This is going to be an event at trendy Notting Hill boutique, The Merchant 24.

The evening will present the best of ethical and sustainable fashion and lifestyle brands as well as numerous hands-on activities in which guests can be involved. Fashion ComPassion’s 2012 collections will be on sale and customers will have the chance to place bespoke orders of limited edition pieces – while I will be at hand to give styling tips and put beautiful and sustainable outfits together. Guests will also be able to enjoy consultations on health and wellbeing by Fushi, whose products I’m looking forward to trying. There will also be live music, delicious desserts, canapés and drinks, so something for everyone!

A percentage of all sales made on the evening will support OXFAM’s work including projects empowering women – which is perfectly aligned to Fashion Compassion’s philosophy. “We want everyone who walks in the doors of The Merchant to remember this night and the importance of supporting and empowering women in the developing world”, as Ayesha put it.

It would be great to see all of you there. If you’re interested in coming along, do drop me a line, or RSVP directly to fashioncompassion@themerchant24.com

Shine is the UK’s leading unconventional conference (or unconference) for socially-minded entrepreneurs, and offers an accelerator package to allow entrepreneurs to grow their venture; practical support, services, tools and connections.

The focus is by no means on fashion, however I was glad to see that the topic was considered relevant for entrepreneurs who want to be agents of change, and I was honoured to be invited to sit in a very variegated and interesting panel. The session was titled ‘Bang on Trend’ (and subtitled: Fashion and social enterprise haven’t always skipped through life hand in hand. But can personal iconography, technology and social enterprise create a something more important?), it was led by Kresse of pioneering label Elvis & Kresse, with other panelists including Esther Freeman of Ms Wanda’s, Heather lodge of Heloeco and Lori Smith of Rarely Wears Lipstick.

In the true spirit of the ‘unconference’, this aimed at being an informal discussion, and indeed the public were very engaged and threw some really interesting questions at us, which led to very open conversations on a number of topics, all related to fashion and sustainability. For a good round-up, read this blog post by Ms Wanda’s.

I left quite inspired by the whole debate, the result was food for thought not just for those attending, but for us panelists too – even more so I’d say, as the issues that we discussed are integral part of our jobs, and very much our personal interests.

For this event, Rewardrobe curated the selection of brands to exhibit, and the dedicated trends area.

Drawing on her Italian origins and connections, Veronica Crespi, Director of Rewardrobe, also selected a collective of Italian labels, to represent the best of what the country nowadays offers in the ethical fashion field.

It is an eclectic mix, covering all approaches to sustainability:

Reale Slow Fashion – Reale aims to create everlasting items and limit waste. Reale uses natural dyes and nickel free metal details, and is committed to maximising fabric sustainability, using innovative fabrics from seacell to organic plush

Haikure – Haikure is a sustainable denim brand, traceable by means of the QR code placed on the label, which enables the eco-sustainability of each garment to be traced through every step of its production.

Riciclabo’ – Riciclabo’ is an Italian brand of upcycled ladieswear, created from second-hand clothes and textile production rejects. The collection incorporates refined tailoring and eco-sustainable fabrics.

Campeche – Campeche produce scarves dyed with certified GOTS vegetable dyes. Campeche use organic silk and cotton and other natural fibres such as wild silk, wool and linen.

NVK – Based on a Slow design philosophy, NVK is Made in Italy and uses sustainably sourced and eco fabrics. NVK garments can be worn, fastened and taken off in one simple move and are suitable for all sizes.

CeeBee – CeeBee uses recycled materials – like paper, plastic, rubber and textiles to create ‘one of a kind’ accessories in limited editions.

EOS – EOS is a brand that links respect for the environment with Italian artisanal skills. EOS produce mens and womenswear solely from eco fabrics: organic cotton, organic linen, hemp and bamboo.

Stefania Masotto Biomoda – Stefania Masotto Biomoda collections use only eco and organic materials, all certified ICEA and GOTS. Stefania Masotto’s production is entirely based in Italy, thanks to the hands of local artisans.

The reason for this venture is that Rewardrobe believes in creating connections and establish international synergies, to enable brands to enhance their exposure and inclusion in events, in order to help them get established within the industry, and bring them to the attention of buyers and the public.

