Ethical fashion designers get political with Think Act Vote
April 20, 2010 by George Walker · Leave a Comment
We all know that being ethical can be stylish, but can politics be stylish too? As part of the Think Act Vote campaign, founder Amisha Ghadiali has brought together some of the biggest names in ethical fashion to redesign the campaign’s t-shirt. Junky Styling, Ada Zanditon, Tara Starlet, Ciel and Beautiful Soul are but a few of the wonderful designers to re-work a simple t-shirt into stunning creations. George Walker reveals what happens when fashion meets politics in our pop-out gallery.
London Fashion Week AW 2010 trends
March 11, 2010 by Eleni Sardi · Leave a Comment
With Paris Fashion Week making headlines, we’re still buzzing with the trends seen at London Fashion Week trying to figure out the looks that we’ll be wearing come September when the nude craze will be old news and we’ll be itching for something new to keep us warm and stylish during the British winter. Eleni Sardi writes.
London Fashion Week estethica highlights: Junky Styling
February 22, 2010 by George Walker · 2 Comments
Junky Styling’s new range is a bold, versatile and unconventional collection that recycles classic British tailoring to create highly desirable pieces. George Walker talks to Junky Styling at London Fashion Week to find out the story behind the label’s individual look. Read more
Smart and sexy: ideas for the eco city dweller
January 3, 2010 by Maria Kaski · Leave a Comment
Suits have been developing through the ages, and this season, they are sharper and more fitted than ever. Bold prints have given way to pared down shades and retro shapes that accentuate sumptuous fabrics. Here we give you the low down on the best suits to help you get your man looking dapper. Maria Kaski writes.
Ethical design hits the Green Room at Beaumont House
October 6, 2009 by Maria Kaski · 1 Comment
Sustainable fashion sourcing company Ethical heaven introduces a day of green retail therapy not to be missed in The Green Room at Beaumont House on Saturday 10th October. Mandy Barder writes.
The ethically motivated website founded by Lupe Castro, an ethical stylist, provides information on green fashion brands, including jewellery, lingerie and handbags.
The day will consist of a strong line-up of green collections from designers who are dedicated contributors to ethical fashion.
Hetty Rose leads the way for footwear with sustainable tailor-made shoes, designed and reworked from vintage kimonos. The collection covers styles and colours that reflect different seasons and each pair is handmade by the designer. Hetty will be at the Green Room to take orders.
The jewellery section looks to fair trade pioneers CRED with its new collection being exhibited. The socially and environmentally responsible jeweller specialises in wedding and bespoke commissions and a selection of engagement rings will be showcased at the Green Room.
Further brands include Junky Styling, a recycling fashion house that focuses on the deconstruction and redesigning of second hand clothing. All garments are organic, ethically sourced, fair trade or recycled and are made in-house at the store in Brick Lane, London. Suits sold in charity shops and jumble sales are a popular starting point for the brand’s deconstruction process.
On the accessory front Bo Belle is showcasing a feminine new collection of fairly traded bags made from eel skin, which is discarded when eels are farmed for food in Korea. Bags range from clutch purses to larger handbags with shoulder straps.
Lingerie exhibiting comes in the form of Enamore- a sustainable fashion brand that uses vintage fabrics. Check out the leopard print bamboo leather backed knickers with matching vintage tassels.
Saturday 10th October, 9:30am-12:30pm/2:30pm-6:30pm
Beaumont House,
Burfield Road,
Old Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 2JJ
Sustainable fashion sourcing company Ethical Heaven introduces a day of green retail therapy not to be missed in The Green Room at Beaumont House on Saturday 10th October. Mandy Barder writes.
GreenmyLIFEstyle’s Zoe Robinson picks her top Estethica dresses
September 24, 2009 by greenmystyle · Leave a Comment
Stepping in to this year’s Estethica at LFW I was surprised to see so many neutrals for SS10, but on venturing just a little further inside I was delighted to find an abundance of gorgeous garments in stunning colours that I can’t wait to wear next year. Here are my top 10 dresses, each picked for their great party potential, versatile casual style or for being perfect work wear.
Firstly the casual dresses – they’ll be a wardrobe staple so they need to go with everything and have the ability to be dressed up at a moment’s notice for an impromptu summer BBQ or cocktail on the beach.
People Tree – I love the 70’s beach wear vibe of this jersey dress from People Tree. You can wear with sandals on the beach, team with a jacket and pumps for work or throw on wedges or heels, a pink belt and vintage beads for a fab evening look.
