The garment upcycling scene though, certainly the one in the UK where it was doing rather well in the last few years at least as far as public perception is concerned, is in a transition. Brands move studios (Junky Styling), some change strategies (From Somwhere), and others move forward and innovate further. Goodone’s most recent initiative belongs in this last category: By setting up a proper upcycling factory that can cope with both, pre- and post-consumer waste, and is the first ‘streamlined’ upcycling facility equipped and ready to work with designers on something more than one-offs.

Shirahime was allowed to interview the Goodone designers Nin Castle and Clare Farell about this new Goodone venture.

Shirahime: Where did the idea for such a factory emerge? Why an upcycling factory?
Goodone: We have been doing upcycling with our own label since its inception 2006, originally making use solely of post consumer textiles, and have worked with this and other challenging sources of materials for a long time now. After two challenging but equally rewarding years collaborating with Tesco, we decided that there was a real need to support large companies in re-incorporating clothing waste back into their manufacturing process. With this project we want to facilitate this and make it all easy/er for them.
Of course, we also want to lead by example and prove that textile waste is a valid resource. There is certainly a lot of interest in this area ‘out there’, but most of the fashion and clothing companies don’t know where and how to start – just full sacks of jumpers at the beginning of the season obviously don’t do the job just yet. The reality is: there is no greener fabric than the one which already exists. The more fibre we can keep in circulation the better it is for us as a global society: less going to landfill, and certainly less strain on the environment through the textile industry as a portion of the raw material exists already and does not have to be produced first.

Shirahime: Can you spell out the environmental – possibly even social – benefits of your factory in detail, maybe with the help of an example?
Goodone: We have always had an environmental focus ahead of social benefits, mostly because as far as we are concerned, we absolutely think and consider it a given that people are treated and paid fairly for their work. As such we are concentrating on making it a commercially viable facility to upcycle waste textiles and this is challenge enough. We are also aiming to recycle all of our cutting waste too.

Shirahime: The factory is located in Bulgaria – why specifically there? Why not in the UK?
Goodone: We proudly produced everything in the UK until 2011 but we realised we were fighting against people who by going abroad have less than half of the labour cost we face while producing in the UK. It is impossible to compete with such prices on a high street level.
At the same time, we feel strongly that our biggest impact can be made on the high street. Which means of course, we had to find ways to realise our vision while remaining competitive on a price level. Bulgaria offered us the opportunity to have access to a skilled workforce, within Europe – hence, where we can make sure to keep a tight control on quality, the manufacturing process, but also the labour conditions – at a price that is competitive and affordable.

Shirahime: Did you have to train your factory workers? If so, what kind, and how did you go about doing that – not the least language wise?
Goodone: We are partnered with a friend in Bulgaria who used to work for us. Her English is much better than our Bulgarian! She manages operations, and we keep close contact and make regular visits. For now, we do not need large number of specially trained staff, but in the event of a large scale-up we would stay out there to help with the training of the new employees.

Shirahime: From what I understand, the factory can cope with both, pre- as well as post consumer clothing waste. How does that work practically?
Goodone: Our aim is to optimise the use of the source material, and lay as little hand on it as possible. The primary goal hereby is to maintain the source material as close as possible to its original, which means it potentially could well have at least one more life if a garment produce at the factory were to pass through it again in the future. Of course this also means less labour, lower production costs, and hence a more competitive price-value ratio.
For that reason we categorise and sort by use and colour and then cut each type of piece in bulk batches. We do not fully deconstruct garments, as that can result in more wasted time and fibre.

Shirahime: Where does the raw material you work with in the factory come from? Are there any collaborations in place that guarantee a steady supply of quality pre- and post consumer waste?
Goodone: We have recently met a senior representative of a textile recycling company processing 1 billion tonnes of waste textiles a year! The largest in the world I think, so we have access to quite a lot through that. Also because of the size of the operation they grade things much more thoroughly than the usual recycling factory so we can get more specific stock. Previously we have sourced everything in the UK but we now have access to more waste in Europe.

Shirahime: What were the highlights and challenges you encountered when putting the puzzle pieces in place for the factory to function? What lessons were learned?
Goodone: We have learned many, if not most of the lessons already here in the UK through the work on our own collections. 3 years ago we had to find ways how to work with existing factories in the UK – at that stage a lot of trial and error was taking place, which now of course makes the launch of this new venture much smoother. One important lesson learned this time around, and due to that we’re working across borders now, is make sure to be aware of when the different national holidays are – this can be a major scheduling headache!
Things are still developing though, and we like to view the design as well as manufacturing process as continuously evolving. One major highlight always is visiting Bulgaria and seeing our dear friend. And also when we have had meetings with some huge retailers and brands recently – nothing ready for the news yet though, unfortunately!

Shirahime: You consciously give other designers access to the factory, and work with them to realise their collections. How does the collaboration process work?
Goodone: We have set things up with flexibility high on the priority list and we have absolutely no minimums. Of course, for short orders the price will reflect how long the set up takes to get everything ready and up and running. At present we can produce a run of up to around 5000 pieces and lead times on this would be a couple of months.
For as far as collaborations are concerned: Our approach has always been one which embraces it. We feel strongly that it is better to work with larger companies and other designers, rather than against them. Even if we oppose their views. If you don’t like something, the only solution is to try and make it better. That’s why we want to make our high streets a better ‘fashion’ place in every sense of the word – we don’t like the current state very much!

Shirahime: Besides your own collections, which other collections ‘Made at One Good Factory’ will we see come September?
Goodone: We have picked up clients quite quickly and we are currently sampling for most of them. There is a collection for a textile recycling charity currently into production, but otherwise it’s early in the season and we are pending confirmed orders for AW12.

Students at work, Bunka College of Fashion. (c) Tokyo Weekender

The Tokyo based Bunka College of Fashion has trained scores of highly acclaimed Japanese and international designers over the years, many of whom now dominate the catwalks of London, New York and Paris. No other college in Asia can claim such international significance and influence on world taste.

Satoshi Onuma, President of the Bunka College of Fashion. Picture: (c) Tokyo Weekender

With a current student body of over 15,000 including some 1000 non-Japanese students, the designers and industry leaders of tomorrow are just beginning their careers in Bunka’s warren of classrooms and workshops.

“After WWII Japan became one of the most industrialized countries in the world. We changed into teaching more business aspects of fashion. But we still teach every student the basics of how to make clothes. [...] Today, Bunka focuses on instilling three things in our students, creativity, heritage and sustainability.”

From a distance Bunka looks like any other skyscraper in Shinjuku. A grey, steel and glass structure, which at a first glance you may well mistaken for a hospital or the headquarters of a multinational corporation, not an internationally renowned hub of creativity.
The college has its very own fashion archive: the Bunka Gakuen Museum, a publishing house and is branching out further afield offering course in partnership with colleges abroad.

“Education is not so profitable, so we have to have supporting businesses. In our museum, we try to put more effort into teaching the heritage of garments. We are also going digitally with our media, one of our websites has thousands of pages devoted to fashion.”

The creativity of the college is unleashed on the annual “culture day” when students hold a fashion show attracting around up to 20,000 visitors each year. Onuma says that through collaborative activities such as this students gain the skills needed for success outside of the college.

Student - Bunka College of Fashion (c) Tokyo Weekender

Post 3/11, designers from all disciplines are thinking more about sustainability and president Onuma takes this issue very seriously, after all most Japan-designed, high-street fashion is manufactured in the developing world.

“In order for people to enjoy fashion, countries need to be developed to a certain level. I think this world is a wonderful place, if we can teach every graduate to look after the environment, then each person can extend the time we have on earth by a little bit.”

A passionate and professional educator, Onuma points out that inspiration is not only for fashion designers, we can all learn from nature and human history but he is quick to point out that knowledge and skills are not enough.

“One of the worst things you can do is educate without ethics. Ethics are as important as good design technique in educating students. It is very important to instil some kind of wisdom in students.”

In the past fifty years Bunka has educated the likes of Junko Koshino, Yohji Yamamoto, Kenzo and more recently Nigo and Jun Takahashi. These are no ordinary alumni: across the world opinions of Japanese culture are based upon the public’s ephemeral contact with the works of these designers.
Ask a teenager in London of L.A. and they may not know much of Kyoto architecture or Shinto ritual but they can probably name a dozen Japanese fashion designers and may even own pieces of clothing bearing the brands Y3, Undercover or A Bathing Ape, all of which contain the DNA of Bunka.

Students - Bunka College of Fashion. (c) Tokyo Weekender

Onuma is busy preparing for his trip to the annual IFFTI conference (International Foundation of Fashion Technology Institutes), a meeting of design schools from across the world, which will be held next year at India’s Pearl Academy of Fashion in Jaipur—a region key to global manufacturing.
“Sustainability is a key issue for educators,” he says. “When I was a kid, pollution was very local, now it is global. We can’t ignore it any more.”
—
Address: Bunka Fashion College, 3-22-1, Yoyogi,Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 151-8522
Phone: ++81-(0)3-3299-2216 (Japanese only)
Website: www.bunka-fc.ac.jp
Annual Culture Day: November 3.

On May 3rd 2012, the Nordic Fashion Summit took place in its second edition at the Opera House in Copenhagen, gathering more than a thousand fashion business representatives from nearly 30 countries. The Summit was preceded by the Pre-Fashion Summit, a by-invite-only event for 100 international experts of the fashion industry. The Summit was hosted by the Nordic Fashion Association (NFA), founded by the five industry organisations of the five Nordic countries.
There is no doubt: The Danish have surely managed to create the biggest international event for sustainability in fashion without even mentioning “sustainability” or “ethics”. But have they really managed to engage the industry across all departments? Personally, I think that it will still take some time for corporates and high-profile stakeholders to set their personal agenda aside and align themselves with what is the requirement of the industry as a whole.

(c) Copenhagen Fashion Summit

(c) Copenhagen Fashion Summit

• the Fair Wear Foundation’s Wage Ladder, an online tool that is meant to help brands, factories, trade unions and NGOs to work towards living wages (not minimum wages!) for garment and other workers, or
• The Sustainable Apparel Index, by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, a standardisation attempt with a holistic approach and a cross-sectorial aim (which hopes for the index to be adoped by e.g. interiors or technology companies) to adopt one same standard.

Those tools have the potential to support and drive fashion professionals’ decisions from the design stage throughout the whole production cycle: they will have a resource at hand through which they can measure their efforts, and try to compromise the least possible (or necessary) on design and materials.

It is important to state though, that the consumer was undoubtedly the protagonist of the Summit, notably because there is still an important educational opportunity – in the sense of ‘empowerment’ – and not much has been done about it so far. This is partly explained by the complexity of communicating sustainability issues especially if the final goal is to change consumers’ behaviour; partly it is due to the fact that some players, notably fast fashion retailers, are in a very difficult position: How can you really combine more responsible buying and consumption patterns with a business model that is meant produce discardable garments at a very fast rate?

(c) theperfumegarden.org

Interviewee: Marcina Barcenilla, founder and creative perfumer, The Perfume Garden (Facebook), Twitter: @ParfumNatural.

Shirahime: Marina, what is the essence of ‘Natural Perfumery’?

(c) Marina Barcenilla, Creative Perfumer, The Perfume Garden

Shirahime: A critical aspect of perfumery, whether synthetic or natural, is the sourcing of materials to make sure they are of prime quality but also sustainably produced. How do you manage to do that?

The Perfume Garden: The idea behind The Perfume Garden was to create a small business that is personal, sustainable, and that helps to spread the use of natural ingredients while supporting communities and fair trade.
This is difficult because as a small business it is virtually impossible to visit all the different places around the world where the ingredients are produced. In the case of The Perfume Garden, ingredients are produced in countries like Vietnam, Mauritius, India, China, Egypt, Madagascar, France, Bulgaria, USA, Brazil and many other places.
Almost everything I use comes from three suppliers, one in the US and two in the UK. I have built a very good relationship in particular with one of the UK suppliers and I know I can ask anything and I will get a truthful honest answer. Of course, whenever possible we use ingredients produced in the UK and Europe, but the reality is that only a limited number of oils are produced here as we do not have the climate to grow exotic plants.
A lot of the time it is difficult to find out details about the exact conditions of growing and harvesting, and because I cannot visit these places myself I have to rely on my suppliers and trust them in their honesty. In the process of sourcing ingredients for over 16 years now, I have come to the unfortunate conclusion that not all suppliers are as honest and open as I want them to be. A very common problem is for instance that adulterated and synthetic ingredients are advertised as natural. It can be very difficult to differentiate these products from the genuine ones, but with experience and a lot of networking with other perfumers it is possible to find quality suppliers who are able and willing to provide a chemical analysis and proof of the ingredients they sell, and who are transparent and willing to share information.

Shirahime: Do you use any organic ingredients at all?