In this case, a group of exciting Italian brands is presented at this acclaimed platform – adding to the event’s offer, and providing the chance for the brands to explore a new market.

You can download a full Press Release of this event here

This is a really cool area, and JUST, the EJF store, makes it even more so – with their pick of the best in sustainable fashion, and their unique events.

This Saturday, 16th July, I’m happy to be part of a day dedicated to Upcycling – the JUST Make it! DIY Party.

I’ll be talking about how good upcycling can be for your personal style and for your wardrobe credentials, and introducing designers.

You can go to the Facebook event page and confirm your attendance here. And you find more details after the jump. Hope to see you there!

Even at Estethica back in February, I noticed a lack of attention towards the hangers collections were displayed on. Not so though for STUDY NY and LU FLUX, with their beautiful customised cardboard hangers:

Not many eco-friendly alternatives are available to the public, unfortunately. However, most people don’t actually buy hangers, and just prefer to keep the ones that come free back from the dry cleaner’s (a big no-no as far as I’m concerned!), or with a new high-street purchase. And indeed, it is at industry level that hangers are churned out at most speed – so it’s good to see steps are being taken to provide retailers and dry cleaners with more sustainable alternatives.

It is recent news that retail giants such as Benetton and Macy’s NY are gradually introducing new hangers to their stores. Macy’s, where up to 300 million hangers are used every year, will switch from their usual clear plastic ones, to matt black ones made of recycled materials. Italian high-street leader Benetton plans to save 600 tons of plastic a year by switching to innovative, lightweight ‘liquid wood’ ones. These new hangers, made from wooden pellets moulded into shape, are 100% biodegradable and recyclable, and will gradually be implemented in Benetton’s worldwide store network.

Benetton's new 'liquid wood' hangers

In the UK, Hanger 4 Life have developed a new and very advantageous hanger system. They bank on durability: their hangers are still made of plastic, but of a high-quality ABS that is supposed to last for a lifetime. Which is particularly important for retailers: the reduced risk of breakage saves the retailers money, and allows them not to have to increase the demand for newly produced hangers.

And whatever Hangers 4 Life produce, they offset their carbon emissions in full. And that’s after they have a up to 40% reduced carbon footprint to begin with, thanks to intelligent design: reduced tooling in manufacturing, minimal inventory space required thanks to a special shape, and less cardboard needed for boxes of smaller size used in distribution.

They have also made their intelligent design available to the public, and their hanger systems are available to buy on Amazon.

When it comes to dry cleaners, I think anything should be made to get rid of the terrible wire hangers! Luckily somebody thought of an eco-friendly option that is a no brainer for dry cleaners to switch to: it actually comes free to them, as costs are covered by the marketing messages on the hanger’s body.

EcoHangers, based in the US, are the leaders in this field – and produce for a variety of markets, and not just for the dry cleaning industry. They provide completely customised eco-friendly clothes hangers for distribution in national retail chains, licensed merchandise stores, hospitality and tourism locations, government agencies, campuses and college bookstores.

Something similar is being done in Canada by E-Hanger, and here in the UK by Becoadvertising.

In their own words: “The Becohanger is a fully recyclable and biodegradable hanger made from durable recycled paper and card. Similar in size to a standard wire coat hanger, the Becohanger is designed to replace its less eco friendly cousins, that fill our wardrobes and landfill sites every year. Although deliberately not indestructible, the Becohanger is strong, durable and resilient.
Fully printed with four colour inks, front and back, the Becohanger not only works as a useful eco friendly product, but it also offers an attractive advertising platform. It is this added value that allows us to give the hangers away for free.”

Plus, Beco have developed a range which is available for the consumer to buy. Made from a plant fibre material (it would be great to know more about its composition though!), these hangers are designed to replace standard plastic ones. Using natural fibres from a sustainable source, they claim the hanger body is biodegradable within 2-3 years of being composted. Available to buy at Caraselle.

Beco’s offer is also completed by a cardboard hanger. Although I have to admit I am not the greatest fan of cardboard hangers for the everyday wardrobe (because of their durability, but also because sometimes their shape is not the most ideal for some garments), I think their fun children’s version is a great product. Children’s clothes are not supposed to be worn for very long – so why introduce a lot of plastic in a kid’s wardrobe, that will most probably be disposed of shortly. Granted, the hangers can be donated, just as most of the kid’s clothes will. However, I like the idea that the hangers can just go in the compost – one fewer thing to be produced with plastic. Also available in store at John Lewis.

