USAgain presents an informative presentation on the environmental impact of the textile industry. Watch and listen as we discuss the environmental cost of producing just one T-shirt and polyester jacket. What’s one easy way to curb that environmental impact? Reuse old clothing, shop your local second-hand shops, and/or recycle your old clothes with USAgain.

For more information, visit www.usagain.com or follow them on Facebook & Twitter.

A few months ago, I met an inspirational lady, Meggie Semple.

Maggie Semple at her studio in Covent Garden, London

After an extremely successful career that granted her an OBE (a recognition of merit by the Queen), Maggie now devotes her energies to a project that is as beautifully simple as it is relevant to women of all backgrounds: Maggie Semple Limited. Its launch coincided with the publication of Semple’s book ‘Women, Fashion, Stories’, and now Maggie uses the concept behind the book to run ‘Semple Secrets’ a series of conversations with inspirational women from a diverse range of fields.

The conversations have been bringing women together to tell their fashion stories since October 2010. Starting with a special guest invited to speak, and then including members of the public, everybody is invited to share the stories surrounding a treasured item of clothing, and fond memories of wearing it.

The news for 2012 is that MSL have announced the launch of a new service, which I’m already excited about. It’s Behind the Seams, a new personalised gift service that provides a unique piece of fashion history about a treasured garment, presented in an exquisitely crafted booklet.

Behind the Seams provides a contextual account of a specific garment with details about the time of production, information about fabrics, cut, style, the designers and the inspiration, and any other information which can be discovered along the way.

Once the lucky lady has received an MSL gift voucher, she can pick the garment she’s most curious about, and send a picture of it to MSL. This is when an avid team of fashion historians and journalists will get to work. Drawing on a pool of authentic sources and experienced researchers, they will put together a whole account of the garment’s history, to be printed on a beautifully presented booklet, complete with extra pictures and illustrations. An unique and entirely custom-made service that captures the precise moment of fashion history that links to the personal experiences of the wearer; a precious story that can be passed on to future generations of fashion lovers.

Every woman has at least one item of clothing that makes her feel special and reminds her of exciting and proud moments in her life. This idea is truly resonant to all women, and I cannot think of one who wouldn’t love to pick her favourite piece, and have it researched and immortalised in such simple and thought-after manner.

But most of all, I really appreciate the values that this idea carries and promotes. That clothes are not just for the moment, to follow the trend of the season. They are a more deep expression of who we are, and as such bear a value to each of us, that we have, as of late, learnt to overlook. Hopefully tapping on our emotional relationship with out clothes, we can also promote the idea that discarding them without a worry is not the most sustainable way to manage our wardrobes.

[images courtesy of Maggie Semple Limited]

International Orange (IO) is proud to announce the newest addition to the IO skin menu: the IO Acupuncture Restorative Facial  (75 minutes for $175), a balancing, advanced facial that features Traditional Chinese Medicine acupuncture techniques to restore and revive skin back to brilliance.

Crafted specifically for skin in need of a boost, the highly anticipated Acupuncture Restorative Facial is a non-invasive and elegant way to address fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, acne, rosacea, and scars.

The Acupuncture Restorative Facial is perfect for distressed, tired or overexposed skin in need of detoxification from the inside out. Using gentle needle application, the facial addresses underlying issues that are mirrored on the face such as stress, hormones, poor digestion, toxicity and pain.

In keeping with IO’s commitment to high-quality restorative wellness, the new Acupuncture Restorative Facial is a natural way to age gracefully without the toxicity, costs and side effects of injections or surgery. Approximately 10-30 hair thin needles are gently inserted into designated points on the face and body to provide internal and external healing.

Each treatment is customized to each client’s unique physiology and skincare needs. Like all IO facials, organic products and lavish massage is incorporated throughout the Acupuncture Restorative Facial.

Through regular treatments over a period of 3-6 months, skin will have a brighter countenance that lasts longer with each consecutive treatment. Suggested series of 10-20 facials for ultimate results. Book a 10 series and save 15 percent ($1487.50).

Images courtesy of IO International Orange. 