The Perfume Garden: Yes, although not as many as I would like to, this is not possible for various reasons. For starters, the process of organic certification can be quite costly, and small communities in developing countries cannot afford it. Luckily, aromatic ingredients are often grown without the use of unnecessary pesticides as this affects the aromatic profile of the oil/extract.
And then: due to their very high costs – which evidently impact the buy-in of the raw ingredient and, more importantly, the price of the perfume for the customer – there are practical limitations unfortunately. As a consequence, I introduce them whenever there is an opportunity that is financially and commercially viable. In fact, I’m currently in the process of replacing another group ingredients through their organic equivalent, as these have become more easily and reliably available.
I do use as many organic ingredients as possible, and where possible always give priority to ingredients which are produced in sustainable communities who have a strong ethical background such as good working conditions, fair wages and also respect for their environment. In this way we try to ensure that there is no over-harvesting happening – which could result in plant species becoming endangered. This was for instance the case with Rosewood and East Indian Sandalwood, and I therefore do not use these oils because of their endangered status.
There is a growing concern with regards to sustainability and the ethics of many plantations around the world. More and more ‘ethical’ plantations are set up to ensure proper management of people as well as the environment. And luckily an increasing number of suppliers are buying from such projects, which makes them also financially sustainable.

Picture: (c) theperfumegarden.org

The Perfume Garden: My personal favourite is a creation of my own, called ‘Jewel’. It is my favourite because I created it for myself! I wanted something sweet, floral and luxurious … to me Jewel is simply exquisite and I cannot get enough of it!
Without giving away its secret I can tell you that it has a warm and sweet base of organic vanilla, organic patchouli and sandalwood, and a beautiful floral heart of precious Egyptian orange flower, Moroccan and Bulgarian rose and Vietnamese jasmine. Other ingredients include organic orange and bergamot, myrrh, clary sage and galbanum.

Shirahime: The Perfume Garden offers a Bespoke Fragrance as well as a Wedding Service. Can you tell us more about what that means?

The Perfume Garden: The idea is to offer a unique experience to someone special – yourself, or a friend – by creating an exclusive perfume that nobody else will have.
Customers who use these services first complete a questionnaire that gives us an idea of the things they like and dislike in terms of food, plants, flowers, perfumes and scents in general, whether they are carnations, gasoline, grass or tobacco.
We then arrange a personal consultation during which they have the opportunity to sample scents and accords that can be used to create their perfume; we explore their reactions to different smells, the memories they trigger, the images they evoke, and we try a few combinations that will shape their signature perfume. After the consultation I create three blends for the customer to use for a few days until they decide which one is their favourite and if necessary, some further tweaking of the blend can be done before the final blend is created.
Then I blend a batch of perfume for them.
The formula is exclusive. It has the customer’s name on it and will not be used for any other customer or for a commercial blend, and further quantities can be blended as required.
The Perfume Garden also offers wedding packages. The process is similar to the one I just described. A wedding perfume can be created for the day, for the bride and the groom, as a gift for the bridesmaids or as wedding favours, and small fun perfume parties can be arranged for hen nights.

(c) http://theperfumegarden.org

The Perfume Garden: In fact I do. I run one day workshops at different times throughout the year.
They are quite intensive – after all the goal is for participants to acquire enough knowledge to create their own basic perfumes with their new insights. This said, the environment is relaxed and friendly, and there is no pressure of any kind. During the workshop everyone creates and blends their own perfume to take home at the end of the day, and the participants usually have a lot of fun experimenting with the ingredients.
Currently I have two workshops in Glastonbury, on Saturdays 2nd June and 11th August – details are available on on our blog.
I also offer similar workshops in other parts of the country including London and Oxford.

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Marina Barcenilla is the founder and creative perfumer of The Perfume Garden, a natural and ethical perfumery specialist workshop based in Glastonbury. Website: http://theperfumegarden.org; Facebook page, and Twitter: @ParfumNatural.

Picture: (c) theperfumegarden.org

In 2005, Greenpeace published an analysis of 36 mainstream perfume scents. And the results were – how could it be otherwise? – sobering: They showed that phthalates and synthetic musks were present in virtually every perfume brand that was tested. Phatalates are, in essence, plasticising chemicals, while synthetic musk is bio-accumulative, can trigger hormone disruptions and some research even suggests that certain varieties are carcinogenic.
At the same time, and from difference research, a list of the 20 most common chemicals found in scented products revealed there may a be lot of other ‘interesting’ stuff knocking about, such as acetone, or benzyl acetate.

According to the Fragrance Foundation, around two thirds of a modern fragrance are synthetical derivatives, while the remaining fraction may be naturally sourced. Some ‘prestige fine fragrance’ brands may contain up to 50%, or more, of natural ingredients. And as far as the famous branded fragrances are concerned, the more natural ingredients the higher the price point – in an industry that already now sometimes adds a 1000% mark-up to its cheap products just to fit with the consumer’s price expectations and the brand’s ‘luxury’ image.

Of course, nothing ever is quite as straight forward, and it goes without saying that also the ‘natural’ versus ‘synthetic’ debate is dipped in a wide range of grey shades rather than just mere black and white. First of all, natural and synthetics are used for their different odour characteristics in perfumery as Arnaud Winter, perfumer for Cosmo International Fragrances, explains: “There are just certain notes you can't extract from nature, like fruit scents, but synthetic formulations give you the options to create scents that nature can't give you, like lily of the valley, for example.” Further, the natural perfumer’s palette is limited to a range of between 400-500 ingredients compared with at least 5’000 aroma chemicals used in synthetic perfumes. But then again the latter contain generally aromas manufactured from coal tar or other petro-chemical derivatives …
And then there is the fact of ecological limitations on how much can be used or produced at all because the production of the essence’s oil requires insane amounts of natural resources.

These difference are but the a tiny fraction of a much more complicated picture, as the Ecologist explained not too long ago:

“[...] there are three different types of synthetic and with two of them, the line between man-made and natural is very blurry indeed. Natural isolates (geraniol, coumarin and so on) are molecules extracted from leaves, bark and fruit. Then there's semi-synthetics which are modified natural isolates, and finally, you have true synthetics (persol) which are made from scratch in a laboratory. Natural isolates and semi synthetics are often better than the natural alternatives, particularly when used in place of an endangered species. Take sandalwood for example. A fine-grained yellow wood, over-harvesting of the slow growing Mysore variety (Santalum album) in India has had frightening repercussions for biodiversity. Alternatives include Santalum spicatum – a sustainably farmed Australian variety, which produces decent oil but of slightly poorer quality than Indian – and of course synthetic substitutes.
Other instances where synthetics are a better choice than the real thing include civet, musk and rosewood. Musk is a case in point, with hunting of musk deer for their scent glands leading to a major population decline. Although the trade in real musk has been banned under CITES [Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna] legislation, some of the synthetic alternatives – musk ketone for example – is thought by some to pose a risk to health and doesn’t biodegrade. Just when you think things are totally clear cut, and the obvious choice is to avoid musk altogether, comes the revelation that much of the musk used in perfumery is musk tonquin – an innocuous extract from the tonka bean, which like many ‘synthetics’ is actually derived from a natural source. Tonquin musk, like linalool (Malabar leaf) and benzoin (styrax resin), is technically as natural as the plant it came from.”

And finally there is the issue of allergies and similar immediate health effects.
Research by the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has found that “Roughly one in five adults in northern Europe are believed to suffer from contact allergy to one or more chemicals. The most common is nickel allergy, but many people also suffer from contact allergy to perfumes – even perfume substances that at first glance appear to be harmless can cause allergic reactions. New eczema-provoking allergens are formed by reaction with acid in the ambient air (known as autoxidation) or with skin enzymes.” And there is no difference in this respect between natural and synthetic perfumes or cosmetics.

In short – whether synthetic or natural perfumes, much of the discussion should be about quality of ingredients and their impact on the human body as an organism. Going (too) cheap on either side of the spectrum will invariably have negative side-effects of one kind of another: allergies, bio-accumulation of a toxic material, or simple, but nonetheless unbearable, head-aches.

The principle difference between ‘ethical’ perfumers and the rest of the lot likely may be down to a very simple thing, commonly overseen: product labelling.
By listing the ingredients that have gone into the product, they allow
- the sensitive consumer to assess whether or not the may be allergic to it,
- the interested and educated consumers to evaluate the type of ingredient and whether or not the want to vote with their £/$/€ for or against it
- the public at large to make sure that whatever goes into it is not of some dodgy provenance or containing substances that are otherwise declared unsafe or illegal.
And further: By using product labels, the producers become legally liable to public misinformation if the listed ingredients do not correlate with those actually found in the product. A fact that can be fairly easily checked given the right analysis equipment and chemistry skills, and hence a reasonably good way to make producers more ‘aware’ of what they put into their goods.
—
This is the first of a 2-part article series, and revolves around different aspects of sustainability in perfumery. The second article will be an interview with a natural perfume micro-enterprise – The Perfume Garden -, and ask questions about the company’s commitments, ethics and transparency.

By: Nerida Lennon, Twitter: @NeridaLennon. Model, sustainable fashion researcher & journalist, Melbourne, Australia.

When I was younger and solving complex maths equations my mathematician father would lovingly say to me: “Remember to Keep It Simple, Stupid – use the KISS principle.” According to Wikipedia, “the KISS principle states that simplicity should be a key goal in design, and that unnecessary complexity should be avoided.” I read an article that attempts to unwrap and understand the term ‘sustainable fashion’, which prompted me to wonder: can the KISS principle also be applied to the term ‘sustainable fashion’?

In his article aptly titled ‘Honestly, what the heck is sustainable fashion?‘, Daniel Dykes gives an honest and engaging appraisal of his understanding of the term ‘sustainable fashion’, describing it as “grandiose, all encompassing, unclear. It’s the choose your own adventure of fashion terminology.” Dykes is definitely onto something. Just a few nights ago I was discussing how in my youth I loved the ‘choose your own adventure’ books, but I found it particularly challenging to choose only one of the mysterious options on offer. I like to think I’m informed when it comes to the principles of sustainable fashion, but I am simultaneously perplexed by the plethora of sustainable fashion approaches and how to effectively map this complex systemic issue.

Like Tullia Jack, lecturer in sustainable fashion at RMIT University, I broadly define sustainable fashion as ‘meeting our own fashion needs without affecting the future generations’ ability to meet their own‘. However, I often feel strained to further refine that definition into concrete, tangible concepts which do not conflict with each other. Perhaps that is why my vision is for a fashion industry that is environmentally, socially and financially sustainable. I blame my indecisiveness on my overwhelming concern for the multitude of negative environmental and social impacts the fashion industry is responsible for, as I attempt to match them with effective sustainable solutions. While some environmental standards for the industry are being developed, both nationally and internationally, we are currently almost free to do what Dykes explains as framing the ideas of sustainable fashion around what it means to us and which of our values shout the loudest. This is something I realised early on in my journey to understand sustainable fashion and I do actually favor some issues that I deem most pertinent, but it is still incredibly hard to prioritise. Is this paradox of choice the biggest challenge that the sustainable fashion movement is facing?

The fashion industry is a complex system that needs re-imagining, but I am not sure I actually, agree as Dykes’ suggests, that “sustainable fashion is a broken term. A term that encompasses all too much.” I see ‘sustainable fashion’ as a broad umbrella term to describe the ultimate vision for a better fashion industry, not a tangible forumla to solve this wicked challenge. However, the term is often used very loosely and lazily, rather than taking the time to choose more practical and specific sustainable fashion descriptors. Dykes’ comment left me wondering whether the actual term ‘sustainable fashion’ needs to be simplified or whether it is sufficient as an umbrella term which encompasses the smaller problems and opportunities that make up this complex issue. From my studies in psychology I understand that on a very basic level us humans find comfort in compartmentalising issues so we can understand them better (see the Gestalt principle). But how beneficial is it to break down the term ‘sustainable fashion’ into simpler parts?

The sustainable fashion movement is struggling to agree on and articulate a clear and actionable approach to addressing the unsustainable nature of the fashion industry, and it is probably the largest issue we currently grapple with. In her article What is sustainable about fashion? Sheena Matheiken from the Uniform Project explains how designers and consumers justify sustainability into diverse categories such as using ‘heirloom sustainability’ to explain the sustainability benefits of high-end luxury fashion. Focus is our closest alley on this journey and Allan Barger’s comment to Dykes’ article rings truth: “if a slogan can’t be easily defined or explained (like ‘reuse, reduce, recycle’) it will never coalesce into a movement.” While I am thankful to Dykes for providing me with the opportunity to reflect, refine and re-focus on the specific issues I want to address through my work in supporting the fashion industry to become more sustainable, I’m not sure that “each of the issues [sustainable fashion] currently represents need to be separated, and we need to tackle each one at a time” or whether it is entirely possible or even beneficial to do so. Devising a simple and useful lexicon which we can confidently use will support our plight of spreading the word and building a positive movement in the wider community. However, it is also important to remember these issues are not usually linear, where the impacts and effects of the fashion industry are not in isolation but instead part of a fragmented, complex and linked system. Unfortunately it is not simply a cause and effect scenario, but a series of issues that are inter-related.

