vital and connected consumerism is enabling this; people are connecting with each other more- they are consuming from each other rather than from large companies so not only is it promoting social connection but it is reducing our ecological effect and is more suitable to our current financial situation. <br />
<br />
Is this just a trend? No, because it is economically viable. In a booming economy people work more hours and make more money so people buy more ready made food, get their laundry done and inevitably spend more money. In a recession people work less hours and have less money, logic has it that they will cook more and have time to do more themselves and in turn save money- they have time for connected consumption. So the economics of it make sense and that will keep it growing. People now find themselves with more time and a realisation that they can do something with their “excess capacity” (consumer goods, services, time and space). TimeBank originated in the 1970/1980s, you join and you swap your time for tokens so time becomes the currency of a community (Julieta Aranda + Anton Vidokle). The problem with this is social inequality- is a plumbers hour worth as much as a vegan bakers? Not in the commercial market, so why would a plumber swap his time for a cake? Other things are emerging like taskgrabit.com where people can bid in exchange for a task. <br />
<br />
This is still dependent on manufactured goods, what about producing things for yourself?<br />
<br />
We need a movement to change the way we live and to confront the economical powers constricting us. Wall street protests?<br />
<br />
What about collaborative consumption, like a bunch of neighbours buying a lawnmower between them rather than all getting one. Or transportation shares. However, they don’t always work out, look at zip cars- they started off great- the plan was to get less people owning cars and more people sharing, now they are offering SUVs- that is not really reducing our footprint is it? <br />
<br />
We need to share hours and employment. There is a misdistribution of hours as well as wealth.<br />
<br />
But what makes someone well off? Lets think about that term, the term has not changed for a long time but the way we live has changed dramatically. Someone who was once well off was comfortable, they had leisure time, they were healthy and happy, they had security but not necessarily abundance. Not now, most often than not if you are well off you have little time to enjoy it. We have to redefine what wealthy is. Personally it is a balance between social connection/time/stability/health. Plenitude is the natural state of humanity but we have to requestion what makes us plentiful. <br />
<br />
What are the barriers to moving to a new model? Institutional barrier? Cultural barriers? Culture moves with economics, culture moves rapidly. However, you can’t just change a system through social movement, unfortunately you need institutional help to maintain permanent change. Europe has done a lot and is doing a lot more to reduce energy and resource use, their business is miles ahead of the US. That is why a German car company is sponsoring the event. <br />
<br />
Food for thought to finish with; <br />
An American child uses the same resources as 30 Mexican children or 50 Indian. <br />
<br />
This got me thinking...<br />
As a species we have evolved rapidly in the last 100 years - from survivors to individualistic consumers. For the most part we buy what we need and on an individual basis we produce very little, especially in terms of what we need to survive. Is it time to change? I hope so as all the evidence shows that we cannot sustain the way we are currently operating. <br />
<br />
Is THE THREAD PROJECT connected consumption? Yes it is sharing ideas, knowledge and experiences in exchange for ideas, knowledge and experiences! Brilliant – its nice to know we are on the right track…<br />
<br />
A very inspirational talk and I can’t wait to write you a book review on her book. <br />
</div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-21185490088590898532011-09-25T18:33:00.000-07:002011-09-25T18:34:59.347-07:00Isolde in NYC Again!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTk0U12mbg0M3mbE3cB1UBISC9eNZ2cIifYmI0uZx9ptrPWAENAzPpHsj7VeUp2B4S8jz1r5WSDF9Et0TILZE7X8qeLsJ_thMqiuolVmMYAZfMTGx0r7llFbgpM702bh2I5h-TKDnpJc/s1600/DSCF2461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTk0U12mbg0M3mbE3cB1UBISC9eNZ2cIifYmI0uZx9ptrPWAENAzPpHsj7VeUp2B4S8jz1r5WSDF9Et0TILZE7X8qeLsJ_thMqiuolVmMYAZfMTGx0r7llFbgpM702bh2I5h-TKDnpJc/s320/DSCF2461.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DUMBO ART FESTIVAL 2011</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03_cOrhIZxNURuk4yR4IShV_MpF1NWr66-wLinFiiiDXSN1NtmEvGPP2BjwOaaKwyxywlgO9XQg9QN6lzBZ5lUplBKw6zu9DXdFsQeGi7jwXAJ606TbhZC66AKaqVUkgVAK642M2E3BE/s1600/Learning_to_Dive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03_cOrhIZxNURuk4yR4IShV_MpF1NWr66-wLinFiiiDXSN1NtmEvGPP2BjwOaaKwyxywlgO9XQg9QN6lzBZ5lUplBKw6zu9DXdFsQeGi7jwXAJ606TbhZC66AKaqVUkgVAK642M2E3BE/s1600/Learning_to_Dive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03_cOrhIZxNURuk4yR4IShV_MpF1NWr66-wLinFiiiDXSN1NtmEvGPP2BjwOaaKwyxywlgO9XQg9QN6lzBZ5lUplBKw6zu9DXdFsQeGi7jwXAJ606TbhZC66AKaqVUkgVAK642M2E3BE/s320/Learning_to_Dive.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kara-smith.com/">http://www.kara-smith.com/</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWJoJUc6eG006njci1Np6diayoV9uSDuzVB7UyVnfZjY7eQ-GoHdCwKkg62gQZlLe4DyWgHLxJMgVfzNERFkU6etAKb3P6tfqV3pjgHHxPI7wgM7Gvc_W6HFvzEiw-RLQZRR-yKfzcoE/s1600/ToileLandscape2010-2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWJoJUc6eG006njci1Np6diayoV9uSDuzVB7UyVnfZjY7eQ-GoHdCwKkg62gQZlLe4DyWgHLxJMgVfzNERFkU6etAKb3P6tfqV3pjgHHxPI7wgM7Gvc_W6HFvzEiw-RLQZRR-yKfzcoE/s1600/ToileLandscape2010-2011.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.susangrahamart.com/">http://www.susangrahamart.com/</a></td></tr>
