Source: Cashmerejeans.blogspot.com
When we think about ethical fashion, we’re usually referring to clothes, but jewellery is another way we can make a statement about our values. Pippa Small, a Canadian born, London-based artist, anthropologist, and designer, just launched her Spring 2012 collection of ethical jewellery. Already embraced by fans like Rachel McAdams and Julia Roberts, Pippa’s pieces incorporate stones, shells, minerals, beads and other found objects for truly organic treasures.
Pippa furthers her interest in human rights advocacy while practising her art by reviving old traditional jewelry methods and working in Bolivia with the world’s first registered fair-trade gold mine. In 2008, Pippa Small became an ambassador for Survival, the movement for tribal people and the only organization working for tribal peoples’ rights worldwide.
I don’t know about you, but every time I buy a re-usable travel mug I lose it within days. I did this about half a dozen times before I decided the amount of plastic I was going through might be harming the environment more than the few paper cups I’d use at Starbuck’s (I usually have morning coffee at home, after all). Then it occurred to me that the sunglasses principle might have something to do with my inability to hang on to a travel mug. That being, the value I place on the eye wear determines how long I keep it. I’ve discovered that if I really love and look great with my sunglasses I will hold on to them for years, while less coveted pairs have disappeared within weeks or even days. I believe the same to be true with my vanishing travel mugs.
Enter KeepCup which looks like this:
The lovely colour combination and simple design appeal to my esthetic sensibilities before I even think about the environmental benefits, which bodes well for the sunglasses principle. I received my KeepCup from the company, but you can go on the website and design your own…I’m fairly certain I’d hold onto a travel mug I custom-made for myself.
KeepCup is “the first barista standard reusable cup” (because it replicates standard takeaway sizes and fits under the group heads of most espresso machines). Plus:
- KeepCup users have diverted an estimated 30,000 tonnes of disposable cup waste from landfill
- KeepCup users have stopped 70,000 trees being felled for paper pulp.
- International Paper estimates that in the United States alone over 58 billion disposable cups are discarded every year, the majority relegated to landfill. (Oh, it breaks my heart!)
Disposable Cup Facts
- 500 billion disposable cups are manufactured globally every year; that’s about 75 disposable cups for every single person on the planet.
- Half of the plastic used in the world today is for single use items. (Oh, the humanity!)
- The 500 billion disposable cups used in the world each year placed end to end could circumnavigate the earth 100 times.
- World paper use has exploded by 400% in the last 40 years. Now nearly 4 billion trees or 35% of the total trees chopped down are used in paper industries on every continent. (Why is this getting worse instead of better?)
- Very little recycled paper is used to make disposable cups because of contamination concerns. Because most disposable cups are coated with plastic, both composting and recycling of disposable cups is uncommon.
- Most of the world’s paper supply, in fact about 71%, still comes from diminishing forests, not tree farms or the recycling bin.
I am planning to hold on to my stylish KeepCup and stop being part of this easily avoidable waste problem.
So often, it’s the hot, new–and young–actresses that get all the red carpet love at award shows. Not so at the Golden Globes. Fashionista: A Look at all the Stars over 45 Who Stole the Red Carpet
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve avoided wearing my prettiest clothes because I was saving them for a nicer occasion. Weightless: Self-Care is Never a Waste
Beyonce‘s latest promotional image for album “Four” has caused quite a stir–and unfortunately the buzz has got nothing to do with the music. Fashionista: Critics Accuse Beyonce of “Whitewashing”
Consumers are becoming more aware of ethical issues and many are wanting change. But how can we help to drive this change? Style Eyes Ethical Fashion Blog: Is Boycott the Answer?
Most successful people were not born into success; they simply did, and continue to do, things that help them realize their full potential. Marc and Angel Hack Life: 12 Things Successful People Do Differently
Who wouldn’t want to wear something inspired by candy and Andy Warhol? Adhesif Clothing’s SS12 collection uses reclaimed cottons, silks, and nylons to create pencil skirts, patterned dresses, and feminine blouses in candy colours and a style that derives from Warhol’s 60s pop art. With names like the Sugarmod Dress, the Penny Pencil Skirt, and the Twizzler Dress (whch folds to the size of a handkerchief for you frequent flyers), the collections calls to our innocent, playful, girlish…and eco-friendly sides.
Canadian label Adhesif can be found throughout the country and in Toronto’s Distillery District at the Distill Gallery, 55 Mill Street, as well as online at Etsy.
With the dawning of 2012, the print industry is pulling out all the stops to refresh, innovate and improve their product. Fashionista: What Does 2012 Hold For the Magazine Industry?
This completely naked passerby somehow went unnoticed by photographers, retouchers, and whoever else had to have seen the photo before it was published. Fashionista: French Children’s Clothing Ad Accidentally Features Full Frontal Male Nudity
Just a couple of months after her Marc Jacobs perfume ads were banned in the UK for “sexualizing children,” the 17-year-old actress covers the women’s magazine’s February issue. Fashionista: Is Dakota Fanning Too Young to Cover Cosmo?
