Eco Friendly Fashion

Eco Friendly Ideas for the New Year

2012-01-19T07:35:00.002+10:00

2012 has giveneveryone an opportunity for a fresh start and new beginning. Many individualsset personal goals for themselves such as weight loss, eating healthier and astep up with their personal appearance. As these types of goals revolve aroundthe human body and health, there are many Eco-friendly options to help youachieve your goals just as sufficiently. By choosing Eco-friendly products tohelp you with your personal goals, you will be helping out your planet as wellas yourself. Some green products you can try to help you feel refreshed andbeautiful are natural foods, dieting plans, teeth whitening strips, and Ecofriendly makeup for your experience.

Eating natural foods is the perfect way to keep yourself feeling and lookinghealthy. Natural foods help reduce health risks and do not give your body theextra sugar and fats that you find in a variety of regular foods. Afterdeciding to purchase organics, you will find that there are hundreds of recipe books and dieting plans that will help youwith your new-found diet. At groceries stores you will notice that natural foodproducts have a label on them that says "CertifiedOrganic by QAI".This label basically states that the products have been handle properly, andare safe to consume. With all the underlying questions about how these foodsare handled, the label will provide buyers with the reinsurance they desire.

Every woman wants to look beautiful and feel like a million bucks. Now, intoday's market you can make yourself look just as stunning and save the planetwhile doing it. To make yourself more confident, and beautiful you can try Eco-friendly products such as concealer, cover up, lotion,eyeliner and even teeth whitening strips or washes. Whitening your teeth willgive a new, healthy glow to your smile and help you gain that extra confidenceyou have been seeking. There are many different ways to whiten your teeth allover the world. Technology for teeth whitening is constantly changing and thereare different programs from Melbourne to Washington DC dentist offices. It is very important to dothe extra research and find the right one for you. There are many eco-friendlyways of making those pearly whites even brighter. You will notice that after purchasing green products, youwill not only feel refreshed and renewed, but proud. Proud of the fact thatyour money went to making the world a better place for its people, animals, andplants.

Contributed by Liz Davies.

Liz Davies is a recent college graduate and aspiring writer especiallyinterested in health and beauty. She wants to make a difference in people’slives by spreading positive messages. Liz also likes shopping, hanging out withfriends, reading and playing with her dog, April.

LOCAL FIND: Cafe Lolli

2012-01-16T14:45:00.003+10:00

This morning I was lucky enough to stumble across the adorable little coffee shop "Cafe Lolli" in Buderim, Qld.

Along with shelves of cute and crafty eco friendly toys and gifts, owner Carolyn serves up some delicious beverages, stocks a range of fabulous T2 tea's to try in or take-away, and has a scrumptious array of cookies such as the orange & fig shortbread which I had the pleasure of eating!

Carolyn is so lovely and friendly, and believes that all local businesses should support each-other. I am inspired by her enthusiasm, her style, and her gorgeous shop in which she has put so much effort into making "a little bit magical".

Australia's first "Eco Model"

2012-01-10T07:56:00.001+10:00

I'm so proud of my good friend Amanda Rootsey, who is pursuing her international modelling career as Australia's first eco model.

With years of modelling under her belt, Amanda believes in all things healthy, happy and harmonious, and alongside her long term fella David Rafter, is using her good name to promote a vegan lifestyle, and an eco-friendly approach to fashion and beauty.

While she pursues her career in eco-modelling, she is also determined to inspire other women by the use of her blog to live healthier, happier lives, staying focussed on living harmoniously with the natural world around us.

If you are interested in booking Amanda for your next shoot, you can contact her here.

Green Patriot Posters

2012-01-03T06:56:00.000+10:00

We were lucky enough to receive a copy of the Green Patriot Poster book a few months back, and have been dying to get the time to sit down and write a review about this marvelous piece of work.

Published by Thames & Hudson, and compiled by Dmitri Siegel & Edward Morris, the book contains 68 illustrations, including 50 detachable and ready to hang posters.

Bringing together the "the strongest contemporary graphic design promoting sustainability and the fight against climate change", the bulk of the book illustrates powerful ideology promoting a new form of "pride of place, but not fear of others".

The compilation is visually stimulating and irreversibly impressive. When you are finished browsing through, you will be tempted to rip all of the posters out and go hanging them on street lamps around your home town!

Check out their website, where you too can submit your own poster for review.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-03T06:36:00.004+10:00

Thanks for being so patient with us over the past 6 months, we were taking a little break from eco-friendly fashion, but we are now back in full force to bring you all of the wonderful news from companies with conscience!

Happy new year to everyone, and please remember, if you have made a submission to us, your story will be published in due course. If you are really keen to get published, please sponsor your story for instant publication, and help keep our site running!

2011-11-23T06:14:00.001+10:00

Apologies to everyone. We have been taking a break from this blog, but will return soon with more articles and up to date information.

We have had hundreds of submissions for stories over the past few months and we are sorting through them as we speak. Thanks to all of you who have written to us, your stories are important and we will endeavor to publish them soon in due order.

STORY

2011-06-27T10:36:00.001+10:00

Have you seen the gorgeous store named "STORY"?

I am very much in love with all of their products, many of which are handmade.

Worth a look!

GIVE AWAY

2011-06-24T08:29:00.000+10:00

We have 1 copy of the fantastic book, "Urban Eco Chic" to GIVE AWAY. All you need to do is go to our fb page and click on the "suggest this" button on the left. Invite a few of your friends who you think would be interested in us. Make a comment in facebook that you have done this, and you are in the draw!

Urban Eco Chic

2011-06-19T16:56:00.001+10:00

For most of us, decorating our home is one of the simple pleasures in life in which we have total creative control, only restricted by our budget. However, there are many more restrictions in which we should all keep in mind when deciding what we put inside our houses.

Recycling retro or antique furniture has become a very popular way to cut down on our carbon footprint, while working with pieces that are budget friendly and beautiful. Planning to switch to solar, or re-using our grey water are other ways to make our homes eco-friendly... but there must be more ways right?

The fantastic book, 'Urban Eco Chic' has been cleverly put together by Oliver Heath, to educate even the most clueless household on how we can all live more sustainably. Covering topics such as technology, energy, building materials, fabrics, lighting, floors and furnishings, the book is a 'how to' bible of answers relating to all topics of sustainable housing.

Not only is this publication educational, it also contains over 100 photo's of beautifully decorated houses, demonstrating that 'eco' can be indeed very 'chic' in the most modern way.

I would highly recommend the book as an inspirational read, to anyone thinking of turning their house into a modern, energy efficient, place to call home, even on the tiniest of budgets.

Real Jewels

2011-05-12T08:28:00.009+10:00

Blood Diamonds? Dirty Gold? No thanks.

While jewellery is very much a part of all of our lives, whether it be the band we wear on our finger to signify our love for our partner, or a simple necklace given to us by a best friend, the origin of it's contents is of serious ecological and ethical consideration. The diamond and gold mining industries are particularly scandalous in many countries.

Conflict diamonds are a crucial factor in prolonging brutal wars in parts of Africa, and underscored that legitimate diamonds contribute to prosperity and development elsewhere on the continent. In Angola and Sierra Leone, conflict diamonds continue to fund the rebel groups, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), both of which are acting in contravention of the international community's objectives of restoring peace in the two countries.
- www.un.org

One company leading the way in a passionate respect for natural resources and human rights, is New York based, Real Jewels.

Made entirely in New York city with sustainable practices, the company ensures wages and working conditions are controlled by not outsourcing to large offshore factories. All pieces are manufactured from recycled sterling silver and gold, and all gems are certified fair trade stones & conflict free diamonds.

The company also supports the 'Save our Gulf' initiative, with their iconic pelican pendant, in which 100% of all profit goes directly to the Waterkeeper Alliance. It's great to see a company with such vigour for change in such a historically corrupt industry. Check out their website at www.real-jewels.com.