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Isolde is back in New York… Another 3 month stint. Working full time but she is still going to find time for some really exciting sustainable (yes these two words go together very well) stuff! Starting with today at the DUMBO ARTS FESTIVAL 2011 <a href="http://dumboartsfestival.com/">http://dumboartsfestival.com/</a> <br />
<a name='more'></a>where she went to The Heather Hart Experience, Barter Town. There was no monetary exchange but goods were exchanged for stories, skills, time, memories and hair. She got some chocolate for a heartbreak story and a photograph for a memory. It was fun and refreshing to see consumption work in a more social and experience lead fashion. Apart from my battering I saw lots of open studios including <a href="http://www.susangrahamart.com/">http://www.susangrahamart.com/</a> and <a href="http://www.kara-smith.com/">http://www.kara-smith.com/</a> .<br />
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But there are plenty more events on the horizon like FORUM FOR THE FUTURE- YIELD EXHIBITION- HOOPLA- FASHION RE_ACTION- a good mixture of lectures, exhibitions and workshops…now to find time to read Design Activism by Alastair Faud-Luke.<br />
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</div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-12897902776545133682011-05-26T11:54:00.000-07:002011-07-14T02:19:47.037-07:00THREAD talks to Harper Poe of US ethical textile and homewares label, Proud Mary<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Isolde caught up with Harper on one of her visits to NY. Now based in South Carolina, Harper designs and runs Proud Mary and produces her fabrics in Guatemala and South Africa, from where she draws inspiration for colours and pattern.<br />
THREAD asked her about what made her start, how it all works and the ups and downs of running your own label, check out the interview on the <a href="http://www.thethreadproject.co.uk/#/proud-mary-interview/4551799061">website</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Thanks Harper, we love your work! Check out the Proud Mary collection <a href="http://www.proudmary.org/">here</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXg_3NxvRMMrwxuB1LsX9aVE_JU5qyYvxayNd6-oUIfwNz10uxN4pM7ehAH_ak6JbMnFjOfLR_78WOyyqyGxBdMbDAIqr9quh5tU6MlLDWKlZjOMz7_tXY7y_6R87HzejOFy5lSqmiB_Y/s1600/proudmarypillow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXg_3NxvRMMrwxuB1LsX9aVE_JU5qyYvxayNd6-oUIfwNz10uxN4pM7ehAH_ak6JbMnFjOfLR_78WOyyqyGxBdMbDAIqr9quh5tU6MlLDWKlZjOMz7_tXY7y_6R87HzejOFy5lSqmiB_Y/s320/proudmarypillow.JPG" width="306" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Image @ Proud Mary</div></div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-7441759725046339822011-05-08T13:32:00.000-07:002011-05-08T13:32:35.294-07:00THREAD talks to Tara St James<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSNZIDjYTAyPvTsKPvYzNoRlz_Hfwjks_HEB3RNX7S1JV1NHnuf5hJUWVI7IHh_yiB6JTDbFnZGiSsKPl0nxSSzhpf0DnaUIdQJn7EWDGlTuTTA52IZMfpvkPbllquFls33JcRIyYPcQ/s1600/study_f11_+0589%2528color%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSNZIDjYTAyPvTsKPvYzNoRlz_Hfwjks_HEB3RNX7S1JV1NHnuf5hJUWVI7IHh_yiB6JTDbFnZGiSsKPl0nxSSzhpf0DnaUIdQJn7EWDGlTuTTA52IZMfpvkPbllquFls33JcRIyYPcQ/s640/study_f11_+0589%2528color%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
THREAD met Tara St James at Estethica a few months ago and was bowled over by the style and philosophy of her New York based ethical fashion label, Study NY. So when Isolde made the move to Manhattan, hot footing it over to catch up with Tara was top of the agenda...check out their interview <a href="http://thethreadproject.moonfruit.com/#/blank-page/4551232263">here.</a><br />
And take a look at the new collection<a href="http://www.study-ny.com/"> here</a><br />
Thanks Tara!</div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-43111475716350662542011-04-28T19:42:00.000-07:002011-04-28T19:42:41.825-07:00TIME OUT NEW YORK<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Friday the 22nd of April was earth day, I don’t know what was happening over in the UK, but I’m guessing that Easter Friday was bigger. In the US there seemed to be a lot going on for it, it filled the TIME OUT with ‘green advise’ and lots of events, but I’m questioning its sincerity, but maybe I’m just getting confused by a language barrier (there is a huge difference between English and American). When I spoke to Tara St James (see the STUDY NY interview on the website) she told me that there was a visible difference between London and NY in terms of its responsible designing, that the activity here is very positive and it is often about the materials themselves; this is all very important but I can’t help but think the terminology is just too positive and not serious enough and the term green wash comes to mind. <br />