Festival Returns for 2nd Year with Screenings of 40 Premiere Films From Around the Globe, Special Events, Parties, Panels, Educational Programs and More

Just ahead of London Fashion Week, The Green Stylist’s European Contributor, Veronica Crespi, had a chat with Orsola De Castro, founder of Estethica and upcyclist extraordinaire.

Orsola De Castro

Orsola started her label From Somewhere in 1997, the first to address the issue of pre-consumer waste and reproducibility in recycling for the fashion industry. From Somewhere collaborations include upcycled collections for Jigsaw, Robe Di Kappa, Tesco and Speedo.

In September 2006 Orsola, together with her partner Filippo Ricci, started Estethica, the sustainable fashion area at London Fashion Week which she still curates and organises for the British Fashion Council.

The Green Stylist (TGS): Orsola, I know you’re excited about some new projects. Can you tell us more?

Orsola De Castro (ODC): We are going live with our new ‘baby’, Reclaim To Wear (RTW).

RTW is not a new project: it’s the company that’s always been behind From Somewhere’s off collaborations, such as with Tesco and Speedo. But then I thought: why not make RTW a brand in its own right.

As we do a lot of collaborations, we want RTW to become the space that houses them, separately from From Somewhere.

I think it will be beneficial for both brands to pursue this kind of separation, as at times in the past it got quite hectic running From Somewhere together with all the side projects. I remember March 2010, when we launched the Tesco line, and three days later we were at the Oscars for Livia Firth’s first Green Carpet Challenge! It’s been great fun and there have been amazing opportunities, but I think curating the two labels separately will simplify things – so we decided to give RTW a life of its own.

The launch of RTW sees Livia [Firth] as our first guest designer. She designed a beautiful dress, which she wore for the opening of the Biennale in Venice. This was an event of very high visibility, and thus an excellent opportunity for the cooperativa. [The dress is produced in limited edition by the Cooperativa Rinascere in Montecchio Maggiore near Vicenza in Italy, a non-profit organization that helps to rehabilitate disabled and disadvantaged individuals. It is sold exclusively at yoox.com, as part of YOOXYGEN, the e-tailer’s eco-friendly initiative.]

Livia Firth for Reclaim To Wear

TGS: You found in Livia Firth a perfect ambassador for this new venture! Are there other collaborations in the pipeline? 

ODC: Yes, the next lines will be co-designed with Topshop, Pearl Lowe, and a group of students of Central Saint Martins. We’ll be unveiling their work at Estethica during London Fashion Week.

The opportunity to design for RTW was given to the students as a contest. 10 teams of students, each made up of 8 students, so 80 talents from different pathways. Each team worked on creating a mini brand, so not just a collection, but lookbooks, videos, etc.

RTW is such an experimental platform, because on one side its very technical, but its also our way to share our knowledge – so collaborating with such talented students fits perfectly with the concept.

It is a massive opportunity for the students, but for us too. CSM students are very talented, and normally brands pay to take part in such projects. But in our case, CSM wanted to give the students the challenge to work with a brand with a different approach. And they are loving it. Upcycling is a concept that speaks to younger generations much louder than it does to us.

British street style has always been very individual. It’s also always been able to mirror and respond to a political situation, like in the 60s, or with the punk movement. Fashion can be political, and it responds very well to being political. I did my first lecture at St Martins the day after Occupy London, and the students were fired up by the recent developments.

Fashion is the social expression of a generation, and in this sense it is now a suitable medium to respond to the need of a more sustainable lifestyle. Upcycling speaks to the younger generation really loudly.

Besides, at the moment the upcycled look seems to be a major trend coming from the catwalks – with a lot of things that look like they should be upcycled. All of this shows me that this is our moment, this is how I feel.

Central St. Martins for Reclaim To Wear

TGS: Your approach is inherently innovative, and by developing new ways to conceive a fashion line, you naturally had to devise new ways to produce them. How do you hope to influence the fashion system with your work?

ODC: I want to be able to move production back to the UK. For me its all about creating fertile grounds to redevelop the production skills that made the British textile industry so important, but which have now been lost. To me, this is the only way forward.