Becohanger for kids

Even though cardboard hangers might not be the best option for consistent everyday use in a regular wardrobe, I think they are a great alternative for many other occasions, such as display in showrooms and trade fairs. As shown in the first picture of this article, during Estethica in London two labels showed their collections on eco-friendly hangers customised for their own brand – an excellent choice, and I was surprised not to see more designers paying attention to such important details.

STUDY NY used Ditto Hangers:

Ditto hangers for Study NY at Estethica, LFW

Australian brands can obtain the same service from Green Hanger. Whereas here in the UK, Norman Hangers produce similar cardboard hangers of excellent quality, so much so that they now supply Lu Flux (see picture at beginning of this article, taken at Estethica), Pants to Poverty and the Ethical Fashion Forum.

Norman Hanger for the EFF

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a few ideas on how to upcycle men’s shirts. I keep finding more:

Two of my favourite upcycling designers have interesting takes on this.

Love Me Again turn shirts into pretty sundresses, and Unbutton Fashion have devised a sartorially revolutionary system whereby a shirt can be turned into three different designs, with absolutely zero waste.

Love Me Again

Unbutton Fashion's Zero Waste project

And another no-sew solution which I spotted on Whatthecool:

from Whattecool.com

I needed a destination to push myself to pedal for a few miles, so I decided to head to London Fields. A new boutique market is now open alongside the regular Broadway Market, and I wanted to check it out. It’s Designers/Makers – and as the name suggests, it is a small gathering of stalls full of quality handmade pieces, from fashion through to stationery.

I heard about it from Francesca Warren, one of the designers who’s next going to come on board my Up-Wardrobe project, with her label Unbutton Fashion.

She masters the art of upcycling clothes with a quirkiness that really fits my taste, and I was eager to see some of her pieces. I tried to take some nice pictures of her stall, but the sunlight was so strong I couldn’t really shoot very nice images…

Unbutton Fashion at Designers/Makers Market

Walking around, I spotted two accessories designers I had noticed at the ‘Ethical Fashion in the Age of Austerity’ event organised by  The Papered Parlour at the V&A Museum of Childhood about a month ago.

One is A Alicia – eco-ethical accessories, handmade in London using organic fairtrade textiles and vintage elements. Her plaited cotton necklaces, or the ones made of upcycled kimono fabrics and hand-crafted ceramic beads, are high on my wishlist.

A Alicia Accessories at Designers/Makers Market

The other one is the Japanese creative behind Miwary – an indie label crammed full of girly nostalgia in the form of cute handmade accessories, with a ‘found in Grandma’s attic’ vibe. She has an eclectic mix on her stall, but my favourite are the shirt-collar-shaped neckpieces she produces out of vintage or upcycled fabrics.

Miwary at Designers/Makers Market

I also really enjoyed the earthiness of the colours on Emily Bucknell‘s stall. From her lavender shachets to her lampshades, everything has been created with hand-printed textiles, with shapes which originate from her personal drawings inspired by intricate patterns in nature.

Emily Bucknell at Designers/Makers Market

When it comes to ethical fashion pop-up spaces, you’ll find Sweet Notions know how to set up one.

Back in December, I got to meet Shannon, the founder, at the temporary space she was running with the EJF – Environmental Justice Foundation in Kingly Court, at the heart of London’s West End, at the heart of the year’s shopping season.

This week – with perfect timing again, given that we are at the start of spring and we are all dying for some new light and cheerful wears – they have moved to the East End to share a super-ethical-themed space with MsWanda.

Ms Wanda’s Wardrobe works with designers who use recycled or end of line fabrics in their designs. Brands on board so far include Round London, Dirty Pretty and Queenie and Ted. The store also sells vintage and pre-loved clothing specialising in bold patterns, colour blocking and classic cuts.

And for six days only the online boutique comes to a pop up shop just off Brick Lane. As well as shopping, people will be able to engage in other activities that promote a more sustainable way of enjoying fashion. These include upcycling workshops from Sweet Notions, a slow fashion consultancy service from Rewardrobe (yes, that’s me!), and a swish in aid of Greenpeace.