A World Without Bottles

2011-05-09T12:12:00.005+10:00

Have you ever wondered where your water bottle ends up after you buy it, drink from it, and throw it away? Although some plastic bottles are recycled, it is shocking to know that 340,000,000,000 (340 Billion) bottles and cans are NOT recycled every year! This means that more than half end up in Landfill sites, every year, worldwide.

1 Bottle takes 450 years to decompose.

1 Bottle takes 5 times it's volume in water just to manufacture.

To demonstrate this huge burden on Mother Natures shoulders, eco-artist, Sarah Turner, has teamed up with Soda Stream to create this amazing plastic bottle sphere, using 562 recycled plastic bottles.

Sodastream’s campaign aims to reduce the amount of plastic bottles people buy, therefore reducing the amount that end up getting thrown away.

British supermodel Erin O’Connor holds the sphere symbolically on her shoulders, recreating the iconic pose of Greek God Atlas, highlighting the burden of the world's plastic bottle waste.

Let's hope this campaign touches on at least the fashionista's of the world, demonstrating that it's not so "cool" to sip from a tiny plastic bottle, every time you need to quench that little thirst.

ECO FASHION - Sass Brown

2011-04-15T07:54:00.002+10:00

I was recently lucky enough to receive a review copy of the now personally coveted book "Eco Fashion" by Sass Brown. (Thank you Laurence King Publishing).

While I like to think of my self as quite researched in the world of environmentally sustainable fashion, and ethically produced clothing, I was pleasingly surprised to find that there are actually masses of fashion designers today of a very high calibre, leading industry trends in making this once disturbingly destructive industry, into a conscious and sustainable one.

The very provocative forwarding page authored by Geoffrey B. Small opened the book beautifully with facts and figures to make any fashionista think twice about what they are wearing...

"Dominated by large global corporate groups, and their sponsored media who encourage a dream lifestyle of selfishness, apathy, superficiality, greed, sex and drugs to a growing audience of billions, fashion has been sold to the rafters, leaving it's consumers and producers poorer, dumber, and more ill-equipped than ever, to face combat, or survive the doomsday scenarios that everyone from religious fanatics to Nobel laureates predict will take place in within a lifetime. Fashion is indeed a massive human, social and environmental disgrace in need of a paradigm shift." - Excerpt by Geoffrey B. Small

While the book follows on to educate about sustainability, community and fair trade, as well as other social and political issues, we are taken through the worlds of various fashion houses tackling these issues and creating initiatives, one at a time, in their own sense of what these companies think is important and needs to be done.

While our industry is still far from perfect, and it will take a huge shift in consumer thinking to change wasteful consumption, this book gives us great hope that there are industry leaders out there pushing for a new industrial revolution. One that goes back to quality, not quantity, and encourages thoughtful manufacturing processes, as well as ecological awareness.

Sass Brown should be applauded for collating such a beautifully presented, and well researched book. This one is an essential piece of literature for every designer and consumer involved in the world of clothing production and consumption.

Eco Boutique

2011-04-07T08:51:00.004+10:00

UK based Eco Boutique is the creation of entrepreneur Hayley Power. As well as their own limited edition organic and fair trade t-shirt collection, eco-boutique hosts a range of other beautiful labels such as upcycled label "love me again".

Catering for Women, Men, and Children, the store has a small vintage collection of hand picked goodies, and just by browsing through the photo's of their products, one can get some styling tips from their dapper photography of all outfits.

What a great resource for eco fashion in the UK, that is both affordable, and most of all highly wearable.

Indie Bound

2011-03-29T17:30:00.000+10:00

I just got back from a weekend in Melbourne. What I love most about the city is the incessant push for the support of local businesses, by locals. I felt enriched by the passion of the different communities to keep their suburbs unique and extraordinary. I saw this poster by Indie Bound in a book shop in St. Kilda. Apologies about the glare on the photograph...

WHEN YOU VISIT AN INDEPENDENT LOCAL BUSINESS...

:: You keep more money in your local community ::

:: You celebrate the uniqueness of your community ::

:: You support local jobs ::

:: You help the environment ::

:: You encourage community ::

:: You conserve your tax dollars ::

:: You benefit from our expertise ::

:: You invest in entrepreneurship ::

:: You make the community a destination ::

2011-03-25T06:32:00.002+10:00

Cath Kidston : Sew!

2011-03-16T07:47:00.007+10:00

One of the most common questions I receive from our readers is "how can I afford to buy eco-friendly products instead of mass produced products, as I am on a budget, and the price is almost always quite a bit higher?"

And I almost always say, "if you cannot afford them, make them." Of course this isn't going to be a reality for everyone, as we lead such busy lives, but if you do have a few spare hours, and a willingness to learn, there are so many resources out there that can help you to create truly inspiring clothes and home-wares.

Iconic fabric designer Cath Kidston has just released the cutest little mini sewing handbook, simply called "sew!". Inside is over 40 projects for beginners right through to more advanced sewers, including bags, toys, pillow cases, and other home-wares. ($24.95 @ Borders)

The joy of making things ourselves is that we don't have to spend a fortune, and by perhaps using an old piece of fabric you have laying around, or recycling an old tabelcloth or sheet into a new piece of clothing or home ware, you are saving yourself a bit of money, getting your creative juices flowing, and helping to save resources!

The Finders Keepers Market

2011-03-10T08:12:00.017+10:00

All images by Mark Lobo

Recently we were lucky enough to get a few moments from the lovely Sarah of the Finders Keepers market right here in Australia, to gain her thoughts about the importance of supporting your local design talent. Here is what she had to say...

What first inspired you to create the finders keepers market?

As young designers ourselves and having experienced many weekly markets across Sydney that we started to become less than impressed with, we were looking for more opportunities in Sydney at the time. As Brooke had just started her jewellery label she had little start up and was feeling frustrated by the whole experience. After a discsussion one Summer evening over a few wines we decided why don't we create what we have been looking for. The focus was to make the market an event, for it to celebrate, encourage and foster young emerging talent and create a beautiful environment with all our other favourite things - music, food, wine, coffee over a few special days.
We wanted to make it special and unique every time so people wouldn't get bored with the same things over and over again so we always focus on bringing new talent each time and adding new features that encourage people to be creative and support handmade and their local community.

Why do you think running a market like this is important to our young artists and designers?

It is important for a few very good reasons!

- It gives a platform for emerging designers and artists to showcase their work, and for them to learn, experience and grow from being in an environment that will help them get established.

- It pushes people to invest in quality work with handmade and ethical products, and invest in Australian design instead of mass produced cheap product that saturates our industry. We need to keep educating young designers in the importance of this.- It is important because we really push innovative work of high standards. If there is no benchmark people aren't going to be challenged to create and we need that in Australia.

Do you have rules of what can be sold at the market? What makes your market different to others out there in terms of what is on offer?

Yes everything sold at the markets has to designed and preferably made by you. If it's not made by the designer themselves, we want to know where and how it is made specifically. We prefer to always encourage locally made product. If it's made overseas we question the intention of the designer and the environment that it is produced in.

There is a difference between something that is designed and made from scratch, to what is just made up of existing elements. We see this alot, designers buy already made parts and put them together - claiming they have designed the product whereas we don't feel this is original at all, and creating is different to designing. Craft is very popular so it's now easy for people to follow eachother and make the same things, while this is wonderful that people are creating their own things - it's not entirely original and we are seeing the copycat patterns repeating themselves across the community. I think this is very important for young designers to know the difference and why it's important to encourage authentic design.

What are your thoughts on the importance of supporting locally made goods instead of imported goods? In your opinion, are there any big economic or environmental benefits to supporting localised trading?