Animal rights is a current and fitting example. The PETA protesters that hijacked the catwalk during Melbourne Spring Fashion Week sparked my interest and I found myself in an online discussion with one of the PETA advocates involved. When I asked her about the claims that they were wearing leather boots, she replied: “Nerida – all the girls are vegan who were there last night and we all had pleather shoes on. Vegan style do great shoes and most of us shop at Kmart and Target!! Haha!! No leather last night baby!!” While I certainly admire her dedication and passion for animal rights, I was concerned that she opted for this cheap, fast fashion alternative. It seems her lack of understanding meant her views were insular and limited her ability to see the bigger, more connected and systemic picture. I must add that she was very friendly and open to learning about alternative places to find more sustainable clothing options. This is not the first time that this issue has left me wondering if we can actually address all issues involved in the fashion industry without them conflicting. I believe healthy debate is important to test our beliefs and assumptions, which is what this blog post by Hayley Hughes does through illuminating some further points on the PETA approach.

Another example is, organic cotton clothing. Switching from traditional cotton growing to organic methods eliminates toxic pesticides to preserve the environment, but it coincidentally improves the quality of life for the farmer. Through removing their exposure to the harmful pesticides, organic farming saves farmers money through not having to purchase toxic pesticides and therefore alleviating their poverty. Yes, this issue could be broken down and labelled as ‘environmental’ and ‘social’ but they are still intrinsically linked. Then there are other sustainable fashion issues that cannot be so clearly defined and sometimes we are forced to choose one over the other.

Of course, we are all still learning to navigate this territory and there is not one approach that will transition the fashion industry to become more sustainable. Like the renewable energy sector, I believe diversity of approach is key. This is a discussion that is taking place around the world, for which there is no simple answer. When I asked Tullia Jack to give her thoughts about this post, I was delighted by her response: “[sustainable fashion] does mean so many different things to so many different people, and yes, it has been hijacked by green washers here and there, but saying those two words communicates basically “good clothes". Maybe we don’t need to agree on what it means, but all keep working to our own agendas for good clothes. The multiplicity of interpretations builds up a holistic and beautifully complex picture of sustainable fashion. The world is a beautifully complex place.” Amen to that.

Joseph Walters of Spitalfields by Thomas Gainsborough

By: The Gentle Author, @thegentleauthor, author and researcher of Spitalfield Life, a website dedicated to the area of the same name in London’s East End.

When Julius Walters of Stephen Walters & Sons says, “I am just a weaver”, it is an unselfconscious masterpiece of understatement, because he is a ninth generation weaver – the custodian of the venerable family business founded by his ancestor Joseph Walters in Spitalfields in 1720 and moved to Suffolk by his great-great-great-great-grandfather Stephen Walters in the nineteenth century, where today they continue to weave exemplary silk for the most discerning clients internationally, building upon the expertise and knowledge that has been accumulated over all this time. This is the company that wove the silk for the Queen’s coronation robes and for Princess Diana’s wedding dress.

Michael Hill of Drakes Ties in Clerkenwell, takes the train from Liverpool St several times a year to visit the mill and place his orders for silks that are woven there exclusively for Drakes each season, so I leapt at the opportunity to travel up with him and see for myself what has become of one of Spitalfields’ eighteenth century silk weavers.

Thomas Gainsborough’s portrait of Joseph Walters was there to greet us when we arrived at the long finely-proportioned brick silk mill overlooking the green water meadows at the edge of Sudbury, where his ninth generation descendant Julius came down the stairs to shake my hand. Blushing to deny any awareness of the family resemblance, that his proud secretary was at pains to emphasise, he chose instead to point out to me the willows that had been felled recently – as a couple are each year – for the manufacture of cricket bats.

We convened around a long wooden counter in a first floor room where the luxuriously coloured strike offs – as the samples are called – were laid out for Michael Hill to see, glowing in the soft East Anglian light. Already decisions for Drakes Spring/Summer 2012 collection had been made, the choice of fibre, its weave and pattern, and now Michael was here to make his final choice from the different options upon the table. There is such exquisite intricacy in these cloths that have tiny delicate patterns woven into their very construction, drawing the daylight and delighting the eye with their sensuous tones. Yet lifting my gaze, I could not resist my attention straying to the pigeon holes that lined the room, each one stacked with patterned silks of every hue and design. A curious silence resided here, yet somewhere close by there was a centre of loud industry.

“I’m more like an editor and a colourist than a designer,” suggested Michael by means of explanation, while excitedly caressing the silks between his fingers as he deliberated over the samples. “It comes from everything,” he replied with a bemused smile, when I asked him how he informed his choices, “It comes from when I used to drive around with my father who was a tie maker, memories of what his generation were wearing, and generally only from other designers in terms of doing something different. ”

“Everything we do comes from somewhere…” interposed Julius Walters enigmatically, as he swung open a door and that unmistakeably appealing smell of old leather bindings met my nostrils. There were hundreds of volumes of silk samples from the last two centuries stacked up in there, comprising thousands upon thousands of unique jewel-like swatches still fresh and bright as the day they were made. Some of these books, often painstakingly annotated with technical details in italic script, comprised the life’s work of a weaver and all now bear panoramic witness to the true colours of our predecessors’ clothing. A vast memory bank woven in cloth, all available to be reworked for the present day and brought back to new life.

Stephen Walters & Sons Ltd, Spitalfield. Left: Contemporary Jacquard looms. Right: Dobby Weaving in 1900.

Stephen Walters & Sons Ltd, Spitalfield. Left: Vikki Meuser, Warping in the early 21st century. Right: Warping in the early 20th century.

Stephen Walters & Sons Ltd, Spitalfield. Left: Gerald Prentice at his loom. Middle: Weaving umbrella silk in the 1950s. Right: Mally Felton at her loom.

Stephen Walters & Sons Ltd, Spitalfield. Left: Aaron Offord, Machine Operator. Right: Naomi Wright at her loom.

All my school holidays and spare time were spent at the mill – but then I went away, and came back again.” confided Julius quietly as we made our farewells, “With eight generations behind you, it changes the way you approach your life. It’s not about this year, it’s about managing the company from one generation to the next, so you deal with your employees and your customers differently.”

Now you know what it means when Julius Walters says, “I am just a weaver.”
—

Stephen Walters & Sons Ltd, Spitalfield. From left to right (click to enlarge): Staff photograph 1949, Bernard Walters (grandfather of Julius Walters) sits second from right in front row, with his sister Winnie on his left and Mill Manager Bill Parsons on his right; Weaving the silk for the coronation robes of Elizabeth II, 1952; Preparing skeins of silk for weaving the coronation robes, 1952; Employees in 1966.

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By: Bryony Moore, @Bagsful, Researcher and Writer for the Ethical Consumer

Now this isn’t a question I’d have thought to ask, since movements generally result from the convergence of numerous individuals’ ideas, rather than being attributable to a single “inventor”.

However, whilst browsing the Katharine Hamnett website recently, I spotted the rather outlandish claim that KH herself had “invented environmental and ethical fashion.”1 Having grown up with ethical fashion, and not consciously been witness to it’s uprising, I couldn’t personally say whether this was true or not, but I have to say I felt compelled to investigate.

Plus, it’s a looking-back-and-taking-stock time of year, so as we approach the turn of a new decade, why not indulge a little reflection on the roots of the ethical fashion movement, and see how far we’ve come…

KH

Katharine Hamnett made her name and fortune creating garments printed with bold, political statements. She wasn’t afraid to cause a scene, (“58% DON’T WANT PERSHING” – 1984) and still isn’t, (“NO WAR, BLAIR OUT” – 2003).
Over to Katharine to explain, in her own words, what drove her into the arms of ethical fashion:
“By 1989 I was bored with success. Something was missing.
I discovered the fashion industry was responsible for a living environmental nightmare. Millions of people in the garment sector were working in conditions of slavery. I was horrified and felt a moral imperative to do something.”

“From 1989 to 2003 I tried to change the industry from within. Forget it. From 2003 to 2007 I realised consumers care even if industries and politicians don’t. Industries must sell but consumers don’t have to buy. I decided to raise consumer awareness of issues in the clothing industry.
Returning from a visit to Mali with Oxfam in 2003, having seen firsthand the devastating human suffering amongst conventional cotton farmers, she decided that “the solution was organic cotton,” and decided to drive demand for this ‘white gold.’

So does the planet owe KH a huge thank you for the ethical fashion scene today, or is there more to this movement than a one-woman band?

Green Roots

The environmental movement kicked off after the publication of Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring in 1962, and we saw the first images of the Earth from space in 1968.

In 1972, the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was held in Stockholm, and for the first time united the representatives of multiple governments in discussion relating to the state of the global environment. This conference led directly to the creation of government environmental agencies and the UN Environment Program. The United States also passed new legislation which formed the foundations for current environmental standards.

According to Lucy Siegle’s 2008 article on BBC Threads, eco fashion began is a direct descendant of this eco-movement of the 1970’s, with an increasing awareness of the chemicals present in textiles. People’s main concerns were the health implications of these substances, and eco-labels such as Germany’s Blue Angel sprang up.

Workers First

However, the struggle for a more ethical textile industry began with people, who were battling it out for labour rights long before they turned their attention to the environment.

The concept of ‘sweatshops’ emerged in London & New York in the late 1800’s. Numerous strikes by women over pay and right to form trade unions resulted in the founding of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union in 1910. By bargaining collectively, workers had more power to negotiate better working conditions and pay.
Unfortunately, having shunted production overseas, this battle for representation is still being fought in the garment factories around the world.

In 1919 the International Labour Organization was formed, under the League of Nations and then the United Nations, which sought to address the plight of workers the world over. ILO guidelines for minimum standards of workers’ rights form the backbone of conscientious companies’ policies today.

Recent Movements

The mid 1990’s was perhaps the decade when the biggest sea change in awareness of garment workers’ plight occurred and is where my own memory of these issues starts.

During this time, numerous sweatshop scandals were publicised by the mainstream media, sparking outrage amongst the public and forcing companies to tackle the problems endemic in their supply chains.

Companies affected included Nike, and Kathie Lee Gifford’s Wal-Mart label was exposed for its use of child labour in a Central American factory in 1996 and 1997.

The Clean Clothes Campaign began in 1989. The CCC is now an alliance of organisations in 15 European countries which educates and mobilises consumers, lobbies companies and governments, and offers direct solidarity support to workers as they fight for better working conditions.

So who were the first ethical fashion companies?

• Bishopston Trading Company is a fair trade company that has been providing employment for the people of South Indian village K.V.Kuppam since 1985.
• Ethical brand Komodo was established in 1988.
• In 1989, Katharine Hamnett’s Clean up or Die collection highlighted the previously unheard of side effect of conventional cotton agriculture, deaths and pesticide poisoning. Another project in which Hamnett became involved is the Green Cotton 2000 campaign, launched in conjunction with the Pesticides Trust in 1990, which aimed to reduce the harmful waste and discharged effluent produced by the textile industry.
• 1990 Lynda Grose co-founded the Esprit Ecollection, the first complete ecological clothing line distributed internationally by a major corporation.
• In 1991 Levi’s became first brand to implement a code of conduct, due to the discovery of sweatshop conditions when it moved its manufacturing outside of the US in the 80’s.
• Conscious Earthwear founded in the early 1990’s by Sarah Ratty, the designer who now brings us Ciel.
• Giorgio Armani’s first eco project, the development of a process to recycle denim began in 1995.
• 1997 – People Tree Japan launched and was launched in the UK in 2001.
• 1998 – Abi & Thomas Petit say they pioneered the introduction of ethical textiles into the UK, with Gossypium.
• Organic standards for textiles launched in February 2003 by the Soil Association
• Fairtrade label for cotton introduced into the UK market in 2005.
• 2006, the first ever Estethica is held – the ethical section of London Fashion Week.

Key considerations for sustainability in fashion (developed collaboratively by MADE-BY and Estethica).

Where are we now?

While to say that KH “invented” ethical fashion would be to denounce the efforts of those small brands like Gossypium that worked equally as hard at the beginning to set up the infrastructure that the ethical fashion sector could later learn from and develop. And the big brands like Giorgio Armani and Esprit who were willing to take a risk on ethical fashion at its very beginnings. We have to credit her with showing rare dedication to creating an ethical fashion industry that is, even today, rare among designers who’ve made it big in the mainstream fashion world.

Back in 1989 when KH decided her success “was no longer enough,” her typical customer would’ve been unaware of the issues surrounding the fashion industry, as indeed were most people.

However, a Vogue article (and you don’t get much more mainstream fashion that Vogue…) on fashion in the noughties, listed the acceptance of ethical fashion as one of the things this century would be known and remembered for.

This has to be partly due to the foundations laid by KH.

There can be no doubt that her slogan tees inspired a new generation of consumers AND designers to think about where their clothes came from. She also made it cool to wear your ethics on your sleeve, which she still does to this day, for a whole new generation of fashion-lovers.

