When deciding which materials to use my choice seemed simple: knits.
I chose knits because i thought it would go well with the idea, my aesthetic and the fact that knits are apparently better for the environment; less processing etc. Easy. Simple. Fun.
WRONG! Little did i know that it was practically impossible to find someone who works with knits in bangalore. The machines that are used for jersey materials are different from the normal sewing machines which i was aware of, but turns out only large scale manufacturing units possess them. Here i am again, small scale designer (to be, which i think in this case is definitely an advantage) getting lost between the humungous orders of mnc’s.
After a week of desperate phone calls and visits to large amounts of people, where the answer was either i’m sorry mam we dont do knits or we take a minimum order of 500 pieces only, my only option seemed to be to take help from father dearest again. ( My father works with organic cotton farmers and has in the past supplied cotton to various ethical clothing brands) So he put in a good word for me to a former colleague and off I was to Tirupur.
Once in Tirupur, we had very little time. My designs were ready but since i’m not a fashion designer, my pattern making skills are not optimal, which meant that the patterns and my designs had to all be made in one day.
I started my day off at a deserted factory, with an if i may be blunt exceptionally daft pattern master. After 2 hours of explaining what i wanted over and over again we finally had some patterns. But i felt like i could have probably done better myself. Not a very good feeling. Thankfully the guy who was helping me out seemed to think the same and so he took me to another pattern master in another factory. This guy was great, he understood exactly what i was talking about and made my patterns in just about half an hour. He also got a mock up stitched really quickly and made necessary corrections.
We were then off to yet another factory to get my t-shirts stitched. (i must tell you getting these t-shirts stitched was definitely not the best for the carbon footprint of my project) By then i was exhausted from being carted from one end of the city to another. On the way i was nearly tempted into buying some surplus stock “branded” t-shirts, but keeping the principles of my project in mind i politely refused. Besides the day was coming to an end and i had to leave early the next morning.
So to the production unit we go, where i find out that the unbleached cotton jersey that i bought has not been processed to be work with yet. Which means that my t-shirts are probably going to get twisted once i wash them. Brilliant, uptill now i thought i had made a responsible decision but i guess i was slightly wrong there. I guess these prototypes will have to stay prototypes and can’t end up in my cupboard to be worn over and over again.
The patterns were then cut and stitching could begin, so far so good. But then, another problem surfaced. T-shirts need piping on the neckline and yes there’s a seperate machine for that. The unit was in the middle of a production which needed a 2 cm piping, which was way to broad for my liking, but changing the size of the piping on the machine takes 2 hours, this meant that my t-shirts could not possibly be finished by the end of the day. I guess wantting to finish everything in one day was a bit too ambitious anyway.
The whole t-shirt experience has taught me a lot. Once again i have been confronted by the fact that things are not easy to do on a small scale. Which makes it all the more difficult for designers who want to make a change little by little.
One thing that i noticed when i was in tirupur was women sitting on the side of the road picking apart pieces of jersey. When i asked what they were doing, i was told that these women take apart the waste from the factories which is then used as cleaning material or filling for car seats. This to some extent was a comforting thought., because the amount of fabric that gets wasted is substantial. Although i still feel that we need to reduce the amount of waste that is generated in the first place.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Update
It's been a while since I posted something. The deadline for the project is rapidly approaching and i'm going crazy trying to get things done. I have been running from on tailor to another getting them to do the little things..(that take incredible amounts of time!) Things are actually starting to take shape now and its exciting but weird to see at the same time. A lot of questions keep rising in my head as to how i could have done things differently but hey..there's no time left so we've got to make do with what we have and make the most of it.
I'm going to take some pictures of my work in progress and put up the pictures later on today.
I'm going to take some pictures of my work in progress and put up the pictures later on today.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Beautiful things..
