Guest Blogger Of The Month: Esther Freeman from Ms Wanda’s Wardrobe

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Fashion Compassion

What’s the name of your blog?

Tell us a bit about yourself

Ms Wanda’s Wardrobe is an Uber Blog that brings together some of the best writers on the blogosphere to bring you news, features and campaigns on ethical fashion. And through the Fashion Mob ethical fashionistas attempt to make British High Streets more ethical through people power.

What are your views on ethical fashion?

Although there have been great changes in the fashion industry over the past decade, it’s move to a more ethical model is still too slow. It is lagging far behind the food industry in terms of offering consumers ethical choices across the High Street. The ethos behind Ms Wanda’s Wardrobe is that if people power can end the war in Vietnam, we should be able to get a few organic t-shirts in Top Shop!

What is your favourite piece on the Fashion ComPassion website?

I love the burqua dresses. For a start I never knew burquas came in such incredible colours. It also is a dress with a story and interesting sub text. And of course they’re also just very pretty!

Ethical fashion in China

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Fashion Compassion

Hello all, my name is Kibamba. I am a passionate of ethical fashion and a communication specialist based in Montreal, Canada. I will contribute on a regular basis to the Fashion ComPassion blog and it’s my joy to share with you what’s happening in ethical fashion movement.

Recently I saw a YouTube video titled « Ethical Fashion in China ». I had three reactions just reading the title: first I was surprised, then sceptic and finally curious to see what was behind it. I have to say that China has built itself a very bad reputation when it comes to ethics, therefore, I think many would have reacted the same way I did. Surprising as it may seem, however, a wind of change is blowing and is transforming things as best it can in various areas.

As a matter of fact, Fast Company has recently announced its 2012 list of the 100 most creative people in business. The first on the list is Ma Jun, China’s preeminent environmental watchdog, director and founder of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs. What brought him this distinction is the open-source online database of water, air, and hazardous-waste pollution records, used by name-brand global companies that rely on Chinese manufacturing.

Likewise, Redress is a charity with a mission to promote environmental sustainability in Asia’s fashion industry by reducing textile waste, pollution, water and energy consumption. One way to achieve is through the EcoChic Design Award, an annual sustainable fashion design competition that was first launched in 2011 in Hong Kong. It is the first sustainable fashion design competition in Asia focusing on up-cycling, reconstruction and zero-waste design techniques.

Here is their definition of each of the techniques:

“Zero-waste is a pattern design technique that eliminates textile waste at the design stage. Approximately 15 to 20 percent of textiles are thought to be wasted during a garment’s design and manufacturing stage so cutting waste from the equation is good for the environment and your economy!”
“Up-cycling is the recycling of a material into a product of higher quality. This sustainable design technique is the hottest new trend in sustainable fashion catching the attention of fashion’s top designers and brands”.
“Reconstruction is the process of making ‘new’ clothes from previously worn garments or preformed products. Today, we consume 60 percent more clothes than we did 10 years ago and this increase is clothing manufacturing offers you lots of chances to unleash your creativity”.

To find out more about these techniques and get tips from renowned fashion designers click here!

In the end, despite the flood of “not so good news” from China, we can rejoice that things are moving and that change is happening!

Celebrate Fair Trade Day With Fashion ComPassion!

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Fashion Compassion

Each year, the world Fair Trade Day is celebrated the second Saturday of May. What is actually celebrated on that day? It’s not just an alternative economy or a new kind of commerce because there is even more. This day intents to shed light on people, the actors behind the scene, the producers of the fair trade goods we like and enjoy. The invisible ordinary heroes who despite their challenging lives, give their very best to us. Here is the story of one of these heroes that’s worth telling.

Amal Abu Hatab: Founder& Director of Al Amal Society for Social Development

Meet Amal Abu Hatab a Palestinian refugee in her mid 40s living in Amman, in Al Biqaa refugee camp. When one the Palestyle team members met Amal they were taken by her transparency and dedication to support the women in the refugee camp while she herself led a challenging life. After the death of her husband, she had to raise alone, with limited income her son, Ismail, now a 23 year old engineer she is proud of. Raising her son into an independent and educated individual is by itself an accomplishment in her circumstances. This is one of her many success stories.

Amal is truly an inspiration; she took a diploma in Fashion Design, is a dedicated social worker and reaches out to other women in the refugee camp to support and empower them through different kind of projects like vocational training. She is the founder and director of her own organization Al Amal Society for Social Development, established in 2006. Al Amal Society works with Palestyle, the brand which brings you fabulous socially conscious accessories.

“Today, 42 ladies work on Palestyle’s different embroidery projects. Such type of work does not only add value ﬁnancially to those women or us, as an organization, but importantly allows us to train the women to work as a team in production of designs, this team spirit raises their positivity, & allows the women to escape from the demanding cycle of their household to a bigger world.” Amal Abu Hatab.

This Saturday, May 12^th, show your support to Fair Trade, share the story of the heroes behind the scene like Amal Abu Hatab and encourage brands like Palestyle, because business as usual is no longer an option!

We would like to showcase similar stories of inspirational women, please email us on info@fashioncompassion.co.uk with your story and get it published on our blog!