Safia's Blog

Donation for Japan from Kumundini Welfare Trust, Bangladesh

Mr Rajib Prasad Shaha, Chairman and Managing Director of Kumudini Welfare Trust of Bengal (BD) Limited, Bangladesh handed a donation of $500.00 to Safia Minney, Founder and CEO of Fair Trade Company Ltd (People Tree Japan), with the kind words, “We would like to help the people of Japan in any way we can with our prayers and with our great respect for a great friend to Bangladesh. We hope that their suffering will lighten as the weeks go by and we hope that they can rebuild their country and their great nation in the same way that they did after the Second World War. We have collected some money here from Kumudini Welfare Trust and we know that People Tree Japan is the best way for us to get the money to the hands of the people who need it most. Japan, you have been a great friend to Bangladesh and we only hope we can be some help to you in this difficult time as your friend!”

Very many thanks to all at Kumudini and to all those who have sent kind messages of support.

Report from Tokyo

I wanted to share with you this quick update from Yoko, one of our shop managers in Tokyo.

“People Tree Jiyugaoka + Omotesando shops reopened yesterday. There are still only a few people in downtown Tokyo because of the blackout.

Here is a picture of my flat after the earthquake! Now, I’m really thinking I was lucky to have been working at the Omotesando-shop then. If I had been in my room, it might have been really scary!

We’ll have to be really “tough” for a whille, but I’ll keep working with a smile!” Yoko Yoshida, People Tree Japan

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Thank you so much to all of our Japan team – we move forward with love, positivity and hope! Great love and respect to you all!

Update from Japan

We were sitting in the showroom on ground level when the earthquake started, we ran to the middle of the road knowing that if the buildings came down we probably would get crushed, but Tokyo is a place of buildings and few open spaces…

The tarmac and buildings shook, and the telegraph poles flapped overhead. I was holding tightly to Masako, our Head of Design’s arm, shouting about whether our whole team were safer on the 3rd floor or in the road with us. (It was like in a movie, I was waiting to see the tarmac open in front of us).

The team were under their desks when we got up there. It went on and on, all afternoon, all evening, and the next day there were constant tremors.

We are the lucky ones. The people who run our Japan website are seriously affected. Two shops stocking People Tree have disappeared, over 6,539 people have perished and 10,354 are still missing. Hundreds of thousands are homeless, hungry and cold in shelters. Transport networks are in chaos.

Everyone is being so brave dealing with their own shock and grief, getting food where it is running out, and working around power cuts. We’re also dealing with news about nuclear accidents “don’t forget to buy a raincoat in case it rains radiation Safia!”

There is a 70% chance of more earthquakes in the next days, and despite all this, we’re all trying to plan so that People Tree can survive. The people of Japan are amazing!!

My back is as hard as a plank of wood due to stress. I hope you will want to help Japan in some way…thanks for all your messages of support too!

People are asking me is there any way to help other than donations? As People Tree UK and People Tree Japan are part of the same company, and Japan is in turmoil at the moment, it helps to buy from People Tree UK as that way we can help Japan in the difficult months ahead. You’ll also help the Fair Trade movement survive in Japan and help sustain orders to Fair Trade groups too!

You can support the British Red Cross (which we are doing through a 10% donation of People Tree UK sales) and our office is also supporting Second Harvest (2HJ) which is a food bank helping here in Japan. Link below:

http://www.2hj.org/index.php/get_involved/donate_money

2HJ distributes donated food, all of which is good for consumption, but would have been disposed of otherwise. The organisation is gearing up for emergency relieve right now to the direct victims of the earthquake and tsunami. However, their efforts are already looking further down the road, and they are committed to support victims also on the long run. For that they are as we speak building a network of distribution points across the affected area, which will not disappear once the earthquake is out of the news.

International Womens’ Day

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Today we are celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future across the world.

People Tree is proud to work with so many women to bring you beautiful clothing and support their communities and families.

Swallows is a womens’ project, where even hand weaving,which is considered mens’ work, is done by women.