We always give first prefernce to handmade and local made goods, this is the first area we push. There are a few designers that we allow to be apart that produce overseas, some of these are working with ethical clothing companies and this is extremely important for us. We have not approved designers who we feel breach these terms, and always have to understand the background of the product first.

What challenges have you had in setting up the market? Has there been any hardships in educating market applicants/market go-ers about the product quality / price points / product origins that need to be upheld to keep the reputation of the market in-line with your original vision?

We did struggle at first with the standard, and worked hard to raise our reputation. When we started as Hope Street Markets in 2007 we used to scout designers that we felt matched our criteria. We felt that it has definitely progressed from now, and we are happy to hear that this reputation has been acknowledged by alot of people we never thought possible.

We really pushed designers to work hard on unique displays, we wanted our markets to look beautiful and be inspiring everytime and each event goes from strength to strength so it's rewarding to know that when you drive your vision for something that doesn't exist it can happen when others believe in you.

We always try and help the designers in as many ways possible and try and offer our advice and give lots of guidance to new stallholders too. It is something we love doing, and is very rewarding knowing hardwork pays off.

What are your hopes for the market in the future?

When we started markets, there was only around 3 design markets across the country. Now there is probably around 50, whilst this is phenomenal to see the change in Australias handmade, sometimes it can be discouraging that we worked so hard to create a concept that other people can now easily duplicate. Our vision is to keep growing and being the best in the field and being able to continue to support and grow the community we currently have.

We always want to keep pushing original concepts, working more on Art exhibitions, workshops and new features apart of our events and on the side. We have been working on some new concepts that we hope to roll out in the near future.

This year we are going to the famous Renegade Craft Fairs in the USA. Surprisingly we had no idea how similar Renegade is to Finders Keepers, we only discovered them last year! We are very excited to be able to learn a thing or two about the global market, and bring back some innovative inspiration, ideas and possible a collaboration or two - who knows!

THE FINDERS KEEPERS MARKET WILL NEXT BE HELD ON THE 26th & 27th OF MARCH IN MELBOURNE. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS.

OFFSET WAREHOUSE

2011-03-06T09:24:00.003+10:00

For anyone, like myself, who loves to create, but seems to struggle finding ethical fabrics and materials to use, I'd like to point you in the direction of the "Offset Warehouse".

This is a website which provides a plethora of Fair-trade and 'Eco' products, especially for the production of clothing and interiors. Included in the website is a fabric and haberdashery shop, an ethical directory, a boutique, information resources, as well as consultancy and freelance services.

All products the Offset Warehouse sources are environmentally and socially responsible, and each product in the store comes with the peace of mind that it has been produced with the utmost care for the precious resources that have gone into making them.

The Story of Stuff

2011-02-10T08:48:00.008+10:00

A few days ago in the Age Newspaper (Sydney) an article appeared about a man who bought a $12 fan. On going to the checkout the fan was then discounted to $8, which of course would send most people into a elated state of happiness as they have just found themselves an absolute bargain!

What we fail to think about however is "where did the fan come from? What resources were used to make it, and of course were those resources properly priced in the sense of resource depletion and environmental impact?"

A reader commented below that anyone actually interested in finding this out should check out the website, "The Story of Stuff".

While I sat for 20 minutes this morning watching this video, simultaneously getting ready for work, I felt a whole heap of futility for my life and my work. In fact I feel exactly what the video talks about in the sense that I go to work just to buy things, which makes me part of the manipulative yet ridiculous capitalist economic cycle.

So why are most of us caught up in this facade? Are we silly enough to believe that we need everything that we see in advertisements? I am definitely questioning my own participation in all of this...

Anyway, for those of you who do give a damn about why you are working so hard, and what we are doing here on earth, watch the video and tell me how you feel in comments box below. I would love to hear from you!

DLC Brooklyn

2011-02-02T08:11:00.003+10:00

When Susan Domelsmith first created a few necklaces for herself by draping and linking pieces from old vintage jewellery, I doubt she was envisioning the success of what is her now label of notoriety DLC Brooklyn.

Her frustration to find pieces that were edgy, yet authentic, brought her to hand crafting unique items that were immediately picked up by popular retailers first in the US, and now worldwide. Following her retail success, Nylon and Teen Vogue sourced pieces from her collection for editorial and cover shots, and celebrities such as Jessica Alba coveted her pieces as parts of their own collections.

What is so great about Susan's jewellery, is that it is all made from either recycled or dead stock, cancelling the need for the mining of new metal resources. The components of each piece always depend on the materials available at the time, making each item a one of a kind story.

You can find your own piece of DLC loveliness right here...

Cambodian Threads

2011-01-28T07:39:00.004+10:00

Cambodian Threads is a socially responsible company that offers handmade fair-trade silk scarves created by a group of artisans called the Hengs family, who live in a small rural village called Prek Bongkong.

The company buys the products from the artisans at a fair price, then sells them onto the western market (not a revolutionary concept of course) HOWEVER the difference here is that after the scarves have been sold, a percentage of the profit goes straight back to Cambodia, to purchase basic educational resources for children in the villages.

We love the giving back concept of this business, which contrasts greatly in the light of many western businesses in the current market who profit belligerently from people less advantaged in third world nations. From the sale of just 1 Cambodian threads scarf, enough money is raised for a small pack of books and pencils for 10 children. A wonderful commitment by a group of people with a firm belief that change has to start somewhere. You can read more about Cambodian Threads here.

Ball and Buck

2011-01-26T09:55:00.002+10:00

Ball and Buck is an all American, all organic, unique clothing label. Each shirt is made locally in the USA from the finest quality organic cotton, then personalised with a vintage or recycled fabric pocket just for fun!

With a demand in the US from college students wanting crew cut, v-neck, girl cut and tennis shirts, this company has seen a place in the market for supplying good quality shirts to young consumers, with an ethical and environmental message in tow.

Their message educates young people that a choice can be made for more sustainable products, without having to change what they would usually wear. A unique and clever market to approach, as it is these consumers who are the future of the American marketplace.

Bamboo for the eyes

2011-01-21T07:31:00.002+10:00

Recent popularity of bamboo as a sustain-ably sourced fibre, has been overwhelming in the fields of furniture and building products as well as fibre for fashion.

Bamboo has such a high sustainability rating because not only is it the fastest growing plant on earth, it actually releases 35% more oxygen than timber, creating a more intense filter for the carbon emissions in some industrialised nations. The fibre is actually more durable than oak, and uses alot less water to grow than many other plantations used for manufacturing wood products.

Another trend we have recently seen come into the market is bamboo eyewear. Two companies of note that have these cute looking glasses on their agenda are bamboo optics (shown in pic above) and unidot.

They are definately worth checking out for your next pair of specs if you are looking for something a little less polluting than the regular plastic frames we are so used to purchasing and exchanging every 12 months.

AK Vintage

2011-01-20T08:37:00.002+10:00

Anna Korte, a Portland based jewellery designer creates limited run pieces made from deconstructed vintage necklaces, recycled leather, and castings made locally from one of a kind findings. She names it AK vintage.

Each of her collections is inspired by Anna's current favourite poet or piece of literature, largely motivating her perspective.

We love the fact that Anna's pieces although labelled 'mens' and 'womens', are actually quite unisex, and definitely not at all obtrusive or show pony-ish! The designs are subtle and elegant, pieces that blend with any outfit, any-ones style, any season.

Check out the video on her site... very cool indeed!

East of Grey

2011-01-19T07:54:00.002+10:00

While our local area of Qld. has had an extremely rough 2 weeks with many area's suffering substantially in the flood waters, we are still trying to find things to smile about from our sunny state, and here is one of them.

East of Grey is a label from the Gold Coast, emphasising a strong sustainability policy in the production of their work.

All garments are made from vintage, recycled as well as new fabrics creating one off pieces with individual style. Scraps are never thrown away, instead made into accessories such as hair ties and brooches, and designer Kim Bailey, creates most of the garments herself from her studio, in a old fashion, hand crafted manner.