Globe Hope – Finnish brand Globe Hope have ingeniously styled this cute dress from post consumer linen. The detail on the neckline is so gorgeous that it doesn’t need a lot of accessorising and I’d be inclined to keep it simple – for day wear this dress would look cute worn with pumps or sandals or for a more elegant look add heels and a clutch bag.
Article 23 – We’re told this silk jersey dress was picked out of 1000’s of pieces for the Paris fashion week’s top 100 for their catwalk show and we can see why – the stunning fabric feels amazingly soft so not only is it super stylish but also very comfortable to wear. Wear loose with sandals and a fedora on the beach or for a sharper look, add heels and accessorise with long beads or chains and chunky bracelets. To give the figure more definition cinch in at the waist with a tan belt or lower on your hips for a more relaxed look.
Minna – This beautiful dress from Minna certainly stood out for its beautiful design and fabric and could easily have gone in the party dress top picks too. This is the kind of dress you can throw on when you feel you have nothing to wear and you’ll instantly feel gorgeous. No jewellery (or shoes) required with this one but it’s also easy to dress up with heels and delicate jewellery or down with sandals and a flower in your hair!
Eco work wear can be hard to get right in a smart office environment – you don’t want to compromise on style but have to look tailored and professional. Here are my top work dresses that can easily dressed up or down according to the occasion.
Henrietta Ludgate – This dress is simply stunning and would be a wonderful addition to any wardrobe. With the flared hemline giving a twist on the classic wiggle dress this offers a fresh and current alternative for work wear, plus it can be accessorised to perfection a number of ways. Add some colourful statement jewellery and shoes to enhance the quirky element of the dress, or go for timeless elegance by wearing with simple gold jewellery.
Junky Styling – Another brilliant re-worked design from Junky Styling – the traditional stripe shirt, updated in this gorgeous and innovative style makes it perfect work wear. This dress is beautifully tailored and nicely fitted at the waist so is very flattering as well as being a good length for the office. Super versatile, it can be teamed with trainers or pumps for a more casual look
Article 23 - Stylish, tailored, eco work wear can be scarce, so this fitted shift dress from Article 23 is a great find. Also available in black, this dress is so versatile – it can be worn as in the picture with a shirt underneath or with matching fitted jacket for a sharper, more formal look. Go straight from the office to an evening do by accessorising with killer heels, skinny belt and some stunning jewellery.
After my initial concern that colour in the SS10 collections was somewhat lacking I’m happy to bring you my top party dresses from Estethica:
Lalesso – This gorgeous 50’s inspired Lalesso dress has a cut away back and comes in a few different patterns. Beautifully styled in this photo, I love this exotic flower and leaf print which is at its best worn with minimal jewellery (anything more might be overkill). Team with a simple bright pink belt or ribbon at the waist and heels or wedge sandals for the evening. For day wear, add a cardigan and pumps for an updated 50’s feel.
Mark Liu’s zero waste designs need little accessorising as each one of them is a work of art in itself. The shape and style of this dress is striking and sexy but feminine and the fabric is stunning. Wear with simple jewellery, gold for the evening – anything more would detract from this amazing dress.
Minna – Last but absolutely not least is the Maria dress from Minna. I could have chosen numerous pieces from this label for my top picks and I opted for this because of the beautiful vintage fabric, gorgeous cut and its versatility. An obvious party dress, this one is perfect for so many occasions I certainly can’t mention them all – for an evening out or wedding wear with white or tan heels, a clutch and chunky bangles; for daytime, team with some trusty pumps or sandals and for work wear add a jacket and you’re away!
GreenmyLIFEstyle personal fashion stylist Zoe Robinson picks her top 10 Spring Summer 2010 dresses, from the designers taking part in Estethica, London Fashion Week’s ethical fashion zone. From home, to office, to parties, find out now what you’ll be wearing next year.
Top 10 accessories at Estethica
September 23, 2009 by Maria Kaski · 1 Comment
It’s never too early to start planning your next season wardrobe. At Estethica, ethical conscious designers showed how to be stylishly environment-aware. From a hat contributing to the fight against poverty and vegan shoes, to budget-conscious scarves and splurge-worthy pumps, here is Greenmystyle’s selection of the accessories you’ll want to be seen in next Spring. Lucie Goulet writes
1. Junky Styling Sleeve Scarf
The Scarf: In warm reds and darks. Made with shirting and jumper fused together. Will stylishly complement your summer outfit, and protect you from the cool evening breeze.
Junky Styling: A hip remade label which specialises in deconstructing men suits to create new, imaginative garments.
Where to buy it: In one of Junky Styling retailers (including Topshop) or on their e-store. HYPERLINK “http://www.junkystyling.co.uk/about/stockists/” http://www.junkystyling.co.uk/about/stockists/ retails for £35.