A few examples, modelled on the launch night:

by Round London

by Queenie and Ted

by Dirty Pretty

vintage

The shop opened last night, with an introduction by the lovely Ms Wanda herself, and practically everybody involved in ethical fashion in London was there!

A few familiar faces in the next few pictures: Ms Wanda of course – Shannon and Catherine of Sweet Notions – Cecilia Chan of Round London – Bryony of Bagsful blog – Jules of Upcycled Fashion - Lupe Castro - Linda of Queenie and Ted – me wearing my colourful Traid Remade skirt.

]]> http://www.rewardrobe.eu/news/ethical-fashion-pops-up-in-east-london/feed/ 0 http://www.rewardrobe.eu/news/rewardrobe-team-up-with-44-frocks-for-a-glamourous-exclusive-party/ http://www.rewardrobe.eu/news/rewardrobe-team-up-with-44-frocks-for-a-glamourous-exclusive-party/#comments Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:43:31 +0000 Veronica http://www.rewardrobe.eu/?p=556 Laura, founder of 44 Frocks, has an infectious big smile and is very enthusiastic about making her guests smile, too. So no wonder her stylish frock parties have quickly become the talk of the town, and are selling out fast.

Laura’s parties are glamourous and exclusive. She’ll invite you to her 44 Apartment, offer you Prosecco and cupcakes, and let you go through her stunning collection of handpicked designer dresses, that can be yours at a fraction of their in-store, in-season price. Every girl’s dream, in a fun environment!

Laura says: “We keep our party numbers low so everyone has a chance to relax, take their time and try as many Frocks as they like while having space to enjoy. I’ve painstakingly sourced the 44 Frock stock from the US, private collections and the designers themselves so guests can try on, try out and maybe buy a perfect designer dress. Thriftily. I only ever buy in items that I can see, check and approve myself”.

I loved the idea, and now 44 Frocks and Rewardrobe have teamed up for a special event, for special occasions.

Spring is the time when a girl really needs a frock! It’s London Social Season, with all the glamorous events. From horse races to polo, the Proms to Glyndebourne, to all the weddings coming up!

So we have created a special evening event, and picked a selection of frocks which are all perfect for such special occasions.

44 Frocks will curate the party as usual (held at their shiny new venue a stone’s throw from the City) and Veronica from Rewardrobe will be at hand for tailored style advice.

With hats, shoes and jewellery to complete the look, come to this exclusive party and your style dilemmas for the season will be solved! How often do you have the occasion to shop with a glass of fizz and a personal stylist there to help you.

We are holding it on Thursday, 14th April, at 44 Frock’s secret apartment off Broadway Market, from 6 till 9pm, so that you can come by after work and get styled and pampered!

The £15 tickets are limited to ensure there is space for the lucky shoppers to relax, have a glass of fizz and browse at their own pace; and like the 44 Frocks tea parties, these tickets will sell out quickly!

Here’s the link to book: http://www.44frocks.co.uk/social-season-event.html

When I was giving my talk at UK Aware yesterday, a lady asked me for advice on what to do with his boyfriend’s shirts, when they get worn out at the collar and cuffs. I was able to give her some ideas off the top of my head – but she got me curious to explore the possibilities further, so here’s a round-up of some ingenious ideas to save your button-down from the bin.

Some come from designers I already know well, and whose core work is upcycling garments. Here’s ideas by Junky Styling and Enienay (from London), and Milch (based in Vienna)

Junky Styling

Enienay

Milch

I even found a French website by a designer who specialises in men’s shirts:

Ma Chemise d'Homme

Cool Broadway Market crafty shop Fabrications upcycle men’s shirts into huggable cushions:

Fabrications

Some more excellent inspiration came from bloggers and Etsy designers Hawadaere, Clementine’s Closet and Erin’s Apparel.

Hawadaere

Clementine's Closet

Erin's Apparel

And finally, for those of us who don’t own a sewing machine, some very sexy ideas by a young girl on Youtube, plus the ultimate style recognition: a picture of an inventively worn man’s shirt in The Sartorialist book.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VtyIuzk_u0

from The Sartorialist