Author Archives: Mary Hanlon

READ // ECO Fashion, Sass Brown

Well, a new semester is underway! What better way to pump your fashion design/marketing students up on responsible practices in the apparel industry than with a new resource? Check out ECO Fashion by Sass Brown, Resident Director for the Fashion Institute of Technology’s study abroad program in Florence.

Here is the abstract and contents, via Laurence King Publishing:

One of the strongest trends in fashion is the expression of ecological, social and community consciousness through for-profit fashion design corporations, which most recently have moved upscale from organic cotton T-shirts and hippy-ish drawstring pants to high fashion. There is now a wide range of companies offering well designed merchandise, from one-off art, recycled and redesigned clothing, organic and sustainable textiles and garment production, to a range of community and indigenous support cooperatives bridging the gap between traditional craft and high fashion.

This book shows the range of companies making a difference in the area of sustainable design in fashion, exploding the myth that sustainable design is bad design, or at best basic design, by highlighting the range of companies producing desirable and well-designed apparel and accessories with a conscience. It not only demonstrates the range of products available around the globe, but explains the stories behind them and the communities they support, as well as showing how and where they make a difference.

Contents

1 Community and Fair Trade
Alabama Chanin / Amana / El Naturalista / Elena Garcia / Leila Hafzi / Les Fees de Bengale / ModaFusion / Mona Mohanna / Noir / Royah / sense-organics / Shoto Banerji / Taller Flora / Van Markoviec

2 Ecological and Slow Design
Alexandra Faro / Camila Norrback / Celine Faizant / Christine Birkle / Ciel / Emily Katz / Enamore / FIN / Francoise Hoffmann / Linda Loudermilk / Magdalena Schaffrin / RoyalBLUSH / Samant Chauhan / U Roads / YOJ

3 Recycle Reuse
Angela Johnson / Costumisee par Liza / Demano / E2 / Frau Wagner / From Somewhere / Geoffrey B Small / Josh Jakus / Preloved / Rebound Designs / Riedizioni / Stephan Hann / Suitcase / TRAIDremade

4 New Models
aforest-design / Andrea Zittel / Bless / Collection of Hope / Holly McQuillan / Mark Liu
Nau / Rebecca Earley & Kate Goldsworthy / Redesign the World

5 Design Initiatives
Agatha Ruiz de la Prada / Barney’s New York / H&M and DAA – Designers Against Aids / Katharine Hamnett / Zara / Miguel Adrover / Philippe Starck / Salvatore Ferragamo / Vivienne Westwood / Yeohlee Teng / Yves Saint Laurent

Source: Laurence King Publishing

ECO Fashion Week Vancouver // Seminars, Sept. 29-30

We mentioned a while back that SA is a supporting partner of ECO Fashion Week Vancouver, coordinating the conference to promote education. Well, the conference schedule is set, and we are so excited!

Here are the details, plus some abstracts, session learning objectives and recommended reading!

Carly Stojsic // ECO as Movement, not Trend

2:00 pm — Tuesday, September 28th

Join industry expert Carly Stojsic at EFW as she presents key insights and research into ecofashion, forecasting trends for 2011-2012. Ecofashion has grown to encompass a movement within the fashion industry; emphasising the importance of environmental consideration, ecofashion supports a shift in conventional practice. Stojsic is Canada’s Market Editor at Worth Global Style Network (WGSN), and at EFW, she will showcase ecofashion as you’ve never seen it before. Eco as Movement, not Trend will secure the place of ecofashion within the industry

Click here for tickets!

Dr. Andrew Weaver // Global Warming: The Scale of the Problem, the Path to the Solution

10:00 am — Wednesday, September 29th

The foundations of the science of global warming will be presented and a discussion of our present climate will be framed within a historical perspective of the Earth’s climate over the last 800,000 years. The range of projections of climate change over the next century will be summarized and the public confusion arising from the media portrayal of the science and its entry into the political arena will be discussed.  Finally, how various international policy options fit within the framework of necessary actions required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will be reviewed.

This talk will be based on the book: Keeping our Cool: Canada in a Warming World.

Learning Objectives:

1) How the media affects public perception of global warming science.

2) Future greenhouse gas emissions need to reduce to zero if we wish to deal with global warming.

3) Dealing with global warming is empowering. Everyone is part of the problem; everyone is part of the solution.

Recommended reading

Keeping our Cool: Canada in a Warming World, Andrew Weaver

Click here for tickets!