I visited many factories abroad, which make billions of clothes – they have a successful business model. They are in poor countries, making money from our western demands, and I don’t feel I am in the position to ask them to change their model to accommodate working on my ‘rubbish’. My idea of production, I want it to be local.

As with From Somewhere we only produce a few thousand pieces per year, we’ve been able to produce in Italy, where runs can be of up to 10k pieces.

But in the UK, every single manufacturing unit stops at 250 pieces, which means I could never produce my lines in the UK. There is no demand for the small production runs that the UK is offering at the moment. The quality is wonderful, but they haven’t got the structure to manufacture in bigger numbers, which causes for the production to be moved abroad altogether.

Re-introducing skills to the UK is the only way forward for this industry. Fashion is the third biggest industry in the UK – it’s huge, we have the best design schools, we must be able to pair this with local manufacturing again. Luckily the British Fashion Council is getting involved with this issue.

This is my absolute crusade. Imagine a factory that can produce upcycling, and that you can also use as a hub to teach other designers!

Speedo and From Somewhere

[all images courtesy of Orsola De Castro, From Somewhere and Reclaim To Wear]

Set in Northern Thailand near the cultural city of Chiang Mai is Studio Naenna, the home of exquisite, hand-woven artisan textiles. Surrounded by amazing natural beauty, Chiang Mai is the perfect setting for this weaving center, where inspiration is informed by the interaction of historical and modern traditions. Host to many weaving workshops for the public, the studio mainly trains young weavers from local communities in the weft ikat technique and supports master weavers in their craft.  As part of its work, the studio represents the Weavers for the Environment organization, founded to improve the well-being of female weavers and to ensure the health of their environments. Studio Naenna is therefore is the perfect example of a community that creates beautiful, handmade goods that are eco-friendly, local, fair-trade, and gives back to those that made them. Founder Patricia Cheesman and master weaver Viroy Nanthapoom work together in creating beautiful textiles made from the finest natural silks and cotton, while daughter Lamorna Cheesman designs fashion items. The Green Stylist caught up with Lamorna to learn about the evolution of Studio Naenna pieces, and to engage you in the importance of supporting traditional handcraft skills and maintaining the wisdom of local communities.

Could you explain how Studio Naenna was set up? 

Studio Naenna was founded in 1988 by Patricia Cheesman Naenna, a renowned textile expert and author of Lao Tai Textiles: The textiles of Xam Nuea and Muang Phuan, among other publications.  Through her research Patricia built up relationships with weavers in Thailand and Laos. She was invited to be a lecturer at Chiang Mai University, and has created a base for the textile business in Chiang Mai.

What is involved in the creation of a Studio Naenna piece?

Depending on the each weaving group the process is slightly different. Mainly Studio Naenna provides standard, good quality materials and equipment for weavers to work with. Yarns are sent to the village for ikat preparation and sent back to our dye workshop in Chiang Mai; then the dyed yarns are sent back to weavers for weaving. The woven product is then sent back to our workshop for finishing and quality control. If there are three colors in a design, the yarns are sent back and forth three times for dyeing. We do all the dyeing at the Chiang Mai workshop to relieve the weavers of the extra cost in purchasing non-carcinogenic dyes, and we to ensure the colors are correct according to order.

Where are you materials sourced from?

We source both silk and cotton yarns locally: the silk is from the Northeast and Central Thailand and the cotton is from Central Thailand.

Is each produced piece one-of-a-kind?

Yes in a way, because it is hand woven, and every beat of the comb by the weaver is slightly different. But to make products that are cost effective we make batches of 10 -15 scarves of the same design and colorway, and 10 – 20 meters of fabric at a time. The wall hangings are all one of a kind.

How has the Weavers for the Environment organization and structure been received by members of artisan communities?

Due to Patricia’s close relationship with the weavers and our understanding of the cultural responsibilities the weavers have to their community, our members are very welcoming towards the organization. They have come together to learn about the effects of toxic dyes that are available in the market, and share knowledge of natural dyes.

How does the collaboration of Studio Naenna affect the traditions and ways of life of the artisan weavers?