Vogue says the noughties is the decade in which ethical fashion hit the mainstream. So, as we stand on the brink of the next decade, what’s next for ethical fashion?

Mark Swire, co-founder of Frank&Faith, says on the company’s blog that “challenges of scale and breaking into the mainstream against high street multiples and supermarkets will continue to be the major challenge.”
It’s no secret that many ethical fashion brands are struggling. As Swire points out that in 2006 People Tree had yet to turn a profit, making a loss of £366,000, (I can’t seem to find any updates on that figure online), and Ascension (formerly Adili) was sold for just £1 in March 2010 after failing to fulfil its ambitions. High-end e-tailers Devidoll currently have a message on their website saying they’re “on sabbatical.”

Clearly, it’s tough for ethical brands to achieve commercial success, since they’re working against economies of scale of bigger companies. Added to that competition from the increasing ranges of Fairtrade and organic garments on sale in supermarkets, plus the current economic climate and it just gets tougher. But with continued awareness-raising from campaigners, and companies like People Tree selling garments at prices comparable to the high street, hopefully over the next century we’ll see more and more people switching to ethical clothing as a viable and affordable alternative.

This encouraging study published by Made-By illustrates that consumers are placing ever greater importance on ethical issues surrounding the consumption of fashion products. Good working conditions and fair prices were the two main ethical concerns. Encouragingly, the study also reveals that 75% of consumers recognise the social and environmental benefits of sustainable fashion as important and that 30% of shoppers in the UK currently seek to purchase sustainable products from companies that operate in a social as well as an environmentally-friendly way. It did add that consumers do object to the higher prices that can come with sustainable production and ethical supply chain practices. But still, that’s 75% of consumers that are open to the idea. Now all that remains to be done is to demonstrate to them the real human and environmental value of ethical fashion…

Source: Adapted from Asheville Grown Business Alliance)

There is this funny paradox in fashion – sustainable as well as otherwise.
On the hand, hardly any consumer is willing to pay the price for ‘Made in (your country)’. Yet every single consumer on the high street is convinced that local (national) is better. As long as it is equally cheap as all the stuff that comes from 6000 miles away, of course.
Plying through a few thoughts gives the following picture: No production locally, no salaries paid locally, no money to spend (locally or otherwise), lots of imported goods lining the shelves … many unsold, lots of garbage.
To some extent, indeed producing locally may seem as the ultimate panacea for solving our (local) economic woes.

If there were not the fact that:
a) the local industry on their behalf assumes exports in order to sustain growth and continue to be able to pay (local) salaries.
b) in many industries there is no such thing as ‘local production’ any more (or little to speak of) simply because we’re missing the necessary expertise and craftsmanship. The fashion and textile industry all across Europe – with a few exceptions of rarity value – is a point in case, and international fashion houses have even gone to considerable lengths in order to maintain what is left – buying, for instance, the few remaining European high-end workshops, just to make sure that their Haut Couture works of art can continue to be produced (Example: Chanel is for this precise reason the owner and patron of ‘House of Lesage’ a couture lace maker; Massaro, a traditional shoe maker; Lemarié, a designer of flowers and feathers; Michel, a milliner; Desrues, a button- and costume jewellery maker; and Goosens, a gold- and silversmith)

But let’s look at the skill vs. price paradox a little bit in more detail.
For starters: In London – and the same certainly applies to at least France, Germany, Spain and Italy if not across the whole of Europe – well trained and highly skilled dress makers are paid London Living Wage (LLW) if they’re lucky, but more likely only National Minimum Wage (NMW). For any one questioning this statement, I’m happy to provide to contacts for this claim to be verified.
This said though, even if we consider NMW only, the calculations give a sad picture of the state of craftsmanship, or rather, for its future in Europe. A simple example in this context: a hand-dyed, hand-woven scarf takes at least 3 full days to make. In terms of NMW working time this is equivalent to £145 (3 days à 8 hours), plus material. If a craftsperson hence sells such a product at around £200 it is, actually, too cheap for them to survive on.

To put it more bluntly: The European main stream consumer is by no means ready – or willing – to pay a craftsperson what her or his work is really worth. ‘Buy British’ (or European) looks more like a complete illusion in this context than indeed a reality with future.
Unless, that is, we revise our valuation of quality, individuality, and skill that goes into the ‘making of stuff’.

And then there is the lack of a reliable skill base. Need proof: How many dress makers do you know within a 10 mile (16km) radius who you’d be confidently trusting to alter your custom-made wedding dress (morning coat) so it can be worn by your daughter (son) for her (his) own wedding?
My sweeping guess is that the answer would be a plain ’0′. Such names are valued trading commodities among stylists after all.

But the issue goes of course far beyond dress making (or mending) skills. The wool industry in Bradford has hard times getting their hands on, or bringing up, wool engineers who specialise in any one area, be it classification of wool or the set up of spinning units. Weaving mills that produce quality cloth are going out of business by the day, partially for the lack of business, but partially also because there is no one to take them over. Sewing units, shoe factories, are in a similar situation as the mills… and the list could go on and on and on.

But just as we assume that skill and cost is the primary problem, the next hurdle turns up: Infrastructure. Most units across Europe (with a few exceptions in the South), including the UK, are low volume units. In many cases, an order of a few 10’000 units of a shoe, a bag, of a jacket, would be beyond their production capacity – solutions necessarily, whether by choice or not, will be sought abroad.
Example: Dr. Martens produces a estimated total of 3.8Mio pairs annually, of which a mere 2% (~70’000 pairs / year) are actually produced in the UK (called the ‘Made in England’ collection) in their Wollaston factory.
And a key factor in this: the lack of sufficiently skilled craftsman in the UK.

Indeed a bit of a vicious circle, and there is much more that needs to be discussed of ‘Made Locally’ is indeed to become one of the puzzle stones for future sustainable production and consumption.

By: Jacqueline Shaw, @JacquelineMShaw, Founder Africa Fashion Guide (AFG), and Donalea Scott

In December 2011, I visited the Gambia for the first time along with AFG Guest Contributor Donalea Scott of GetAPerspective blog. And I was highly open minded, very expectant and excited too. I profess to be having a growing love affair with Africa that I don’t wish to end right now as I am having fun finding out about the jewels and the hidden secrets this beautiful continent has to offer.

From the moment I stepped off the plane to seeing the red soil, the green nature, the welcoming smiles, I knew I was in Africa – the true Motherland. The smiling coast lived up to its name for sure and the sunshine … What can I say!

My focus was to engage with those who were involved in the textile industry however big or small as well as to learn more about the heritage and the culture and the history of the country.

The Gambia is the smallest country on the African continent, though it surely does not lack any slender or rich history. A former British colony, Gambia played an important role in the slave trade; the River Gambia was used as a hub for the exporting of African slaves, first controlled by the Portuguese from 1456, then by the British from 1661. Gambia won its independence from the British in 1965 and has since been political relatively stable.

The country is filled with happy and friendly locals, with my coach transfer to and from the airport greeted with kind waves from the local people. Tourism is said to be Gambia’s biggest industry, though I don’t think this alone is the reason for their friendliness, we found the Gambia people to exhibit much pride in their country, culture and a contentment for their lifestyle.

Gambia is a Muslim country with the population said to be 70% Muslim and only 30% Christian. Though unlike stories I’ve heard of Arab countries such as Dubai, said to be somewhat intolerant to the behaviours of western tourists, Gambia is welcoming and very accommodating.

Staying in the Senegambia region, a popular tourist destination due to its nightlife, bars and restaurants, I was impressed to find out that these facilities were also used by the locals, particular the clubs. Though interestingly, since much of the youngsters are Muslim, not drinking and smoking doesn’t affect their ability to have fun. Music is very important to Gambian youths: they appreciate their traditional music as well as having an interest in international offerings. Then again to my surprise, it’s not pop or hip-hop that they are crazy for, but the conscious sounds of old school Jamaican reggae. And I mean ‘old skool’, the type of records I remember my parents playing in my childhood. It was amazing to see music make such a positive impact, to know that the message laden music of reggae can transgress culture, language and religion.

We found out the hard way that one week wasn’t enough time to visit the country, though I managed to cram a lot into my short stay. We visited the capital Banjul, Serekunda Gambia’s largest city, Bakau and its crocodile park, Dippa Kunda the batiking district, Tanje a fishing district and home of one of the many museums we visited, and of course Jaffureh, a small town whose history is tied with the slave trade.

The museums sadly were not well funded yet they contained some of the most interesting and amazing artefacts that we have ever seen. In all Donalea’s years of researching into slavery she was presented for the first time face to face with whips, branding irons, shackles and neck chains that were used during the slave trade, and was told facts about slavery that books would never share (such as local Africans resistance to the taking of its people, a historical inaccuracy!). We also visited James Island, a small island situated in the Gambia River where the British had a holding fort to house slaves awaiting the journey on the middle passage. Overall it was an extremely emotional experience since we are both of Caribbean descent therefore our lineage is inevitability tied to this destructive historical event.

Weaving

Gambia - Weaving ((c) Africa Fashion Guide)

On delving deeper into the source of the materials, he tells us that he used to be able to source the cotton yarn locally from The Gambia, but as his seller is no longer able to obtain it himself, it complicates matters substantially when trying to source it The Gambia at present. The main source has been Senegal for the cotton which is from a Senegalese cotton farm and is also processed in a factory in Senegal.

Gambia – Bogolan Mud Cloth ((c) Africa Fashion Guide)

I enquire more about local textiles as a tradition, asking who is doing it now and the weaver tells us: "it would be better to have a factory ... there used to be lots of people doing it but it is very hard work. You sit all day long doing it and once its done for an order, people don’t always buy it. So more people stopped doing it." He says that "sometimes yes it is boring" but he is used to it now.

Weaving is not only a great art form but a labour intensive craft in the aspect that it can take 3 hours of labour to weave a 1.30m piece, which is just enough for a scarf. Though he doesn’t work on a Friday as he is a Muslim and its a religious day, he still puts a lot of hours into this craft. I wonder if it is a growing or a dying craft, and he tells us that while has been weaving since he was a child at school, his sons don’t want to learn and he doesn’t want to force them. The problem is when he dies so does the skills too. “If there was more business then more people would do it ” he stresses.

Tanje Museum – Gambia ((c) Africa Fashion Guide)

Weaving at the Tanje Museum, Gambia ((c) Africa Fashion Guide)

Embroidery

Gambia – Embroidery ((c) Africa Fashion Guide)

When it comes to customers and getting new business, Alagie and his trainee tailors will wait for them to pass by or call in, and he tells us that he can get sometimes 5 or 10 or more customers a week. When it is Eid or another festival period, it is very busy and they only get around 3 hours sleep a day.

Many customers will pay cash which is important for the business to run and be sustainable. Alagie and other tailors need cash up front in order to buy the materials required for their orders. This may be why it can take two weeks to make something when they say they can do it in 2 days. He tells us also that many people will come to order only the day before they need the garment, meaning all the resources are put to use straight away. Also for the business to run well they tend to primarily focus on their regular customers, as they will pay on time and so they will make more time for them as opposed to the passer-by customers.

The sequin piece shown is an amazing creation – in my eyes – piece of art. Alagie will draw the original design or even make one up, and then a group of women who work for him will repeat the design and sew the garment together. As expected, the beads are sourced from China or India; also, many suppliers will go to Dubai and bring the beads back. Such large embroidered pieces are made for events like Eid or naming ceremonies etc. In my opinion it would give for a great wedding dresses.

Batik

Gambia – Batik ((c) Africa Fashion Guide)

On enquiring, we understand that the batik dyes are from the USA. According to research at the Tanje Museum, originally the dyes were obtained from the soot that accumulates on clay or metal pots used for cooking food. The soot was scraped off, mixed with water and the solution used to dye clothes. From this process the present techniques of dye making developed later on. As a lover of crafts and having visited batik printers previously – I even made my own wax print batik fabric – I, of course, decide to purchase a piece that I feel sums up me and my natural afro – a lovely piece with the afro combs.

Second-hand Clothing

Gambia – Secondhand clothing market ((c) Africa Fashion Guide)

This has definitely raised more discussion and we will continue to report on.

(c) Story of Stuff (http://www.storyofstuff.org)

The ensemble in question

The story of a garment:
Many years ago, as a high school student, I regularly passed a clothing shop in the town I grew up. In its window there was this ensemble of waste coat-with-trousers. Stylish I though it was, quite bold given its Madras pattern but at the same time classic enough not to feel like a couture model on the Paris catwalks. But there was no way I could afford the £100 it cost from the cash left over after I had paid for school books, lunches and train fair from my parental stipend. Luckily, no one bought it, and it went on sale. And even luckier, it went on sale at such a low a price that I could afford it – if only very barely, and by sacrificing every penny I had saved over the past 2 terms.
Today, nearly 20 years on, it is still part of my wardrobe. It remains in good shape despite many dozens of machine washes (even though the label reads ‘dry cleaning only’), and a dozen house moves including a couple of inter-continental ones. And it fits me, and my business life, today as well as it did the high school girl I was in those days.
But maybe the most important part of the story is the following: There was a time where the ensemble fell out of favour with me. I very nearly threw it out about 10 years ago – after all, I had nothing in common any more with the high school girl that had bought it. Yet I didn’t. Because the long-winding story preceding its buy had me attached to it to a degree that would not allow for a cheap and quick disposal. I knew I would regret it.