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TIME OUT’S closet case this week looks at Bahar Shahpar ‘eco-stylist and designer’s environmentally conscious wardrobe’, after reading the first paragraph my first thought was is this serious? ‘earth loving brands’ and ‘nature-friendly methods’, what do these things even mean? A brand cannot be earth loving- it will always take from nature without replacing- but it can try to not take so much and be more responsible about its methods, but not friendly and not loving. I have met Bahar and I know that she probably had the same reaction reading the article and did not use any of those phrases! Love your wardrobe by the way- especially the vintage.<br />
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We do not work like this so we can hug more trees but so we can sustain our lifestyles and encourage others to take more personal responsibility of theirs. The textile industry is one of the most damaging there is and it can’t sustain itself. Most people working under the very broad umbrella of ‘sustainable’ (or whatever you want to call it) are not doing it to be part of a trend or to be attached to a specific ‘eco label’ but because they are seriously concerned about the way things are made, consumed and discarded of. Sustainable is not a friendly loving word and more importantly it should not be a trend, products that can sustain their existence should be the norm (or at the very least be made to last). We have to be more responsible.<br />
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</div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-80027200374723114322011-04-26T18:21:00.000-07:002011-04-26T18:21:41.200-07:00THE GREEN SHOWS AT BLOOMINGDALE’S SOHO<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipIjr8gWeZ6d1kg0UuaFIMfINqis8K5oJJ3PzU0UhqZo5u4aACl7P0LD9PiZ5kDeNgiG5tI1r6jLFVyHXfrapbmr-EJTyU37OAKfKbfF6nO5-QptlMlWK9ZIWQslR8GsUDlBD3wn2oc2g/s1600/fashionfeed-contentImages-022bd5b9-ee89-46b4-b296-e80cfe1ece7a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipIjr8gWeZ6d1kg0UuaFIMfINqis8K5oJJ3PzU0UhqZo5u4aACl7P0LD9PiZ5kDeNgiG5tI1r6jLFVyHXfrapbmr-EJTyU37OAKfKbfF6nO5-QptlMlWK9ZIWQslR8GsUDlBD3wn2oc2g/s1600/fashionfeed-contentImages-022bd5b9-ee89-46b4-b296-e80cfe1ece7a.jpg" /></a></div><br />
A very exciting pop up shop lasting four days in New York’s SoHo Bloomingdale, showcasing the work of ANJA, THE BATTALION, STUDY NY, SAMANTHA PLEET, ROBIN BROULETTE, SUZANNE RAE, ARTISTS AND REVOLUTIONARIES, THE SWAY AND H. FREDRICKSSON. I was very busy working late and walking the dog but for many others there was the opportunity to meet and speak with the designers throughout the show. However, I did get a chance to pop in on Friday morning (before the torrential rain kicked in) and make my first STUDY NY purchase! The whole show looked great- it was a great space and lots of information about the designers for those who were looking- but the focus was about the beautiful work and the fact that it was ‘ECOLUX’ was just a bonus- the clothes were stunning and I had a great time in the changing room- a gorgeous Japanese style jacket by…., A bikini and dress by Samantha Pleet but in the end I went for …. By Study NY <br />
I got to talk with someone from… who said that there had been a good amount of interest for the show and it was a balance of people who came because of the show and those who just stumbled across it.<br />
I can’t wait for the next one!<br />
</div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-30017553832383682012011-04-18T09:48:00.000-07:002011-04-18T09:48:43.438-07:00MADE-BY: Fashion with respect for people and planet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW71RIdYO5Tlag2CZIJusdWD8EfwXAMhVQ8qFVS11MP_boihyphenhyphenTpvRHNRGvIW8AWEi9LtF1YgNG1OcDuVtaMJK5u24pobMAlK00nMIc_EdkBrT1PfdY07t8VMtFTbXWL6YX4irKm9Ou6NM/s1600/madeby.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="81" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW71RIdYO5Tlag2CZIJusdWD8EfwXAMhVQ8qFVS11MP_boihyphenhyphenTpvRHNRGvIW8AWEi9LtF1YgNG1OcDuVtaMJK5u24pobMAlK00nMIc_EdkBrT1PfdY07t8VMtFTbXWL6YX4irKm9Ou6NM/s320/madeby.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
MADE-BY are a European Not-For-Profit organisation dedicated to improving environmental and social conditions in the global fashion industry. Launched in 2004 in Amsterdam in response to growing consumer concerns over the production of the clothes they wear, MADE-By now has three offices in Europe, with London and Freiburg joining Amsterdam.<br />
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MADE-BY offer consultancy and training services to enable fashion brands to develop their environmental and social policies. The organisation also works in partnership with a group of brands on a long term basis,on services including their famous Track and Trace package, which allows consumers to follow the supply chain of a purchased garment.<br />
This transparency chain and the software developed is an industry leader in enabling brands to document the work they are doing to improve standards within their production processes.<br />
