Second hand clothing turned in to art

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Esther Freeman

US artist, Derick Melander, has created a stunning sculpture from neatly folded second hand clothing. The art work raises interesting questions about affluence and consumption.

Working with a group of school children, artist Derick Melander has created an art installation from carefully folded and stacked second-hand clothing. Melander said when he come across a dress with a hand-sewn repair or a coat with a name written inside the collar, the work starts to feel like a collective portrait.

Watch the video about the project.

Read the full story at Green Stylist

Recycled beer bottles turned in to jeans

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Esther Freeman

A New York based designer is using everything from yoghurt pots and water bottles to make clothing. Now he’s launched a new range of jeans made from recycled beer bottles.

Recycled jeans from I Am Not A Virgin

Designer Peter Heron has launched I Am Not A Virgin, a new clothing line made from part-recycled materials. The collection includes jeans made from brown beer bottles.

Heron first began making jeans from fabric scraps at manufacturing mills. Then he met a senior designer from DKNY and learnt about a new fabric made from 75% cotton and 25% recycled synthetic material, which included brown beer bottles.

Heron told TheJournal.ie: “We will eventually have different lines of jeans made from green soda bottles, blue water bottles and my original idea of using fabric scraps collected at the manufacturing mills,” he said.

“We’re also making t-shirts that are made with recycled food trays, clear water bottles, discarded c-ray film and, in the future, empty yoghurt cartons.”

The name, I Am Not A Virgin, comes from the fact the material used to create the jeans is non-virgin, recycled material.

On his website, he says: “I AM NOT A VIRGIN stands for doing things and making things differently. We like to think of what we are doing as eco swag.”

Heron will be working with pattern makers and cutters from Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren. They are still working on prototypes, but the jeans are available to pre-order. For more information visit www.iamnotavirgin.com

Best charity shops – the round up

Posted on July 4, 2012 by Esther Freeman

Over the past few months we’ve been visiting towns and cities across the UK to hunt down some of the best charity shops. Here’s a round up of what we’ve found so far.

London
Emma Waight gave us the low down on Best Charity Shops in London, while Vivienne Williams went more local to tell us about the Best Charity Shops in South London.

Suffolk
Stephanie Stanhope took us to Constable Country, to tell us about the best charity shops in Suffolk. She visited a number of towns including Felixstowe and Ipswich.

Exeter
Moll Costello gave us a tour of the best charity shops in Exeter. This included a visit to Force, an award winning charity shop.

Winchester
Emma Waight gave us a second tour, this time filling us in on the best charity shops in Winchester. She took us through a range of stores, including Cancer Research, Age UK and Oxfam.

We want to hear more stories of your favourite charity shops. If you’d like to write a piece on the best in your town or city send us 300-500 words and a couple of good pictures. We offer payment to the best ones as part of our unique guest blogging scheme. To find out more about how our pay-per-view scheme works get in touch.

Bring back Dad’s* Old Shirt to art classes

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Esther Freeman

As part of our war against waste we ask why children are wearing plastic aprons in art classes. What was wrong with Dad’s* Old Shirt?

Back in the 70s and 80s, when life was perfect and climate change didn’t exist, children were asked to bring their parents’ old shirts to art class. Worn back to front and buttoned up, it was the perfect protection against flying paint and misplaced glue. Yet today these adorable hand-me-downs have been replaced by plastic bibs, often worn once and then disposed of.

When did this change happen, and why? It clearly makes no sense.

Firstly, these plastic bibs don’t cover children nearly as well. Your Dad’s Old Shirt dangled down to your knees and the sleeves would be rolled up to your wrists, allowing the arm to be fully covered.

Secondly, Your Dad’s Old Shirt didn’t cost anything. It had been used before, and would be used again, possibly several times. The plastic equivalent will often be used only once before being thrown away and new ones purchased.

In a time when we have more discarded garments than ever before it seems crazy that we’re turning to plastic for a job that could be done by second hand clothing. So we’re asking parents and teachers to ditch the plastic and bring Dad’s Old Shirt Back.