Moth Love

2011-01-17T16:53:00.002+10:00

This is our second post on label Moth Love. Just because.

Designer Gretchen Jones' collection called Rose of Cimarron, entales beautiful workmanship in the production of silks, velvets and soft cottons.

All fabrics are dyed with natural processes, and garments are designed with a focus on lifelong love, never to be thrown away, disposition of ownership.

Cloth Fabric

2011-01-17T14:52:00.006+10:00

Cloth Fabric, Sydney, incorporates original fabric prints (on materials such as hemp, linen, organic cotton, and jute) with recycled second hand furniture to produce Australian themed homewares that are both limited run and locally hand made.

Julie Paterson designs all fabrics in her studio in Surry Hills, then hands the designs onto local crafts-people to finish the printing process. All fabrics are available to purchase via stockists Australia wide, or you can visit their studio to have your own peice of bespoke furniture made especially.

ellecante

2011-01-14T08:27:00.006+10:00

It is so fantastic to see a plethora of online stores popping up offering environmentally sustainable fashion in all of it's modern glory. I was particularly impressed when I came across European based e-shop ellecante which offers products made from natural fabrics like silk, linen, hemp, wool, cotton and alpaca. The difference with this store is that the actual designs are technically a step above your average fashion boutique, with the highest quality styling and sophistication in which consumers are drawn to in the high end fashion market.

The online store supports designers with ethical and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes and whenever possible certified organic fibres.

I am particularly partial to the works of designers Fee Heartfelt, and Lana Naturalwear.

Cute Shorts

2010-12-16T08:13:00.001+10:00

Just a quick bit of self promotion!!!

We have made a limited run of these cute shorts for summer. 100% cotton and made in Australia.

Available now from our online store.

Blue Bell Shorts $75

Rose Shorts $75

Another good reason to shop local

2010-12-01T06:47:00.012+10:00

David Attenborough: Death of the Ocean, was screened last night on SBS. Although I regrettably only caught the last half of the doco, I was saddened to sea the chapter on whale communication and the ever-growing problems of container ships.

In one case study in the North Atlantic, not only were the humpback whales in the area being scarred on their bodies from being hit by these massive container ships, but the noise pollution (caused by the vessels) is being thought to hinder the culture and communication of the whales. The unique sound waves vocalised by the whale community allow them to detect objects and organisms by sonar. With constant interruption from container ships overhead and around them, their calls are being dulled down and even washed out completely. Scientists are fearful that this noise pollution will eventually have detrimental effects on whales all over our globe.

Hence, another good reason to buy local. Apart from wasting fuel and neglecting to support our local economies, buying products that have been shipped from one side of the world to the other, is disturbingly destructive.

Will you be buying locally made products this Christmas?

Blue whale photographed off the bow of a ship in the Santa Barbara Channel during an aerial survey conducted by staff of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
Photo Credit: Julie Helmers, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.

From War to Peace

2010-11-17T08:28:00.007+10:00

Californian Entrepreneur Paul Ogren is the kinda guy that you might have spotted in a peace activating hippy loving commune in the 1960's. As well as being a student of history, Paul has spent his life pondering and protesting upon why humans retain the futile need to wage war upon their own kind virtually non-stop.

Paul's great concern for the self destruction of the human race, has brought about his project "From War to Peace" in which he has incorporated artistry and recycling in it's most fascinating form. After the disarmament treaties led to the dismantlement of missile solos throughout the midwest in the US, Paul and his late wife had the copper cabling connecting those silos pulled from the earth, ground into copper chop, and made into butter smooth alloy they call Peace Bronze.

The next step in this intriguing project has been to create jewellery revolved around the international symbols of peace including Asian, Jewish, and Islamic recognised formations.

The cabling from disarmed nuclear missiles is cut down into raw copper chop

Then turned into peace bronze and made into jewellery

As part of their commitment to making the world a safer place, these guys also donate 20% of all profits to deserving peace and social justice organisations worldwide.

Not only do I find this particular company hard to get my head around due to it's crazy ingenuity, I am incredibly touched by the transformation of a single metal from something so destructive, into a beautiful sign of what we can all hope for the future.

Only Hearts Organic

2010-11-12T08:16:00.005+10:00

A message to all of our friends in NY...

You are invited to the new offering of sustainable style at Kaight Boutique Brooklyn. Only Hearts Organic is a collection of playful inner outerwear that is ultra soft on your skin and gentle on the planet too.

Saturday 13th - Sunday 14th November.

Kaight. 382 Atlantic Ave. Brooklyn, NY, 718.858.4737

Light refreshments, gift with purchase, raffle & giveaway prizes included.

Summer 2010

2010-10-20T07:53:00.006+10:00

Sorry I have been away so long! Things have been busy with the new shop, and we are very frantically working on getting all of our beautiful Mother Maria Summer Collection out to our stockists.

We have just finished sewing up a whole bunch of these gorgeous organic cotton tops. Aren't they just lovely?!!! I am so please that we can buy Organic Cotton Jersey knitted right here in Australia. Unfortunately we still do not grow organic cotton in Australia so most of the fibre is imported from India (well done India) but hopefully we will have an industry here one day so there is no need for shipping.

You can purchase this top here. ($99 AU)

READ

2010-10-02T07:49:00.001+10:00

Anyone who is a fan of making something out of nothing will love this book. Mark & Sally Bailey show us how to literally take old junk that we might find in the backyard, at an opshop, or at the tip, and turn them into art, furniture, and practical pieces that can be used about the house. The book is divided into chapters focusing on each room, as well as tips for decorating including tones & texture, lighting, and display.

Using recycled furniture around you home is not only great for our environment, but it is a stunning and forward thinking way to go about styling your house.

$49.95 (@ Dymocks)

Green Shows - NY fashion Week.

2010-09-16T07:45:00.005+10:00

"The Green Shows" at New York Fashion week, are a selection of collections hand chosen by organisers that display eco-friendly, ethically sound, and fair trade characteristics in their nature.

During this weeks Spring shows, 10 designers were given the opportunity to display their entire collections to an audience of influential editors, buyers and fashion VIP's.

After previewing the beautiful works including Bright Young Things, Dress Reform, and Samantha Pleet, I was especially attracted to the label, Auralis'. This collection to me was the most suitable for casual wearability, and was strongly influenced by the designers Puerto Ricon roots.

All garments made from Recycled hemp, organic cotton, soy jersey, and peace silk. Just gorgeous!

Photo's courtesy of Ecouterre.

SHOP

2010-09-13T21:19:00.002+10:00

Well it is official. The Mother Maria Boutique & Studio has opened it's doors to the world and awaits a visit from you!

If you can't make it in person (we are at 4-6 Main St. Palmwoods, QLD) here are a few pics to let you spy on our little den of creativity....

Collectorama

2010-09-05T07:17:00.002+10:00

Yesterday I went to the bi-annual Collectorama Fare in Nambour. This place was seriously overwhelming. These photo's do not show the magnitude of the stalls at the fare, but if you can imagine 2 pavillions, and a 2 story building full of market stalls all selling antiques, you kind of get the picture.

Honestly, I wish I could go back in time to yesterday morning and start over, because I am now kicking myself thinking about all the beautiful things I didn't buy!

TOMS one for one

2010-08-29T07:53:00.006+10:00

In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One.

Very shortly the TOMS shoe company will record their one millionth pair of shoes given to a child in need. What an amazing achievement!

TOMS shoes incorporate all natural materials in their production such as cotton and have a line of vegan-friendly footwear which bar all animal products in their content.

Ashley Watson

2010-08-29T07:18:00.004+10:00

We love recycling, and so does Ashley Watson. The Vancouver based designer applies her master craftsman skills into remodelling old leather jackets found at thrift stores, into these beautiful handbags, wallets, and accessories.