Fumi, People Tree's model visits Swallows, Bangladesh to see how her clothes are made

The natural yarns are hand woven into fabrics, then hand embellished with embroidery and tailored, providing work for over 200 women.

Swallows was set up to provide opportunities for women who suddenly found that they were the head of the household, after the village was devastated in 1971, when all the adult males were massacred during the war of independence.
People Tree Founder Safia Minney asks the women at Swallows how Fair Trade makes a difference to their lives.

“In other villages the women think that they are living for their husband – but here the women don’t think that they are dependent on him. They think they have equal participation in the family.”

“We get supported by law here against domestic violence.”

“We feel Swallows is a secure place for us to work. We feel it is even more secure than our home. It’s like our home.”

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London Fashion Week – February 2011

I’ve been running around at London Fashion Week. We loved the Bora Aksu show for AW11– gorgeous separates.

My favourite green blouse from Bora Aksu's show

My favourite green silk blouse from Bora Aksu's show

An impressive front row at Bora

Then off to see Orla Kiely’s AW11 presentation and film – really prim and 60s gorgeous.

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There were a great group of customers, friends and fashion bloggers.

Orla turned the place into a forest with dried out trees with stuffed birds – lots of dead birds in London Fashion Week this season Orla’s were in good taste but not sure about those dead crow hats!

20 years old!

Our 20 year Birthday Party in photos.

Over 250 gathered to celebrate People Tree’s coming of age and their huge contribution to making what is arguable one of the largest Fair Trade, Social and Environmental movements in Japan and the world. I guess we should celebrate our 10th in the UK too!

My first firend in Japan Higashi, ex-Manager of GAIA eco-shop

My first friend in Japan Higashi, ex-Manager of GAIA eco-shop

20th anniversary - We love Valentines and People Tree party

Founders - Kaoru, Safia and Naoko

First ever 100% organic chocolate fountain in Japan

Jack and Fay of Tengu foods

Sugiyama Naoko and Rika support People Tree with their amazing media skills

People Tree team hard at work behind the bar too!

Over 200 people gathered to celebrate

Safia stood out in her green dress

People Tree is a community of friends, customers, activists, artists and intellectuals

Thanks for all your support as always, Saf xx

People Tree Japan turns 20!

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How INCREDIBLE to see 2 metre tall flower bouquets delivered at the party from business partners and friends! The party was SOOOO lovely!!

People I hadn’t seen for years and staff from years back all came to say “hi” and I cried when I saw some of them remembering, the joys and hard work we shared. Roko was there – I remember 16 years ago she used to slip under her desk for ‘a break’, think up a good idea, and pop up again! She is utterly brilliant and we are so lucky to have such talented and committed people working at PT and global village over the years!

Stockists from all over Japan came, people who have spread Fair Trade and built a strong movement in Japan. Models came and gave speeches…lots of speeches from friends and fellow activists and artists about us and our shared history.

The band GeneZ were amazing and we danced! The Fair Trade, organic chocolate fountain was the first ever in Japan and we dipped strawberries and Fair Trade bananas in!! ….that and wine is all I had all night.

Even my first friend in Japan came: I met Higashi 20 years ago when he ran Gaia, the ecology and organic food shop, (I used to travel 45 mins across town with my shopping trolley to buy a week’s groceries) Thanks Higashi san, thank you also to co- founders: James, Kaoru, Naoko and an amazing team that helped grow the People Tree community – and helped me grow a lot too!

I promised myself that I wouldn’t cry and I kept it together for my talk, but I had two panda eyes at the end of the night! Thanks for a great party Team PT Japan!! YOU ROCK!!

Merry Christmas!

Japenese organic Christmas cake à la Crayon House, Tokyo

Japanese organic Christmas cake a la Crayon House, Tokyo

I love Christmas but mostly because when I’m in the UK, I get the time off!

Slow Fashion – fairy lights and feathers in Shibuya

Show time - fairy lights and feathers

to promote sustainable and Fair Trade fashion in spring we’d never imagined that it would galvanise so many university students in Japan and UK.

