You may remember that we attended the Think Act Vote t-shirt launch last month. It was a great night and a great t-shirt, chosen by members of the Ethical Fashion Forum and iconic fashion designer Katharine Hamnett.

Since then the Think Act Vote team have been busy taking their special ballot box to the public and taking their t-shirt to the best ethical fashion designers in the UK for them to re-design. The pictures you see below will sit alongside written contributions from the public in a book that looks at the topic of democracy in a fresh, and very stylish, way.

So why get ethical designers involved?  Think Act Vote founder Amisha Ghadiali said: “The idea behind this was to encourage creativity and show how you can use fashion to express yourself and a message. It’s interesting to see what you can do with a simple t-shirt. The designers that took part in the customization, also provided instructions of how you can do it yourself, which will soon be featured on our website.”

VIEW THE POP-OUT GALLERY BELOW

]]> http://www.greenmystyle.com/ethical-fashion-designers-get-political-with-think-act-vote/feed/ 0 http://www.greenmystyle.com/considerate-design-at-the-london-college-of-fashion/ http://www.greenmystyle.com/considerate-design-at-the-london-college-of-fashion/#comments Fri, 26 Mar 2010 10:03:47 +0000 George Walker http://www.greenmystyle.com/?p=20770 Covetable and considerate were the key words at the London College of Fashion’s open morning for the Considerate Design project. The Greenmystyle team were there to hear how high-tech engineering technology is being used alongside traditional craftsmanship to create beautiful bespoke pieces. Could this be the future of ethical fashion design? George Walker writes.

Bags moulded to the contours of your back; knitwear fitted to the curves of your torso; chainmail textile designs that hug to your shape: These were the first products to come out of the innovative and forward-looking Considerate Design project.

Professor Sandy Black from the London College of Fashion was keen to emphasise the distinct nature of this new venture. She said the notion of ‘personalised products’ made using new technologies would give ethical designers “a toolkit for fashion so they can be aware of the clothing life cycle.”

A key feature of the Considerate Design project is its focus on empowering ethical designers by making connections between fashion design and other disciplines. Led by Professor Sandy Black, the London College of Fashion has worked with the Cambridge University Engineering Design Centre, the Open University and both the Engineering and Physical Sciences and Arts and Humanities research councils.

Professor Sandy Black said: ” By fusing fashion, science and engineering, Considerate Design had developed new ways of creating personalised products.”

At the morning event we saw how body scan data, advanced knitting technology and rapid prototyping technologies were giving ethical designers new opportunities to produce commercially viable garments and accessories. (Although some of the technology was beyond our comprehension, the machine that produced ready-to-wear jumpers fitted to an individual’s body with just the press of a button certainly impressed us!)

The actual garments and accessories are split into three categories: Knit to Fit, Bespoke Bags and Evolving Textiles. The Knit to Fit range devised by Professor Sandy Black and Dr Penelope Watkins is the seamless knitwear range we spoke of. The interesting range of jumpers will be shown at the Science Museum as part of an exhibition on ethical design from June- December 2010. By using 3D body-mapping the jumpers can be made to fit any shape- a virtue that Considerate Design hopes to make their secret weapon to make a real impact on the fashion industry.

Our favourite items so far, however, have to be the range of bespoke bags. Each bag is ergonomically designed to fit the body, with a wonderful combination of soft leather and copper-fused fabrics made through experimental production techniques. Highly structured but with delicate detailing, we imagine these bags could sell well.

The Considerate Design project is focusing not just on ethical production and distribution methods, but on how designers can create products which can lure shoppers to buy more long-lasting, personalised fashions. Although Considerate Design is in its early stages, the notion of personalised fashion garments that are as individual as they are fashionable could well prove to be the ethical fashion industry’s secret weapon.

For more information see the Considerate Design website.

In Britain today shoes are a basic necessity that we- quite naturally- take for granted. Many of us love lusting after that perfect pair of new shoes. We look for the ideal colour, heel or ethical credentials that make the pair a must-have buy. But have you ever considered a life without shoes when unwrapping a new pair of pumps?

One Day Without Shoes is a fun way of highlighting a very important cause. The plan is to get people across the world to allot a whole day or just part of a day to going barefoot in the hope of raising awareness about the lack of adequate footwear in developing countries.

TOMS have been trying to help children get the shoes they need since they began selling their stylish pumps and sandals. TOMS donate a pair of shoes to a child in a developing country every time a pair of their shoes are purchased. The One Day Without Shoes Event now hopes to raise extra money for the cause and get people to support the work of the label.

