The show is part of the V&A’s Conscious Style day, an event to explore the growing popularity of ethical fashion, with swishing, styling workshops, talks and the fashion show, all taking place in the V&A’s new Sackler Centre for education.

The fashion show will feature high street and one-off pieces by labels such as Noir, Del Forte, People Tree, Stuart & Brown, Amana and Wildlifeworks.

All events are free. No prior booking is required; some events will be ticketed on the day as numbers may be limited. Tickets for the fashion show available from 1pm. For the full programme visit Conscious Style at www.vam.ac.uk/events.

>>> Please read the full article here

>>> For more information on green events click here

KATHARINE E HAMNETT
Katharine Hamnett is a true ethical clothing innovator, and a tireless campaigner for the use of organic cotton. After visiting Mali with Oxfam in 2003, the designer saw first hand the devastating effects of the conventional cotton industry, and immediately vowed to help drive the demand for the organic alternative. Her iconic slogan tees are the produced to the highest environmentally friendly standards and are the height of eco-chic.

HOWIES
For Howies, taking an ethical philosophy isn’t just about using organic cotton (although they do this as well!); it’s about making products that will last. This is why the brand’s selection of organic basics are some of the best out there, and are a good place to start if you want to make your wardrobe more eco-friendly.

EDUN
Founded by Bono and wife Ali Hewson in spring 2005, EDUN is far from being a celebrity fashion label. Created to encourage Fairtrade practise, the label fosters sustainable employment schemes in developing countries around the world. The fact that the clothes are some of the most stylish in the eco-market is merely a bonus.

CIEL
When Sarah Ratty established eco-fashion label Ciel she wanted to create clothing that would offer an ethical and environmental choice to fashion conscious women. She certainly succeeded, and her covetable collection garners as much attention for its beautiful cuts and colours as it does its’ impeccable eco credentials.

BEYOND SKIN
Proving an ideal example of how far the ethical fashion industry has come in the past few years, Beyond Skin’s designs are as stylish as they are ethically sound. Handmade in a family run factory in England, the company has a cruelty free philosophy, in terms of not only animals, but humans and the environment as well.

ANNIE GREENABELLE
Available at Equa, one of our favourite eco-boutiques, Annie Greenabelle is one of those labels that instantly debunk notions that ethical fashion can’t be both green and stylish. Combining organically grown and recycled fabrics, her party dresses are a must for green goddesses.

AMANA
Amana was one of our favourite discoveries at last season’s London Fashion Week Estethica exhibition, an area dedicated to the best eco-clothing labels out there. Marrying beautiful design with ethical production, the entire collection is created by a fair trade co-operative of women artisans in Morocco. On top of this, organic silks and cottons alongside hemp mix fabrics ensure that the collection has minimal negative environmental impact.

>>> For more information on each of these designers and to see Marie Claire’s top tens click here

It is all a matter of planning. A matter of intelligent decision making and questioning your purchases. There is nothing wrong with treating yourself to a new dress or buying a new bikini for your holiday but there is a fine line between being a conscious shopper and an impulse purchaser.

For one, ask yourself ‘will I really wear this?’ and by ‘wear’ I don’t mean simply on one night out, to one dinner party or one interview. I mean will it make a useful addition to your wardrobe. If the answer is no then step away from the clothes rack. As you remove yourself from the vicinity of the item your heart rate will slow, your mind will stop believing that top will make you look like Kate Moss and you will realise how un-important that item of clothing is to your life.

However, if you genuinely believe this garment will become a staple, that it is a classic or something you will make the most of then go ahead. Make sure it fits well and is well made (buy sustainable wherever you can) and don’t feel guilty about it. Buy it if you are going to enjoy it.

Being eco-friendly is not about feeling guilty for every purchase you make. It is impossible (or at least no fun!) to live in an entirely frugal manner. Cutting out all palm oil, only wearing clothes from charity shops and cycling everywhere (even in the rain) is admirable but for many it is not an option. Surely it is just as important to inspire one million people to buy little but quality, to make well-informed decisions and support eco-fashion lines as it is to praise the brave few who live in a zero-carbon manner?