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Josie will be working at MADE-BY on the supply chain Track and Trace project for the next three months, so look out for lots more info regarding the work of this organisation....<br />
in the meantime check out their site at <a href="http://www.made-by.org/">www.made-by.org</a> ( you can try out the Track and Trace without a garment code to get an idea of the stories involved)<br />
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</div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-31544960472466995842011-04-11T13:24:00.000-07:002011-04-11T13:24:25.677-07:00THREAD talks to....Orsola de Castro<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Last year THREAD were lucky enough to interview ethical fashion mover and shaker, From Somewhere and Estethica founder, and all round inspration that is Orsola de Castro. We thought we should share her replies with you, so check out the interview on the <a href="http://www.thethreadproject.co.uk/#/orsola-interview/4550447212">website</a>. And look out for more from Orsola for THREAD in the future...she got very excited when we told her she could say anything she liked! About ethical fashion of course!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlgMigRNlDHujTQR9bkSC3XzQUnyMWySbwQjt12mrFlzFJMAu1nIHC0WJuHMQEVSy2BNAiBcwE1WgTfJXWswDAFMl-u29r9ZbHJpUs-p3vL9Ilxn4zjddmutyAOhheNZxQv-jlXubMG8s/s1600/fromsomewherelogohighres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlgMigRNlDHujTQR9bkSC3XzQUnyMWySbwQjt12mrFlzFJMAu1nIHC0WJuHMQEVSy2BNAiBcwE1WgTfJXWswDAFMl-u29r9ZbHJpUs-p3vL9Ilxn4zjddmutyAOhheNZxQv-jlXubMG8s/s320/fromsomewherelogohighres.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-43401591353604343292011-04-11T05:37:00.000-07:002011-04-11T05:37:04.157-07:00GUILDED<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36k7W6UINairnZ28rkxl9q-Nf8BNIFDGCgItFUU3YH5gHRL1bmb1_J4YRPHeU7318ugvl3qjJaIQg5CLMCAuYNncxBiJSxJ_OAqWnlj4cBLOxe6xKZ-XngSZkEyNMnzZCpLIa9qfIijI/s1600/195747_137718609632855_6813459_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36k7W6UINairnZ28rkxl9q-Nf8BNIFDGCgItFUU3YH5gHRL1bmb1_J4YRPHeU7318ugvl3qjJaIQg5CLMCAuYNncxBiJSxJ_OAqWnlj4cBLOxe6xKZ-XngSZkEyNMnzZCpLIa9qfIijI/s1600/195747_137718609632855_6813459_n.jpg" /></a></div>Saturday, April 9 & Sunday, April 10<br />
12-5 pm<br />
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organic - recycled - end of roll - silks - wool - cottons - interfacing - wovens - knits<br />
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We asked our fellow sustainable designers to compile all their unused fabric, notions, trims & accessories and bring them to us for a huge Spring cleaning sale!<br />
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We're offering these low-priced but high quality fabrics and trims to local students and designers alike.<br />
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This event is a way to dispose of excess without contributing to the waste stream, and a way to share sustainable and vintage fabrics with students and young designers.<br />
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Come pick up full rolls or just a few yards at amazing prices!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FjrC3OstAwlgUjK1QSvHf0OxAZDLGxU25vb6pV47UtWPkSVwh01nFZVTU0slUKbi8E_pC2vFmD7zRMRJHcXQ09JWpIivxL-wIUeya7MpLMfHUe_k-zSZxyOjYYKil7GwUXzvhQUk49U/s1600/DSCF2270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FjrC3OstAwlgUjK1QSvHf0OxAZDLGxU25vb6pV47UtWPkSVwh01nFZVTU0slUKbi8E_pC2vFmD7zRMRJHcXQ09JWpIivxL-wIUeya7MpLMfHUe_k-zSZxyOjYYKil7GwUXzvhQUk49U/s320/DSCF2270.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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This was GUILDED, a sale hosted by Tara St James and Bahar Shahpar, two Brooklyn based fashion designers. Set in Tara’s studio in downtown Manhattan there was a real buzz of excitement with many designers riffling through piles and rolls of great stuff. I got a bit carried away! No real plan for the fabrics but I’m a magpie when it comes to fabric- especially wovens! I got an amazing pea silk Indian woven monochrome, an Aztec inspired jacquard, a print and some trimmings! <br />
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This was a great thing to go to, to see Tara again and to meet Bahar who is wonderful!<br />
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You will be hearing more about them shortly as I do some more interviews for the website!<br />
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Also I learnt how to crochet!<br />
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<a href="http://baharshahpar.com/current/about.html">http://baharshahpar.com/current/about.html</a><br />
<a href="http://www.notjustalabel.com/study_ny">http://www.notjustalabel.com/study_ny</a></div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-44563435848895597392011-04-07T17:51:00.000-07:002011-04-07T17:51:02.517-07:00Isolde in NYC!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Isolde is in New York City- doing a placement with Vanderhurd for two months- but while she is here she is going to do lots of exciting stuff for THREAD!<br />
