Ferne Arfin, editor of energyrethinking, interviews People Tree founder Safia Minney about her new book.
Posts Tagged ‘safia minney’
Gorgeous inside and out
I caught up with Dean Newcombe who is a sweet English chap from Nottingham who’s living in Japan. He switches from volunteering in Ishinomaki in Tohoku to modeling in Tokyo.
We’re kind of motivated by the same thing, humanitarian issues, so it was great to meet Dean who will model for People Tree’s next collection and maybe do a film with us – watch this space!
Dean has been a permanent fixture in Japan after his first modeling assignment there, he heard about the horrific tsunami and jumped on a plane to come and help. He was told by relations not to come – it was dangerous, ‘what would he do with his, at that time, limited Japanese language skills?’ they asked. He said as he was strong and could move stuff and that’s exactly what he did. This man has moved buildings worth of oily sludge, clearing out the foundations of houses covered by the Tsunami, so they can be rebuilt. He’s also coordinated hundreds of volunteers both Japanese and foreigners.
We’re so looking forward to working with Dean! Read his blog – ‘Intrepid model adventures’
Naked Fashion – the new sustainable fashion revolution
by Safia Minney, with Emma Watson, Vivienne Westwood, Orla Kiely and many more…
Update from London
For those of you not based in London or one of the UK cities that were affected you will have seen the events of the last week on TV and in the papers. It’s been a challenging time but things have started to calm down and we are all very much hoping for peaceful weeks ahead. At People Tree we were very lucky and largely uneffected but thousands across London were and it was shocking to see peoples homes, community centres and businesses – often family run and sometimes decades old reduced to nothing in an evening.
Despite all of the shocking images though there have also been remarkable, uplifting stories from local communities rallying together to protect their livilihoods and help clear up. You might have seen the below picture as it’s been widely used across the web, but for me it really demonstrates the willingness and resourcefulness of people to make a situation better and look out for each other. Well done London!
I’ve also been really excited about the ‘Save our Shops’ chat. We should be supporting local shops and especially the ones that are struggling after looting and vandalism!
Andrew Bayles' Broom Army
People Tree shoots it’s catalogue at Vintage Festival, London
Tom Price and Sosheba Griffiths model next years People Tree summer collection
Wayne Hemmingway – co-founder of Vintage Festival has always been a big supporter of People Tree. He welcomed us back to Vintage Festival at the South Bank to shoot again this year for our catalogue. The Royal Festival Hall were excited to host Vintage as part of the “Festival of Britain” to celebrate culture, art and music. 100s of Vintage clothing stands, great British food, film, arts and amazingly well dress people. I’ll be uploading my style and event edits soon and photos from the live music I saw too!
Miki Alcalde assists me on the shoot, thank you!
Watch our video on you tube to hear what Vintage goers think about Fast Fashion and style.
Thanks so much for all the team who helped including Steph and Bryony who coordinated and planned the shoot with stylist Alicja Jasnikowska and make up artist Abi Johnson. Jerome helped out on lighting, Miki Alcalde assisted me with the photography – thanks everyone!
Jerome Minney helps out on lighting
The lovely Steph looking after the new Spring Summer 2012 product
Jerome gives his mum an energy boosting hug - only 20 more shots to go!
My week in Mombasa, Kenya
Usually I have designers with me, but this time everyone’s super busy – so I decided to attend the WFTO conference alone! Mad! As I told you in my last blog I barely had time to sleep.
I love fashion and trying something new, so I decided to produce a People Tree Bombolulu Workshops Fashion Show – 30 minutes before we were still finalising the outfits – OMG.
Anyway, follow me around the WFTO Conference, the voting group photo. The market place full of wonderful, Fair Trade craft – watch me design dresses at Bombolulu, styling the fashion show and stressing out! 