Eco-friendly fashion is not a contradiction in terms. If anything, being conscious of your decisions as a consumer allows you to make informed purchases that are more likely to last the seasons and transcend fair-weather trends to remain chic and classic. Fashion is a multi-million pound industry and it’s safe to say it’s not going anywhere. So why not support well-made sustainable clothing lines that will last the ages? You don’t have to dress in recycled potato sacks to be eco you know.

>>> For more information on eco-shopping and eco-living click here

>>> For more information on Carbon Footprint click here

>>> For Top Ten advice on eco shopping click here

>>> For more information on eco-shopping click here

Speaking at the sustainable clothing conference at London Fashion Week, Environment Minister Dan Norris announced a number of new signatories to SCAP who would be joining the 40 companies such as Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s and Oxfam that have already in pledged to improve the environmental and ethical aspects of their supply chains. New signatories this year include: British Retail Consortium, Ethical Fashion Forum, Forum for the Future, Levis Strauss, MADE-BY, Cotton Made in Africa, RSPCA, Society of Dyers and Colourists.

I’m delighted to be here amongst the industry front runners on sustainable clothing, Norris said. Because of your participation, the Action Plan and wider Clothing Roadmap initiative is progressing as planned and we are as committed as ever to working with the sector on improving the environmental and ethical footprint of fashion.
SCAP covers a broad range of commitments to make fashion more sustainable throughout its whole lifecycle, from design, to raw material selection, to production, through to retail and disposal.

Initiatives so far have seen Asda, Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Sainsbury are focus on green factories, reducing the impacts of clothing packaging, increasing their ranges of Fair Trade and Organic, increasing take back and recovery of unwanted clothing, supply chain traceability and increasing consumer messaging on low impact clothing washing practices.

In addition, the UK Department for International Development ( DFID ), as a Sustainable Clothing Roadmap stakeholder, has launched The Responsible and Accountable Garment Sector ( RAGS ) initiative to help clothing manufacturers improve working conditions for their producers in developing countries.

The RAGS fund will make £3.5 million available over three years for bids from organisations who want to make the clothing business more ethical and contribute more strongly to development in poor countries.

Read the full article at ecotextile.com

Market research group Mintel have recently reported that the ethical clothing market is now worth approximately £175 million, with increasingly stylish designs and a growing awareness of production methods making ethical clothing more popular than ever. But what about shoes?  Finding ethically made shoes is a lot harder – especially on the high street, but there are businesses out there making stylish footwear. Why not say goodbye to mass processed shoes and say hello to ethical shoes that are great for the environment and for your purse?

Not on a strict budget then why not try handmade shoes. There are many personal benefits to buying handmade shoes; the major one being that you are wearing shoes that are made to fit your feet. Handmade shoes will last a lifetime and can be repaired again and again. Sadly, hand making shoes is becoming a thing of the past so it is great to see companies like www.deeasjer.co.uk making bespoke shoes and accessories. 

Charlene Beckett, a graduate of the London School of Fashion runs Deeasjer from the Florinetina Clothing Village in the heart of the East End and uses ethical sourced products for all her designs. She will design shoes to your specification and you can even commission matching accessories. Charlene says that once she gets a customer they never leave her and she boasts quite a cult following.

Inspired by ecological survival, the Terra Plana shoe company believe in a variety of non-generic products and sustainable strategies. Guided by life cycle analysis, Terra Plana aims towards publishing accurate life cycle matrices for every product they produce. Reparability, lightness, anatomic design, and durability are all staples of sustainable shoe making and Terra Plana regularly re-evaluate what they can do to minimise waste and toxin use and maximize product use and love.

You know that if you buy from companies like Deeasjer and Terra Plana that your shoes are not mass produced in the Far East where workers rights and pay is minimal. This, as the Mintel research shows, is becoming an important factor when purchasing shoes and clothing. So go on –  green your footsteps with great ethical footwear!

MoreEco Members can earn 3 MoreEco points for every £ they spend at Terra Plana. Also for every 10 points  earned  MoreEco will offset 1kg fo carbon for free.