Blake Mycoskie, TOMS Shoes’ founder and Chief Shoe Giver, says, “A shoe company asking people to go barefoot?  I know it’s odd, but we are so excited for people to once again join us in One Day Without Shoes. Awareness and empathy are the catalysts of change.”

Many children in developing countries have no access to shoes, meaning that they’re put at a much higher risk of injury and infection. The issue is only made worse by the fact that sources of clean water and medical services can be a long walk away from home.

It certainly is a shocking fact that so many children are put at danger due to not having shoes. It’s also a  fact that might not first some to mind when thinking about child poverty in the developing world. As TOMS say: “Imagine a life without shoes; constantly aware of the ground in front of you, suffering regular cuts and scrapes, tending to infection after each walk, and enduring not only terrain, but heat and cold.”

In Ethiopia, the problem is particularly bad. Approximately one million people are suffering from podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring disease caused by walking barefoot on volcanic soil.

If you fancy helping with the cause by organising your own barefoot bonanza, or if you just want to find out more, head to the One Day Without Shoes website.

Whether the thought of another World Cup gets you hiding behind the sofa, rampantly flicking through your Radio Times or bouncing up and down with excitement, there’s no denying that this year’s World Cup in South Africa is set to be the most watched sports event of the year. With many fans wanting to show their allegiance on their chests, Nike’s decision to use environmentally considerate materials is a great step for promoting knowledge about garment production to an international audience.

But just how green are these kits? Mega sports brands haven’t always been known for their environmental or ethical credentials – and that includes Nike.

Just one jersey from the new range of international kits uses up to eight plastic bottles. According to Nike, the whole launch will use up nearly 13 million plastic bottles and if all those bottles used were laid end-to-end they would cover more than 3,000 kilometres, which is more than the entire coastline of South Africa.

Charlie Denson, President of Nike, said: “This summer in South Africa, Nike will give footballers an edge by providing the newest and most innovative product for the game’s greatest players. With today’s announcement, we are equipping athletes with newly designed uniforms that not only look great and deliver performance benefits, but are also made with recycled materials, creating less impact on our environment.”

Here at Greenmystyle.com we were interested in how Nike is planning to operate a more ethical image for the brand, so we asked a few questions to satisfy our curiosity. First we asked what other sustainable materials Nike is looking into for other lines. A spokesperson told us: “We use a variety of environmentally preferred materials such as PET, organic cotton, ‘green’ rubber, and many of our inputs into our shoes are recycled materials from factory production.”

So the kit fabric is improving, but what about the production of the kits? Although Nike does not own its own factories, a spokesperson for the brand said that it ‘rigorously audits factories’ to make sure they comply with legal requirements and Nike’s own Code of Conduct in terms of pay and working hours. For more information as to how campaigners think Nike needs to improve, visit The Play Fair campaign, a coalition of labour rights groups that seek to push sportswear brands that produce products to abolish sweatshop conditions in their supply chains and to respect labour rights.

Nike was quite frank about its desire to develop more suitable working conditions for employees: “Nike increasingly sees the need for further regional and global discussions among suppliers, governments, NGOs and – importantly – workers, about the degree to which wages across the industry are meeting workers’ needs.” Furthermore, Nike said it is  now starting to collaborate with stakeholders,one of the key steps to progress within the fashion industry. Although Nike admitted its work to make the company more ethical and environmental is ongoing, this work does seem to be a reality.

So, if you’re planning on heading to the pub (or even South Africa) to cheer along your chosen team this year, have a thought about your kit of choice. To paraphrase the song: “We’re football crazy, we’re eco mad, is Nike truly going green? We would be truly glad!”

National team home kits will be available from May 1 globally at local Nike store locations and at Nikefootball.com. Away national team kits will be available from February 25 2010. Nike’s environmental planning strategies website gives more information on the brand’s plans for the future, and check out the Clean Clothes Campaign.

The Bishopston Trading Company is a Workers’ Co-operative set up in Bristol in 1985 to create employment in the village of K.V.Kuppam in Tamil Nadu, South India. It is certified as a Fair Trade Organisation by the World Fair Trade Organisation – and was one of the first to do so for fashion.

The people of K.V.Kuppam provide the weaving and tailoring skills and the raw materials. The price it pays per garment allows the tailors to have above average wages, secure employment, allowance for health care, provident fund, gratuity, sickness benefit and a crèche.

Bishopston has Indian inspired clothes for woman, men and children and also toys and accessories. A small craft group batik and block printed cloth, printed shopping bags, jewellery, greeting cards and bead work.