2. Rachael Cassar Fan Feather Necklace
The Necklace: Made with laser-cut fan pieces with vintage button and feather detailing. It will add an edgy, fashion-forward touch to any outfit.
The Label: Rachael Cassar produces one off garments made of 90% recycled materials. Cassar is from Australia and was showing at Estethica for the first time this year.
Where to find it: You can order any piece from Cassar’s website, http://www.rachaelcassar.com/
3. Globe Hope Kukka Bag
The Bag: A white clutch perfect for carrying all your essentials to the nearest party. Made with recycled boat sails. The lining is made in recycled vintage home textiles.
The label: Global Hope is a Finnish label. Their spring/summer 2010, a tribute to Mother Earth, collection uses patterned organic cotton tricot and recycled sails. Part of the profits will be donated to research to prevent breast cancer.
Where to buy it: Online at HYPERLINK “http://hope.suomenwebkaupat.fi/index.php” http://hope.suomenwebkaupat.fi/index.php
4. Sonya Kashmiri and From Somewhere Miss Georgina handbag
The Handbag: A roomy shoulder bag available in ash black and iris. Practical thanks to all its pockets; it could be used as a week end gateway bag or a handbag for a very busy day. Limited Edition lined with From Somewhere tweeds.
The Label: Kashmiri’s handbags are made with veg tan leather, an ancient method of tanning which doesn’t use chrome.
Where to buy it from: Sonya Kashmiri stockists HYPERLINK “http://www.sonyakashmiri.com/stockists.html” http://www.sonyakashmiri.com/stockists.html and From Somewhere http://www.fromsomewhere.co.uk/
5. Eleanor Feddon hand embroidered belt
The belt: Made as part of the Shared Talent India Project, where 6 UK based designers and 6 Indian designers collaborated in Delhi for a 10 day workshop, with the aim of creating a joint collection to promote sustainable textiles, sponsored by DEFRA and Monsoon. The belt displays traditional Zardozi embroidery- where fine metal coils and metallic threads are used to create a relief pattern. ? The designs came from a series of line drawing Feddon created in India. The embroidery was completed by Sajid (top sample embroiderer) from TARA PROJECTS-( HYPERLINK “http://www.taraprojects.com/aboutus.htm” \t “_blank” http://www.taraprojects.com/aboutus.htm) a fair trade organisation.?Where to find it: Those belts are one-off pieces, to commission to Feddon. Price on request. Email- HYPERLINK “mailto:eleanorfeddon@hotmail.co.uk” \t “_blank” eleanorfeddon@hotmail.co.uk
6. Minna Necklace
The Necklace: Made from hand dyed remnants silks and vintage lace. Ideal to add a romantic note to your daytime look.
The Label: Created by a Finnish designer, Minna designs high-end tops in Scottish laces, and accessories with finds from local antique markets.
Where to find it: Minna e-store HYPERLINK “http://www.minna.co.uk/store/” http://www.minna.co.uk/store/ and selected retailers in the UK. Retails for £100.
7. Pachacuti Panama Hat
The Hat: A classic Panama hat, perfect for evening strolls along the beach or to protect you from the city heat.
The label; All Pachacuti hats are certified Fair Trade.
Where to find it: Buy it from HYPERLINK “http://www.panamas.co.uk” \t “_blank” www.panamas.co.uk or HYPERLINK “http://www.pachacuti.co.uk” \t “_blank” www.pachacuti.co.uk. Retails from £52
8. Bourgeois Bohème Terra shoes
The Shoes: Those grey lace shoes in microfibre faux leather will give an edge to your floral tea dress. Part of the Spring Goddess range.
The Label: All Bourgeois Bohème material is sources ethically. No animal is ever harmed in the production process. The Spring Goddess range is produced in collaboration with WHERE. The range is inspired by the interaction with communities of artisans in India and their traditional skills.
Where to buy it: From the Bourgeois Bohème website HYPERLINK “http://www.bboheme.com/” http://www.bboheme.com/ or one of their worldwide stockists.
9. Beyond Skin Saphire Navy Gold Print shoes
The Shoes: A sexy spin on the traditional black pump, those shoes will jazz up your workwear and are the ideal footwear to turn this LBD into a party outfit.
The Label: All Beyond Skin shoes are vegan and handmade in India. They have fairly traded latex soles covered in organic cotton.
Where to buy: From any Beyond Skin retailers and on their e-store, HYPERLINK “http://www.beyondskin.co.uk/” http://www.beyondskin.co.uk/. Retails for £187.