 Join today and receive FREE 500 start up points.

It’s the perfect summer gathering for the stylish greenie in all of us - the clothing swap. Most of us have more stuff in our closets than we need (or want).

A successful swap keeps our wardrobes simple, timely and up-to-date. It’s a chance to gather with friends, put those great pieces you’ll never wear to good use and pick up new duds for free.

Here are a few tips for throwing your very own successful clothing swap:

1. Send email invites and ask everyone to go through their closets, pulling out anything and everything they no longer wear, like or want.
2. Include men’s clothing if possible, and shop for significant others and relatives. It’s never too early to prepare for an upcoming birthday or holiday.
3. Make it a gourmet potluck, too. Ask the guests to bring organic fruit (in-season), fine cheese, fair trade dark chocolate and organic wine.
4. You might want to subtly (or not) suggest application of a clear antiperspirant prior to attending. There’s nothing worse than a gorgeous dress with white deodorant marks.
5. Display everything on tables, hang it on racks and in manageable piles on a clean, traffic-free patch of floor.
6. Check that you have a variety of sizes available so everyone can “play” and no one feels left out. One size definitely does not fit all.
7. Create a semi-private dressing area. Use a bamboo screen or even a sheet to secure an area for trying on and off.
8. Make sure there are plenty of mirrors for oohing and ahhing. Have fun playing dress-up with a group of women telling you “Wow, that looks so good on you!”
9. Rules are key to a well-run swap. Draw numbers to decide who picks first, and so on. And once a piece is tried on and chosen, it’s off-limits.
10. At the end of the party, put all the unclaimed clothes in bags and donate the leftover stash to a local thrift tore or women’s shelter.

 
The clothing swap isn’t for summertime only. Start off every fashion season with an eco-friendly wardrobe exchange!

Source; EcoSalon

Tell us about your business? 

Pure Design is an online eco gallery that promotes and sells the work of talented UK designers. We seek out new designer eco accessories, brining work out of the gallery or artists studio and to your door. 

What makes the company a great place to work? 

At the moment we are very new and so I am the company! But I do work very closely with the artists and designers we represent, and meeting them and hearing about their work is truly inspiring. 

Who do you most admire in the green industry? 

I suppose my ultimate shining star is Anita Roddick.  She achieved so much, and challenged preconceived conceptions about how a business could be successful and green and ethical. On a more day to day basis, I would have to say it is the artists, designers and other green entrepreneurs I meet – there is a great sense of being part of something that can make a real difference. It’s really motivating.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? 

The moment when I tell a new customer or colleague about a product or artist and they say ‘that’s amazing’. It’s great sharing my enthusiasm for what these talented artists and designers are doing with others. I suppose it’s a little bit of a missionary exercise, converting people to the ‘green’ side…

If you could change one thing in the green retail industry what would it be?  

For it to be mainstream and not niche – I think eventually we will get there, but one step at a time.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry today? 

Make use of all the fantastic networks and business support organizations out there. Business Link, Striding Out, London Rebuilding, KX Creative – there’s loads and they are all there to help you. 


Second thing is you must listen to advice – it’s easy to be headstrong and follow your dream but sometimes you need someone to bounce ideas off and have a reality check from.

What is your vision for an ‘eco Britain’? 

Wonderfully designed interiors and everyone wearing beautiful eco fashion! And happy people. 

What is your number one Eco Christmas Idea? 

Snuggle up with your family by a log burning stove and under an organic throw (!), toast chestnuts, and turn the central heating down by a degree. 

What is the most important piece of information you have ever been told? 

Success in business is 99% perspiration, 1% inspiration. 

If you were prime minister for the day, what one thing would you do? 

I’d probably end up donating vast sums to aids orphan charities in Africa. Although my business is an eco one and I do my best to be green – I think my heart would rule my head and this is a cause I feel very strongly about.  

Please could you also tell me your top gifts for Xmas? 

• Nina 18ct Gold (ethically and ecologically mined – will be on site next week), £1,364.00.