Reflecting on this story raises of course questions:
Can we use the power of story telling to encourage a different type of fashion consumption?
Are there brands that already use it in a way that capitalises first and foremost on an honest, transparent and fascinating story rather than on ‘ethical’ or ‘sustainable’ claims?
And: Are we invariable talking luxury, or can this be achieved in the high street too?

To begin with, let’s clarify what ‘the high street’ means in this context:
It does not mean the rock-bottom retailer, but rather those retailers with a rather good quality-vs-price product range. In short: the Marks & Spencers and John Lewis of the British high street; or the many small shops and boutiques that offer selection of clothing at a fair, but not outrageously cheap price.

The variables that play a role, beyond the actual story of a garment itself, are therefore: quality and price, both in ‘adequate’ quantities.

Giving it a bit further thought, the above questions can be summarised into a single one:
How good a story, and how high a quality level, does a product (garment) need to have, in order to justify its price to the consumer?
Rather than going about academically in answering this question, let me introduce a three brands – small and not quite so small any more – for whom the story of a garment or piece of accessory is pivotal to its recognition, and let’s have a look at their price and quality level.

The IOU Project
The IOU Project produces unique, handmade apparel based on fabrics handwoven in India and finished in artisan workshops in Italy and Spain. Because each textile is unique, they provide end buyers with the ability to trace the production process from finished goods right back to the weaver that hand-wove the fabric. The stories of how that item was created, of the people involved, of the customers who purchased them, are the essence of their e-commerce social network which The IOU Project has built as a meeting place for a community that shares their brand values of authenticity, transparency, uniqueness and both social and environmental responsibility.
A IOU madras shirt sells at 65€ online, a pair of chinos 89€, Japanese denim jeans cost 159€, and a madras blazer also 159€.
The garments are all of high quality, made and finished in small specialist workshops in Italy and Spain. The price range is competitive and compatible with what is available on the high street.

Shazia Saleem
Shazia Saleem aims to actively promote and raise awareness of hand woven and sustainable textiles so that hand woven clothes become a wardrobe essential as popular as cashmere. The collections use only the finest hand woven textiles, particularly from India and Scotland. The designs are made from Varanasi hand woven brocades, ahimsa (cruelty-free) and wild silks hand woven in Assam, Orissa and hand woven Khadi cottons from Bengal, Kolkata and Jaipur. Every style in the brand’s collection contains at least one hand woven textile to ensure there is sustained employment for weavers.
A hand-woven sleeveless 50% silk brocade / 50% cotton round neck shirt costs £65, a hand-woven silk-cotton skirt £60, a 100% silk dress with silk brocade sleeve costs between £128 and £158, and a leather with silk brocade evening mini-dress £699.
The collections have an impeccable finish, and the designs are all available at a fair price, that easily competes what the high street also charges for mass produced item.

Gracia Women
Gracia Women creates classic elegant garments for ‘real’ women. Inspired by nature the brand uses rare and durable material – Cactus Silks, Scottish Tweeds, organic long-staple cottons – to create collections that excel through their tailored shapes, and unobtrusive details that are a testament to the brands craftsmanship: the tweet jackets all come with a detachable matching belt, the shawl collars feature delicate embroidery and a buttoned leather strip, the buttons’ thread colour is the same as the jacket’s vegan cactus-silk lining0s vivid colours etc.
A tailored organic Fairtrade cotton long-sleeved shirt with hand-carved buttons sells online at £65, the organic denim chinos at £75, and the tweed jackets with cactus silk lining at £295.
All in all, the brand is a real bargain given its design and details, the product quality and the story behind the making of each garment.

It is only fair to conclude that brands with a real story behind them, and in addition deep ethical (sustainable) credentials are competitive with the those retailers in the high street that offer a good product/quality experience.

What is interesting to observe though, is that all of the above brands – as well as many others already available – combine quality craftsmanship with a tell-tale story. Rather than talking, or claiming, ethical behaviour, they reach out to their customers by engaging them in the creation process in one way or another: Be it through offering mass-customised garments, by presenting the customer in addition to the garment with the garment’s history (or: ‘personality), and in all cases by making sure that our buy will remain unique and distinct at least in the details from any other of their designs or what is available in mass retailers.

La face cachée du commerce équitable – Comment le business fait main basse sur une idée généreuse.
[English: The hidden side of fair trade - how businesses get their mitts on a generous idea]
By: Frédéric Karpyta
ISBN: 9782849411209

The ethical fashion world is divided. This is old news. This also applies to the world of fair trade naturellement. Only: I’m talking of geographical and linguistic divisions rather than those of opinions. Even on a European level, the consequence for instance is that English books are hardly ever translated into any of the other languages and vice versa.
In this post hence, I would like to take a first step to remedy this by reviewing a book that to-date is only available in French. Although the book’s focus is the fair trade development in general, by way of association, and accompanied no doubt by numerous ‘Aha’s and ‘Déjà-Vu’, there is plenty of material that might just as well describe how the commercial game is played in the tiny world of ethical fashion.

Talking business ethics in France immediately takes a detour towards fair trade. Ethical fashion is no exception in this context, which is why this book is of such relevance to also understand the French ethical market overall. On the flip side, fair trade (or, Fairtrade – same difference, certainly after reading this book) has on the one hand become a staple in how we decide our grocery buys, on the other it is more than evident that not all is well in the ‘fair trade land’. Finally, other (newer?) labels have come along who often seem like a valid alternative and a good cause in their own right.

‘The hidden side of fair trade’ tracks the fair trade development from its beginnings: From the invention at business level of an idea which would later become Fairtrade (the certification), the sudden interest of supermarkets to jump on the band wagon (and secure their share of the market and the profits), to the proliferation of competing labels and where the compass is currently pointing towards.

The book is critical, very critical. The author merciless points out paradox after paradox, insincerity after insincerity, of the whole development. He tries to cut slack whenever possible, but at the bottom line for him the reality remains that the extra money we’re paying at the till doesn’t really get to the poorest of the poor, the small holders whose life we wanted to improve.

The book is organised into 4 parts, each of which encompasses between 3 and 5 chapters, and focuses on significant development stages in fair trade in France. In passing, the development in countries like the UK, Switzerland, Germany and Holland is repeatedly referenced and a more or less coherent cross-border picture painted:

1. Background. Over the course of 4 chapters, 4 different historically important topics which played an essential role are introduced: fair trade as a social movement; the rise of Max Havelaar (FLO, Fairtrade); the disagreements between FLO-fairtrade partisans and those that stick to the concept of a social movement; and finally, what happens when supermarkets claim their market share and how that impacts (largely negatively) the fair trade concept overall.
   Specifically the last chapter draws up what will possibly be the fair trade movements most difficult – and still ongoing – challenge: What it means for their believes, and the practical implications, when rowing in the same boat as the large chain super-cheap retailers.
2. The dirty laundry of a success. Divided into 5 chapters we’re given pieces of thought that not a single person working within fair trade will freely admit to. Specifically, these are:
   - despite trade marks, actually labels are only rightly called a ‘label’ if the law makes them so (hence, Fairtrade isn’t really a label, where as organic certifications are) and that FLO’s acquisition of the term ‘label’ for their own purposes was the starting signal for the ‘label’ jungle we have do deal with as consumers in the present;
   - there are valid and valuable alternatives to Fairtrade (the certification), which – it turns out – source in many cases (Coffee, Banana, in short: plantation commodities) from the same places as as Fairtrade does (e.g. Rainforest Alliance coffee)
   - supermarket chains suddenly turned the table on Fairtrade brands (such as Café Direct in the UK) and used their buying power to play the old game of reducing prices with the producers (hence, selling cheaper in their stores, which not only pushed traditional brands to the edge but puts the producers back to where they were …)
   - the dissonance between the organic movement and the Fairtrade (yes! in one word) world;
   - and finally, the reasoning behind and problems of developing further FLO certifiable commodities for cases where these goods stem from plantations (cotton, for starters).
3. Menaces. Again 4 chapters long, we are introduced to how fair trade looks like for the majority of producers in developing markets, i.e. the ones that in theory should be the beneficiaries of the system. The first chapter introduces us to the practicalities on the producers’ side that come with multiple labels – and suggests that actually, in the case of the three biggest labels (Rain Forest Alliance, Organic, and Fairtrade), the difference may be nill. Or rather: The difference lies in the bag the commodity is packed before shipping.
   Enter global multi-nationals (Starbucks, Nestlé, Cadbury and family) and suddenly green washing and cost savings are omni-present. Or in other words: the customer on the high street appreciates their effort because now s/he can drink the coffees they would have had anyway, but feel good when doing so (example: Starbucks). Really? Again, think buying power, selective publicity, and ‘spearhead’ products.
   The last two chapters are dedicated to the impact of coffee on us consumers and the fairtrade world overall; and what research suggest where fairtrade is heading (hint: the three scenarios are: terrible, pretty bad, and not good at all).
4. Three themes for reflection. Saddening, the current state of fairtrade, globally and trend-wise speaking, isn’t a joyful affair. The author points out that what is lacking in the sector over all, is an honest, open discourse which has solely the producers’ interest in mind. And: a willingness to find compromises that really work for all, while again putting the producers at the centre.
   Finally, the author urges to consider the truly responsible customers, those that bought their groceries in fair trade shops long before Max Havelaar or Fairtrade was a term in high street vocabulary, again as very important. Much ink has been leaked on account of the common, often believed ‘ignorant’ and ‘cheap’ mainstream consumers and their fairtrade buys. What about those who really understood what their pennies and pounds contributed to, and made a conscious choice as opposed to bending under the demands of their peers and the media?.

To conclude, this book is an absolute must read. Never have I so far come a cross a critique so thoroughly formulated and discussed as is here the case with respect to the fair trade movement. And I think it is no coincidence that this books was published in France as opposed to an Anglo-Saxon country – after all France does have the reputations of constantly rattling on the chair of what is considered the ‘establishment’.
It becomes clear in this volume, that the fair trade movement as a whole, specifically representatives such as FLO (Fairtrade), are very much part of the establishment and ‘share the bed’ with politicians, supermarket tycoons and CEO of multi-nationals if they expect a benefit from it.
The books is thoroughly written and researched, and a good, sometimes even – thanks to some pitch black humour and cynicism – an entertaining read. It is a book that requires an author who is willing to swim against the stream, and accept that he will create powerful enemies on his quest to expose the truth.

And in that, the book is a unique effort given the times we live in.
—
This book is available from your nearest book store as well as online from Amazon.

Lilou - 100% silk Painted warp and 2 block twill ((c) Lilou)

A conversation with Ingrid Vercruyssen, founder of the accessories and interior design label Lilou, invariably leads to a tour of her in-house studio, located on the ground floor of a stylish Victorian property overlooking the River Dee in Chester, UK. A cosy sunbathed room, with a Victorian style fireplace is home to a vibrantly painted AVL loom, and a smaller vintage 16 shaft Harris loom. In every nook and cranny, there are racks and boxes of gaily coloured and painted yarns – mostly silks – plant dye stuffs, yarn winders. It is here that a rather unique approach to textile design is finding its way into scarves, accessories and lengths of handwoven fabrics.

Ingrid summarises the original idea of her venture as follows:
“The raison d’être of Lilou is my desire to connect people with ‘their’ colour.
I wanted to create cloth that went beyond its basic function, and take the opportunity to expose people to their colour, the ones that make them feel relaxed, energized, happy, motivated… I know, from personal experience that colour can really boost your confidence: When you feel good about what you are wearing, you feel a million bucks, and it shows. Equally, when you wear clumsy colours (something I did quite frequently in my youth!), self-doubt follows you like a shadow.
The idea was to create accessories that would be colourful, and have lots going on, without being over-bearing. They can be worn with a neutral wardrobe and really spiff it up. They can be casual, or formal, but the customer feels great wearing it either way.
For me, design always starts with colour.”

Lilou 100% hand-woven & dyed scarf: on the loom, and once finished ((c) Lilou)

It is old news that the colours that surround us have a direct influence on how we feel, act and react. Much research has gone into this topic, and it is known that impulses from our visual system’s colour channel not only travel just to the brain, but that a portion also passes through the hypothalamus (the part of brain that regulates basic body functionality: temperature, blood pressure, heartbeat, metabolism etc.) From the hypothalamus, impulses then go to either the pineal or the pituitary gland, responsible for our biological clock or hormone production, which in turn affects growth, maturation and metabolism. It is also known that colours have an effect on people with brain disorders or emotional troubles.