* Or other larger person such as uncle, granddad, big brother or neighbour

Photo: USAG-Humphreys

Should Wateraid be working with H&M?

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Esther Freeman

H&M announce another partnership with global poverty charity, Wateraid. Weeks earlier garment workers for the company were striking over poor pay.

H&M Hawaiian collection It’s cute. It’s very cute. But is H&M’s new Hawaiian themed collection ethical?

When you buy it 25% goes to Wateraid, a very worthwhile charity that supports some of the poorest people in the world by providing sanitation and safe water. Indeed the partnership, which has been going since 2002, has raised over £2.2 million.

However over in Cambodia, garment workers in factories that supply goods for companies, including H&M, are striking over pay. They claim they can’t earn a basic living wage, and are forced in to poverty. The very thing Wateraid are trying to eliminate.

Of course charities need to generate income, and one of the ways is to partner with corporates. But who is riding who in this situation? H&M will have certainly had more than £2.2 million worth of PR out of the deal, yet have remained fairly inactive on the issue of human rights (most of the improvements they’ve made have been environmental).

There isn’t anything wrong with corporate partnership per se. However considering the issues Wateraid deal with, and the very recent protests, there’s maybe a better choice of partners. People in the developing world may not need their help so much if H&M and others started taking a bit more responsibility towards workers in their supply chain. It’s about solving the root cause of the issue, rather than the effects.

What do you think? Are Wateraid right to partner with H&M?

Tommy Hilfiger’s Promise Collection – is it enough?

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Esther Freeman

Tommy Hilfiger’s new Promise Collection brings attention to poverty in Africa, while raising vital funds for aid work. But is a donation enough if the rest of the production line continues to exploit?

Tommy Hilfiger's Promise Collection Tommy Hilfiger has launched a 30-piece capsule collection featuring African colors, prints, and motifs. 100% of all proceeds will benefit Millennium Promise, an international non-governmental organisation that aims to “tackle the root causes of extreme poverty”.

Seeing as some of the root causes of extreme poverty are western models of consumption, it seems strange that the Hilfigier collection does aim a bit higher. For example there is no mention of the use of organic cotton or fair trade principals.

Tommy Hilfiger appeared on the scene in 1985. It now has distribution in over 90 countries and a value of $4.6 billion value, making it one of the world’s leading apparel and retail brands.

Photo and story source: Eco Salon

Vintage: how to date and spot a fake

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Esther Freeman

Worried you’re paying too much for vintage that isn’t really vintage? Don’t know the right way to care for your vintage? Now the Gathering Goddess can answer all your questions, and more.

Gathering Goddess vintage boutique

At a little boutique in West London tomorrow night, vintage lovers will be gathering to discuss hot topics, such as how to date vintage correctly, how to care for your vintage loves, and how to spot a knock off when you see one. This one night only talk will also include what vintage look is best for your shape.

The event is free and takes place on Wednesday 27th June at the Gathering Goddess Vintage Boutique, at 219 Westbourne Park Road. The event starts at 6.30pm. Nearest tube is Westbourne Park

Ethical fashion bloggers – win £200 worth of prizes

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Esther Freeman

The Style Eyes ethical fashion competition is back. This time there’s £200 worth of prizes on offer. Find out how you can get your hands on some of them.

Ethical fashion outfit competition Following the success previous competitions, the ethical fashion blogger Style Eyes (and contributor to this blog) has launched a new competition. To take part, and stand the chance of winning great ethical fashion prizes, all you have to do is post a picture of yourself on your blog wearing something ethical or sustainable. That includes anything organic, made from sustainable fabrics, fair trade, vintage, recycled or second hand. The competition is open to any ethical fashion blogger in the UK.

After you’ve posted a picture of yourself wearing your ethical outfit on your blog, include a link to www.ethicalfashionblog.com and state which aspect of your outfit is ethical. Then follow @StyleEyes and tweet me the link with the following: I’m rocking #ethicalfashion for the @StyleEyes Blogger’s Outfit Competition

The competition ends of 30th June. For more details and full terms and competition visit the Style Eyes blog.