The greetings cards are made by the crafts workers using printing, embroidery and appliqué work. There are 200 handloom weavers who produce the 15 tonnes of beautiful organic cotton that is used each year to make the clothes.

Twice a year Bishopston develops a new colour scheme and brings in fresh designs for the changing seasons, but much of the fashion is timeless.

You can buy Bishopston Trading Company’s many clothes, homewares and accessories across independent fair trade shops.

Bishopston Trading Company

The launch of Pants to Poverty’s new range of underwear was held at London’s Pigalle Club on 27 February. Pie fights, cheeky ball games and ‘boy-lesque’ (that’s right, even the Pants to Poverty boys got dancing) made for an afternoon tea that was anything but traditional.

Julian, an investment banker at the event, said: “Wow! That was the most exciting Fairtrade event I’ve ever heard of! It wasn’t just the gorgeous acts and pants models that got me excited, but the abundance of Fairtrade products that were swapped at this trendy London hotspot.”

The new retro range of Fairtrade underwear comes just in the middle of Fairtrade Fortnight. It’s a colourful and slightly kitsch range which is both sexy and individual. Breton stripes and red hems give a perky beside-the-seaside look to the pants, with ‘Hello, sailor’ jokes being hinted at with models wearing sailor caps in the advertising campaign.

From skimpy knickers to funky pants with a tomboy edge, the girls are certainly set. As for us guys, the mix of traditional fitted boxers and more playful styles certainly ticks all our boxes. (Pants to Poverty seem to realise we guys think men’s briefs are just a bit, well, pants.)  The pants range from around the £10-£15 mark, so they’re pretty affordable for beautifully made, Fairtrade cotton underwear.

Pants to Poverty has become a highly successful Fairtrade company which now sells across 20 countries. They support over 5000 farmers in India and their factories use renewable energy sources to cut down on emissions. One pound from each pair of these pants sold will go straight to the company’s child labour free programme and each pair comes in recycled packaging made from factory waste.

If you fancy a cheeky pair of pants for the bedroom, head to the Pants to Poverty online shop.

Marc O’Polo is a brand inspired by nature. It creates casual clothes that whisper a sense of confident, individual style. Some may find the brand’s adherence to neutral tones and classic cuts a little ‘samey’, but Marc O’Polo clothing attracts a wide variety of fans who are after staple wardrobe pieces that are well made and fashionable.

The new spring/summer collection sees Marc O’Polo experiment with new shapes and a more youthful look that might attract those of you who have previously overlooked the label. Marc O’Polo tell us the new collection helps you release that ‘inner tomboy’, with inspiration coming from the Little House on the Prairie and ‘the girl next door’. In reality, this means very wearable, casual pieces that play upon the current trend for nude  and natural tones.

Jump suits with a safari edge, ultra-feminine tea dresses and garments that hit the current trend of all things blue are the main staples of this new collection. Some of the pieces can be worn from the beach to the boardroom, with just a quick change of jacket or shoes. For us, the truly standout piece from the collection is the khaki jumpsuit (right). This is a garment that often strikes fear in the heart of women, but Marc O’Polo have managed to design a flattering, summery and eye-catching version of the jumpsuit that is more ‘chilled coastal dweller’ than Eighties power dresser.

Marc O’Polo’s concept of the ‘Modern Organic Product’ is brought to the fore with this new range. All items use organic materials whenever possible to avoid environmentally damaging production techniques. Not only this, Marc O’Polo aims to use renewable energy sources such as solar panels to cover nearly 70% or all energy consumption. Marc O’Polo said: “From the very beginning, Marc O’Polo has had a strong connection to naturalness and natural materials. All company activities prominently feature the pronounced goal of long-term value creation.”

The ‘Modern Organic Product’ collection will also include some pieces in the men’s range, meaning you can pack up your suitcase with a range of organic fashion goodies for a romantic summer jaunt. See the more of the range in our pop-out gallery below or visit the Marc O’Polo online shop.

The models at the Ada Zanditon show this London Fashion Week stomped their way down the catwalk in some of the most alluring, creative and polished designs we saw all fashion week. With impeccable tailoring and bright, exotic patterns- Ada Zanditon pointed to a bright future for ethical fashion designers in this new decade. George Walker writes.

The Freemasons Hall was packed, one of the busiest shows we’d seen at Vauxhall Fashion Scout, with people peering over shoulders, waiting to see if all the anticipation around Ada Zanditon’s show was really worth it. And let is tell you, it certainly was.