Most of the pieces are one-of-a-kind designs, incorporating features such as pockets and seams into each individual wallet or bag.

It's amazing how much leather is thrown away or given to charity shops just because the style of the piece is out of fashion.

In my opinion a material which deserves much more respect. The ethically nurturing characteristic of Ashley's work is truly an admirable credit to her successful label.

K.I.Y. (knit it yourself)

2010-08-25T08:58:00.006+10:00

While in NZ I stumbled across these great K.I.Y. kits by knitwear designer Nikki Gabrielle. Now whilst Nikki's knitwear designs are truly drool worthy for any wardrobe, she has also adapted a "you can do it too" approach to her work by releasing 2 construction kits showing you exactly how you can knit yourself a beautiful non-grannyfied garment in the comfort of your own loungeroom. Nikki also offers hand made ebony knitting needles, as well as bespoke alpaca and wool yarn.

I'll be stocking bits and pieces of Nikki's kits in my shop, but if you can't make it to grab yourself one, you can also buy them online here.

Back from NZ

2010-08-17T06:58:00.002+10:00

Hello! After a well deserved break I am back from the beautiful south of NZ. A highlight of my trip was spending a day at the amazing Milford Sound. If you are ever in the region, be sure to take a tour of the Fiord as it was one of the most spectacular natural wonders I have ever seen.

Check out these duckies diving in the lake...cute!

On my return I was so please to find that we have been mentioned in 2 fantastic blogs. 'Miles of Style' which you can check out here and also 'Happiness is' who's link is here.

Thank you for such nice compliments and comments everyone!

More updates from the new shop coming very soon... I am almost finished painting (about time!)

A New Beginning

2010-08-02T08:02:00.001+10:00

After being in business with my clothing label for over 5 years now, I have decided to take a leap of faith, and feed a pipe dream that has been brewing inside for quite sometime.

Last week I signed a lease on a little shop in a country town called Palmwoods on the Sunshine Coast in Qld. This is to be my new studio and concept shop.

I'll be working from there from now on, creating lovely things, as well as running workshops to teach others how to create for themselves. I am loving the idea of teaching people how to make their own clothes, crafts, and other bits and pieces in a time when the economy is at it's worst, and many can't afford the little luxuries in life that they most certainly deserve.

So without further adieu, here are some photo's of the refurbishing we have done in the past few days. A work in progress, but slowly getting there!

We'll be having a wonderful opening night when things get up and running, so if you would like to attend, please comment below or contact me, and I will send you an invitation to join us!

TUESDAY...

FRIDAY... (carpet out, fresh paint all round!)

Nga Waiata

2010-07-29T07:37:00.011+10:00

Two Natural Forces fused into One. These fantastic contemporary rings are made using raw sustain-ably mined crystals set on hard recycled native New Zealand and Australian woods.

Drawing people to the crystal that is right for them, the collection includes Citrine, Amethyst, Fluorite, and Rose Quartz. Each ring is completely handmade and unique by New Zealand artist Nga Waiata whose cool symplistic design lines can be seen right through the Georgian inspired jewellery collection.

"I love the weight of the crystal and the warmth of the wood" says Nga Waiata "each piece is like wearing a mini sculpture"

Read more about the work of Nga Waiata here.

Our lucky winners...

2010-07-25T10:39:00.003+10:00

Congratulations to the winners of out competition held last week sponsored by the amazing Australian label Tightology!

We will be sending out prizes in the mail this week, so if you have won, and haven't yet emailed your address to us please contact us now.

Winners are:
Kaylene Smith
Diane Creber Gowans

Nina O'brien

Carlie Burt

Amanda Rootsey

Stay tuned for the August edition of www.mylookbook.com.au which will feature Tightology in the Green Love pages.

WIN Tightolgy

2010-07-13T08:51:00.007+10:00

As promised, over the next week we will be giving away several pairs of Tightology tights worth $39/pair. All you need to do is:

1. Become a fan or follower (so we can contact you if you win)
2. Vote (to the right) which Tightology design you like the best!
Every day starting Friday we will choose one lucky winner to receive a beautiful pair of leggings to warm up their chilly Winter pegs!

Below are the designs in which to vote for.... Fan or follow us, vote, and good luck!

1.Botanica

2.Geo

3. Minimal

4. Nocturnal

5. Bloom

Don't forget, if you just can't wait, you can purchase your own pair of Tightology tights here, or go here to find a stockist near you.

Tightology

2010-07-10T11:22:00.000+10:00

With a background in graphic design, Vera Havari began Tightology in 2009, to satisfy a personal desire for a unique pair of tights that are good for your legs, good for the environment, and good to look at.

Wholly designed and manufactured in Melbourne Australia, Tightology's range is made from knitted organic cotton, adorned with packaging that is modestly created using 100% recycled stock with soy and vegetable ink printing.

Warm, comfortable and most of all stylish, this delicately beautiful legwear is the perfect accessory to brighten up any winter outfit.

To win your own pair of Tightology tights, stay tuned for our Tightology promotion coming next week in conjuction with www.mylookbook.com.au

If you just can't wait, go to www.tightology.com.au now, to find a stockists near you...

Lav and Kush

2010-07-08T07:40:00.010+10:00

Using a mix of bamboo/organic cotton blends, Modal and Tencel jersey, Organic cotton voile, Silk, Linen and Merino wool, Canadian clothing company, Lav and Kush, tag their luxurious collections as the 'flirt of sustainable fashion'.

Designed and produced in Vancouver, B.C., Lav and Kush collections are feminine, and classic, with a key mission of providing polished sustainable fashion to the wardrobe of the elegant urban woman.

Designer Angela Saxena also likes to periodically partner with non profit organisations such as the David Suzuki Foundation, PETA and imagine1day.org.
"We will not claim that we are saving the earth, but we can try. A little bit at a time."
You can find their beautiful garments here.

and the winner is...

2010-07-01T17:10:00.003+10:00

Congratulations Thouraya Battye of Sydney! You have won our Organic Amour Dress for the month of June.
Please contact us to claim your prize.... (o:
Thank you to everyone who joined our blog to enter. We will be holding more competitions in the future, so please come and check back soon! ♥

Finder Keepers

2010-06-30T07:48:00.004+10:00

Thank you to everyone who came to visit us at the Brisbane Finders Keepers on the weekend. The market was such a huge success, and we thoroughly enjoyed getting the chance to meet some of our loyal customers!

Become a Facebook Fan or Follower and WIN!

2010-06-22T07:40:00.009+10:00

Become a Facebook Fan or Follower (over in our right hand column) before June 30, and go into the draw to win a Mother Maria Organic Cotton Amour Dress!
Draw will be held July 1st, and all current fans/followers will be included.

Mother Maria Organic Cotton Amour Dress (also available in black) $119.00

Finders Keepers

2010-06-21T14:16:00.007+10:00

If you are in Brisbane Australia this weekend, do not, I repeat, do not miss the Finders Keepers market at the Old Museum! Only held bi-annually, this is the ultimate place to find all things hand-made with LOVE. Read more about the Finders Keepers markets here.

See you there!

Jessrizzuti

2010-06-15T12:15:00.016+10:00

Handbags made of cork... I didn't really know much about this material and it's sustainability creds, so the good people at Shout Social were happy to fill me in on the stats...

These lovely handbags and accessories by emerging designer Jess Rizzuti are made in Europe from real wood cork sealed to a cotton backer with a water based glue. The reason cork is so sustainable is because it is made from the outer layer of the bark from Cork Oak Trees without the need to cut down the tree or harm the tree in any way. Cork tree's live for around 200 years, and the bark sheds around every 9-10 years making the material very renewable without damaging it's source.

Apart from being very cleverly designed and of course a wonderful addition to the slow fashion movement, these bags are justified eye candy, clearly making their mark in sustainable aesthetics on the New York Fashion Scene.