I have this habit of surfing the net for hours at a time and gathering images. There are so many beautiful things out there, that sometimes i wonder if its really necessary for me to be creating more. Oh well thats a topic to be discussed at another point of time. For now i just wanted to share some nice things with you :)
images via abundance
images via abundance
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Embroidery styles
Some images of styles of embroidery that im thinking of applying to my garments:
Yes i love embroidered type :)
images via weheartit
Yes i love embroidered type :)
images via weheartit
Monday, September 20, 2010
Give farmers a break – treat cotton as a luxury
The Guardian regularly posts interesting articles regarding fashion and sustainability. I've posted one below that is directly related to my project:
By: Lucy Siegle
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 19 September 2010 00.09 BST
In the run-up to London Fashion Week, it has been amazing to see how cotton, the most humble of fibres, has jostled even the size-zero debate from the front pages. This is a major achievement, given most designers know or care very little about where fibres are grown or in what conditions.
Naturally, it is the spectre of a global shortage of cheap cotton, and the fact that this threatens to end the age of T-shirts sold for £2, that has caught the headlines. Four countries – China, the US, India and Pakistan – supply 70% of the world's cotton. China has been hit by drought, Pakistan by the floods and in many Indian states, cotton that should be drying in the sun is still soaking after a protracted monsoon season. Retailers, including Primark, have said they will need to put up their prices.
It would be naive to suggest that cheap cotton has been the only factor in the on-trend pieces sold for the price of a sandwich. Campaign groups would point to the fact that third world garment workers frequently absorb much of the real cost. But it has played a big role. Cotton is the "pig of all botany", according to French economist Erik Orsenna. He does not mean this pejoratively. Like the whole of the pig, the whole of the cotton plant can be used. Grown properly in a sustainable system, cotton should be a really useful crop. But international respect for cotton has plummeted. It is traded as a cheap commodity in an international market where millions of third world growers in debt to pesticide traders must compete with subsidised growers from the US and where evidence suggests the Uzbek cotton harvest is still picked by enforced child labour. Meanwhile, first world consumers discard cotton garments quicker than ever.
Labels predicated on fairly traded organic cotton do not seem to have been taken quite so unawares. Abigail Petit, sustainable cotton expert and founder of fair trade brand Gossypium, factored in a spike in cotton prices at the beginning of 2010, when she put the price of her bestselling pyjamas up from £32 to £39. She knows that weather patterns are changing for cotton producers in Asia because she works with them directly.
Petit's brand deals with Indian organic co-operative Agrocel and everything begins with a cotton price that ensures a living wage is paid to the grower. Only then will Petit add on design and marketing costs. This is the reverse of the conventional industry, where buyers are charged with sourcing the cheapest fibre and production.
Rather than buying the cheapest anonymous fibre at international market, Safia Minney of People Tree invests 10% of her label's annual turnover in "capacity building" to ensure future supplies of sustainable fibre and production. Working with cotton farmers in India, she has installed drip-feed irrigation. Once it was established that this meant the producers could grow high-quality, long-staple cotton she was able to design the fibre into her new collection, as a series of cotton dresses.
A quality cotton garment will contain 500-600g of cotton compared with just 50g for a low-quality T-shirt where the rest of the fibre is bulked out by chemical dyes and finishes. It is worth paying for quality. You get more cotton for your money and a product designed to last more than a couple of washes. This fashion week, treat cotton as a luxury.
By: Lucy Siegle
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 19 September 2010 00.09 BST
In the run-up to London Fashion Week, it has been amazing to see how cotton, the most humble of fibres, has jostled even the size-zero debate from the front pages. This is a major achievement, given most designers know or care very little about where fibres are grown or in what conditions.
Naturally, it is the spectre of a global shortage of cheap cotton, and the fact that this threatens to end the age of T-shirts sold for £2, that has caught the headlines. Four countries – China, the US, India and Pakistan – supply 70% of the world's cotton. China has been hit by drought, Pakistan by the floods and in many Indian states, cotton that should be drying in the sun is still soaking after a protracted monsoon season. Retailers, including Primark, have said they will need to put up their prices.