The clothes form the Autumn/Winter 2010 range ‘Echolocation’ were very wearable, but utterly distinctive, with that trademark Zanditon creativity evident in the patterns and cuts. The dresses had many onlookers drooling; the bright peacock blue and magenta pink fabrics were all cut to hug the figure in the most flattering of ways. For added allure, ruffled panels on the front of the dresses created texture and movement, bringing those vivid colours alive.

Whilst everyone seems to be looking for influences of Alexander McQueen in new lines this fashion week (often when there is little reason to), the influence of McQueen really does seem to crop up in Zanditon’s designs. Zanditon interned with McQueen in the early stages of her career and the patterns in this collection, plus the billowing shapes of some of her jackets, certainly follow the air of trepidation that McQueen was so famous for.

Ah yes- the jackets- let’s not just pass over those. Zanditon exhibited her wide-ranging design talent perfectly by introducing more architectural jackets as the show went on. In a contrast to the slim-fitting dresses, these jackets created a dramatic silhouette with big collars and strong shoulders.

Zanditon is a true ethical fashion pioneer, using organic materials and sustainable production methods to produce dramatic and commercially viable designs. She has designed clothes for Patrick Wolf, the Puppini Sisters and Robots in Disguise, alongside working with such fashion luminaries as Alexander McQueen and Gareth Pugh. Last year Zanditon came to Vauxhall Fashion Scout as ‘One to Watch’- now we just can’t stop staring.

]]> http://www.greenmystyle.com/london-fashion-week-catwalk-report-ada-zanditon/feed/ 0 http://www.greenmystyle.com/street-street-style-at-london-fashion-week-february/ http://www.greenmystyle.com/street-street-style-at-london-fashion-week-february/#comments Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:45:08 +0000 George Walker http://www.greenmystyle.com/?p=19560 As ever, the crowds at London Fashion Week were full of chic, fashionable and sometimes eccentricly dressed folk. From classic looks to outlandish attire- the designers, bloggers and stylists I bumped into at London Fashion Week certainly showed how the British streets are some of the most stylish in the world. George Walker writes.

Although being slightly disappointed that no one took my street style picture (I blame the rain and the coffee I spilt on my shirt solely for this- note: you cannot pull off a coffee stain as a ‘quirky’ design pattern), it was great to see the stylish folk at London Fashion Week pull out all the stops.

We spotted this stylish lady in the Somerset House courtyard. Channeling Chanel glamour and Christopher Kane modernity, this look is a timeless classic. Sheer fabrics are set to be big once again this coming season, but of course this look will always be a la mode.

The North Circular stand at London Fashion Week had a distinct mariner vibe, with fishing nets holding a variety of sumptuous knitwear, just waiting to be touched. The Autumn/Winter collection is named ‘Seacables’ and is inspired by the seafaring communities in Britain. Celtic patterns combine with modern knitwear pieces like snoods to make a luxurious range of hand crafted, fashionable knitwear.

As you may know, The North Circular employ grandmothers living in the UK to knit their wares. Knitters age from 21- 91 and the label now has around 80 knitters on its books. In this collection the label is focusing upon the individuality of each piece by tailoring each design to the interests of the knitter. On each garment a tag reveals the name of the knitter who spent their evenings knitting and pearling to create the accessory or dress.

Alice Ashby, knitwear designer at The North Circular, told me more about the story behind each piece. Picking up one ,particularly beautiful hooded scarf, Ashley said: “This one, for example, is Sheila and we worked with her and talked about what she liked and what stitches she likes doing. So, we’ve come up with this pattern for her and she’ll be the only one that does this one.”

The North Circular ensures a low carbon footprint in its production techniques by developing each collection in the UK. What’s more, the company is saving the ailing wool industry here in the UK (and the sheep that produce the wool!) by buying sheep that would have been slaughtered and using them for their wool instead. The company uses only Izzy Lane wool, which was awarded an RSPCA award in 2008.

With the support of supermodel and ethical fashion enthusiast Lily Cole, the label certainly looks set for great things. The North Circular plan to develop their ready-to-wear range in the future. This should definitely please you female readers, as the dresses I saw were a perfect example of how a knitted dress can be both flattering, fashionable and warm.

I asked Alice Ashby how London Fashion Week had been for them this year, she said: “Really great, because it’s our second season it’s about getting out name out there.” I for one, think The North Circular won’t have to try too hard to get their name out there- the designs speak for themselves.

Visit The North Circular website for more info.