Guest Blogger of the Month: One Green Dress

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Fashion Compassion

What is the name of your blog?

Tells us about your blog and why you started it.

I started my blog One Green Dress over a year ago when I was becoming increasingly interested in ethical fashion. I had been researching the different brands and the various debates within the ethical fashion industry and learning about how fashion could be ethical and sustainable. I was beginning to compile a huge amount of information and decided that I wanted somewhere to store and display it both for my personal use and to show others what I was finding out.

Why is sustainable fashion so important?

I really feel that fashion has become hugely consumption driven- people have stopped caring about what they are buying and are more concerned about buying as much as possible, as frequently as possible. For me, it’s really important to think about the journey that the clothes have taken from crop to shop; how many processes it gone through, countries it has traveled through and hands it has passed through.

How would you describe your style / fashion sense?

Well I try to aim for an elegant, well groomed look; quite formal in general and then I tend to funk up outfits with bold jewellery. When I buy new clothes I buy them to last so I try to stick to classic, flattering cuts that won’t age too quickly. A lot of my wardrobe wouldn’t look out of place in the office; it’s quite smart and easy to dress up or down.

Who do you admire in the world of sustainable fashion?

I admire those people that aren’t willing to settle for just one aspect of sustainability. I really admire companies that aren’t picking between being environmentally friendly or using fair labour but are striving for both and looking at improving all aspects of their global production chain. I think we should always strive to be better than we are in ethical fashion.

What are your favourite ethical brands and why?

I’m always finding new ethical fashion brands and my favourite new finds are O My Bag, Leila Hafzi and Maiyet. I just bought O My Bag’s Sleazy Jane handbag and I couldn’t be more pleased with it! O My Bag are definitely the most ethically sourced leather bags that I have ever found- they have covered everything from the cows to the labourers and all the processes in between to make sure they are as ethical as possible. What I find to be above and beyond in the realms of ethical fashion with these three brands is their focus on design led fashion. They do not expect people to buy their products just because they are ethical – they expect people to buy their products because they are gorgeous, well made and worth investing in.

What are your top tips for buying ethical and sustainable products?

Do your research and make sure that the brand you choose to buy from are being clear about their ethical credentials as well as striving for greatness. Personally, I think it’s worth spending more and buying less, so choose wisely and pick a product that’s worth investing in and will last you for years to come. This way you will end up with a wardrobe full of items that you can truly treasure.

What are your 3 top picks of the Fashion Compassion website?

Amelia’s 3 top picks from Fashion ComPassion’s website – Shipbreaker Dress (£99), Gold Flowers Turquoise Earrings ( £135) & Neon Cross Body Bag (£160).

Check out Amelia’s ‘One Green Dress’ blog here.

Amelia is also on Twitter - @onegreendress and on Facebook.

Fashion ComPassion’s Top 10 Women Who Changed The Face Of Fashion

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Fashion Compassion

Last week, millions of people across the globe came together to celebrate women and their achievements as a part of International Women’s Day. Here at Fashion ComPassion, we were inspired to think of the innovative and influential women who have played a part in the history of fashion, bringing positive change to the catwalks, and to wardrobes worldwide; here’s our Top 10 Female Fashion Heavyweights.

1. Livia Firth

Livia Firth – Creative director of Eco Age and co founder of the Green Carpet Challenge. (Image via My Green Style)

Livia Firth is the creative director of Eco Age, an online magazine and boutique which combines glamour with ethics. Since teaming up with eco journalist Lucy Siegle to launch the Green Carpet Challenge in 2009, Livia has been championing sustainable style and innovation at some of the world’s biggest red carpet events. Firth claims that fashion has an important role in promoting social justice, environmental integrity and brilliant ethical design with a conscious. As a bonus, she gets to be married to Mr Darcy…

2. Lucy Siegle

Lucy Siegle – Journalist and broadcaster specialising in environmental and social justice. (Image via Daisy Green Magazine)

Lucy Siegle is an journalist and broadcaster specialising in environmental and social justice. As well as writing her weekly ethical living column in the Observer, Lucy is a regular contributor to ‘Grazia’, the ‘Guardian’, the ‘New Statesman’, ‘Elle’ and ‘New Consumer’ magazine. Her recent book, ‘To Die For: Is Fashion Wearing Out the World?’, offers readers an unflinching look at the darker side to the fashion industry and its environmental and social impact on the planet. A must read!