• 
Karin Helena Turner Designs Eco Gift Wrap, £8.50 for 5 sheets
Bamboo
• Baby Bodysuit & PJ Gift Set, £65 (free shipping)
• 
Firehose Washbag, £50
 Firehose Card Holder, £30 
Firehose Tote, £180
• Diskette Bracelet, £45

• The Howgill 100% Wool Throw, £150

• Treat! Esther B , Vintage lace and silk evening bag, £525

Hailed as the latest fashion craze, clothes swapping is the eco-friendly way to be stylish. Ruth Harwood, from BBCGreen,  joins the party 

Ever wondered how you to get rid of all those impulse buys that have been sitting in your wardrobe unworn for months without feeling bad about it? Clothes swapping parties, known as swishing, are a fun way to walk away with a new outfit and recycle all those unwanted clothes.

You dig out those clothes that you’ve only worn once and then swap them for clothes and accessories you really do want. Sounds like a good deal.

The clothes swap scene is already big in New York and Sydney – now this craze is hitting the UK. Lucy Shea, the brains behind swishing movement at green PR firm Futerra coined the phrase and began hosting parties in 2007. The dictionary definition is “to rustle, as silk”. Futerra has redefined it as “to rustle clothes from friends.”

How it works

It’s pretty simple to organise a swishing party. Everyone must bring at least one clean, good quality item of clothing. It’s better to donate more because you are allowed to leave with as much booty as you’ve brought. 

I went to my first party, Swap ‘til You Drop in Bethnal Green, east London, one Sunday afternoon to take a peek.

Let the swish begin

Hoping to come away with some hot nearly-new clothes, I arrived early and things were just getting started. All of the donated clothes are hung on display rails and once most people are there the rules of swish were explained. 

You then have an hour or so to browse and try on clothes you like. One of the rules is that you can’t claim items during this time. When the swish begins, you take what you want. The party I went to also had a sewing machine available someone on hand to help, so people could customise and alter clothes if they wished.

I left with two tops, a skirt and a necklace, and came away converted – by recycling some of my old stuff I could have a guilt-free image update! And any unswapped clothes at the end of the party were donated to charity. 

Reduce, reuse

We’re all guilty of buying too much and with scandals in the news about sweatshops disposable fashion becoming less desirable. Clothes swapping is a greener and more ethical way of updating your wardrobe.

Swapping wearable clothes rather than throwing them away reduces waste and saves energy, as all new things use raw materials, thereby reducing carbon emissions. 

Everyone has something in their wardrobe that they just don’t wear; swishing is a fantastic way to recycle those unwanted clothes and accessories. It’s a great reason to throw a party and doesn’t have any of the hassles of Saturday high street shopping.

More swapping fun

• “VISA SWAP” is a collaboration between Visa and TRAID shop – it’s a pop-up shop that opens on London’s Brompton Road. You drop off your clothes in the first two weeks – in return you get a Visa Swap chip card, which is charged with points. Then on the third weekend it’s Party Time and you can spend all your points on other items.
• Try Swap-a-rama – a London-based swishing club night that also turns up at music festivals and events. At the sounds of a klaxon, people swap clothes with their dancefloor neighbour.
• The clothes swapping concept also works well on the web. Specialising in designer clothes, Whatsmineisyours.com is an online fashion exchange website. All you have to do is register for free, upload items from your wardrobe and link with people who have similar tastes.

Tell us about your business?

Red Robot is a new organic clothing company – we make cool t-shirts and sweatshirts for Men and Women. The designs and the quality of the finished product are very important to us. We are trying to switch everybody on to the brand, bringing organic / low impact clothes to the masses without coming across as too leftfield for the average man in the street.

What makes the company a great place to work?

With Red Robot being a new and small business there are so many things to be done and so few people to do them – so you just have to roll your sleeves up and get on with things, stretching yourself, often into areas that are not your core skills. You feel you are in the trenches somewhat but it is very satisfying to stick your head out every so often to someone wearing one of our t-shirts, or hearing positive feedback and then the dreaded to do list reappears on the horizon! 

Who do you most admire in the green industry?