Colours, in short, are a paradox in our lives: we love them for their vibrancy, for how intimately familiar they feel to us and for how they influence us. And at the same time it is precisely this part of our personality that we choose to cover up in our everyday dress code, where subdued tones tend to be our first choice. And that, says Ingrid, is precisely what got her inspired in the direction she has chosen.

Lilou 100% hand-woven & dyed scarf: on the loom, and once finished ((c) Lilou)

“Most of us choose neutrals as a safety measure, myself included at times. Real colours are reserved for those few “eccentric” friends! Sadly we miss out on all the great things that colours can do for us.”

Ingrid takes the inspiration for the colours she creates from her direct surroundings, nature, art. Her eyes naturally focus on all the small colour ‘gems’ that we tend to overlook in our busy lives. From there, it gets more technical:
Drawing on 90% experience and 10% serendipity, Ingrid intuitively chooses the dyes for her project. Then the yarns are chosen, and hand-dyed and painted in line with her vision. It is at this stage that dyeing is like alchemy, sometimes frustrating, but mostly exciting. Also, it is a painstaking, time consuming process notably because Ingrid is committed to using only natural dyes and sustainable mordants, as part of her commitment to ethical business practises and craft traditions.

Lilou - Painted warp and 2 block twill, using a total of 10 different colours ((c) Lilou)

She says about the process: “I am without doubt first and foremost a dyer, and only then a weaver. My craft is ‘Colour’, so to speak. If the colours do not seem ‘just right’, then I am not satisfied. Weaving is my tool of choice to convey the power of colour. Using natural dyes is of course more time consuming and it is sometimes difficult to get predictable results without plenty of practise. But there is no doubt that they give a much softer, natural looking result, which is spot on with what people appreciate in colours. Natural dyes are not ‘pure’ colours, but rather are composed of a weighted spectrum of different shades and hues. This gives them a unique combination of vibrancy and softness. They are not as harsh or one-dimensional as synthetics, which in addition ‘just fade’ over time. Natural dyes on the other hand ‘mature’, develop, with age.
Finally, I know this sounds like a ridiculous detail, but they also have lovely smells, not at all like the chemical versions. And when you spend days between different dye baths this ends up being an important factor, and makes the difference between work being a pleasure or a drag.”

Once the yarns are dyed and ready, the next step is to decide on a weave structure that will highlight the colours, and show the dynamics of the cloth. Spun silk has proven a great ally in this process, as it has a real affinity for natural dyes, and has an innate ability to reflect light, creating a dynamic result. The weave structure is often kept simple by design, second in importance to the colours. The result: a unique and fluid fabric in a constant state of change, and which time and time again manages to surprise and entertain both the wearer and onlookers alike.

Lilou’s philosophy and designs can be seen online (http://liloultd.com).
Ingrid also runs an online colour consultancy service (http://lilou-interiors.com).
—

Luxury hand-woven and hand-dyed silk scarves by Lilou

Going around the designers’ exhibition, as well as checking out off-location (ethical) events (Good Fashion Show, EcoLuxe) is in many ways a sobering experience: The gems in between the white noise seem to get fewer and further apart. Which on the one hand is the result of more ‘noise’ being created, of course, but the number of ‘gems’ is decreasing, too.
Of course, rightly the question arises: What is the definition of ‘gems‘ in this given context?
The answer is, surprisingly, straight forward: it is a balanced mix of skilled craftsmanship, product quality in every detail, a knowledge of materials used that results in a stunning attention to detail, impeccable and lasting design and – certainly not least – a keen awareness of practical as well as emotional consumer needs.

As far as craftsmanship and quality detail is concerned, it is overall rather shocking to see how involuntarily imperfect many of the designs and products show cased are. ‘Made in Britain’ – or any other Western country for that matter – may cherish the image of a high quality product due to the cost price it implies, but the image is shockingly unaligned with reality. The quality produced does not generally justify the price tag attached.
But possibly the saddest of all aspects is the fact that most brands and designers spend very little thought about the needs of their target consumers, both, emotionally as well as practically. To explain, maybe consider the following two simple questions:
- How many evening dresses, suitable for a red carpet event, can one possess?
- And in contrast: How many garments suitable for a highly important and representative business meeting do we have use for?
Both types, in fact, boast a similar price tag in the case of quality products, the issue is therefore not so much about price per piece, and hence the financial bottom line of a brand, but about a reputation of being ‘in’.
Potentially one of the reasons why the (luxury) accessories industry is withstanding the currently critical consumer climate (read: spending cuts) better than the garment section – accessories, notably bags, had to deal with the quality, usability and craftsmanship issues many decades ago to keep their clients entertained, intrigued and coming back as repeat customers.

This all said – with a little bit of effort, there indeed do exist those gems this discussion is all about. Some of them have been around for a while, others are just starting off, but there is no doubt that they do make an intriguing, lasting impression on the onlooker.

Gracia Women is the only ‘new kid on the block’ our list. The label focuses for the completely under-catered niche of semi-formal wear for professional women. While purposely exhibiting an ‘understatement’ design, the collection is highly crafted in every single detail: Scottish Tweed, organic and Fairtrade cotton, Sabra cactus silks, and hand crafted Japanese buttons talk of the designer’s eye for detail and craftsmanship. The cuts are female, and yet will suit elegantly any shape between a size 6 and a size 18. In contrast to other brands also trousers, not only skirts, are part of the collection, which gives it an overall rounded impression.

Charini: The designer’s experience and eye for quality is undoubtable. Made from hand-loomed and produced from start to finish in Sri Lanka, the elegant, delicate but not overbearing lingerie designs speak for themselves.

ArLi from Kazakhstan has managed to walk the thin red line between fibre craft and fashion design. Using the techniques of the former, her designs are dynamic, young, intriguing and yet wearable. Particularly interesting where the accomplishment with which the designer managed to combine plain fabrics with hand felted designs, and in this way achieved at signature texture and look.

Aiste Nesterovaite finally, proves that upcycling can be classy, versatile and not focused on a single category of accessories. Her geometric scarf collection, innovative and a bit daring in concept but classy in realisation keeps evolving and attractive even it its second, third or fourth incarnation. The scarves have most recently been complemented by 2 series of bags made from either upcycled leather or polyester strips, which once again proved the designer ingenuity and ability in creating ‘a lot, from very little’.

From left to right: ArLi, Gracia Women, and Charini

From left to right: Arabel Lebrusan, Candescent, Kokku.

Note, however: The list is not exhaustive, and jewellers such as Ute Decker or CRED certainly would need to be listed as well, if it not were for their mere absence from this season’s presentations.

C2C raincoat by Dutch Spirit ((c) Dutch Spirit)

The Cradle to Cradle (C2C) idea has been around for a good decade now, longer if we’d track it right back to its inception. The first C2C fabric was developed sometime in the early 2000s, and flies now around the world as upholstery fabric on the A380 Airbus models. Interestingly, fashion – or maybe more accurately: textiles – would be an ideal discipline in which the concept could blossom with relatively little effort (always in comparison to other industries). The textile industry relies to large degree on resources that are in its origin organic – even man-made fibres are generally oil based at their origin.

Hence question arises: What kind of C2C approaches are around in fashion and textiles? How far has the idea been integrated into design processes? And can we have an educated guess where this is leading to in the next 5 to 10 years?

Life Cycle of a Cradle2Cradle T-shirt ((c)c2c-world.com) (Click to enlarge)

"In the C2C model, all materials used [...], such as metals, fibres, or dyes, are seen to fall into one of two categories: 'technical' or 'biological' nutrients.
Technical nutrients are strictly limited to non-toxic, non-harmful synthetic materials that have no negative effects on the natural environment; they can be used in continuous cycles as the same product without losing their integrity or quality. In this manner these materials can be used over and over again instead of being 'down cycled' into lesser products, ultimately becoming waste.
Biological Nutrients (cf. right-side illustration) are organic materials that, once used, can be disposed of in any natural environment and decompose into the soil, providing food for small life forms without affecting the natural environment. This is dependent on the ecology of the region; for example, organic material from one country or landmass may be harmful to the ecology of another country or landmass." (Source: Eco-Boards)

In other words: Either materials derive directly from an organic (as in: from nature) source are used in a way throughout all manufacturing processes that they can be returned to the eco system following the biological creation-decomposition/rotting cycle. Or else, they are designed from the outset so that they can be either cleaned or disassembled in a way that allows for repeat usage at an equal or higher material quality level, with all applied processes having a neutral or positive impact onto the eco system.
[Important note: C2C entirely focuses on ecological cycles. While it actively promotes energy conservation, the concept assumes that some energy is available for the processing stages. Further, the concept does not encompass human-rights related aspects.]

One of the principle problems at this point though is that not all ingredients of e.g. a garment may already by C2C compatible. Hence, clothing needs not only to be easy to disassemble, but in addition a well-planned and straight forward take back system is at this point still indispensable.

The C2C concept therefore focuses primarily on 2 aspects: waste and pollution.

C2C Case Studies in textiles: Who does what, and where?
Until only a couple of years ago, the number of designer and textile manufacturers either incorporating or, even better, committing to the C2C concept could be counted on the fingers of one hand. Strange enough, the last 24 months have given life to a much more advanced and developed landscape, where ever more designers and manufacturers offer solutions that adhere to C2C principles. It is equally interesting that certainly most designers are Nordic (Scandinavia, Denmark, Holland), yet the manufacturers are mostly – but not exclusively – central European.

Here are a few examples – but by no means exhaustive – of the most known and recognised C2C designers and manufacturers in the textile arena.

Designers:

• Dutch Spirit [Dutch & German only]: Is a label that creates sporty casual clothing perfect for everyday wear, both for women as well as men. The label is the behind the rain coat pictures in the introduction to this article. Beyond C2C they also commit to the whole width and breadth of ethical principles, from fair labour, to organic crop farming.
• Trigema is a sport and casual wear manufacturer. Their C2C T-Shirt line, which is created such that it is even safe for human consumption. While the company produces in Germany, they struggled to come up with an attractive design for the T-shirt, and which would justify the initially elevated price for the T-shirt. The problem has been recognised since and newer editions seem to have remedied the lack of a compelling design. By now the company carries 2 full lines of C2C garments: The Trigema Wellness line and the Trigema Change line.
• Swedish Designer Matilda Wendelboe was in fact the first designer globally to launch a C2C collection, and she has kept with the commitment since, choosing her materials accordingly.
• The world’s first children’s wear label is equally Swedish. Bonkeli Design, a family apparel designer company, launched their C2C baby and children’s range in late 2010 and have since kept to their commitment. They evidently capitalise on the fact that many children’s ranges, including from very expensive high-end labels, use not only high levels of obnoxious chemicals, but that children’s clothing does get ripped eventually beyond repair and cannot be handed down any more. It is known that Swedes prefer solutions that are all around ecological rather than to ‘just’ opt for the 2nd-hand-donation track creating waste at some point or other in the waste disposal chain.

Manufacturers:

• US based Victor Innovatex’s Eco Intelligent Polyester have been certified against the C2C Gold Standard level. The fabrics are designed to be perpetually recyclable in a closed loop system.
• The Swiss company Gessner’s ClimaTex LifeGuard and LifeCycle upholstery fabrics – the LifeGuard line is flown prominently around the world in the A380 Airbus – were the globally first textile products ever that became C2C compliant. These fabrics are produced in a closed loop system, and production waste fibres are popular among the farmers of the surrounding communities to fertilize their fields.
• The Danish company Gabriel produces with their Gaia C2C series a crepe-type upholstery fabric which is following the C2C concept.
• Backhausen from Austria has developed the first flame retardant C2C fabric (called Returnity) with properties equal to Trevira CS. This is in as far an important step as most European health & safety standards resulted in a de facto requirement to treat certain fabrics – notably for interiors and upholstery – with toxic flame retardant chemicals.
• The US based Pendleton Woollen Mill developed their Eco-Wise Wool® Apparel Fabric which now is used not only in apparel but also interiors. This is in as far important when you know that woollens normally take up to 7 years to decompose (and creates significant amount of waste water, and hence potential pollution, in the scouring process), but with C2C the same process takes under the same conditions only about 6 months, and the scouring process is heavily controlled.
• The Venezuelan Jeantex has swapped over their full range of Indigo Denim fabrics over to C2C. This specifically includes: Heavy, 100% cotton weight of 12.5 oz and 14.5 oz; medium 100% cotton or polyester blend, weighing between 10.5 oz 12 oz; light, 100% cotton or polyester blend, weight between 7 oz and 10 oz; and a stretch fabric with a mixture of polyester and Lycra.

While the C2C certification unfortunately has been turned into a money churning commercial enterprise by the 2 original founders of the concept (list of certified products, incl. rating), the idea as such is certainly logical and compelling.
Compelling enough that designers and manufacturers are able to implement it independently without requiring a proprietary certification body. And verifiable for anyone with enough technical knowledge to run a few tests with the help of a children’s’ chemistry tool box and a compost heap.

