If you read our website regularly, you may have seen a post in December about Noko Jeans, a company manufacturing jeans in North Korea (DPRK). At the end of that post I wrote: “To tell you the truth, I don’t really know what to think about this so, I emailed Noko jeans earlier today asking... »
Events: 25th February 2010: Fairwear Fashion Show at Bristol Cathedral featuring the premiere of the Emma Watson collection for People Tree as well as many more fair trade fashion brands. Booking essential to avoid disappointment 8th and 9th May... »
Timo Rissanen offers a great post with his notes on ‘The Sustainability Equation: Ethics and Aesthetics in Contemporary Fashion’ and on the ‘Ethics and Aesthetics = Sustainable Fashion’ exhibit at Pratt on his personal blog “Timo Rissanen: Fashion Creation... »
Social Alterations has been following the FIBERcasts out of the University of Delaware, and we are very excited about the upcoming live event tomorrow. Make sure to pre-register! There will be opportunity to email in questions, live. Here... »
“Save the dates for a dynamic line-up of informative lectures and panels, roundtable discussions, educational workshops, presentations, art installations, and fashion shows that will uncover the trends emerging throughout the world of eco-fashion. The majority of ideas featured at... »
“We can’t celebrate good intentions, we have to celebrate beauty” (Dilys Williams, London College of Fashion) We’ve really been enjoying watching Mr. Darcy actor Colin Firth’s wife Livia Firth challenge herself to take on ethical fashion this award season. Livia... »
“The CREATE conference is all about creating innovative interactions, whether digital consumer products, interactive services or interaction paradigms.The event is an opportunity to share and discuss the design opportunities and dilemmas that are currently being addressed by practitioners and... »
To close off 2009, Clothesource released “The World of Apparel Sourcing: 2010-2012”. The report forecasts sourcing trends in over 60 countries. Here is a small summary of what the report covers: “The World of Apparel Sourcing 2010-2012 looks at the... »
If you find yourself in Paris sometime before February 21st, make sure to check out Monumenta 2010: Christian Boltanski’s Personnes at the Grand Palais. In Personnes, Boltanski asserts that relics have become “vestiges of anonymous people, traces of strangers, with... »
“As part of SHIFT from 29 January – 1 February the Centre for Sustainable Fashion will present: The first ever graduate showcase from London College of Fashion’s MA Fashion & the Environment The work on display will explore a range of... »
Looking for ways to get your students more involved with the ethical fashion movement? Check out People & Planet’s Wear Fair fashion show competition: “People and Planet are holding a national competition for student groups who put on a Fairtrade... »
Over at the always great addicteddotcom, Chelsea, a 16 year old from British Columbia (and clearly a fashionista in the making), has posted about a school assignment: “As part of my history class we’ve been looking into the impact that... »
Urgent Appeal: Haiti Earthquake Red Cross: Canada, United States, United Kingdom The United Nations: United Nations Foundation, UNHCR: The UN Refugee Agency, World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF If you a business, please visit the United Nations-Business website, Partnering for a Better World,... »
Presenting at Beyond Green this past November at Amsterdam Fashion Institute, Kate Fletcher, author of Sustainable Textiles: Design Journeys (2008), spoke on the topic of “Fashion and Sustainability,” Adriaan Beukers, a full-time Professor on Composite Materials & Structures at... »
Curb Your Consumption’s Katie Hart, recently asked my opinion on the three most important things consumers need to know, and the difference it would make to the fashion industry if consumers were more educated and conscious about the clothes... »
Clearing the Hurdles challenges sportswear companies Nike, adidas, Pentland, Puma, Lotto, New Balance, Asics and Mizuno on the working conditions within their supply chain, and offers a snapshot of the state of play for these companies, identifying four key... »
In 2009, Cynthia E. Smith, Curator of Socially Responsible Design at the Cooper-Hewitt hosted a discussion on responsible design, with Emily Pilloton, author of Design Revolution and Allan Chochinov, founder of Core77. The discussion was moderated by Susan Szenasy,... »
The Centre for Sustainable Fashion (CSF) has developed a video to showcase the finalists from the Fashioning the Future Awards. I am unable to embed the video here, so just click on the image below and you’re there. Check... »