Available from Farasha Boutique.

Sweat Shop

2010-06-02T07:09:00.000+10:00

Not the first of it's kind, but alas a great concept, Sweat Shop Paris is alikened to an internet cafe, sewing machines in place of the usual 10 or so pc's available for hire by the hour.
Parisian customers can drop in for a cup of nice herbal tea, whilst reconnecting to the hands-on feel of making garments from scratch. The ladies that run "Sweatshop" also hold regular classes, enabling folks to learn the craft of sewing and knitting.
I love that a dying trade is being re-born in places such as this. You can find a similar concept store in Melbourne at the aptly named "Thread Den".

Sweat Shop, Paris

Thread Den, Melbourne

Moth Love

2010-05-18T08:03:00.006+10:00

Designer Gretchen Jones' creates 'collections that beg to be worn and fallen in love with...'

Minimalist, modern, and sustainable are 3 key traits to the MothLove lines in which almost all fabrics are environmentally conscious. Using organic cottons, silks, bamboo and soy blends, MothLove's fabrics also boast natural dying processes....Moth Love, we love.

cute cute cute

2010-05-17T15:37:00.004+10:00

Just so cute. I got these little cards yesterday from my friend Mandy at Veganera. I also bought an organic bamboo t-shirt. Now I don't usually buy myself much, but these little bits and pieces were just too hard to resist...

Common Threads

2010-05-09T07:43:00.004+10:00

Common threads helps orphans in Africa to help themselves through their schooling. The children design a picture, it gets printed onto a shirt, you buy it, then it feeds an orphan for 1 month... plus each orphan artist (in addition to being fed) receives a school uniform, clothes, and school supplies for the year...Brilliant!

Tabs on this

2010-04-29T06:43:00.005+10:00

'Wow, what a great glomesh' bag I hear you say. But nope, this bag is not glomesh, it's made of recycled pull tabs! It's a bit hard for me to focus on where the pull tabs start, where they stop, and how the * they are all joined together like that, but my goodness, it sure is cute!

You can find this bag and more at the ecoist , a handbag store full of recycled fun things.

Smart Glass

2010-04-21T07:27:00.001+10:00

Not every Coke bottle get recycled back into another Coke bottle these days...
Smart Glass takes glass from things like bottles and old salad bowls, and re-blows them into wearable and very stylish pieces of jewellery.

We love their coke bottle earrings and their wine bottle bangles. Just adorable!

Cash Crop

2010-04-12T12:46:00.003+10:00

Now here's one for the boys.

"Promoting Awareness", is the Fall / Winter 2010 collection by LA based Cash Crop Clothing. Using the best organic and recycled textiles to deliver superb clothing, this label focuses on cut and quality.

Cash crop uses materials such as organic cotton, and even recycled plastic to create innovative garments unlike any others.

Steering away from logo blasted clothing, cash crop's very stylish staple pieces will remain timeless in any mans wardrobe.

Rittenhouse x Husmann/Tschaeni

2010-04-10T06:36:00.003+10:00

The new collection from Sydney label Rittenhouse is decidedly AMAZING. Collaborating with Swiss husband/wife artistic duo Michael Husmann and Pascale Mira Tschaeni, the team at Rittenhouse creates a beautifully detailed embroidered and printed collection, taking the artists work from easel directly to fabric garments.

Sally Mcdonald and Micah Hamdorf, the husband and wife creators of Rittenhouse , have developed a clothing label in Australia which blends simplistic design with casual elegance, in several seasons of clothing which will remain timeless throughout the life of ones wardrobe.

I am honestly stumped for words on the detail, quality, and workmanship of this collection, so I will just let the pictures do the talking....

Vegan Living

2010-03-26T14:24:00.001+10:00

I just had the pleasure of having lunch with beautiful Amanda of Veganera . It is so wonderful connecting with people who are passionate about the health of the planet.

While I make a conscious effort everyday to try and minimise the impact my work has on the planet, I sometimes forget to take time to care for myself ('put yourself on your to do list' as Oprah would say!). Hearing about living a vegan life is really eye opening, for it's health benefits and also for the environment around us.

Now I am not saying I am ready just yet to give up my double cream Jindi Brie, but it's worth a thought to minimise all of our meat and dairy intake, if not only for the sake of ourselves, but for the animals in which we take from.

Anyway, you can learn much more about it all on the veganera website. Amanda and her partner Dave also have a gorgeous range of t-shirts for sale here . Organic Bamboo, and ever so sweet!

Study by Tara St. James

2010-03-17T07:49:00.003+10:00

Zero waste patterns. Brilliant. What this basically means is creating garments from square shapes of fabric so there is nothing thrown away when cutting curves and smaller pattern pieces.

Not only are these clever designs by Tara St. James zero waste, but they are all made from organic cotton, silk and recycled polyester ultra-suede.

Check out the square project here.

Spoonflower

2010-03-13T17:43:00.000+10:00

For all of you budding artists out there... here is a new way to get your art seen and appreciated. Spoonflower is a US company which provides on demand fabric printing using eco friendly methods on premium natural fabrics.

All that is required is a little knowledge in Illustrator or Photoshop, and a bit of imagination... The best part about it all is that once you upload your artwork, you have the choice to make it public. If anyone there after orders fabric to be printed with your design on it, Spoonflower will pay you a 10% royalty on the sale. Sweet!

Pop Love

2010-03-12T08:16:00.001+10:00

Based in Tel Aviv, Isreal, these clever chickens have jumped on the recycle train and created 'pop love designs ', an eclectic mix of creative cleverness, including up-cycled dresses and jackets, and hand printed shirts and pants.

Valentino: The Last Emperor

2010-03-10T07:19:00.003+10:00

During watching this film last night, I longed to be born 70 years ago. To live through an era where clothing (among other products) were made by hand, made with precision, and built to last. The film is a brief glimpse into the life of Valentino and his partner Giancarlo Giammetti and their bittersweet decision to retire after the dramatic sale of their business to a private equity firm.

Valentino's story was a classic rags to riches tale of a man who started with nothing and created a global following. I was in awe of the pure genious of his work, and the dedication of his staff to sew every dress created in his entire career by hand. Mentioned in the film is the fact that they purchased a sewing machine once, but never used it!
A retrospective celebration of his 45 years in the industry displayed hundreds of his creations, which still existed on racks decades later. A far cry from the mass produced clothing industry of today in which anything is accessible, and in turn just as disposable.

I was so saddened to see that even such a great creator and artisan was eventually taken advantage of by greedy business moguls eager to make their bottom dollar bigger. 'The world is very different today' Valentino reminisces, and hints at the fact that there is no place for people like him anymore. Such a magnificent tale, but one also of tragedy as it focuses on what is really important to people in the 21st century, which is wealth brought about by mass production and marketing.

The production rooms of Valentino, where everything is sewn by hand with needle and thread!

'Eco' and 'Ethical' - What does it all mean??

2010-03-09T07:35:00.006+10:00

I've had alot of students contact me lately because they are doing assignments on this and they are completely confused!
I'd like to make clear what these terms mean to me. If you have any other opinions on what they mean to you, we'd love to hear your comments in the box below.

The word 'eco' is short for ecology. Ecology is the study of the interactions between organisms and their environment.
Therefore 'eco' friendly (or 'ecology friendly') is a term to refer to goods and services considered to inflict minimal or no harm on the environment.

There is really no such thing as a 100% eco friendly piece of clothing. This is because all clothing takes water (to grow the fibre which makes the fabric) and energy (to make the fabric and the garment).
When we talk about eco friendly clothing, we are talking about those companies which make it a point to minimise this damage by using fibres not grown or produced with damaging chemicals, and fabrics not coloured with harsh dyes and paints.

