“I still love my big ballgowns with a kind of twist to them, but I also like Vivienne Westwood because she’s kind of punky and does really nice shapes for ladies. I like Antonio Berardi because I like his shapes too. And William Tempest. And I like Stella McCartney because she’s got a vegetarian range. I want to do a vegetarian range of clothing. I haven’t had time to properly focus on it, but I’m still designing.”
– Singer Leona Lewis in the new June 2010 issue of InStyle UK.
The idea came from the supermarket giant after a visit to From Somewhere’s collection at Estethica, the London fashion week ethical fashion showcase.
Tesco’s plan is to recycle waste within its own supply chain while still keeping its fashion credentials.
The clothes are being produced in a “green” factory in Sri Lanka – the first in the world to be awarded a gold rating for environmental responsiblity by LEED, the international green building certification system.
“The really exciting thing about the From Somewhere to F&F range is that it’s not just great for the environment – it’s great fashion, too,” Jan Marchant, the buying director for Tesco Clothing, said.
But while the benefits for Tesco are obvious – associating themselves with a commitment to environmental responsibility and recycling – why would one of the UK’s most respected ethical fashion labels agree to
team up with a global giant not generally known a light carbon footprint?
The From Somewhere and Estethica founder and designer, Orsola de Castro, said she took the view that reclaiming and “upcycling” fabric should be made more accessible, and that any effort by huge retailers to take responsibility for their waste should be encouraged.
“I have always believed in infiltration,” she said. “We put Estethica right at the centre of London fashion week – four years ago, this was unimaginable.
“Making the world’s second-biggest clothes manufacturer start to look at their own rubbish is the same. It looks odd, but it will become part of the norm.
“Of course, right now this minute it is more of a marketing excercise, but at least it’s a greenwash at 30 degrees – it will take a long time to make the industry take responsibility and truly improve.”
The collection itself is true to From Somewhere’s signature look, with body-con shapes and bright colours that will appeal to the teenage and twentysomething market. The prices, which start at £16, are attractive too.
Recent months have been tough for ethical fashion, with Ascension (formerly Adili) forced to suspend shares and subsequently being sold to an investor for a token £1.
And while sceptics may frown at the collaboration, Orsola argues that anything that gets ethical fashion into the mainstream can only help.
People Tree’s recent collaboration with the film star Emma Watson, for instance, brought an explosion in sales for the company.
This most recent collaboration also follows more recent efforts by Tesco to improve their green image.
Last month, the company opened its first carbon zero store in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, and pledged to spend more than £100m with green technology companies.
Sceptics would argue that, with £1 in every £7 spent in the UK spent in Tesco, the supermarket giant can afford it.
Anna Wintour has deemed recycling an outfit “totally ok”.
Anna Wintour’s style has been hitting the headlines for a less-than-flattering reason recently, with her being papped wearing the same outfit repeatedly as she jetted from city to city during the spring/summer 2010 shows.
However, the American Vogue editirix has finally spoken out about the apparent faux pas – and insisted that such thriftiness is so cool, we should all give it a go.
“I usually wear the same dress twenty times. I think it’s always fun to have something new, but it doesn’t mean that everything you already have in your closet has to be thrown out, you know? Recycle,” she told reporters. “It’s totally ok. I even recommend it.”
It’s safe to say that she knows what she’s talking about. Wintour last month topped Forbes’ Most Influential Fashion Editors list, and just last week was named as the only woman in the top 12 most powerful people in New York by New Yorker Magazine.
It is possible that the recession has had an influence on her thinking, however. She famously had to leave Paris Fashion Week early, to fly back to New York and get stuck into some budget cuts.
Original article http://www.handbag.com/fashion/anna-wintour-champions-recycling-outfits/v1
Evover are pioneering producer of ecological detergent and cleansing agents. Their mission is to provide effective, sustainable solutions for the hygienic needs of people. They have a wide range of products from household to laundry and personal care.
And they chose Refashionable as one of the brands to feature in their newsletter focusing on Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!
Here is an excerpt from the mailer. To see the full version and to join their mailing list click here
Refashionable is just one way that you can put all three ‘R’s into action! Refashionable.com is the home of recycled fashion; it’s a place where you can clear out your wardrobe of unused clothing and sell them online with the option to donate funds to charities and worthwhile causes. Thinking about it there are millions of garments out there waiting to be refashioned, especially as 75% of people say they have unworn clothes in their wardrobes. You can also shop here online and buy quality second hand clothes as well as refashioned clothing! Essentially you will be reducing the style miles by sourcing from an online second hand boutique, reusing and recycling your clothes all in one go. Visit their website and get Refashionable: www.refashionable.com or keep up to date with by singing up to their news updates – click here . These updates will also let you know about their next clothes swap events throughout the UK!
Watch out for up and coming reviews of Ecover products and the opportunity to win Ecover products.