Mark Trotzuk and Paul Raybin // Lifecycles in Fashion

12:00 pm — Wednesday, September 29th

            1. Mark Trotzuk: Apparel Lifecycle Impacts & Mitigation of Impacts

The Lifecycle Stages are discreet intervals along the life of a finished product—and the materials which make up the product—where environmental impacts are realized. These stages include the processes of raw materials, manufacturing, delivering, using and managing the end of life for products. It is important to consider different ways of mitigating these impacts.

Learning Objectives:

1) Stages of the lifecycle of an apparel item

2) Impacts of the lifecycle of an apparel item

3) Mitigating the impacts during the lifecycle of an apparel item.

            2. Paul Raybin: Lifecycle Assessments   – Water & Textiles

Discussion on water use in the textile industry: creating awareness and helping people understand impact of the textile industry on water use and pollution. Paul will explain the various points where water use and pollution are factors in the lifecycle of a garment and opportunities for water-saving technologies and practices.

Learning Objectives:

1) Further the understanding of life cycled assessment with particular assessment of water use in the textile industry.

2) Provide designer options on how to reduce water use into their choices of textile, dye, and decoration.

Recommended reading

When the Rivers Run Dry: Water–The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-First Century, Fred Pearce

No Impact Man, Colin Beavan

Click here for tickets!

Summer Rayne Oakes // Eco-Trends: The Art & Science of Sourcing Sustainably

10:00 am — Thursday, September 30th

Eco-Trends: The Art & Science of Sourcing Sustainably

A bird’s eye view on defining sustainability; international industry metrics; and the latest technologies to help designers and retail sourcing specialists source more sustainably. Talk includes a look into the source4style.com, a new B2B online marketplace that allows designers and retail sourcing specialists to search, compare and purchase more sustainable materials and services from a network of global suppliers – as well as some of the exciting sustainable trends that are surfacing.

Learning Objectives:

1) How to locate and source more sustainable materials for your collections

2) What current industry metrics are available to aid designers and brands in assessing their environmental and social impact

3) What we can learn and predict from crowdsourcing a sustainable sourcing community

4) Upcoming trends in sustainable materials, sourcing and style.

Recommended reading

Style, Naturally: The Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion & Beauty, Summer Rayne Oakes

Click here for tickets!

PANEL DISCUSSION [ @Tradeshow] // Digging Deeper: Audience Q&A

3:00 pm — Thursday, September 30th

Digging Deeper is an opportunity for tradeshow attendees to speak directly with key panel members and address any questions or concerns they might have coming out of the conference. Panel members will take questions from the audience to expand upon ideas presented throughout the conference and continue the conversation, investigating how these ideas are translated on the ground.

  • Myriam Laroche, President, ECO Fashion Week Vancouver
  • Summer Rayne Oakes, Source4Style
  • Jeff Garner, Prophetik
  • Paul Raybin, AirDye®
  • Mark Trotzuk, Boardroom Eco Apparel
  • Lindsay Coulter, David Suzuki’s Queen of Green

Visit ECO Fashion Week Vancouver for ticket information, and to learn more.

TAKE ACTION// garment workers in India attacked outside M&S supplier factory

Labour Behind the Label (LBL) and the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) are calling for action today, after one garment worker was kidnapped, and 6o others attacked and beaten, outside their place of employment: Viva Global, a M&S supplier factory.

“We love our employees. They are the source of our existence and their concerns of any nature are our priorities”   (Sudhir Kumar Makhija, chief operating officer for Viva Global)

Thankfully, the LBL twitter feed and fb page reported earlier today that Anwar Anari, the kidnapped worker, had been found alive. Severely beaten, but alive. Anari confirmed that he was the only worker kidnapped (despite earlier reports of two workers being kidnapped). He was told that if he returns to the factory, he will be killed.

According to LBL, “Viva Global workers are now demonstrating outside the factory in protest at the assault on their colleagues“. (LBL)

To take immediate action on this, and to support these workers, please visit Label Behind the Label.

For immediate updates on the situation, follow LBL on twitter, and on facebook.

This blow to M&S comes just a couple of weeks after an Observer investigation revealed that working conditions in the Viva Global factory, such as excessive hours and poverty wages, did not adhere to strict M&S standards for ethical trading: adding to its Plan A platform for accountability, M&S has set out to pay workers a living wage, starting in Bangladesh, India an Sri Lanka (click here to download Plan A: Doing the Right Thing).