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Including an interview with Tara St James owner of Study NY, who has been showing at Esthetica for some seasons now- you will find her brand profile on the website <a href="http://www.thethreadproject.co.uk/#/brand-profiles/4548919183">http://www.thethreadproject.co.uk/#/brand-profiles/4548919183</a> .<br />
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She will also be meeting Samantha Pleet, a Brooklyn fashion designer who is very consious when it comes to fabric selection and all her things are made here in the US. <a href="http://www.samanthapleet.com/">http://www.samanthapleet.com/</a><br />
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Isolde is hoping to get involved with the Textile Arts Centre in Brooklyn. This looks like an amazing place doing wonderful work so watch this space!<br />
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<a href="http://www.textileartscenter.com/home_page">http://www.textileartscenter.com/home_page</a><br />
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x</div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-84194721845688154892011-04-07T17:33:00.000-07:002011-04-07T17:34:24.071-07:00Ivo Textiles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Whist doing a placement at Christopher Farr Cloth <a href="http://christopherfarrcloth.com/">http://christopherfarrcloth.com/</a> Isolde got an opportunity to go to Ivo Textiles <a href="http://www.ivo.co.uk/HistoryStart.html">http://www.ivo.co.uk/HistoryStart.html</a> a screen printing studio in Southall, London. Ivo was founded in 1963 by Ivo Tonder, Ellen and Victor Haas. They started off in Paddington printing for Zandra Rhodes and Vivenne Westwood and have grown over the years.<br />
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<a name='more'></a> What was most impressive about the studio for me was the size! They have three 52 meter screen printing tables, one for hand printing and the other two for Gali printing, this means that the stoppers are manually adjusted for each print but the screen is pulled mechanically. This is much faster but retains the hand printed quality and logo. It then has to be put through a baker (everything is done on site) and if needed a sanforizer, which softens the fabric after printing- especially if the design has a lot of dye coverage. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1-DjSzU6pAWFiJUS7yOXpo2QUNfueQNRaDjjkmDLdvG3qHlSa5OYPmMnfmT_9se2RJnB7IaZB8ng9aPPzn0J-NHeD-gXA6u7imOMKtygRFPKRBdOiV2iEEQHledLLr5QRs8O1Bwhcig0/s1600/Hand2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1-DjSzU6pAWFiJUS7yOXpo2QUNfueQNRaDjjkmDLdvG3qHlSa5OYPmMnfmT_9se2RJnB7IaZB8ng9aPPzn0J-NHeD-gXA6u7imOMKtygRFPKRBdOiV2iEEQHledLLr5QRs8O1Bwhcig0/s1600/Hand2.jpg" /></a></div>Photo from <a href="http://www.ivo.co.uk/HistoryStart.html">http://www.ivo.co.uk/HistoryStart.html</a><br />
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They have a rotary printer, the screens are round and the machine can hold up to eight screens (so eight colours) – the screens stay in place and the fabric moves under them which rotates the screens, the dye is pumped through the screens. This results in a much faster printing process and works especially well with stripes as there is no break between the screens. The fabric then goes through an attached baker and comes out the other side ready unless it requires sanforizing or any other special treatment. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBOKcesOyZgOd-ESOU2ma-BrnOCTPVc55BaKZ_k7ct5M01NsiLxnpFsumUrAwEXMXmDrR3U6rxGF_fxjEVFv2FecnDDKvvYBIRMPotks7AaYCfKeVxUgij9hb25vZSJSJk5Ap4MfJJBa8/s1600/Rotary1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBOKcesOyZgOd-ESOU2ma-BrnOCTPVc55BaKZ_k7ct5M01NsiLxnpFsumUrAwEXMXmDrR3U6rxGF_fxjEVFv2FecnDDKvvYBIRMPotks7AaYCfKeVxUgij9hb25vZSJSJk5Ap4MfJJBa8/s1600/Rotary1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
photo from <a href="http://www.ivo.co.uk/HistoryStart.html">http://www.ivo.co.uk/HistoryStart.html</a><br />
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Also on the premises is a flat bed printer, this one can hold 14 screens- again the screens stay in place and the fabric moves on a conveyor belt underneath stopping at in the right place for the screens to be mechanically pulled. This is an even faster process – but you loose some of the quality because there is no drying time between the screens. Again there is a baker attached to this printer.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkE_ygxVMeIIJgmqBHPapvhpO2vot_MbuzVCZgOyJFXz32LsK5573_kw2LgZxcPqbp-6GInv_cjHsxD_ed5Cn2A6n5JdSlqwefl9-v_fKNwRg1HWApWSmb4RzM4wKEFKkDieVchC0uVeA/s1600/Buser1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkE_ygxVMeIIJgmqBHPapvhpO2vot_MbuzVCZgOyJFXz32LsK5573_kw2LgZxcPqbp-6GInv_cjHsxD_ed5Cn2A6n5JdSlqwefl9-v_fKNwRg1HWApWSmb4RzM4wKEFKkDieVchC0uVeA/s1600/Buser1.jpg" /></a></div>Photo from <a href="http://www.ivo.co.uk/HistoryStart.html">http://www.ivo.co.uk/HistoryStart.html</a><br />