3. Orsola De Castro

Orsola de Castro – Founder of ethical fashion label From Somewhere and Estethica. (Image via the Guardian)

Orsola De Castro is an internationally recognised innovator and opinion leader in sustainable fashion. Her revolutionary label, From Somewhere, was the first fashion brand to address the issue of reproducibility in recycling and pre-consumer waste for the fashion industry. In 2006, Orsola, along with her partner Filippo Ricci, founded Estethica – the sustainable fashion exhibition at London Fashion Week. Estethica has gone onto become one of the industry’s leading showcases of eco sustainable design.

4. Bibi Russell

Bibi Russell – Bangladeshi fashion designer and former international model. (Image via Images of Asia)

Bibi Russell is a former international model and Bangladeshi fashion designer. In 1994, Bibi opened her own fashion company, Bibi Productions, in Bangladesh with the desire of infusing indigenous Bengali cultural elements into her designs. Her aim was to demonstrate the immense skills and expertise of local artisans, to preserve the heritage and foster creativity, to provide employment opportunities and to contribute towards the eradication of poverty.

5. Stella McCartney

Stella McCartney – award winning British fashion designer and supporter of PETA. (Image via Financial Times)

Stella McCartney barely needs an introduction; an award winning British fashion designer, she is best known for her signature style of razor sharp tailoring, natural confidence and sexy femininity. As a lifelong vegetarian and supporter of PETA, Stella does not use any leather or fur in her garments or accessories. In 2006, she launched her vegan-friendly line of accessories that fuse natural and man made materials with high quality construction.

6. Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood – Iconic British fashion designer and political activist. (Image via MyZeroWaste.com)

Vivienne Westwood is one of the most iconic British fashion designers of the last 30 years. Her influential designs and merchandise have often been linked or inspired by her many political causes such as CND, climate change and the civil rights group Liberty. A definite fashion matriarch!

7. Safia Minney

Safia Minney – Founder of Fair Trade and environmental fashion label People Tree. (Image via People Tree)

Safia Minney is founder of Fair Trade and environmental fashion and lifestyle label People Tree. Safia’s lifelong interests in social justice, trade and environmental issues lie at the very heart of her Fair Trade business and, as a result, she is regarded as one of the world’s foremost commentators of Fair Trade in the fashion industry. Her label, People Tree, aims to improve the lives and environment of the artisans and farmers in developing countries who work to make the products whilst providing their customers with desirable high quality fashion.

8. Ali Hewson

Ali Hewson – co-founder of Edun. (Image via Victoria Mary Clarke WordPress)

Ali Hewson is the co-founder of Edun, a global fashion brand created to encourage trade in Africa. Ali’s label aims to bring about positive change in Africa through a fair trade-based relationship rather than by direct aid, helping to build long term, sustainable opportunities by supporting manufacturers, infrastructure and community building initiatives.

9. Sass Brown

Sass Brown – a full-time professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York specialising in ethical design practices in fashion businesses. (Image via Nottingham Trent University)

Sass Brown is a full-time professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York who specialises in ethical design practices in fashion businesses. Sass has created collections for a number of manufacturers, from urban clothing to her own signature collection of women’s designer sportswear. She has also worked with women’s cooperatives in Latin America, most notably COOPA-ROCA in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and taught workshops to manufacturers and fashion enterprises in Peru. Sass’s book, Eco Design, showcases some of the best expressions of eco fashion around the globe.

10. Summer Rayne Oakes

Summer Rayne Oakes – Co-founder of Source4Style and managing Editor of Above Live. (Image via summerrayne.net)

Summer Rayne Oakes is a model-activist and TV media host. She is one of the co-founder of Source4Style, a B2B online marketplace for sustainable materials; and the Managing Editor and EVP of Sustainability of Above Live, a digital platform highlighting global influencers and their environmental passions. Her 2012 environmental short film, eXtinction, highlighted some of the greatest environmental challenges happening in the world right now and recieved critical acclaim from critics.

Estethica at London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2013

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Fashion Compassion

With only a few days until London Fashion Week, one of the world’s highest profile fashion events, kicks off, we’re very excited to see what new sustainable and ethical fashions will be featured in this year’s Estethica exhibition.

Estethica logo

Since its launch by the British Fashion Council in 2006, Estethica has become one of the industry’s leading showcases of eco sustainable design, supporting over 100 innovative designers and promoting awareness about ethical fashion across the globe. All designers featured in the Estethica exhibition are chosen for their dedication to working sustainably as well as for their design quality. Designers must abide by at least one of Estethica’s principles; fair trade and ethical practice in the production process, the use of organic materials and the use of recycled and upcycled fabrics.