At Studio Naenna we work with the community and understand the social responsibilities of the weavers. The community is crucial for their wellbeing and we respect their needs to be involved in community activities. We aim to conserve traditions and at the same time introduce a few innovations that keep the art alive.

How has the work of the organization been received by customers and people far-removed from the production process?

Customers can come and experience some of the production process at our main gallery, while visitors to our showroom in town appreciate that we work with natural dyes and fair trade ethics.

With consumers increasingly wanting to know where their clothes and shoes come from you, do you think that interest and appreciation for artisan objects, such as yours, will grow?

I hope so, in order to sustain hand loom weaving worldwide, and share the joy it brings and the lives it maintains.

Do you think designer involvement is necessary for these pieces to be appealing to a wider market? To what degree?

Yes, it is very hard for a weaver in Northern Thailand to know what would be appealing to a young business-woman in the UK. Also I find that the consumer today is unable to be creative in combining pieces for their interiors. They look at magazines and copy what they see as a set. People also choose clothing according to trends and celebrities, sometimes not even considering what is suitable for their own body shape.

What kind of production infrastructure has been developed within these artisan communities in order to efficiently produce pieces for the global consumption? 

I would not consider us producers for global consumption as our turnover is very small and only enough for self-sufficiency and support for our weaving group. But for any production, big or small, there always has to be some infrastructure. In each village there is an appointed manager that receives and distributes the yarns and payment for work within the village group. We have a production manager that places the orders, keeps record of what each group is weaving and dyes the yarns. Delivery slips and order forms (handwritten) are kept for reference, but regular visits with the weavers is always the best way to keep up with their needs and production. Finally, quality control at every possible step in production is our key to high quality, as well as every person in the production of a piece being equally responsible for final product quality.

What kinds of skills are members of artisan communities provided with in order to organize themselves or  to possibly set up their own businesses? 

You would be surprised on how organized a weaver is naturally though her work with handloom weaving. However, our weavers have elected Studio Naenna to manage their business and financial capital so that they are free to excel in their weaving.

How has your online platform affected interest in Studio Naenna?

It has helped to educate our customers, and increase their appreciation for the skill of the weavers.

How has the speed of digital communication contributed to the growth and promotion of crafts and artisan work from Thailand? 

I think it has grown but there is a lot of opportunity for more growth as this generation matures. Handloom products rely on the rhymes of nature and we can reach out to those interested in the cosmic energy of artisan work though digital communication. However, I do not believe that artisans need to speed up to compete with the global fashion market. The global market has to realize that it cannot keep on consuming like it is currently. We all take part in what the world is today: over-consumption of food, clothing, and natural resources.

What is on the horizon for Studio Naenna?

Opening up an online shop to show our new products and colorways.

Do trends influence your designs, and if so, what latest trends are influencing your design work?

Not really, but the peacock colors of 2011 have been very fun to work with.

What does the future of artisan communities and handcrafts look like in your opinion?

Sadly, the future is probably that as this generation of weavers (between the age of 40 – 60 years old) retires, handloom weaving in Thailand will retire as well. The luxury of hand-weaving is appreciated by the educated few and this small market will support some weavers, but not all. Just as in the industrialized countries, where handloom weaving has become “Art”, it also will in developing countries where people pursue the destructive “American Dream”. Only when we wake up will we realize what we have lost. The life force in hand-woven textiles can be protective and up lifting. Let’s hope more people realize this soon and save the world.

Thank you for your time Lamorna.

Among other interesting events and work posted on Studio Naenna’s blog, the two river scene wall hangings by master weaver Viroy Nanthapoom, pictured below,  are from a collection of seven. Be sure to check them out as well as the online shop, showcasing amazingly beautiful and intricate scarves with prices ranging from $32 to $200 (currencies displayed in Thai Baht). 

 Images courtesy of Studio Naenna.

“ POPOMOMO stands for post-postmodern movement, creating intellectually sexy pieces that never play catch up.”

Taken from the “About” section of Popomomo‘s website, Popomomo is a clothing site that stresses the importance of sustainability into function and purpose of design. Despite being influenced and inspired by artists, painters, and cultural movements throughout history, Popomomo uses 100% sustainable fabrics and is all designed locally in Los Angeles.