Akari and the incredible team!

School of Fair Trade and People Tree intern Akari Kuga did an amazing job with other students, Natsuki and Akiko to organise a Slow Fashion extravaganza near Shibuya in Tokyo. They invited Baba (former designer of Dress Camp who is the first Japanese designer to win a competition between FIT and Parsons in New York), and me to discuss fashion and what it meant to us.

Tama Art School students show their work

They also organised three fashion shows, together with Tama Art University students and ‘xChange’ to promote fashion made out of sustainable materials and to promote clothes swapping, followed by the People Tree Youth Collection endorsed by Emma Watson. There were 80 people PACKED into a gallery in Shibuya – that is how we kept warm!

The new future: Slow fashion

Chinese garment factory workers

There was a presentation about Chinese garment workers conditions of young women the same age as the university students gathered – where workers do an average 14 hours working day – Fast fashion really began to catch on in Japan about 5 years ago, resulting in 2.3 million tons of clothing which is disposed of each year – of which only 10% is ever recycled or reused. Making second hand clothes and charity shop shopping cool is the challenge in Japan – There’s no culture of it as in the UK where we all buy from Charity Shops.

2.3 million tons of garments are thrown away each year

People Tree youth collection, endorsed by Emma Watson

Motomi and me

Motoomi Baba

There was a panel discussion with me and Baba Motoomi. He’s a real artist, we talked about fashion and what it means to us. Predictably we were poles apart – Motomi talked about how you have to live and breathe fashion to suceed in it – and I talked about the real cost of Fashion. I’m intrigued by him and his designs – so I decided to see his collection later that week.

Some very creative work from Tama Art school students.

Good styling, upcycling and second hand - so cute I love it!

Great event – well done everyone. Slow fashion rocks!

Safia’s Sustainable Christmas shopping?

Some of us fix a limit on how much we can spend on each other – forcing us to be more innovative and creative. We’ve never formalised that rule in my family but my favourite Christmas present last year was definitely my brother’s chutney – (imagine a doctor with two small children who makes time to make chutney! – so cool!). Anyway my mate Andrew the Jamaican taxi driver filled me with the joy of buying and stockpiling for Christmas and I realised I hadn’t started anything… I like getting excited about what I’m going to give people, rarely find it a pressure and well if I hide away special organic Christmas food it’s more likely to be me raiding the special box in the middle of the night than my teenagers!

So this Saturday – aside from my People Tree Fair Trade presents, Natalie my 14 year old daughter and I set out in South London to find things that would bring a smile to her grandmother’s face – that’s where we’re all spending Christmas. I find a hip flask, some second hand records and some gorgeous second hand shoes – completely impractical for my Yorkshire Xmas, maybe People Tree Christmas party though!

Local charity shop - a treasure trove of fun!

I find some cute junk jewellery and purses for my nieces

Here are a few of my Christmas present rules -

Rule 1. Never buy plastic and non-biodegradable. You can only buy plastic if it’s from a charity shop and recycled. (I buy a football hat game – where you chuck a ball at someone’s hat the ball attaches itself with Velcro to the unfortunate persons head!)

Rule 2. If you buy new, buy Fair Trade and organic! I’ve bought friends good organic wine and other foods and consumables – I want to make mince pies – veggie of course. I’ll treat everyone at People Tree’s Christmas sample sale on 10^th/11^th December – so come along! Homemade rules – so save those jars!

Rule 3. Buying ethical fashion can mean, buying Fair Trade or second hand (or vintage I you have a bit more money to spend). I’ve bought my Mum a gorgeous silk dress that I’ve been imagining she’ll wear on Christmas Day – glamorous and colourful.

Rule 4. Don’t forget the important things – it’s different depending on your age, my teenagers want a drum kit on eBay for £100, my mum wants to see her grandchildren more than anything for Christmas – and all I want is a good long bubble bath (organic bubbles please!) and 2 days off to cook together and drink red wine.

Rule 5. Don’t spend money, only spend time!