The event, sponsored by the Royal Mail, was organized by Charities Trust and Time4Woman to raise funds for the Liverpool Refuge for women and their children Centre 56.
For the past 25 years Centre 56 has provided accommodation and support for women and children in Liverpool fleeing domestic violence. The event, which was organised by Charities Trust, is seeking to raise £70,000 for the Centre in order to enable the Children’s staffed nursery to continue supporting the women and their children which is in danger of closing down and also replace bedding, furniture which are all in need of replacing.
It is home to 19 women and their families and provides support and therapy to help them rebuild their lives.
Last night guests including former Brookside star Alexandra Fletcher were treated to a fashion show by designer boutique Cricket with hair and beauty by Barbara Daly.
Ladies were also invited to bring along an item of designer fashion they no longer use to be auctioned off on refashionable.com to raise money for the charity.
A moving DVD detailing the work of Centre 56 was shown on the night, which was also attended by two of the women who have been helped to get their lives back on track by the Centre.
Children living at Centre 56 also prepared special cards for all the guests thanking them for their support.
Anyone wishing to support the Centre with donations or Gifts in Kind can visit www.centre56.org.uk or for more information about Charities Trust email centre56@charitiestrust.org.
Rachel Cooper meets a woman with a passion for a fashionable bargain.
CHRISTINE Walker was climbing a mountain in the pouring rain wearing a pair of pyjamas when she decided there must be another way to raise money for charity.
“It was hideous,” remembers Christine, from Hunts Cross, as she recalls doing the Three Peaks Challenge three years ago. “I’d never climbed a mountain before in my life. I started crying about 20 minutes up Ben Nevis and cried for the next 24 hours as we scaled Scafell and Snowdonia.
“The weather was awful and I ended up in my pyjamas because my clothes were all wet.”
But keeping Christine going was the memory of her mum who only two weeks previously had died from breast cancer.
“She was only 57 and my best friend,” says Christine.
After losing her mum, Christine, who has also run several Races for Life and the London Run to the Beat half marathon, was keen to continue doing her bit for charity.
“But,” says Christine, 31, “I wanted to fund raise by doing something I was good at – and wouldn’t make my toenails drop off.”
And it was Christine’s mum, who had an eye for a bargain, that provided the inspiration for her next, and biggest, fund-raising venture – launching www.refashionable.com, a website that’s an online charity shop.
“We launched last October,” says Christine, who studied design at Liverpool University and has since worked as a buyer in the fashion industry. “But I’ve just quit my job in London as a product development manager and last weekend, I moved back in with my dad in Hunts Cross to work on the website full-time. It was now or never.”
The sleek and easy-to-navigate site is a portal where people can buy and sell clothes online and donate money to charity.
“People can advertise items that they want to sell through the site and decide what percentage of the sale they want to donate to a charity of their choice,” explains Christine.
“If people want to buy something, they can either search by what kind of thing they want to buy or by which charity they want to donate to.”
The website’s mantra is reuse, recycle, refashion and it’s as much about helping the environment as it is about raising money for charity.
“We throw so many clothes away,” says Christine. “So, the site is about getting the best out of the wardrobe you already have.
“There’s information on how to alter your clothes or customise them. It doesn’t take long to get your scissors out and transform something you’ve already got.”
But Christine has, she admits, not always been so keen on recycling.
“My mum was the one who enjoyed rooting through charity shops. I was always a real Primark girl,” says Christine.
“But I’ve done a complete turnaround and am definitely a second-hand shopper. It’s amazing what you can find. I found a Balenciaga bag in Oxfam once.”
“Now, I’ve taken my mum’s love of a bargain and run with it,” adds Christine. “I think she’d be proud.”
Christine first got the idea for the website last spring when sorting out some clothes to give to charity.
“I put all these clothes in one of those charity bins and I just assumed they’d go straight to the charity shop, but they don’t at all,” says Christine.
“The bins are managed by firms who make money out of it.”
Christine searched the internet to see if anyone was selling clothes for charity online and was astounded to discover they weren’t.
“Running a website’s so much cheaper than running a shop as you don’t have so many overheads,” says Christine. “It’s a much better deal for the charity.”
But surprisingly, says Christine, actually getting charities to commit to refashionable.com was the hardest part of the launch.
“I spent weeks just getting phones slammed down on me and doors shut in my face,” says Christine.
“I was about ready to give up when I called the Charities Trust, who are the second-biggest payroll giving company in the country and are based in Liverpool. I nearly cried when they agreed to help.”
With the support of the Trust, people can donate via refashionable.com to charities ranging from Action for Children to the Alzheimer’s Trust and new organisations are coming on board all the time.
“Fast fashion has had its day,” reckons Christine. “With the credit crunch, people need to release the cash in their closet and become more frugal and our website can also benefit charities struggling during the recession. It’s the perfect time for refashionable.com. Now I just need to tell everyone about it.”
Click the image below to release the cash in your closet in 4 easy steps.