Veja will be the Estethica’s special guest brand at London Fashion Week A/W13

Estethica’s special guest brand for LFW A/W13 is Veja, a French footwear and accessories brand, which combines better conditions for Brazilian farmers with fashion, fair trade and ecology. Established in 2004, Veja works directly with small producer co-operatives, using materials such as organic cotton, wild Amazonian rubber and acacia – tanned leather to create shoes and accessories for the European market.

Veja using materials such as organic cotton, wild Amazonian rubber and acacia – tanned leather to create shoes, bags and accessories. (Image courtesy of Veja).

Also new to the Estethica exhibition this season are:

Bottletop

Bottletop Logo

Dedicated to design, craftsmanship and culture, Bottletop is an accessories brand which funds the operation of the Bottletop Foundation which supports young people through education projects, empowering them to take control of their own lives.

Bottletop – Dedicated to design, craftsmanship and culture. (Image courtesy of Bottletop).

Rudá Rings

Rudá Rings Logo

Rudá Rings is a jewellery brand inspired by Brazilian fauna and flora and driven by the desire to merge aesthetic and ethical values.

Rudá Rings - inspired by Brazilian fauna and flora, driven by the need to ally aesthetic and ethical values.

Rudá Rings – inspired by Brazilian fauna and flora and driven by the desire to merge aesthetic and ethical values. (Image courtesy of Rudá Rings).

Phannatiq

Phannatiq Logo

Phannatiq is an ethically minded womenswear brand which produces unique garments using hand silk screen printing techniques.

Phannatiq produces unique garments using hand silk screen printing techniques. (Image courtesy of Phannatiq).

Katrien Van Hecke

Katrien Van Hecke Logo

Katrien Van Hecke is an emerging womenswear label which believes that sustainability is the new high fashion and produces silk and hand dyed dresses.

Katrien Van Hecke believes that sustainability is the new high fashion. (Image courtesy of Katrien Van Hecke).

Liora Lassalle

Liora Lassalle Logo

Liora Lassalle was the winner of the Estethica/Veolia Re-source competition with Central Saint Martins (CSM). Liora, a CSM graduate, will be launching her debut upcycled collection at this year’s exhibition, marking a new phase for the Estethica mentoring scheme and for its support to designers developing sustainable solutions.

Liora Lassalle, winner of the Estethica/Veolia Re-source competition with Central Saint Martins (CSM), will be launching her debut upcycled collection at this year’s Estethica. (Photo courtesy of Liora Lassalle).

The Estethica exhibition will be housed in West Wing of Somerset House, just off the BFC Courtyard Showspace from Friday 15th to Monday 18th February, 10:00am – 7:00pm and Tuesday 19th February 10:00am – 6:00pm.

For more information about Estethica exhibition and it’s current designers, check out the British Fashion Council website & London Fashion Week website.

Guest Blogger Of The Month: Veronica Crespi

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Fashion Compassion

Veronica Crespi

What is the name of your blog?

Rewardrobe

Tell us a bit about yourself

I am a sustainable fashion advisor and in 2009 I launched Rewardrobe, London’s first Slow Style Consultancy. I created Rewardrobe out of my passion for Slow Fashion, which comes from my relationship with fashion that I nurtured while growing up in Italy – a nation whose long-standing high-quality manufacturing traditions are in complete antithesis with the whole idea of fast fashion. Cheap brands have hit Italy too, but more recently and with less impact than in the UK. So when I moved to London I saw the opportunity to bring my point of view and my experience to people in the UK who are interested in a more mindful approach.

I work with clients to advise them on how to match their personal style with a more conscious view of fashion, and I also work with brands to help them communicate their ethical values through various platforms.

What are your views on ethical fashion?

Ethical fashion can be many different things – it’s about the materials used, or the way garments are manufactured, but it’s also very much about how garments are perceived, and therefore used and maintained by the wearers. This is why I advocate the concept of Slow Fashion: it’s about a holistic approach to quality and style, about re-evaluating the value of what we buy, and having a reason to buy clothes other than that they’re available and affordable.

An informed consumer might do extensive research about the fabrics, or how fairly workers who made their clothes are paid, but not everyone goes so in-depth yet. At a more general level, I want to communicate a new philosophy that’s about taking a step back from fast and furious shopping, and placing the emphasis back on quality, manufacturing, the experience of shopping for one’s own style, and cherishing what we already have rather than wanting more and more.

What is your favourite piece from the Fashion ComPassion website?

Red Sindoor Durri Necklace By Inaaya

The Red Sindoor Durri Necklace By Inaaya- I am mad about necklaces, the bolder the better! This is suitably big for my taste, and it shows great traditional skills in the way it’s made.