'Ethical' clothing to me refers to something very different. Ethical clothing is about treating to people who made the fabric or the garment with respect. This means fair pay, safe working conditions, a right to choose working hours, and a total ban on child labour.

So 'Eco' friendly clothing might mean:
-Clothing made of fibres such as organic cotton and hemp.
-Clothing that has been organically dyed with vegetables.
-Fabrics that use small amounts of precious water to grow, such as hemp and bamboo.

And 'Ethical' clothing might mean:
-Clothing that has a fair trade registration (they might show this on their swing tag) which means the people who sewed it have been paid fairly.

-Please remember, PEOPLE sew clothing on sewing machines, not just the sewing machines themselves.

African Goodness

2010-02-27T11:10:00.002+10:00

On a recent trip to Bangkok, I was very inspired by the way the young local designers were using vintage dresses to create their own quirky new pieces to sell at the markets. They would chop, hem, elasticised and re-style these old 1960's garments to create something for the modern woman.
This is something I used to do myself many years ago, and actually how my clothing label Mother Maria started. On browsing the internet I found many designers taking up this approach to re-styling vintage, mostly with the same outcomes in mind.
Then I came across a label that was re-structuring vintage in it's own unique, amazing way...
Suno , is a NY based label that takes vintage African Kanga's traditionally worn by coastal East African Women, and re-structures them into very cool modern garments. Their vision of employing local Kenyan talent showcases Kenya's traditional artistry, creating positive and lasting economic and social change for the country.
We just love their beautiful ranges, and adore their creative showcase films!

Choo Yilin

2010-02-03T06:31:00.002+10:00

Choo Yilin Artisan Jewellery is a fine example of a company which has set out to first and fore-mostly nature the craftsmen which make it's pieces. Choo Yilin works with the hill tribe artisans in northern Thailand and by doing so, the label helps sustain a centuries-old culture which would otherwise be in danger of dying out. The effects of modernity see many young tribesmen leave their villages for the cities to seek employment. The renewed demand for their hand-forged silver provides the tribesmen with a form of employment that allows them the choice to continue with their traditional way of life.

The label has since expanded its sustainability outreach to using eco-friendly, reclaimed precious metals, and sustainably sourced gemstones that include the avoidance of conflict free diamonds. In addition, it helps support and raise awareness of traditionally marginalised groups like the hill tribe people and the environmental destruction caused by the use of certain types of material like coral.

The label is also about making jewellery the old artisanal way, where almost everything was hand forged and crafted, and took days and weeks to make, instead of minutes or hours. It is about paying homage to traditional methods in the modern world of the mass market.

It is about applauding life in all its imperfect beauty. For that reason, the label’s designs are always organic and asymmetrical, with a preference of included gemstones and textured metals; a far cry of the high-polish and symmetry that has dictated high-end jewellery for so long.

Curious Oyster

2010-01-27T08:12:00.004+10:00

The fantastic concept of the Curious Oyster Shoppe in St. Kilda is spreading it's wings this week and opening a new store at 776 High St. Thornbury.

Included in their new range are selected pieces by us (Mother Maria ), along with lots of beautiful hand made arts and crafts, organic supplies, eco, sustainable, recycled or upcycled goodies by labels such as Naomi Matsuda Lingerie, Rummage Style and Owl&Fox.

I cannot wait to check out their gorgeous new store next time I'm in Melbourne!

Gorgeous Girls

2010-01-11T18:03:00.003+10:00

Today I thought I would blog about the ladies who inspire me...

A New Year

2010-01-06T12:00:00.000+10:00

Hoping everyone had a wonderful Christmas and great party season! Unfortunately for most of us, it is back to work for another year which can be a little depressing. I managed to pep myself up today by having a browse on the net at all of the magical things other crafters and designers have been getting up to. A few inspiring bits and pieces I found are ...

Chakrapennywhistle 's beautiful hand printed pillow covers. I could really do with a few of these around my house!

Naninoo boutique, where each style is carefully designed and handmade by British designer Nadia Izruna.

I'm a little bit in love with this adorable necklace from the talented jewellers of Filou Designs. All pieces are handcrafted in Vancouver, Canada with solid sterling silver. Now I know Christmas is over, but one more little gift wouldn't be too much to ask would it?

Green Bowerbird

2009-12-11T07:58:00.000+10:00

Just opened is the gorgeous store, Green Bowerbird. With an eclectic selection of clothing, jewellery, bags and shoes, founder Veronica Rustica beleives in supporting young local talent. Most items available at the store are one off's and hand made with love.

Labels available include Dames & Divas, Rejenerate, Ashley Watson, pinchandspoon, Sparrow Salvage, and Mother Maria.

Kelsey Genna

2009-12-03T13:35:00.000+10:00

Whilst having a lazy moment drinking hot chocolate and searching the net for inspiration, I came accross Kelsey Genna 's beautiful creations.

Kelsey is an 18 year old fashion student from New Zealand, and each of her pieces are hand made from a mix of exquisite fabrics and embellishments. She has her own online store , and most of her garments are priced under $100.

Beautiful work Kelsey.

Studio

2009-11-27T08:46:00.001+10:00

Hi there, thanks for all who read and had a think about my last post!

To answer some of the emails I have received...
Someone asked if I have my clothing made in Indonesia. Yes, some of it is made in Bali, and some in Australia. The reason for this is that some of the styles I create unfortunately can't be made in Australia as the workmanship in things like embroidery and beading is so skilled, that we have not been able to find anyone in Australia that can do it!

Many village girls in Bali grow up doing these crafts, and are experts at their handywork. The clothing we produce in Bali is always made under happy working conditions, and fair pay.

Some of our clothing is made right here in our office! I have been working on some cute little vintage fabric numbers over the past couple of weeks to top up our boutiques in time for the Christmas holidays! You'll be able to find these little undies and skirts on our website very soon, or in your local Mother Maria stockist.

Here are some piccy's of my work space and my work...

The trusty old Bernina

Vintage fabric bloomers and skirts

Have a great weekend!

Eco Fashion - How high is the price?

2009-10-30T10:54:00.000+10:00

I've been asked quite alot lately why many of the eco friendly fashion labels in Australia are quite expensive to buy. I am often posed with the question, "why would I buy this organic cotton t-shirt for $80 when I can go to "(insert big department store)" and buy the same thing for $20?"

Well, the answer isn't as simple as it seems, nor is it what most consumers would like to hear.

I have always been quite abashed that people would rather buy their goods as cheap as possible to save their own back pockets, rather than loking into where things have come from, and considered what making this thing cheaply might have done to someone elses life.

Environmentally and Ethically conscious clothing, craft, food, and homeware companies try to avoid several common cancers in their production.

1. Slave labour. Yes we've all heard the term, but what does it really mean? In many countries today children are kidnapped by trafficers, and sold to businesses in back streets of major cities. These young girls and boys are then forced to work as prostitutes, machinists, handicraft workers and other such positions, with very little or no pay. Often these children are told that they will be beaten if they try to leave, and are forced to stay working in these businesses for many years with no food, bed, or sense of well being.

This is how us westerners can buy t-shirts from our local stores for as little as $5. If the store bought it from a wholesaler for half that price, and the wholesaler bought it from the manufacturer at half that price again, and the manufacturer still made a profit, what exactly did the person who physically made the garment get paid? Makes you wonder....

OK, so you paid $150 for that organic jersey dress. After the retailer bought it from the wholesaler and added their 100%, and the wholesaler bought it from the manufacturer and added their 100%, you would hope that the farmer who made the cotton and the machinist who sewed it got a little piece of the pie. And when you do the maths, it still isn't much.

2. Quality of Fabric.

Organic - As it is much more time consuming for a farmer to grow things organically, this brings the price of the fibre up a little bit. They need to work on methods to keep pests off their crops instead of flying overhead in a plane and spraying pesticides. Also, farmers who grow organically often cannot produce or sell in bulk as it is very difficult to find large area's of certified organic soil. Many chemicals leak in from nearby properties and estates deeming the land unusable for organic growing.

