A fabulous red dress for those who want to stand out in the crowd! Fitted waistband with drape pockets, to give a sumptuous look…
Posts Tagged ‘Fair Trade’
Autumn/Winter 2010 preview
First new styles in!
To give you a taste of great clothes to come in the autumn/winter season, we have launched a selection for you to indulge in!
Autumn Winter 2011 Kick off meeting
Saori, Julia, Jenny, Misato and Masako share fabric development
I’m working with the People Tree design team on the Autumn/Winter 2011 collection – Looking at craft skills, hand knitted pieces and tribal hints on new silhouettes – and we’re revisiting the producers traditional skills, hand weaves, block prints and embroideries too. The team asked me a few questions about the meetings and I thought i’d share them with you.
How will People Tree start to interpret the themes for its collection?
We’re thinking craft meets couture –practical, wearable clothes that flatter the body with innocent embroidery like cross stitch and braiding.
What sorts of colour pallet can we expect to see for AW11? Some surprise new colours, a gorgeous green and lots of funky highlights.
What’s your favourite idea that you and the team have discussed so far?
A new piece inspired by a block print dress I made at a fair trade group years back – white silk with a beautiful screen print.
Are there any themes that People Tree can’t do and why would that be? We don’t do synthetic fabrics. We don’t do fast fashion – ours is slow. We love craft skills.
Jenny our buyer loves vintage
Traditional embroideries - so inspiring
A rummage through the sample boxes and vintage pieces inspire
Working on the colours for Autumn/Winter 2011 with Tracy Mulligan and Masako Ueda and the design team
Bangladesh minimum wage doubled, but it’s not enough, say campaigners
This week we forwarded 2082 names collected from the Humanity in Fashion petition to the National Garment Workers Federation to support their call for a threefold increase in the Bangladeshi minimum wage.
Executive Travel – being the CEO, on a Fair Trade shoe string budget
Veranda of my guest house in Aghaijara, Bangladesh – where you can watch the water hyacinth float down the river and enjoy a cup of tea - it's better than a 5 star spa!
I was talking to another CEO about a trip I was doing overseas. Oh your going off on a “jolly” he said – little did he know that when you run a social business like People Tree you travel to and fro at the weekends (which means you don’t have time to wash your socks and bake your kids cakes between working weeks). Also I arrive and and go straight into my 12 hour working day. Most fashion company bosses stay in 4-5 star hotels – but I stay in guest houses and villages with our Fair Trade groups, partly because the food is better and fresher but also because it’s a huge waste of money!
The difference in a week’s 5 star stay in a city of a developing country could fund a designer or technical advisor to come to the country and run workshops – obviously it’s an easy choice for me to choose to travel on a shoe string! Little places are more friendly too and because many of our Fair Trade groups are in villages, I get to enjoy fresh air too.
Working in the shelter of my mosquito net
Many suppliers/garment factories put up their customers in 5 star hotels as part of their hospitality, but People Tree pays to stay with our Fair Trade groups in their guest houses. After all it’s real cost for food, housekeeping, cleaning, etc. Why should suppliers pay for their customers hospitality?
Executively dressed?
I’ve been surprised by how people dress when they visit culturally sensitive places – I’m writing in shorts and a camisole at home in the summer’s heat, but in Bangladesh you cover up however hot and humid it is. I wear a shalwar kameez and long thin legged trousers called churidar. When it’s 36 degrees and 80% humidity you have to put your foot in a plastic bag just to get them on.
Here’s how…
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Crafts to Change the World
Miki and I photoshoot and interview between downpours!
I got kissed by a circus elephant along the way
My Mum loves crafts – and my grandmother was an embroidery designer before she ran a home for delinquent boys – I guess that’s were my love for crafts started.
Prokritee is part of MCC, the Mennonite Central Committee and has worked to support the world’s poorest people for over 40 years.
Monsoon, Bangladesh
I started working with these groups 19 years ago and together with the brilliant designer Suraiya Choudhury we brought natural dyes to Bagda Enterprises, that now work making body scrub mits for the Body Shop. We’ve also worked closely with craft groups to design literally thousands of products using traditional skills and natural fibres for Japan and UK.
Travelling by rickshaw
Suraiya and me with my favourite drink - fresh 'tender' coconut
My third assignment in Bangladesh is to document the amazing craft skills and interview artisans to show the impact on their lives. So I travelled with my photographer friend Miki Alcalde and Kate Wakeling by van, ferry, rickshaw then on foot into Agailjhara, Borisal to do just that.
Fresh flowers, the best welcome of all
Kate and Safia with their flowers
Natural fibres can be used to make so many crafts. Chopstick holders and bangles and a dragonfly made of recycled newspaper – I’m just mad about crafts and the social change it brings!
Too many mangoes eaten along the way
These shoes were made for walking
My very well travelled, very muddy sandals
Kate Wakeling, my colleague wants to make a TV documentary about my sandals and where they’ve been!?
Dress for Wimbledon!
Wimbledon is in full swing and tennis fever is rising high! Get in the mood with classic strawberries and cream, a bottle of Robinsons and our court side treats…
Inspired to make a difference
When People Tree collaborated with Emma Watson on their new youth range the aim was clear; to bring Fair Trade and sustainable fashion to a new audience. The youth of today are the hope for the future and by beginning a conversation with them we have a chance to shape a better future.
Organic food queen gives her top 5 picks!
Geetie Singh MBE set up the UK’s first organic pub, The Duke of Cambridge in Islington, London. 10 years ago. In recent times the pub has been awarded three ethical awards including the winner of ‘Best Restaurant’ from the Soil Association, Natural and Organic Awards.