[Video (right): 1st Cradle-to-Cradle Fashion Show, Berlin, Germany, 11th of March 2011]

That the whole sustainability discussion offers few straight answers, but instead plenty of reasons for confusion, doubts and grey areas, comes probably for no one as a surprise. In fact, part of the fascination of it all is indeed precisely not only the scale of the problem, but the fact there is no such thing as a single clear-cut answer. There are plenty of paradoxes, uncertainties, and probabilities of various degrees. But there is not a single one, if looked into in full detail, that will not raise a counter argument, or have some limitations to it.

And fashion & textiles certainly is not an exception. Rather: it is probably one of the best proves at hand for how little clear cut and black-and-white it all is as you progress in expertise.

The symposium 'Perspectives on Future Sustainable Design', which took place on February 6th 2012, and was organised by the Textile Future Research Centre at Central Saint Martin’s, London, successfully managed to raise the attendee’s attention to the limitations and uncertainties we are faced with. Equally however, the potential of future developments, well organised multi-lateral approaches, and multi-disciplinary efforts was made evident at every stage of the presentations.

The three principle talks of the day highlighted as a consequence different aspects of how ‘we’, ‘our life’ and ‘our sphere of influence’ can be improved in a way that, in the end, will multiply and grow into something larger.
Here after a summary of the principle concepts introduced by the three main speakers (Dr. Jonathan Chapman, Rebecca Early and Carole Collet) on the day:

Confusion is Good ((c) J. Chapman, Univ. of Brighton)

• Sustainability is an opportunity, not a risk.
  Even from an mere economic point of view, hardly any other area of the general ‘business’ consensus as changed as much as the discussions around sustainability. We’re getting closer to a time when’being good’ is accepted as ‘being forward looking and innovative’.
• The Triple Bottom Line has graduated into the Quadruple Bottom Line:
  - People
- Environment (Planet)
- Economy (Profit)
- Culture
  Any innovation must be evaluated, and deemed successful, along these for axes.
• People are drawn to optimism and concrete solutions; they are not at all to pessimism, fuzziness, and scare mongering.
  What this means for anyone who truly committed to create change in industries, or A Industry, is to find the problem, name it, and show how to do it better in a positive, ‘can do’ way.
  This, by the way, is ‘just’ called innovation.
  The challenge thereby is to present the best project. The best project, notably, in all relevant aspects – see -> Quadruple Bottom Line.
• Paint the world in a brighter shade of green. But do it at every opportunity.
  Innovation is a step wise improvement/refinement process. As such, rather than looking for the ultimate and best solution to improve a product, look for where a product (or process …) has the worst impact(s) in any of the 4 bottom line aspects.
  Now invest your ingenuity in changing this so that the overall impact is significantly improved.
  Make sure to repeat with anything you occupy yourself with, from product design to buying your next microwave for home.
• Be, or become, aware of what you assume as a ‘given’ – and break through the ‘wall’.
  Innovation doesn’t happen out of the blue. Real innovation usually happens because something we assumed as a given suddenly does not apply any more.
  Example: Let’s assume you need to design a mobile phone – but without a screen, without a number key board, without the plastic of its casing.
  What would be the result?
  Sometimes it’s worth starting from scratch, purposely ignoring what you know, and what you have been instilled with in all those years of your life.


Scales of Influence ((c) J. Chapman, Univ. of Brighton)

• Scale matters. Specifically when the ‘sphere of influence’ is concerned.
  The bigger you draw the circle of where you want to see results, the more difficult it gets. The more monstrous grows the task – and the less we end up doing.
  Yet, only keeping to oneself is not the ideal either.
  The solution is to focus on oneself, PLUS a small group of people who are not only like-minded, but to whom we have close enough links to ‘get things done’. Ask yourself in this context “How can we be the change weas a group, want to see in the world?”(*)
• People need principles, and the tools and manuals to achieve them, so that they do not have to reinvent the wheel with every single of their decisions (or designs, innovations, developments).
  An example targeting specifically fashion & textile designers, is the TED’s TEN project, which offers exactly that across the following 10 categories:
  - Design to Minimise Waste (1)
  - Design for Recycling / Upcycling (2)
  - Design to Reduce Chemical Impacts (3)
  - Design to Reduce Energy and Water Use (4)
  - Design that Explores Clean/Better Technologies (5)
  - Design that looks at Models from Nature & History (6)
  - Design for Ethical Production(7)
  - Design to Replace the Need to Consume (8)
  - Design to Dematerialise and Develop Systems & Services (9)
  - Design Activism (10)


Lace Growing Bacteria ((c) Carole Collet, Central Saint Martin)

• The future holds technical possibilities we’re not generally aware of today, and which will trigger a fundamental shift in how we life, design, make and discard.
  Example: If asked in 2000, would you have hoped in your wildest dreams that smart phones would be common place in 2012 already?
  The same holds true for many technologies currently, if at all, worked on in research labs around the world. Maybe, in 20, 30, 40 years’ time, we will be able to have biodegradable fabrics of all kinds effectively grown by bacteria; software with which each and everyone can design her own clothes, and 3D printers that are actually able to make our designs.
  Futuristic, granted, but not impossible. Whether any prediction as this is accurate, or rather not, that again, is a completely different discussion.

(*) Adaptation of Mahatma Ghandi’s quote by Dr. Jonathan Chapman, University of Brighton.

Cast-off woollen clothing is sorted (again) into basic colour groups in one of many large warehouses in Panipat, India.

The event was in many ways special: Not only aimed at bringing interested non-academics and academics together, but its principle aim was to convey to the general public academic research results around recycling commodity chains (from the ‘Waste of the World’ and ‘Worn Clothing‘ project) acquired over the course of 5 full years. The mentioned two projects have 2 major focus areas: Clothing Recycling and the recycling (scavenging) of ships in dedicated shipyards. While the facts and stories about ship recycling impressed through the strength and rawness of their on-site report, it was the how ingeniously literally everything gets a new lease of life left in developing country that made a a lasting impression on me.

This all said, it was the results related to clothing recycling that were the most detailed, and made most accessible to the public through written information, artefacts, and over the course of a day of presentations and panel discussions with seasoned experts. The exhibition was well curated, and stroke overall a good balance between exhibition artefacts, hands on experiences (e.g. upcycling clothes), explanations of processes central to the clothing and rag recycling industry, and finally short documentaries that gave as a good a ‘first hand’ insight as can be expected from a film as opposed to actually being on-site.
(Note: Make sure to check out ‘Unravel’, a documentary about women working as cutters in Panipat.)

Impressions from the 'Everything Most Go' exhibition, January 20 - 22 2012, Oxo Wharf, London, UK.

The amount of insights offered was staggering, and it is difficult to summarise them in just a few lines. However, the points that were repeatedly made across the entire exhibitions as well as the presentations and discussions are the following:

• Clothing recycling – or any recycling for that matter – has in first instance little to do with either environmental protection or charity. It is through and through a commercial business – even for the charities and clothing banks involved – that while complicated, can reap substantial benefits. Few consumers in the West are aware that there is a whole industry that not only depends, but indeed banks on their overconsumption.
• The ‘fast fashion’ phenomenon has impacted substantially on the quality of clothing donated (which in any case amounts to only about 50% of all garments discarded, the remainder going to landfill as consumers do not separate from general waste), and hence of what can be created from it. In numbers:
  - In 2006, the average life span of a garment (in London, UK) was of 3 years. However, Primark Oxford street did not open until 2007 …
  - When in 2008 about 80% of all donated clothing could be reused in one way or another – either as second hand clothing through charity shops, or through sales to rag sorters -, in 2011 this percentage had fallen to an estimated 60 – 70%.
  - In the same period, the amount of clothing donated has decreased by about 20% (estimates say however, this is NOT the case for the total amount of clothing discarded).
• There is no such thing as ‘waste’ in the sense of ‘it’s thrown out and will disappear’. Certainly in developing countries, everything has a use and will, if necessary, be transformed to serve a new purpose. There is therefore a direct correlation between the lack of resources and the degree of innovation and inventiveness.
• Recycling work, not the least in textiles, is often dirty and potentially dangerous work, wherever this occurs in the world. And it should indeed be recognised as such.
• Design, certainly in the ‘developed’ hemisphere of the world,has so far spent very little thought about what happens with a product – a garment in this case – once it has been retired from its initial use. While this has historically not always been the case – there is many an example how objects were created to serve varying purposes during their life span – the consumption economy has made ‘waste’ an acceptable by-product. But unless the different live stages of an object are considered right from the beginning in the design stage, its later-in-life usefulness remains a challenge.

Looking at the bigger picture, the talks, in combination with the exhibits, managed to draw a well understandable and memorable sketch of the mechanisms of the global clothing recycling industry. For instance:

• Only 15% to 20% of the clothing donated is suitable for resale in a charity shop.
• The remainder is sorted initially in the UK and then (in all but a few cases) shipped abroad for further processing. What happens in the UK is where the most money can be made of initially, among which is the sales of clothing bales to countries such as Mozambique or Senegal.
• 20% of clothing is shipped to India for further processing, composed of 12% sweaters that are sold to the shoddy industry (for recycling & re-manufacturing), 5% jeans and 3% cloth.
• Panipat in India is the world’s largest production centre (300 mills, importing some 100’000 tons of worn jumpers, coats and suits annually) for shoddy yarns, and through that equally one of the worlds largest suppliers of (cheap) emergency wool blankets for international cooperation agencies.
• Panipat produced in 2007-8, the local industry produced 43 million kgs of shoddy yarn, 18 million blankets (wool as well as shoddy), and 33 million meters of shoddy fabric. The industry employs 30’000 men in spinning unit (no women, as it is fairly dangerous and physical work), 20’000 weavers (again, men only), 6-7’000 men in raising and finishing units, plus thousands of women cutters (i.e. rag sorters, slashers) and workers in secondary industries.
• The first port of call for all clothing shipments to India is usually a special economic zone in Gujarat, where clothes are sorted once again according to their subsequent use. Garments that are in wearable state will be slashed (as India prohibits imports of second hand clothing good enough to be worn), baled, and then trucked to the next processing units.
• Second-hand clothing is widely available and worn in countries where the local industry either does not produce clothes at a price point affordable to the average person, or where their is no local apparel/fabrics industry … or where at some point of time either the locally produced stuff was not of good quality, or else design-wise out dated.

The exhibition proved overall that no matter of how we look at it, we know very little of what is really happening to clothing (and other products) once they’ve expired from their first life. The value chains from that point onwards are however not negligible at all, and are a source of income – sometimes even fortune – of a large number of people. But, as it happens with most industries that rely on making a profit from low product margins, the majority of recycling industries have moved further East where salaries are cheaper, workers desperate to have work, and legal regulations not quite as stringent as in Europe or the US. The industry would in fact not be able to survive otherwise. Which leads to the conclusion that much of our European recycling streams, and hence waste management concepts, entirely depend on overseas processing units. If it were not for these, we’d be swallowed already by the amounts of waste we produce ourselves.

Fact sheets: The benefit of clothing recycling, currently valid prices, and some details about 'shoddy' production (click to enlarge).

Fair Wages: Strengthening Corporate Social Responsibility
By: Daniel Vaughan-Whitehead
ISBN: 9781849801478

The issue of wages in the fashion supply chain is a never ending story: the paid wages, the unpaid wages, those that suffice, or not, for a livelihood. From legally enforceable (although not always enforced) wages, to living wages, and floor wages, money given to workers seems to be at the core of it all. The topic is in a sense the mother of all discussions.
But while wages within the fashion industry are most frequently discussed when finger pointing workers’ rights abroad, the concept of ‘fair wages’ in reality as nothing whatsoever to do with geography, and applies as much to Europe as it does to overseas outsourcing destinations.

Fair Wages: Strengthening Corporate Social Responsibility tackles this issue in a very thorough, and at the same time visionary way: The book aims not at summarising what ‘fair wages’ really is all about, but the the procedures, results and achievements of a project publicly available which aimed at developing an objective framework for their implementation. The project has been elaborated by ILO and the Fair Labour Association, and evaluated in collaboration with the latter.