Recycled - Thank goodness many of us think to give our unwanted clothing to op shops! Unfortunately some of us do not. People have a terrible habit of throwing things that they don't want into the garbage bin instead of thinking of where else it might be used. Quality recycled materials are getting harder and harder to find, and the people (like me!) using them spend alot of time sourcing out the best stuff to make wonderful garments for you to wear!

Other Sustainable Fibres such as Bamboo and Hemp - As these fibres are not farmed very widely, they are not as easy to buy in bulk, therefore are more "boutique", driving the raw price up from more common fibres such as cotton. Bamboo and Hemp also have to go through many expensive processes to make them soft enough to be made into fabric.

3. Made in Australia. This one is pretty easy. A dress might take 3 hours to make. You probably pay someone in Australia $20 - $25 an hour to sew. You probably pay someone in China $2 an hour to sew. Which equals a massive difference in the shelf price of an item.

You can ponder as much as you like about companies like Bonds taking their manufacturing offshore, but would you be willing to spend the extra $10 or so to buy a pair of their undies if they were made in Australia? Hmmm, tough one isn't it?

Pinch and Spoon

2009-10-09T06:38:00.000+10:00

I am loving the beatuiful creations of the talented people at Pinch and Spoon.

Made from recycled garments, these head and neckpieces are just adorable.

Soy Undies!

2009-09-17T10:02:00.001+10:00

Yes it's true. Underwear made from soy beans. What will us brilliant humans think of next?!!

The very cheekily named Miami-based Uranus Apparel is a new eco-friendly company that has just launched its line of soy underwear for women. Soy is a fantastic alternative fabric choice because it is manufactured from the by-products of soy food production like tofu and soybean oil. This process uses materials that would otherwise be considered waste, thus "closing the loop" on soy. Besides contributing to a more sustainable planet, soy fabric is also extremely soft and comfortable, often being compared to silk or cashmere. It is also more durable and dries more quickly than cotton.

Mercedes Benz Fashion Festival

2009-08-29T07:43:00.000+10:00

We are really proud to announce that our show on Tuesday at the 2009 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week was a great success.

Displaying our new High End Transeasonal Collection entitled "Moonshine" we wowed the crowds with our cute yellow numbers pieced together from recycled cottons mixed with beautiful silk dupion, and floaty dresses layered with metres and metres of silk frilled hemming.

The show attracted worldwide media attention with press coverage being found as far as Seattle, USA!

The Moonshine Collection will be available for special order online very shortly. As all dresses are quite tricky to sew together (there are litterally hundreds of pieces of recyled fabric in the dress pictured above!) we will be making garments to order for anyone who would like one of these limited edition dresses.

Great for that special occassion such as a formal or simply just to treat yourself!

Please take a moment to view our parade at:
http://mbff.com.au/gallery/mothermaria/Gallery.html

White Moon Rising

2009-06-04T07:51:00.000+10:00

I can't help myself when it comes to Sydney Label, "lover" .

The elegance, innocence, and just plain prettiness of their garments sometimes overwhelms me with the urge to blow my savings account and invest in all of their ranges. I am literally in awe of their genius. Their SS2009 range entitled 'White Moon Rising' is now available to view on their website.

2009-05-26T07:26:00.000+10:00

Finally we have our online shop all up to date and running smoothly! Check out our new range entitled 'little bow peep' for lovely little dresses such as this one.

Winter Woolies

2009-05-25T17:19:00.001+10:00

Yum, wouldn't you like to get into this and never take it off? It's Bassike's Wool Panelled Dress from their new Winter 2009 range. Bassike is yet another Aussie label with amazingly beautiful eco friendly garments. A girl can only dream...

Cute Buttons

2009-05-22T15:33:00.000+10:00

Aren't these buttons just the cutest? They are made from recycled bottles and are hand crafted by a very talented architect called gulguvenc from Ankara. I'd like to put these on all of my designs!

Mercedes Benz Fashion Festival

2009-05-19T15:36:00.000+10:00

I've just applied to show my summer collection at Mercedes Benz Fashion Festival again in Brisbane this year. It's always a really exciting event. Above is a pic of my parade last year. Now to choose what garments to actually show on the catwalk. I'm even considering doing a few one offs made entirely of recycled materials. That could be fun!

Fashion loves Art

2009-05-16T11:33:00.000+10:00

I can't stop looking at this beautiful piece of art Beci Orpin made to interpret Lisa Gorman's take on fashion. Beci made it by cutting up small hexagons from pieces of scrap paper around Lisa's office. The canvas was auctioned on ebay for beyondblue.org and I am very jealous of the person who was the highest bidder!

WINTER 2009

2009-05-16T10:48:00.000+10:00

I've been away from this blog for a long while, but thought it might be nice to start up again. Things are going great for my label Mother Maria and we've just had our new range delivered to shops entitled 'Little Bow Peep' for Winter 2009. Styles are on our website www.mothermaria.com.au if you'd like a little look!

What is the Greenhouse Effect?

2007-07-03T08:56:00.000+10:00

The greenhouse effect occurs naturally where some of the radiant energy from the sun after reaching the Earth's surface is not re radiated back into space but is absorbed by gases in the atmosphere. The atmosphere traps heat fro the sun in a similar way as the g;as in a greenhouse does, hence the name "Greenhouse Effect". Due to human activity such as burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) and deforestation over the last 250 years, the concentration of certain gases has increased in the atmosphere that has resulted in an "enhanced" greenhouse effect.

So what are we worried about?

-Average surface temperatures have increased by at least 0.6 degrees celcius since 1861.

-Furthermore, 7 years in the last decade have been the warmest years ever recorded.

What are the predicted effects?
Global warming scientists predict that temperatures will rise between 1.4 and 5.8 degrees C, sea levels will increase by 2 - 6cm by 2100, there will be an increase in health related problems, more extreme weather events, and there will be changes in rainfall patterns affecting our current food producing areas (we are already seeing this in Australia)

What has all this got to do with fashion?

-The fashion industry is a major contributor to global warming.

-Massive amounts of water and pesticides are used to produce the fibres we wear.

-Oil is needed to produce man made fibres, and most synthetic fibres are oil based.
-Oil is burnt to transport clothing from one country to another.

-And when we are done with our clothes, they end up in landfill sites across the world.

So how can we help to change the fashion industry?

Buy fashion that supports one of the following key elements:

1. Fashion which is made locally
2. Fashion which uses recycled fabrics

3. Fashion which uses organic fibres such as cotton grown without pesticides
4. Fashion which is made from water saving fabrics such as Bamboo

5. Fashion which uses natural dyes such as vegetable dye

Where can I find this fashion?

Do your research, there are so many eco friendly labels on the market now, all you have to do is Google! We will be listing more links to eco friendly fashion labels as this blog progresses.

Welcome

2007-06-22T19:27:00.000+10:00

Hi, and welcome to Eco Friendly Fashion. This site is designed to link boutiques and consumers to eco friendly fashion labels throughout the world, and to promote designers who are building their businesses with conscience.

We believe that that fashion industry is really dragging it's tail confronting issues of global warming.

Some Fashion industry facts:

- The fashion industry is the second largest user of water in the world, behind the agriculture industry. Fresh water is becoming a rare commodity, and in drought stricken areas such as Australia, the lack of clean water in the future could lead to detrimental effects on our communities and wildlife.

- Over 90 million items of clothing end up in land fill sites globally each year. Landfill is slowly polluting the earth, not to mention the deadly methane gases that are extruded from landfill sites which contribute to higher levels of carbon in our atmosphere.

- 150 grams of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals are used to produce the cotton for just one t-shirt. The pesticides that farmers use to protect textiles as they grow can harm wildlife, contaminate other products and get into the food we eat.