At the time of the investigation, a M&S spokesperson stated the company was working closely with both the factory and the union: “Viva Global is a factory we have had issues with as it has fallen short of the high standards we require and are in the process of working closely with it (and the union) to do what we can to address them” (The Guardian).

According to the CCC and LBL, “[o]n Monday 23rd August Viva Global management attempted to prevent workers from entering the factory and made threats against union leaders and workers, who were warned they would be beaten or even shot if they continued their campaign.

The same day a tripartite meeting was held between Viva Global Management the Labour Department and the Garment and Allied Workers Union (GAWU). An agreement was reached that all workers would be reinstated and the threats of violence against workers would immediately cease.”  (LBL)

The Bangladesh Project // Update

“If the 3 ½ million mostly women garment workers win their wage increase, it will allow them to climb out of misery and at least into poverty.” (Charles Kernaghan, National Labor Committee)

The Bangladeshi Government has agreed to increase the minimum wage in Bangladesh by 80%. While you might think this is high enough, at first glance, it is unfortunately not sufficient enough to support the workers and their families. The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) has reported that staff and worker leaders at the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity (BCWS) have become victims of intimidation and harassment, with criminal cases filed; the government has issued arrest warrants “against hundreds of workers and several labour rights leaders.” (CCC)

As a result, the SA Bangladesh Project will continue to campaign in solidarity with these workers.

Check out our project page to get involved.

[click on the play button, and then select “autoplay” under the “more” menu to start the slideshow]

#SABangladeshProject on Prezi

“3000 Taka per month is still not sufficient to cover the basic expenses of workers and their families.” (Fair Wear Foundation)

AFL-CIO labor federation in the United States and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in Britain (totalling 11 ½ million members) have released statements in support of Bangladeshi garment workers:

Click to read the AFL-CIO statement 

Click to read the TUC Statement 

You can also support these workers:

Re-Dress: Fashion /// Activism through Crafternoon Tea

Once again, the ladies of re-dress have us wishing we were in Ireland! Check out Crafternoon Tea: the crash course in fashion skills for absolute beginners, Saturday August 14th 2010, Smock Alley Cafe Dublin

10am – the art of design
a short workshop on fashion flat drawing and design concept

11 – 1pm – Pattern Drafting
a beginners crash course in the basics of drafting a garment pattern

1-2pm Lunch

2-3.30 – Basic Alterations
A hands-on workshop in basic and beginners alterations…buttons, seams and hems.  

3.30 – 5pm Upcycling
A shirt into a skirt? Old man trousers into fabulous waistcoat? Transform something old into something new and give it a fresh lease of life!

Tickets are €90 and include lunch (Open Seating)

Italian Vogue delivers irony at its best through editorial inspired by Oil Spill

Abigail Doan, writer, editor and environmental activist behind ecco*eco, alerted us to this Italian Vogue editorial (via of Refinery29) through her Facebook fanpage. Of course, like any good editorial, the reviews have been mixed. Here are a few that stand out:

“Wow, how insensitive! What next, a photo shoot inspired by the recent floods in Pakistan? A better idea would be to do a minimal photo shoot DEDICATED to the event and donate the cash that would have been spent on an extravagant shoot to the charities trying to sort the mess out.”

“I don’t think its glamorization at all…putting ourselves in the animals shoes so to speak…imagining if it were us living directly in the disaster…It’s poetically beautiful”

“Steven Meisel was successful in depicting the ugly truth of such a catastrophic event. Fashion isn’t only about the clothes; it is an idea or message that can often times stir up controversy and bring awareness to industries and people that might not otherwise not be affected.”

I’m wondering if Kristen McMenamy and Steven Meisel appreciate the level of irony they have managed to channel with each image, given the fashion industry’s massive dependency on petrochemicals. Just a thought!   

Click here to view the slideshow.

(Images via Refinery29)

Fashion Loves People ♥ Kirk partners with indie jewelry designers and has us Seeing Dots!

Our friend Janette Crawford of Fashion Loves People has just launched the latest Fashion Loves People ♥ Kirk design, Seeing Dots, in collaboration with their 4 favourite indie jewellery designers: Alyson Fox, Manimal, Early Jewelry and Adoura Demode!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I didn’t start this apparel line to become a creator. I started it to enhance my perspective as a sharer. And while I have always had such a soft spot in my heart for supporting independent designers…I now have an even softer one.” (Janette Crawford, Fashion Loves People)

Janette’s has impeccable taste, so we were thrilled to hear about this collaboration! Here are the details:

Alyson Fox is exclusively pre-releasing four necklaces from her fall additions to her A Small Collection, each an evolution of the forms and innovative use of materials her designs are known for. One of each style will be available.