Tell Olympics sponsors to end exploitation

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Esther Freeman

London 2012 Olympic Games sponsors, Addidas, are outed by two NGOs for human rights failures. It’s time to send them a message to say enough is enough.

War on Want have levelled sweat shop charges against Adidas, sponsor of London 2012 and the maker of the Team GB kit.

The organisation claims that factories making clothes for the brand are not paying a descent living wage, forcing workers in to long over time, and intimidation and harassment is rife.

Check out their short film about the issue, which is part of their Not Ok Here, Not Ok Anywhere campaign.

Make your voice hear by sending a message to the CEO of Adidas via the War on Want website.

Meanwhile, Labour Behind the Label are also pursuing the sporting giant for its refusal to pay Indonesian workers left jobless after their factory owner fled.

Find out more and take action today

Q&A: Inside the mind of ROOD Vintage’s Rachel

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Esther Freeman

Rachel from ROOD Vintage describes herself as an “international treasure hunter”. But hers is a vintage store with a difference. She uses her profits to run workshops, teaching disadvantage women DIY and recycling skills, improving their mental health and well-being.

What’s on your to-do list today?
I’m doing some psychology training around honing Person-Centred counselling skills today as part of a brill new venture ROOD is launching later this year. I’m also writing up some writing-up vintage dress details for a retro photo shoot I did yesterday in a record shop for the Low Down Mag. I’m meeting some fellow social entrepreneur pals for food at The Brink, Liverpool and finally drafting some 50s summer dress pattern blocks, in sizes 8 to 22 for the new round of ROOD workshops starting next week.

If your house was burning, excluding your loved ones, what would be the one thing you’d save?
Old printed photos of family and friends that couldn’t be replaced.

What about the fashion industry makes you most angry?
Photo-shopping models and celebrities in magazines and on posters, it should be banned. Also lack of originality and the suck-up culture. It’s pitiful.

Which person, living or dead, do you most admire?
My parents – they’re ballsy, stylish and have integrity.

What’s your biggest eco-sin?
As an International Treasure Hunter, it’s got to be travel. I love an adventure.

Have you ever said ‘I love you’ and not meant it?
No, I don’t play fast and loose with love.

If a genie granted you three wishes what would they be?
To avoid sounding like an American beauty pageant contestant, I won’t say world peacebut on a world scale they’d be: stop human trafficking & slavery and turning the perpetrators into slugs; magic landfill & toxic waste into safe renewable fuel; and banish cruelty to animals.

Who or what inspires you?
With me inspiration mostly comes from within and usually comes out when I’m emotionally happy and content. Triggers include laughing, sunshine, music, dancing, cake and colour.

What’s your cure for a blue monday?
Music. I get my records out and play them. Loud.

What is your proudest moment?
Recently launching ROOD vintage on my 40th with the personal well wishes of Wayne Hemingway MBE.

What trait do you most deplore in others?
Treating others with a lack of respect.

What is the most expensive item of clothing you have ever bought?
A velvet knee-length belted coat with a full skirt in French navy. It was £800-ish when I had a ‘proper job’!

What’s your most annoying habit?
Tricky, I’ve got a few. I’ve been known to get over-excited, which can be exhausting for others trying to keep up. Perfectionism, which can be exhausting for me.

What’s been your biggest fashion faux pas?
Something I can’t imagine me wearing again is halter-neck bra and hot pants from Red or Dead circa 1990/91. Oh, and they were made of knobbly matt rubber and worn at a rave. Vintage-lover as I am, I think they’ll remain very much back in their own time.

What are you going to do when you’ve finished answering these questions?
Get my skates on & go roller derby training with the Liverpool Rollerbirds.

Visit ROOD vintage at roodvintage.com for original vintage, retro and antiques. ROOD girl’s done the rummaging, so you can treasure hunt from your desktop.