The United Nations has declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity and the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures. UN Secretary General Welcome Message for the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity from CBD on Vimeo. EcoChic Geneva is an event... »
“We are delighted to announce the launch of Planet Textiles, a new international event jointly organised by Ecotextile News, Messe Frankfurt and the Society of Dyers and Colourists. Dedicated to improving the environmental and social impact of the global... »
Title: The GreenShows, Eco Fashion Week Location: New York, NY Link out: Click here “The GreenShows is the only premiere fashion event exclusively committed to ecofriendly, ethically-sound, fair-trade fashion in New York City. The GreenShows will produce a comprehensive canvas for full-length runway... »
Title: Ethical Fashion Symposium, Scotland Location: Scotland Link out: Click here Edinburgh College of Art, in collaboration with Fashioning an Ethical Industry and the Scottish Academy, are hosting a two day symposium for students and tutors on fashion related courses in Scotland... »
“The Greener Gadgets Conference tackles all of the issues surrounding energy efficiency and sustainable design, from innovative advances in packaging and product manufacturing to end-of-life recycling solutions. It also highlights ways in which electronics make a major impact by... »
Title: Fast Forward: Fashioning an Ethical Industry International Conference Location: London Link out: Click here “In a time when we are increasingly concerned with the impact of the fashion industry on people and the planet students need to be equipped to design... »
www.DesignBloggingIsChangingEverything.com Title: FRESH DIALOGUE 25 Location: New York Link out: Click here Description: “Every day, if not hour, if not minute, design blogs draw attention to an unprecedented quantity and ever-expanding diversity of design. Join us to hear what four design blog luminaries... »
“It is entirely possible to be well dressed without compromising your morals, or spending beyond your means. All it takes is a little research.” (Commerce with a Conscious) Commerce with a Conscious: Ethical fashion for the fastidious gentleman has developed... »
“Designers think that they are in the artefact business, but they’re not, they’re in the consequence business.” (Allan Chochinov, Compostmodern09) Some readers might recall that I attended Compostmodern09 via webcast back in February. Social Alterations was developed in many ways... »
“Trash Vortex comes from the desire to raise awareness about the impact our waste habits have on our oceans and also the planet as a whole.” (Eleanor Dorrien-Smith, Designer and PARTIMI Creator) Eleanor Dorrien-Smith, designer, PARTIMI Creator, and recent... »
“If a product is not considered, they call it an inconsiderate design” (Lorrie Vogel, on Nike designers creating their own vocabulary, Opportunity Green) A roundup of some of the stories, headlines, and updates you may be interested in from in and... »
There are so many amazing holiday gift guides out this year—we thought we would offer you a roundup of our favorites. Inhabitat’s “Green Holiday Gift Guide” is wonderful gift guide. Our favourite features are Heirloom and Gifts of Time. Core77 has... »
This editorial calling for action from world leaders on climate change is published today by 56 newspapers around the world in 20 languages Copenhagen climate change summit – opening day liveblog Today 56 newspapers in 45 countries take the unprecedented step... »
Yesterday, just before going to bed, I was reading the BBC news website and came across an odd article announcing the release of premium jeans in Sweden. Normally, something like this wouldn’t be big news but, the title of... »
I’ve got some exciting news to share with you! On November 25th I won the “Systems for a Sustainable Future Award” in the Fashioning the Future international student competition. This competition is run through the Centre for Sustainable Fashion... »
“The 11th Annual New York Fashion and Design Conference considers the link between sustainability and stewardship as embodied in the broad concept of ‘Heirloom,’ the process whereby one generation’s creations become the valued patrimony of those that follow. “Our examination... »
Yet another update on forced and child labour in Uzbekistan’s cotton sector. The Cotton Campaign continues to report on the flagrant abuse of human rights by the Uzbek government. There have been some unfortunate incidents linked to this year’s harvest... »