With beautiful, edgy silhouettes that flow organically and strategic design details you’ll just have to see for yourself what Popomomo is all about, with some of their Fall 2011 collection showcased below.

JamesonMars is a t-shirt line that donates a portion ($7) of every t-shirt  sold to a charitable cause.  The t-shirts are limited edition and made-to-order; they are also organic, sweatshop free and made in the USA.  The ink is water based and they even use wind power to keep the lights running and the computer on.

Every Monday at 11 a.m. a new t-shirt benefitting a new cause is released.  They are only available for 2 weeks…once they’re gone, they’re gone!

The Sea Turtle Conservancy is one of this week’s chosen causes.   This t-shirt comes in both men and women’s sizes.

Save the Sea Turtles! $24

The other t-shirt debuting this week is helping to raise awareness and funds for the campaign against forced child labor in the cocoa industry (check out IRLF’s Cocoa Campaign).

Free Chocolate Tastes Better! $24

The designs are printed on shirts made by Royal Apparel (if you like American Apparel, you’ll love these).  They are super soft, cozy and a fashion fit (smaller and not boxy like normal t-shirts).  If you’re looking for a loose fit, order a size up. Shipping is a flat fee of $3.95.

Subscribe to their newsletter, like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter to keep updated on their latest styles.

“We exist to highlight the beauty of function by creating simple and well made goods, built to grow more beautiful with age and wear.

Joshu+Vela design and hand-make totes, backpacks and wallets using USA grown and woven organic canvas, leathers and natural dyes. All of these artistic creations are made from start to finish in their San Francisco studio.  They do this because it’s “how brands used to do it, they made what they sold.”

Their materials include brass hardware and vegetable tanned leather, which starts off a creamy tan and darkens into a beautiful chocolate…color that only comes with “use, love and time.”

Waxwear is resilient, weather-resistent, and also becomes better with time.  It has a mellow sheen that results from treating tightly woven canvas with special waxes and oils.  Waxwear comes directly from Herbert Rice Fabrics, Inc., a New York company started in the 1800’s.  Their finishing process is earth friendly, using pharmaceutical grade waxes and oils free of hazardous solvents.

They have a very specific process of dyeing with Indigo.  Unlike most jeans created with Indigo, Joshu+Velu hand-dye and do not use chemicals or heavy metals. Mango leaves are also used to create a warm yellow hue.

Below are a few of my favorite styles:

You can't go wrong with a classic black tote - $330.00

A portfolio for your days work or your night's necessities - $150.00

The XL Boat Tote...perfect for a day at the beach - $240.00

The luxe zip backpack...perfect gift for that special man in your life - $330.00

Check out their website for a full array of magnificence.

Happy Shopping!

No, we’re not talking about pesky fleas, we’re talking about fleabags, in reference to flea-markets of course (those open air bazaars where you can find all sorts of vintage goodies and knick-knacks). But who is Fleabags NYC? A wonderful company founded by Shira Entis and Alex Bell, whose love of fleamarkets brought them together to create a brand specializing in ultra chic tote bags and accessories made from sustainable fabrics and dead-stock vintage materials.

I am in awe of how durable these bags look and how great they would be for every day wear and tear. More details on Fleabags is as follows:

“Fleabags are made with organic and vintage materials, vegetable-tanned and re-purposed leathers, and other parts all sourced in the USA. All silkscreens use water-based ink. Fleabags are made in the USA with good old-fashioned sewing.”

The Original Flea Saddle Bag

I love the look and styling of  the Fleabags brand and how sophisticated these bags are. Lovely, timeless, and elegant are words that come to mind when I look at the Original Flea Saddle bag, and they have a variety of styles and sizes to choose from. This is a bag you can feel good about buying and feel luxurious carrying around town!

See more of my favorite styles below:

The Pepper Red Traveler’s Clutch: The perfect little clutch with a pop of bright red.

The Normandy Market Tote: For all the farmer’s market lovers out there.

The ALICE Chesapeake Knapsack

And take a look at their gorgeous Spring 2012 collection right here.