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They have a range of basic base cloths that you can use but many companies choose to source their own fabrics that can then be stored on site. After a fabric is sanforized it goes through a quality control and gets rolled up and is ready to go. However most clients prefer to be there for as much of the printing as possible, although they have a 10% leeway for mistakes, colours do not always match perfectly and so often a strike off is done before each printing job. They hold all the colour recipes for each client but there are many things that can affect the colour like the age of the screen, the speed and the pressure of the pull. <br />
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A studio is attached where they have designers who prepare the artwork for the screens before they are exposed. The amount of work they do depends on the client, some designs come ready and some clients give a vintage fabric and request the designers do all the work. They are adding a digital printer to the facilities in the next year. </div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-75959641975017870882011-04-06T08:57:00.000-07:002011-04-06T08:57:40.339-07:00New interview with Offset Warehouse director Charlie Ross...on the website now!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">THREAD has been really excited about Offset Warehouse for a few months now so we are really excited to have an <a href="http://thethreadproject.moonfruit.com/#/charlie-ross-interview/4550289352">interview</a> with founder Charlie Ross. For those of you who haven't checked out Offset Warehouse yet, the site is a fabulous online resource hub for all those interested in ethical fashion.<br />
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We all now how hard it is to source sustainable fabrics and components, not to mention the issues with dyes and printing. Charlie, a menswear graduate from the RCA knew it too, and decided to do something about it. Offset Warehouse was born, one place to source all the things you need to give your work those genuine ethical credentials. Along with a haberdashery and fabric store OW has a great online boutique offering garments and accessories from those designers who have already taken the step towards fashion future.<br />
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So what are you waiting for?!<br />
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Thanks Charlie, you're an inspiration<br />
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<a href="http://www.offsetwarehouse.com/">www.offsetwarehouse.com</a></div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-23690263530861259092011-04-05T08:10:00.000-07:002011-04-07T17:35:07.749-07:00What is the future of traditional textile skills?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">“The people who made these things have nothing else to give except their painstaking work. And now they are collected by people who have everything.”</span></b></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-GB">The parting words of Griff Rhys Jones, from his latest programme, which saw him visiting the north Indian State of Gujurat in search of the area’s famed embroidery skills.</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-GB">As the ways of the modern world transform ever increasing numbers of peoples and cultures, <b>what will be the fate of the skills developed by these cultures over thousands of years</b>? Should they be promoted? Protected? Revered as things of dedication and beauty, still current in their appeal? Or relegated to museums and books, as things of the past?<a name='more'></a></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-GB">The value placed in embroidery and indeed textiles as a whole, in India is easy to underestimate. Throughout this vast country, made up of thousands of variant cultures, tribes and religions, textiles are held in high esteem. <b>Even today, where fast fashion and global trends have entirely altered the views of the West, Indians have a huge affinity with the textiles their country has produced for centuries.</b></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-GB">Since the middle ages traders from the West have traversed huge distances to the Orient in search of fine and exquisite cloth, of quality unrivalled in Europe. The styles of 19<sup>th</sup> century British produced pieces, from Paisley pattern to William Morris print have their origins in the imports which flooded in through the trade routes, as we searched for some exoticism and mystique.</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-GB">As a textile designer travelling in India today, it is wonderfully refreshing to get a knowing smile and nod when you tell people what you do. In the UK, the response is more likely to be, <b>‘what, you knit all day?!</b>’, but an Indian understands your role immediately, almost inevitably we found that they themselves were involved in the textile industry, or have a family member or friend who is, and it is a respected and valued trade. <b>Textiles are a part of everyday life and consumed in a very different way to the West</b>. Take the traditional man’s lunghi (a rectangle of cloth worn like a sarong), these are simply pieces of cloth, varying in weight, design, colour and embellishment, and their variations in wear are numerous in style and function. The lunghi can be worn long, or tucked up short, as a shawl around the shoulders or to cover the head from the sun. When they wear out or become damaged they can be used around the house, or turned into other, decorative items. <b>There is a daily interaction with textiles in a rawer form and on a scale much greater than in England</b>. And not only an interaction with their consumption but with their production; an Indian knows what has gone into making their traditional cloth, by whom it was made, what materials are and the meanings or stories behind imagery and style.