WFTO (World Fair Trade Organisation) Conference, Mombasa, Kenya
Safia, Geoff and Craig ('CAJUNZ') from Traid Aid New Zealand and Ten Thousand Villages USA
Usually a few of us from People tree attend the biannual WFTO conference – there’s so much to do! There are over 100 Fair Trade organsiations there – but this time I’m solo! So I’m developing new products with Fair Trade groups at lunch breaks, talking about Fair Trade retailing in the US and New Zealand at tea break and trying not to fall asleep reading background papers on everything from how we strengthen WFTO Fair Trade systems, strategic direction, budgets, accounts, etc, etc before falling asleep under my mosquito net.
Where? I’m in Mombassa, it’s very warm although it’s winter for Kenya and the locals are shivering in their cardigans, for us British we’re as happy as can be – only problem is my is a frizz ball hair due to the humidity.
Who am I? CAJANZ, a European or an Asian? As People Tree Japan and People Tree UK are members of WFTO I belong in two different regional groups. Europe – easy and CAJANZ (Canada, America, Japan… err Australia and New Zealand) we’re a tiny group whose motivation is to sell more Fair Trade products – The Europeans are much more political and into advocacy – so I love having a leg in both camps as it were – although I played on the CAJUN football team. I was little benefit to them though, having not played football since teaching my son at the age of two! I used to join my Asia regional talks before as I spend more time with producer groups than anyone else and after all Japan is in Asia when I last checked the map.
Can’t shut me up! – I’m an advocate for the WFTO Fair Trade system having piloted it in Bangladesh and Nepal, it helps Fair Trade groups develop capacity to compete and win a market share. So I’m very vocal all conference and delighted that the new Executive Committee with President friend Rudi Dalvai of CTM gets the vote from the floor to steam ahead with it. Only problem is when Rudi, now President, is too busy to buy me shampoo and conditioner – my hair further revolts and by the time I get home I’m so fed up with my frizzy hair I cut it off myself!
Me in the front middle all folded up
Safia the shopkeeper – People Tree store in Tokyo
15th May 2011
People Tree shop - Omotesando, central Tokyo
We have three stores in Tokyo and today I got to play at being shop keeper. I love being in the People Tree shops, meeting customers and seeing how they pick up and look at the products we make in villages around the world. I’m thinking – If only I could show you the place it was made, if only I could introduce you to the person who made it!
Saf shooting street Fair Trade fashion
Rika, Yoshiko and Safia
PR Manager Michiko, Rika and Yoshiko
Everyone wears People Tree so well in Tokyo too. So I did some street photography of People Tree customers wearing Fair Trade fashion for our new book – and caught up with old friends ex-editor of Marie Claire – Ikoma Yoshiko, Activist and Founder of Ecokoro, Maekita and Rika Sueyoshi, TV reporter and People Tree’s new Ambassador and front person! So many university students studying Fair Trade, new economics and international affairs came to meet me too – I barely had time to eat my o bento (lunch box).
Can't get enough of our Laura Ashley collaboration with People Tree
Talking to university students
Saf eats lunch at 4pm
World Fair Trade Day in Japan – a paradigm shift?!
14th May 2011
600 people gathered for our Fair Trade, sustainable economics and low energy event in Tokyo. I arrived that morning, had a shower and then went straight to the event at Eco Plaza – this amazing wooden cube event space in the absolute centre of town run by social entrepreneur and ex-adman Ikeda san.
After the earthquake we decided to work with other Fair Trade organisations, farmers groups and activists in Japan to get the message out there about what a low carbon and sustainable society looks like.
Not surprisingly awareness level of a non-nuclear based economy and society have increased massively. Earlier this year 40% of the Japanese public said they would buy environmentally friendly products and products that make a positive social contribution, today that figure has risen to a stunning 70%. This could well be the point of a paradigm shift for Japan – later I did an interview with the Japan Economics daily newspaper ’Nihon Keizan Shinbun’ about just that. The silver lining of a dark cloud!