Manimal designer Kristen Lombardi is exclusively pre-releasing two styles from her fall collection, titled Alaskan Winter, made of suede and other leathers and inspired by Inuit imagery. Beautiful new shapes and color palettes expand the brand’s down-to-earth repertoire. Three of each style will be available.

Early Jewelry designer Kylie Grater custom-designed a variation of her classic horseshoe necklace to mimic the lines of the skirt in the Seeing Dots illustration, in black oxidized metal with a dangling quartz, as well as spotted guinea-feather earrings with custom round ear wires. Each design features 100% recycled sterling silver. Two of each style will be available.

Adoura Demode designer Danielle Teller contributed her rosary necklace, made of new and reclaimed materials. A hint of familiarity and irreverence on a beautifully detailed chain. Three will be available.

Recently, Janette disclosed to her readers some of the struggles and challenges she faced this past year, after launching Fashion Loves People ♥ Kirk. Definitely head over to hear her words of wisdom and to learn about some of the ups and downs in it all.

All are available through the Fashion Loves People Store, but you’ll have to move quickly to catch these exclusive designs, as some of them are already sold out!

WATCH // Professor David Harvey on Marx’s Capital

David Harvey, Distinguished Professor at City University of New York delivers Karl Marx like we’ve never seen him before.

Through 13 video lectures, Harvey breaks down Marx’s Capital, Volume 1 chapter by chapter. All videos are licensed though the Creative Commons, and are available online, here.

But first! Check out Harvey’s very cool RSA Presentation: The Crisis of Capitalism, and you will no doubt find real value in his ability to deliver powerful and thought provoking lectures.  

I haven’t been this excited about Marx, since…..EVER!

Enjoy!

READ // Couture and Consensus: Fashion and Politics in Postcolonial Argentina, by Regina Root

We’ve just added Couture and Consensus by Regina Root, Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies at the College of William and Mary and President Ad Honorem at Ixel Moda 2010, to our reading section! Here is the abstract:

“The intersection of fashion and politics in nineteenth-century Argentina

Following Argentina’s revolution in 1810, the dress of young patriots inspired a nation and distanced its politics from the relics of Spanish colonialism. Fashion writing often escaped the notice of authorities, allowing authors to masquerade political ideas under the guise of frivolity and entertainment. In Couture and Consensus, Regina A. Root maps this pivotal and overlooked facet of Argentine cultural history, showing how politics emerged from dress to disrupt authoritarian practices and stimulate creativity in a newly independent nation.

Drawing from genres as diverse as fiction, poetry, songs, and fashion magazines, Root offers a sartorial history that produces an original understanding of how Argentina forged its identity during the regime of Juan Manuel de Rosas (1829–1852), a critical historical time. Couture and Consensus closely analyzes military uniforms, women’s dress, and the novels of the era to reveal fashion’s role in advancing an agenda and disseminating political goals, notions Root connects to the contemporary moment.

An insightful presentation of the discourse of fashion, Couture and Consensus also paints a riveting portrait of Argentine society in the nineteenth century—its politics, people, and creative forces.”

Source: University of Minnesota Press

YES!! Sounds like an amazing read!

Listen to Prof. Regina Root discuss the naissance of her book Couture and Consensus, here!

Wash Less // Emma Rigby transforms taboo through ‘Energy Water Fashion’

“Wearing unclean clothes is a social taboo. Yet behind this everyday routine there are some major resource, pollution and social problems.” (Designer Emma Rigby, Energy Water Fashion)

Emma Rigby investigates the nature of behaviours and rituals surrounding fashion and clothing, allowing a cross-disciplinary approach to best practices in design to help mitigate the negative impact of excessive laundering, in her work Energy Water Fashion.

Rigby has used her transdisciplinary approach toward design to create a line of projects that reduce environmental impact: “[e]ach garment incorporates a unique design feature to encourage the wearer to wash the garment less often.” (Emma Rigby)

Brilliantly, Rigby has incorporated careful washing instructions into the very essence of each garment, noting that the user must wear the item for a minimum number of times (10-30 wears per wash, depending on the item) before it can be laundered. This is encouraged to optimize the nature of the garment itself.

I encourage you to visit Energy Water Fashion and explore Rigby’s methods for inspiration for your own designs and/or personal garment care.