On November 17th, 2009, United Students Against Sweatshops announced its historic victory against Russell Athletics with an agreement to reinstate 1200 Honduran workers that had been laid off when Jerzees de Honduras factory shutdown shortly after unionization. The Case: As outlined... »
A roundup of some of the stories, headlines, and updates you may be interested in from in and around the community of socially responsible fashion design. Coco Eco Magazine Issue 8 Don’t be afraid to start a change, change... »
Over a two-year period, Russell managers carried out a campaign of retaliation and intimidation in order to stop workers at two of the company’s Honduran factories from exercising their right to organize and bargain collectively. (People & Planet) Below is... »
Be part of the {Shift}Title: THEKEY. T(W)O Location: Germany Link out: Click here THEKEY.TO was successfully launched in July 2009. Its start leads back to the visionary idea of an international team of interdisciplinary professionals who decided to give birth to the... »
27th-28th October 2009 CSR – Asia held its 7th summit "Sustainable Business as the Road to Recovery" in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on the most cutting edge CSR issues facing businesses in these turbulent times of trading. »
![[Lesson 1] Sifting through the ‘Ecofashion Lexicon’](http://socialalterations.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Lesson1.jpg)
This lesson introduces the following concepts: consumer choice, designer choice, the ‘Ecofashion Lexicon,’ greenwashing, unintelligent design, and cradle to cradle design theory. For more information on these issues, please visit the ‘Works Cited’ page at the end of the... »
Kick4change is a European social enterprise started by Jamie Tosh and Simon Brown with the goal of “making sport as accessible as possible for as many young people as possible, allowing them to benefit from the life skills and... »
MA Design Studies (MADS) student, Katie Hart has recently launched an initiative set to investigate the relationship between consumer behavior and over-consumption. Through the online lab, Curb Your Consumption, Hart shares her research and ideas, bringing together resources, news,... »
One of the root causes of poverty wages in the industry is the power of global buyers to constantly relocate production in search of ever lower prices and... »
“Waste = Food” is a fantastic documentary, perfect for incorporating into course curriculum as a visual aid to inspire fashion design students to think critically about ‘waste.’ Outline: Man is the only creature that produces landfills. Natural resources are being depleted... »
Let’s Clean up Fashion 2009: The State of Pay Behind the UK High Street reports a disconnect between the what’s happening in the boardrooms, the development of corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies and procedures, and what is actually happening... »
Title: AATCC Global Conference & Exhibition: Emerging Trends in Textile Processing for a Sustainable Future Location: Mumbai Link out: Click here This years AATCC Global Conference & Exhibition will be held at The Bombay Textile research Association (BTRA) in Mumbai. The theme... »
Title: R4: The Next Dimension of Fashion Location: Toronto Link out: Click here Description: “R4 Fashion is an event looking to bring together students, young professionals, industry leaders, fashion community members, and green advocates for a celebration of top and upcoming Canadian... »
A roundup of some of the stories, headlines, and updates you may be interested in from in and around the community of socially responsible fashion design. Abigail Doan Interview with Modebewust Body Politic Vancouver based Body Politic launches new online store Fashion Loves People Why I’m... »
Thanks to Ecouterre for letting us know about this great exhibition coming to the Pratt Manhattan Gallery in New York. The exhibition will run for 3 months, so if you find yourself in New York, be sure to check... »
In preparation for the Fashion Summit, Nordic Initiative Clean and Ethical (NICE) is currently conducting hearings in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark to discuss the implementation of a new 10-year plan as well as a Nordic Code of Conduct-... »
Prediction: 2010 will be the year of the care tags. That is, responsible care tags, among mainstream retailers. You may remember SA highlighting Gap Inc.’s short-sightedness when we took a closer look into their Clean Water Campaign. Although we commended... »
Title: The Limits of Design Location: London Link out: Click here Description: Designing for Security and Sustainable Development Start Time: 7pm Date: 2009-11-11 End Time: 9pm Source: CSF »
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