</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-GB">In many cases the <b>skills to create such fabrics have been passed down generation to generation</b>, with families continuing the trade which was, often in India’s caste system, predetermined for them by birth. But these skills developed over the years in turn require years of practise to learn and maintain them. How will they stand the test of the modern world’s pace of change?</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-GB">Using the example of Rhys Jones when he visited the Rabari people of Kutch, Gujuat, who practise painstaking hand embroidery, one has to wonder, <b>is this tradition practical or necessary in today’s world? </b>Traditionally the women spend their youth creating clothes, bedspreads and wall hangings for their marriage dowry. Such intricate work takes years and women cannot marry until it is complete. <b>These girls future is in their stitching, not in education or opportunity. And whilst the outcome of their labours is wonderfully beautiful, rich in colour, texture and meaning, one has to question the validity of such dedication as this in today’s world.</b></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-GB">When I visited an organisation in the centre of India near Hampi, which sets out to support local women through the selling and promotion of their traditional embroidery, I found myself asking a very similar question. These are Lambani women, their tribe originating in Gujurat and whose work bears strong resemblance to the colourful Rabari work, nomads originally who wore their wealth in elaborate embroidered garments and striking silver jewellery and have continued to hand down the traditional craft. Providing work for around 100 women in a 30km radius throughout a handful of villages, Kushala Kala Kendra makes use of this skill to create pieces for the Western market and local Indian businesses, ensuring stable work and other community benefits. <b>I was hugely struck by the apparently paradoxical forces at work in these villages and in the women’s sewing</b>. Their embroidery patterns and skills have been passed down for generations from mother to daughter, enabling them to create their dowry pieces and decorate themselves and their homes. The patterns have meaning and history, following that of the tribe itself. Today, life for the Lambani is transformed, they are no longer nomads, nor even in the region of their ancestry and <b>these villages are changing at an ever increasing rate</b>, developing to become part of the modern global communities. The young women no longer wear traditional Lambani dress except on special occasions, in ten years almost all will be sari wearers. Mass produced products now fill their houses, dowries and their practice, particularly where the embroidery is concerned is on the way out. What <b>place does this embroidery play today?</b> SKKK is providing them with work, creating Indian style pieces for the West, but with the products they make being so far removed from the traditional work what is it that they are achieving? <b>The craft is being diluted and removed from the authenticity of its origins</b>, the Lambani women are neither maintaining their true tradition nor are their customers buying into anything real. </span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-GB">And what really struck me was the regard in which the women held their own work. The consumer products they produce have little meaning in their everyday life, clearly made for a buyer who does not inhabit the same world as they, and they feel little affinity with this work. <b>Their own pieces mean much to them, still revered for special occasion, but they admit that the world has changed</b>. More and more women from SKKK are laying down their needle in search of more lucrative work. And when asked what they hope for their children, embroidery is not high on the list, indeed many of the teenage generation and younger do not embroider to the skill of their mothers. <b>For their daughters they wish an education, a ‘good’ job and more opportunities than they have had themselves. And who can blame them?</b> I know firsthand what hard work it is to earn a living from hand sewing, hard work with, for these women, little financial reward and in these modern times, little cultural reward either.</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">So what is to become of these skills, should we strive to preserve them at the cost of educating a generation of women or are they culturally and economically failing, an inevitable casualty of technology and global economic development?</span></b></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-GB">Josie Warden, designer and co-founder of THREAD </span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-GB">March 2011</span><b><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