Heartbreaking. Fashionista: Priscilla of Boston Reportedly Destroyed Unworn Wedding Gowns Because of ‘Contractual Obligations’
Life is not complicated. We are complicated. When we stop doing the wrong things and start doing the right things, life is simple. Marc and Angel Hack Life: 28 Ways to Stop Complicating Your Life
As we ring in the new year, here are twelve steps we can all take to reduce our impact on the environment. Daily Good: Going Green: 12 Steps for 2012
When our time of mourning was over in each individual circumstance, we pressed forward, stronger, and with a greater understanding and respect for life. Marc and Angel Hack Life: 40 Lessons for Finding Strength in Hard Times
An antidote to that viral article demonizing references to beauty. Jezebel: The Right Way to Talk to Young Girls About Beauty
I find shopping to be one of the most pleasurable and relaxing of activities. But it seems like there are a lot of pissed off and stressed out people heading to the mall these days. Fashionista: Why is Shopping so Violent Lately?
Cosmetics company MAC is known for collaborating with unexpected muses, so it’s no surprise that they teamed up with 90-year-old style icon Iris Apfel for their upcoming makeup collection. College Fashion: First Look at Iris Apfel for MAC
Demi Lovato attacked the Disney Channel on Twitter last week for mocking eating disorders and using increasingly smaller stars in their shows that cater to tweens. Fox News: Demi Lovato Says Disney Promotes Unhealthy Body Images to Young Girls
I’ve been selling high quality used clothing on eBbay for a year or so now and have found the juggernaut online marketplace to be spectular for buyers and terrible for sellers. Shoppers demand rock bottom prices regardless of the value of the item and often request a discount on shipping, a cost completely out of my control. One negative comment from a buyer, regardless of his or her mental health, can ruin your reputation as a seller. There have been months where I actually lost money because my fees were higher than what I took in. eBay is definitely a buyer’s marketplace, which makes sense because that’s where it’s bread is buttered.
I like a good deal as much as the next person. I also believe a business or any transaction needs to benefit everyone involved: buyer, seller, and the world at large. In my business, the buyer and the world at large benefit (recycled clothing is good for the environment). Me, not so much. I’m not the only eBay seller dealing with such frustration.
After being undersold on her high-end designer treasures, Pauline Truchot co-founded Style Recovery, an antidote to eBay for fashion lovers who understand the value of gently used designer garments: “I had many nice things in my closet that I didn’t use, and was turned off from selling them on websites like eBay because it’s hard to find an audience who knows the value of the designer items that I love. Most of the things were simply not sold or at very low prices. I noticed a gap in this market and decided to create a website and a community that has the same expectations as I do.“
Enter StyleRecovery.com where items are sold at an average of 62% of retail price and 85% of items for sale were purchased within the last year. Sounds like a win for both buyer and seller. And there’s that recycling aspect again. StyleRecovery.com is the first website that concentrates solely on reselling high fashion products. Registration is free and the first 1,000 members take 10% off their first purchase with the code word ‘Welcome‘.
Will you use Style Recovery?
On Tuesday November 29th, Fashion Takes Action is hosting a high-end clothing swap to help fashion lovers reduce their environmental footprint. Toronto-based FTA has worked tirelessly since 2007 to help educate both fashion businesses and consumers on how to become more sustainable.
The average Canadian contributes seven kilograms of textiles to landfill each year, and clothing makes up a large part of it. This may seem shocking because most people do not throw clothing into the garbage, however putting unwanted garments in the bin at Goodwill doesn’t necessarily mean it ends up on the racks in the store, let alone that anyone buys it. FTA hopes to raise awareness around this issue, so consumers can feel more empowered to make smarter and more responsible clothing purchases.
“There are several ways we can be more sustainable when it comes to our clothing,” says FTA founder Kelly Drennan. “But a clothing swap is a really fun place to start! Not to mention the fact that it is also more wallet-friendly than some of the other options available, something we think people can appreciate a great deal in these tighter economic times”.
Attendees must bring at least ONE item to swap in order to participate. Advance drop off is recommended, and admission to the event is $15. For full event details, including the purchase of tickets, donated clothing criteria and drop off schedule, please visit the event’s Facebook Page.
What’s your experience of clothing swaps?
I receive a ton of press releases every day and although I open and read all of them, it’s rare that I find one inspiring enough to post about. Carrie Parry is one of those, an emerging designer whose creations are whimsical yet sophisticated, timeless yet modern, and best of all, sustainable. The Central Saint Martins grad won the Ethical Fashion Forum’s 2011 Innovation Award, and her designs are born from a passion for producing garments that never go out of style and a commitment to responsible sources and practices.
A preview of Carrie Parry's Spring 2012 collection