To convey all the information relevant to understand the concept, it’s history and background, the book is divided into sections of very different lengths but equal importance:

1. The Introduction provides us with a perspective of what ‘fair wages’ means. To do that, the imbalances in real wage increases, falling wage shares, and increases in wage inequality are analysed by continent – importantly in the so across Europe and the Americas. And as it turns out, it is not only ‘typical’ outsourcing countries that have to battle with working poor, and increasingly ‘unfair’ wages, but Europe and the US are headed, them too, all the wrong way.
   It is also made clear that – with very few exceptions – the existence of a legal minimum wage is conceptually important: it is show that without such a concept, workers of all levels are struggling in larger numbers with sheer survival. EU countries, and the US, are no exception, but rather provide the long-term historic rationale and statistics required to proof the case.
2. Towards a new wage policy: The fair wage approach. Wages are a firm part of CSR – yet practically, it more often is an ‘either … or’ situation where wage fairness and development is negelcted as a direct consequence of other CSR-related improvements e.g. health-and-safety measures, or better work infrastructre. Both, so many companies do believe and make their stakeholders (and certainly shareholders) believe too, cannot be afforded in anyway.
   An analysis of globally existing, hugely different wage concepts however makes it clear, that this is but the prelude of what is really going on.
   This analysis is then followed by lining out the different dimensions – necessities and requirements of stake holders – that play a key role when determining how ‘fair’ wages are and what a ‘fair wage’ means for different people and why. Key concepts such as real wages, payment regularity, wages vs. work intensity, wages vs. skill levels, etc. are introduced, and each characterised as to how and why it is relevant for the ongoing discussion.
   In a next step, the concepts introduced are set into a larger context with the aim to create an auditable catalogue of criteria, including the sources where from the answers and data can be obtained. Interestingly, sources for errors or lack of data are pointed out, and how to detect, prevent, or counteract, occlusion efforts.
3. The fair wage approach in practice finally delivers case studies where the audit concept introduced and lined out in the previous section is taken to real life factories and evaluated hands on. The sample of factories audited to evaluate the framework was primarily from China, but other countries where also present. In total 31 companies from China, and 1 or 2 in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam where audited.
   Summarising all the insights from this detailed section would be completely be beyond the scope of this review, however, here a few ‘high lights’: 42% of all enterprises used fake and/or double records in preparation of external audits; only 23% percent provide some time of social insurance (not even legally regulated aspects); 68% had issues with paying over time as required; required attendances days do not allow to take any holiday at all, not even legally provided ones; and (positively this time): factories have a very real interest in treating their workers well as staff turn over is a very real, very tangible challenge they have to deal with.
4. Policy conclusions. If the book were from Greenpeace, this section would be were they’d try to bully fashion brands into signing up for their ‘detox campaign’. In other words, in this section the major problems and issues are addressed, and which player – government, fashion brands, NGOs and other – would be the best actor in charge to change the status quo.
5. Annexes. Normally, this is the most irrelevant and boring part of any research, or project, or audit. But for once, this section is easily the most compelling, if also the most technical: The audit questionnaires are made publicly available in full detail just as they had been taken into the field for evaluation. Or rather: at the state they have been improved to since.

Fair Wages: Strengthening Corporate Social Responsibility has been the most demanding read I have had in at least a couple of years.
And this in several ways: the book presents the issues around labour wages, very unusually, in their full blown complexity as a global problem. And the rationales, approaches and solutions presented are fine grained, detailed, and require an in depth knowledge of not only the topic as such, but also of how it is address by workers on the pay role, my factory managers, by auditors, auditees, NGOs, and finally fashion brands. Not a single page in the book is a simple, straight forward, easy read.

The book, no doubt, is a compulsory item on the reading list for anyone even only marginally interested in wage and cost issues in supply chains (not merely fashion and textiles only), and should in my opinion be required reading for HR specialists, product managers and the majority of MA, MSc and MBA specialities I can think of.

But, I repeat, it is not an easy read at all, but requires a focused mind to understand and absorb what is laid open in front of the reader.

—
This book is available from your nearest book store as well as online from Amazon.

Minamisanriku, Japan, on January 4th 2012, 9 month after the devastating tsunami (Click to enlarge).

In the previous post, Japanese social fashion businesses were introduced, all of which had essential parts of their supply chain outside of the country itself.

In this post, I will look into some of the initiatives taken by fashion organisations and businesses in order to relieve the long-term effects of the March 11, 2011 Tsunami that hit northern Japan. In many cases, nothing more than a trial run has been completed so far, but cautious hopes are in place as all organisations have made long-term promises.

The overall situation in the tsunami stricken areas:

• Clean up has largely finished. Remaining debris, which could potentially contain personal belongings of victims has been moved to other locations. Volunteers keep searching them for personal remains such as photographs or toys.
• All what is now left from the towns are concrete fundaments of the buildings swamped away by the tsunami, and the occasion building skeleton, built after the Kobe earthquake from 1995, and where only the broken windows and empty interiors suggest them being witnesses to the catastrophe.
• All affected families and individuals have been moved into temporary housing compounds. The assignment happened by lottery draw, and as a consequence whole communities have been ripped apart in the process. The price paid has been high: although hardly heard of in the news, suicides have occurred in all emergency housing estates, on several instances even on one than more occasion.
• The emergency housing basically consists of a large container subdivided on the inside into hallway with kitchen, toilet, and one to two rooms. Some have baths, but equally as often gender separated public baths – Sento in Japanese, and common place in times before every house had a bath room – are made available to the residents.
• The emergency shelters are by now – between 3 and 6 months after the residents moved in – equipped with the basics of modern life, and charities have seen to that the residents were provided heaters and heating blankets.
• The emergency housing complexes vary in size, and can consist of a few dozen units to a couple of hundred units. They are normally located in fairly remote location – even for an area which is considered ‘country side’ – and not easily accessible. In Minamisanrikucho, the area where I spent a week volunteering with a local NGO, the closest pub was a 40 minute drive by car, and the closest supermarket a good 20 minutes by car. The emergency housing complexes only, if at all, have access to a convenience store. Once or twice a week ‘mobile supermarkets’ make the rounds offering basics, of doubtable quality and inflated prices.
• The majority of residents of the emergency housing estates are over the age of 50, and most do not own a car or other means of transport. There remain fairly few families with children or people of working age – those that have survived the catastrophe but lost everything else, have escaped to cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Sendai, Aomori, where there are more opportunities in search of better paid work and a future.
• The local fishing industry is starting up again, including the canning factories. However, full time salaries paid are so low – around 120’000 yen monthly, equivalent to €1200 or about £1000 – that it is impossible to raise a family on it, or rebuilding a life for that matter, even before even considering that many are stuck with pre-tsunami mortgages and loans. Once the government benefits will end – scheduled to be the case by the end of March – these jobs however will go to the lucky ones: There isn’t enough work to go around for all those that need to sustain themselves.

Fashion related ‘social business’ projects providing income and support [Note: Info mostly in Japanese only]:

There are various initiatives that have caught the spotlight of the public eye or that are talked about in one way or another amongst NGOs and fashion business alike. The ones presented hereafter are very likely only a selection of what in reality is taking place.
However, what becomes clear at first glimpse is that at this early stage – which it is in terms of business development even if it is nearly a year since the tsunami – the product quality and types available is still lacking. The initiatives are certainly fulfilling their aim of keep people busy and allowing them to generate some income for their house hold. But, possibly with exception of the Miracle hat project and the Avanti Granma project, their long-term sustainability remains to be proven.

Examples of products made in Tohoku, Eastern Japan, for tsunami recovery initiatives. From left to right: East-Loop Project, Avanti's Granma Christmas decoration project, Miracle hat project, Knit project, and Fumabro's Zori project

• Tohoku Granma Christmas ornament project by Avanti (more details, also in Japanese, with full list of sales outlets, available from here).
  Avanti had grand mothers, now living on their own in temporary housing estates, make Christmas ornaments from off cuts and waste pieces stemming from their ‘Pristine’ fashion line.
  The ladies initially were inexperienced in this type of handicraft, many of them had been employed earlier in their lived in the fishing industry or in farming. Coming together on a regular basis to work on the project, not only there was a product created appreciated in the Japanese market, but also new social connections, often completely lacking on the estates, where fostered.
  The project participants stem from 4 different tsunami affected areas: Kuji and Rikuzentakada in Iwate prefecture, and Minamisanriku and Ishinomaki in Miyagi prefecture.
  The project will continue throughout the year, making in addition for decoration for specific occasions such as Christmas and Easter, Omamori, a type of good luck charm habitually sold throughout Japan in temples and shrines.
  Avanti has committed to run the project for a duration of 10 years at least.
• The East-Loop project by Love & Sense.
  Broadly based upon the same idea as the Granma Project, it aims at creating basic income for the producers, while bringing them together socially, and creating in this way new social support networks crucial for survivors to tackle their future head on rather then to shed tears over the past they lost.
  The creations launched and sold up until now are simple to make, and relatively simple to sell not the least due to their low price: brooches of various types and colours, hand crocheted by ladies in the tsunami affected areas of Rikuzentakada, Iwate prefecture, and Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture.
• The Miracle Cap (more information, also in Japanese here, and here) is a collaboration of a cancer survivor-turned-hat-designer, with the survivors of the tsunami and the aftermaths of the nuclear reactor fall out in in Soma city, Fukushima prefecture.
  The designer had previously come up with the idea to design multifunctional caps and head scarves for women who lost their hair due to chemotherapy treatment. The tsunami, and the subsequent troubles with the Fukushima nuclear reactor triggered her to seek out women in the Soma area, in fairly close neighbourhood to the reactor, willing to work with her on producing the head scarves and caps for sale.
  Each cap thereby can be worn in 7 different ways, and is sold at a price of 2000 yen (£18, €20).
• The Makenai-Zo (We’ll never give up) project (latest news here)
  “Makenai-Zo” means “We’ll never give-up” in Japanese , and “Zou” also means “Elephant”. Makenai-zo is the cute elephant-shaped hanging towel made by the sufferers of earthquakes & other natural disasters in Japan. The project of making this towel started after Kobe Earthquake in 1995. The project was then established to create work and motivation for the quake survivors.
  After that, Makenai-zou Project has been relayed from Kobe to Niigata which was by a hit by a strong earthquake in 2004, and now in 2011/12 is made by victims of the 03/11 East Japan tsunami.
  Each elephant costs 400 yen, out of which 100 yen are paid to the person- resident in the disaster area – who actually makes it, and the rest (300 Yen) per one Makenai-zo are used to support the recovery progresses of the victims of East Japan Big Earthquake. The elephants are currently made by people living in Otsuchi-cho in Iwate Prefecture, Kanuma in Tochigi Prefecture, and Yonezawa in Yamagata prefecture.
  However, at this point, towels are hard to come by in the stricken areas, and the organisation is calling for towels to be donated.
• Asante Santa‘s (ニットプロジェクト, more here)
  After a call of donation for unused knitting wool across the nation, the project enlisted a knit wear designer and women hand knitters from Iwate prefecture.
  Buyers would, essentially, buy a surprise collection of hand knitted goods for the equivalent of €300 (30’000 yen), 2/3 of which would go as salary to the knitter and 1/3 would serve to support the knitters with e.g. providing transport and to pay the designer.
  The designs would be available for advanced as well as knitting beginners. Each customer would receive a set of different items useful for the winter, and knitted by knitters of various skill levels.
  While there is no further need for wool to be donated, the project is continuing successfully through the winter months.
• Fumbaro Tohoku‘s Sewing Machine, Hand-made, and Zori projects.
  The organisation works for their textile related projects exclusively in Minamisanriku, Miyagi prefecture. The area is one of the most heavily affected areas as it is full of small bays squeezed between hills, which doubled, sometimes even tripled the force, and height, of the tsunami.
  The organisation has made a pool of sewing machined available to local women, who then make Bags-for-live (eco bags), and Japanese shop curtains (noren). All these items, together with the Japanese style slippers hand made by a different group of home workers, and available via Etsy in countries outside Japan.
  The third project, hand-made, is given life through 300 different people in the region, among them also men, who crochet or knit small accessories. Already larger results are available as well by more seasoned knitters, among them hats, mittens and similar winter items.


しゃねっちゃ 'headquarters': A container in one of the many temporary housing estates in Minamisanriku-cho, Miyagi prefecture, Japan

• Shanecha (しゃねっちゃ) (see also their blog here, and their local temple’s blog) is a group of 3 retired ladies, all of them at least in their 70s, who all live in the same temporary housing estate. The brand (yes! it officially is a brand) was founded in September 2011, and is named after how the local dialect pronounces the words ‘shikataganai’ (しかたがない; Engl: it can’t be helped). They upcycle mostly old, donated Kimonos and Yukatas into cosmetic bags, aprons, winter house jackets typical for Japan. However, all the ladies, and the associated helpers that cover for larger orders where needed, are expert hand-crafters be it at the sewing machine, or with the crochet hook. They do get orders from across the country down to the tropical Okinawa islands, and even from Japanese shops in the states.
• Umi no Niji (海の虹; Japanese for ‘rainbow of the sea) has been launched similar vain as Shanecha, and by women of the same community. They create small, simple, cute looking products – with a special twist in their design – for daily life.
  

  Tissue Box cover from Umi No Niji

  
  As material, they use donated clothing that was in unusable condition, donated left over fabrics, recycled kimonos etc. From pin cushions, to tissue box covers, money jars, toilet roll covers they make items that are common place in Japanese house holds.
  In addition to generating income, the aim of this project is also to give women something to do with their hands and hence time to come to terms with what happened to them and their loss. The average age of the brand members is around 50 to 60 years of age, and in that sense nearly a generation younger than the members of it’s sister brand Shanecha.