10. Nina Dolcetti Bootie Split
The Shoes: In eye catching green and white, those boots will look amazing on tanned bare legs with a denim mini or with a white dress for a summer barbecue.
The Label: Nina Dolcetti designer Elisalex Grunfeld de Castro reuses off-cuts and pre-consumer waste to create her shoes. All her creations are handmade in a family run factory in East London.
Where to buy it: One of Nina Dolcetti European retailers: HYPERLINK “http://www.ninadolcetti.com/stockists.html” http://www.ninadolcetti.com/stockists.html. Retail price around £220.
Greenmystyle.com at London Fashion Week is sponsored by Starbucks, the world’s largest purchaser of Fairtrade Certified coffee.
http://www.greenmystyle.com/starbucks-goes-100-fairtrade-and-sponsors-green-my-styles-london-fashion-week-coverage/
Win a £25 Starbucks voucher
http://www.greenmystyle.com/win-one-of-ten-25-starbucks-vouchers/
Starbucks espresso-based beverages now 100% Certified Fairtrade
DON’T MISS: Bag yourself a personal fashion styling session
http://www.greenmystyle.com/personal-styling/
It’s never too early to start planning your next season wardrobe. At Estethica, ethically conscious designers showed how to be stylishly environment-aware. From a hat contributing to the fight against poverty and vegan shoes, to budget-conscious scarves and splurge-worthy pumps, here is Greenmystyle’s selection of the accessories you’ll want to be seen in next Spring. Lucie Goulet writes.
Catwalk report: Fashion Diversity at the Museum of London
September 19, 2009 by Maria Kaski · Leave a Comment
With London Fashion Week in full swing, fashion cooperative Untold Design organised Fashion Diversity at the Museum of London. Lucie Goulet reports on the Fashion Diversity catwalk.
The event, now in its second year, included a series of industry-led workshops as well as four catwalks. All models were from Mahogany Model Management, a modelling agency representing models of colour.
The runways opened with collections by honorary designers Gisella Boutique (womenswear), Nico Didonna (menswear) and Junky Styling, the remade label also present at Estethica. Those three brands were chosen for their ongoing success on the London fashion scene and awarded Fashion Diversity Honorary Awards. Gisella Boutique was celebrating its eighteenth anniversary with a collection of signature piece and high quality tailoring in metallic, red and monochromatics.
The second part of the catwalk showcased emerging designers championed by Untold. Maame Baryeh, Untold founder, explained that the designers were chosen based on the fashion diversity they represented. The genres, styles and background on the catwalk were very eclectic. The main trends were bright colours, fluid dresses and quirky styling. Seven créateurs showed their work, including 21 Things I Love, a label created by Andrea Carr and Kim Fleary who use hemp and industry surplus material in their garments.
The event was open to the public thanks to Baryeh’s desire to “take the stigma out of fashion week”.
Untold, an entirely self-funded label which partially relies on designers pooling resources when creating, is about to open it first e-boutique.
To celebrate London Fashion Week, Untold will run a pop-up store on Monday, September 21st at Kensington Rooms on Cromwell Road, 1-6pm.
Greenmystyle.com at London Fashion Week is sponsored by Starbucks, the world’s largest purchaser of Fairtrade Certified coffee.
http://www.greenmystyle.com/starbucks-goes-100-fairtrade-and-sponsors-green-my-styles-london-fashion-week-coverage/
Win a £25 Starbucks voucher
http://www.greenmystyle.com/win-one-of-ten-25-starbucks-vouchers/
Starbucks espresso-based beverages now 100% Certified Fairtrade
DON’T MISS: Bag yourself a personal fashion styling session
http://www.greenmystyle.com/personal-styling/
With London Fashion Week in full swing, fashion cooperative Untold Design organised Fashion Diversity at the Museum of London on Friday 18th. Lucie Goulet reports on the Fashion Diversity catwalk.
Hunting for style at the Junky Styling book launch
August 17, 2009 by Maria Kaski · Leave a Comment
The ethical fashion pack were out in full force on August 13th to celebrate the launch of ‘Junky Styling: wardrobe styling’, the must-have book from Junky Styling. Stacey Malvern was on hand to check out the style secrets of ultra fashionable crowd.
Junky Styling celebrate 10 years with a book launch
August 14, 2009 by Maria Kaski · Leave a Comment
The ethical fashion glitterati gathered last night in London’s West End to celebrate the launch of ‘Junky Styling: wardrobe styling’, the must-have new book by fashion brand Junky Styling. Greenmystyle writer Stacey Malvern reports.
Love vintage, visit QueensOfVintage.com