</span></b></div></div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-70299522592644216542011-04-04T06:34:00.000-07:002011-04-04T06:35:10.932-07:00THREAD talks to Elisalex de Castro of Nina Dolcetti<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqETqsKXg07_jrO1ipDr3cAvkv3nHBrdgs_zMurPadcWLPXrN-GNd75_D1ICS8hpfzWmfShHocu0mm5VrOqLRm4J5BF9Rxjjs3fMR7So5pHhiS4HYBsODKDaVm1J7Vj_5yW5eb6KR5zs/s1600/elisalex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqETqsKXg07_jrO1ipDr3cAvkv3nHBrdgs_zMurPadcWLPXrN-GNd75_D1ICS8hpfzWmfShHocu0mm5VrOqLRm4J5BF9Rxjjs3fMR7So5pHhiS4HYBsODKDaVm1J7Vj_5yW5eb6KR5zs/s1600/elisalex.jpg" /></a></div><br />
NEW! NEW! We at THREAD caught up with the gorgeous Elisalex de Castro Peake, shoe designer and owner of eco label Nina Dolcetti to find out more about her work and inspiration and what role production plays in her company. It's a great read and has some really helpful hints...it's not easy being green!<br />
Thanks Elisalex, we loved talking to you x<br />
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<a href="http://www.thethreadproject.co.uk/#/elisalex-interview/4550212118">http://www.thethreadproject.co.uk/#/elisalex-interview/4550212118</a></div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-2723176260488074322011-03-22T16:08:00.000-07:002011-03-22T16:08:34.598-07:00Lily Cole 'Supermodel, superstudent and campaigner for sustainable fashion'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipuOUafPuexuHM4P7vZFxpGZK8KxyXWMFKLwVf0pfgsaXdRskNOWsKClvnphJ0MxiTOz7Iq0J554VlyltgqalIvXX686G2W60yy3xXxCz5X-4UxaaoPi5dQIyRfSHb9VVrlOTTi2M_FtI/s1600/Lily-Cole-investigating-s-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipuOUafPuexuHM4P7vZFxpGZK8KxyXWMFKLwVf0pfgsaXdRskNOWsKClvnphJ0MxiTOz7Iq0J554VlyltgqalIvXX686G2W60yy3xXxCz5X-4UxaaoPi5dQIyRfSHb9VVrlOTTi2M_FtI/s320/Lily-Cole-investigating-s-007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The Guardian G2 brought us a very good little article this morning about Lily Cole and her recent collaboration project to bring sustainable affordable t-shirts to Tesco, and just in time to promote Climate Week 21-27th March!<br />
<a name='more'></a>Model Lily Cole, a supporter of the Environmental Justice Foundation, has recently returned from a trip to India which saw her working with the organic cotton industry.<br />
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A fashion devotee herself she believes that we can have fashion but we have to change the way it works. 'How can it be possible', she asks, 'for a t-shirt to sell for £1 or £2, when you consider all the peole involved in its production, from the cotton growers all the way through to the shipping workers?'<br />
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This is exactly why she and friends have started their own lablel <i>The North Circular</i> which has been showing at Esthetica for the last few years, bringing us somereally beautiful knitwear, and a transparent and local production system.<br />
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Fashion is changing and in the words of Lily Cole ' I think we can buy less and pay more, to make sure people aren't being expolited' ....not to mention resources!<br />
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Read the article here:<br />
<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/mar/21/lily-cole-supermodel-fashion-ethical">http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/mar/21/lily-cole-supermodel-fashion-ethical</a><br />
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and find out more about The North Circular right here:<br />
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<a href="http://www.thenorthcircular.com/">http://www.thenorthcircular.com/</a></div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364820408552996542.post-18810904115857152912011-03-14T03:06:00.000-07:002011-03-14T03:06:34.864-07:00Coming soon...!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">It's a busy time for us at THREAD at the moment, with the website nearly ready to launch and new projects in the pipeline. We're going to be bringing you lots of new reports and interviews over the next few weeks so keep checking back.<br />
But here's a sneaky peak at some of of forthcoming contributors, shhhhh.....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSA0NV-bJIgazk4Ar1aNyds4Jt04y1dCagTTkXqe_jzV_mkaE_WwtpYZVo-2JvXWXtalF6Q9CyiTAESmLUYQqzHMygM1osAr4b0gPgD3fY69r4XCtPkTIUYgzChwtHjpThXHngPcOIxTw/s1600/DSCF1247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSA0NV-bJIgazk4Ar1aNyds4Jt04y1dCagTTkXqe_jzV_mkaE_WwtpYZVo-2JvXWXtalF6Q9CyiTAESmLUYQqzHMygM1osAr4b0gPgD3fY69r4XCtPkTIUYgzChwtHjpThXHngPcOIxTw/s320/DSCF1247.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We'll have a report from Nat and Juliette, who some of you might know from Falmouth, who spent three months working in Delhi for Neeru Kumar.<br />
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And we're very excited about our interview with designer Tara St James, of Study NY, whose collection we loved at last month's Estethica.<br />
So there's lots to look forward to, keep you're eyes peeled!</div>THREADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09062640239567861831noreply@blogger.com0