Tulip Black Bag By GUNAS

Tulip Black Bag By GUNAS - The classic bag every woman needs: it can be comfortable and useful but it doesn’t compromise on beauty, quality or ethics.

Photo credits

In the past year and a half, I have been working on a side project called Up-Wardrobe, aimed at promoting upcycled fashion and designers. I have collaborated with a number of designers, giving them the challenge to upcycle old clothes from my own wardrobe.

I have recently shown the pieces for the first time in Manchester, at an event organised by the Stitched Up collective in partnership with Recycle For Greater Manchester. My picture is by the official photographer at the event. I am pictured with a head piece by Hatastic! and a neckpiece by Lumoi.

Other designers involved in the project so far are:

Fair-Trade Unique hand-woven silk scarves by “Soieries du Mékong” now available on Fashion ComPassion!

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Fashion Compassion

Soieries du Mékong is a social enterprise that has a double mission: in Europe it is a player in the socially responsible fashion world, offering top quality scarves and other silk items; in Cambodia, it responds to a social crisis, namely the struggle against the depopulation of rural areas, through the training and fostering of its workers, providing them with a viable means of support for the long term.

Noted for its commitment to fair trade business practices, the brand creates two collections annually, designed by an artist in France and hand-woven in Cambodia by women artisans. Each scarf is signed by the weaver and on the label you can see the name and photograph of the weaver. To bring you closer to the artisan that created your scarf you can watch on the brand web site a film dedicated to the weaver and travel to Cambodia to meet these weavers as “Soieries du Mékong” believes in connecting the craftsmen to the customers.

Here are a few pictures of the scarves and you can find a limited range on www.fashioncompassion.co.uk

Meet The Women Behind Our Ethical Brand Bhalo

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Fashion Compassion

We know you love our brand Bhalo and their trendy collection, but we thought why not introduce you to the women who help create the brand…from the designer Jessica Priemus to the women artisans that work to create the brand! Bhalo is a fair trade design label that aims to create desirable fashion whilst empowering disadvantaged people, especially women, allowing them to work their way out of poverty.

The cotton is hand loomed and hand embroidered by women in rural Bangladesh, not only giving them much needed employment and training, but providing them with simple things that we take for granted – education/childcare for their children, basic healthcare, and most of all, dignity. Fashion ComPassion and Bhalo opposes human exploitation and feel everyone should be given the right to fair employment terms, and given a decent price for their work, Would you expect the same?

Jess With Children At Napara Swallows

Noity- An expert in embroidery, she is a Garo (tribal) woman from Mymensingh

Lovely- she manages all the wax printing and dyeing of silk. From the Christian minority in Bangladesh

Liberation Widow: A widow from the Liberation War has been working with Thanapara Swallows since 1972

Tailoring the Pineapple Dress

Children at Day Care

What’s Fashion ComPassion!?

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Fashion Compassion

Fashion ComPassion is a unique online store that offers high end fashion that is exclusive and hand crafted especially for you. Actually its more than that!! Its high end fashion that is both ethical and socially conscious!

Fashion ComPassion works with social enterprises from the developing world that empower women, develop communities and alleviate poverty. Our brands Bhalo, Beshtar, Lost City and Palestyle are working towards enriching the lives of women artisans by providing them with jobs, paying them fairly, enhancing their creative skills and giving a percentage of the profits in the company and hence instilling a sense of worth and purpose in the women.

Since its launch in November 2010, Fashion ComPassion has gained momentum rapidly both in the UK and internationally. You will be hearing lots of exciting news about us in the near future, so keep visiting our website, spread our news and write to us with your comments and feedback.

XOXO
Fashion ComPassion

PS: We hope you love our new and improved website and had a browse of our online store!

The Brands We Work With…
Besthar’s stunning Green and Yellow Burqa Dresses!

Afghan girls in a classroom in Kabul by Afghan Women Education Centre (AWEC). Besthar’s give the profits from the collection to AWEC and various other charities that support Afghan women and children.

Bhalo’s Pineapple Dress

Jessica Premius, Co- Founder and Designer of Bhalo working with a women artisan from one of the Fair Trade Organizations, Thanapara Swallows that Bhalo works with.

Lost City: Silver Sequin Scarf

Renu, one of the artisans employed by Lost City in Lucknow, India is making a scarf.

Palestyle: Velvet Hand-Embroidered Pouch
Quote by Amal Al Habab, Founder of the Al Amal Society which Palestyle works with in Jordan,

“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”.