We like Howies a lot, Anita Roddick was a groundbreaker in many ways but it is probably the number of “unknown” individuals who making their own small contributions we admire the most. I remember seeing a woman called Jackie, whom I had worked with number of years ago previously in a completely different capacity, having her clothes recycling business showcased on the “Clothes Show” and thinking “Well done”. Little things like that stick in your mind and spur you on.  

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Sticking on my accountants hat – I have to say making sales. For two reasons: one, it’s time for talking to stop -  does the customer really like the product it enough to put his or her hand in their pocket – it is the acid test; and, secondly, for Red Robot, it provides the basic economic fuel to help us to the next level.

If you could change one thing in the green retail industry what would it be? 

This might sound like a “cop out” but we don’t know a lot of the other green retailers as we are ploughing our own furrow to a degree and are new to the party, so without knowing the other businesses and their agendas and priorities it is hard to comment. If we look at Red Robot, we know we have to prioritise and constrain what we feel we can achieve at this level in order to grow to achieve more at the next level. To many that might be the wrong thing to do, but I am sure a number of businesses are facing these same constraints and are trying to run their businesses accordingly and that may not be to all observers’ satisfaction.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry today?

It would be a tad rich for us to be offering advice to others on their business idea and model as Red Robot is very much on the first rung of the ladder only and has a very long journey ahead. On a personal level I would say “Don’t live to regret not having had a go” this might only translate into the research and due diligence stage to ensure that the idea is actually a bona fide business. The other bit of advice I would give is to take positive strength from your previous successes to help you tackle all the challenges ahead. 

What is your vision for an ‘eco Britain’?

That “Eco Britain” will be the norm as soon as possible.

What is your number one Eco Christmas Idea?

We have a very traditional view of Christmas which should be enjoyed to the full with family and friends, just ensure you keep doing all the normal positive things you do everyday. 

What is the most important piece of information you have ever been told?

It’s a boy! (twice)

If you were prime minister for the day, what one thing would you do?

Don’t get me started; one day wouldn’t be long enough. I think the place to start would be that governments have to deliver their pre-election manifesto when they take office. If I was only given one day I would declare a national “Eco Day” holiday.

Please could you also tell me your top five gifts for Christmas;

• Fuel Gauge Men’s Organic Cotton White T-Shirt -High quality regular fit, men’s white organic cotton t-shirt made by Red Robot. Limited Edition “Here Today / Gone Tomorrow” message print by Red Robot. £17.99 Free UK & Ireland Delivery
• Multi Robot Men’s Organic Cotton Blue T-Shirt - High quality regular fit, men’s skylight blue organic cotton t-shirt made by Red Robot. Limited Edition “Multi Robot Dot” print by Red Robot. £17.99 Free UK & Ireland Delivery
• Robot Dogs Men’s Organic Cotton White T-Shirt - High quality regular fit, men’s white organic cotton t-shirt made by Red Robot. Limited Edition Reservoir Dogs Movie inspired print by Red Robot. £17.99 Free UK & Ireland Delivery
• Robot Hoodie Men’s Organic Cotton Grey Sweatshirt - High quality medium weight, men’s grey marl organic cotton sweatshirt with full length zip and front pocket. Large embroidered logo on the hood and Red Robot appliqué design on the sleeve. £39.99 Free UK & Ireland Delivery
• Fat Cat Women’s Organic Cotton Blue T-Shirt - High quality regular fit organic cotton t-shirt made by Red Robot. Limited Edition “Fat Cat” message print by Red Robot. £17.99 Free UK & Ireland Delivery
• Rainbow Turbine Women’s Organic Cotton T-Shirt - High quality regular fit, women’s cream organic cotton t-shirt made by Red Robot. Limited Edition “Rainbow Turbine Landscape” print by Red Robot. £17.99 Free UK & Ireland Delivery
• Floral Organic Cotton Grey Hooded Sweatshirt - High quality medium weight, women’s grey marl organic cotton sweatshirt with full length zip and front pockets. Large floral embroidered logo on the lower back just above the waist and floral design on the sleeve. £39.99 Free UK & Ireland Delivery

This is True!!