It would be naive to suggest that cheap cotton has been the only factor in the on-trend pieces sold for the price of a sandwich. Campaign groups would point to the fact that third world garment workers frequently absorb much of the real cost. But it has played a big role. Cotton is the "pig of all botany", according to French economist Erik Orsenna. He does not mean this pejoratively. Like the whole of the pig, the whole of the cotton plant can be used. Grown properly in a sustainable system, cotton should be a really useful crop. But international respect for cotton has plummeted. It is traded as a cheap commodity in an international market where millions of third world growers in debt to pesticide traders must compete with subsidised growers from the US and where evidence suggests the Uzbek cotton harvest is still picked by enforced child labour. Meanwhile, first world consumers discard cotton garments quicker than ever.
Labels predicated on fairly traded organic cotton do not seem to have been taken quite so unawares. Abigail Petit, sustainable cotton expert and founder of fair trade brand Gossypium, factored in a spike in cotton prices at the beginning of 2010, when she put the price of her bestselling pyjamas up from £32 to £39. She knows that weather patterns are changing for cotton producers in Asia because she works with them directly.
Petit's brand deals with Indian organic co-operative Agrocel and everything begins with a cotton price that ensures a living wage is paid to the grower. Only then will Petit add on design and marketing costs. This is the reverse of the conventional industry, where buyers are charged with sourcing the cheapest fibre and production.
Rather than buying the cheapest anonymous fibre at international market, Safia Minney of People Tree invests 10% of her label's annual turnover in "capacity building" to ensure future supplies of sustainable fibre and production. Working with cotton farmers in India, she has installed drip-feed irrigation. Once it was established that this meant the producers could grow high-quality, long-staple cotton she was able to design the fibre into her new collection, as a series of cotton dresses.
A quality cotton garment will contain 500-600g of cotton compared with just 50g for a low-quality T-shirt where the rest of the fibre is bulked out by chemical dyes and finishes. It is worth paying for quality. You get more cotton for your money and a product designed to last more than a couple of washes. This fashion week, treat cotton as a luxury.
The Play fair game
Play the Playfair Game!
What is life really like for workers making sportswear and merchandise for the London 2012 Olympics? Could you face the dilemmas and pressures of work in a factory, trying to make ends meet and provide for your children?
Take a peek at the 'What's the Story?' function for background facts about workers' rights, and 'contact the union' to try to claim your rights. Players can also use the game to take action and contact CEOs of major sports brands, asking them to improve conditions for workers.
I just gave this a shot..and its quite the challenge. why dont you give it a try?!
Via : Social Alterations
What is life really like for workers making sportswear and merchandise for the London 2012 Olympics? Could you face the dilemmas and pressures of work in a factory, trying to make ends meet and provide for your children?
Take a peek at the 'What's the Story?' function for background facts about workers' rights, and 'contact the union' to try to claim your rights. Players can also use the game to take action and contact CEOs of major sports brands, asking them to improve conditions for workers.
I just gave this a shot..and its quite the challenge. why dont you give it a try?!
Via : Social Alterations
Sunday, September 19, 2010
A Letter from Japan
A member of my panel sent me the link to this article, I think it's quite interesting and i'd like to share it with you:
LETTER FROM JAPAN
Japanese consumers are reportedly staying away from buying goods and are choosing spiritual richness over material abundance. Junko Edahiro explains why.
Whenever I have a chance to speak with high school or university students, I ask them about wanting to own a car. Few answer that they do, while an increasing number are saying that owning a car is “not cool”. And I find quite a few young people saying, “All I need is my mobile phone.” These responses echo new data showing that it’s true – a decreasing number of consumers now want to own an automobile, once a must-have social status symbol.
If people are sitting on their wallets simply because the economy is slow, then the problems will be solved after the economy recovers. However, there are many writers who think that some changes are happening at much deeper structural and psychological levels. In fact, numerous books focusing on this point have been published in Japan recently.
Among them are Rebellion of the Simple Lifestyle Clan, No Brand Japan: The End of Twentieth-Century Consumer Society, The Young Generation That Doesn’t Want Much, and The Lifestyle and Consumption Behaviour of the Young Generation: Are Young People Really Not Spending Money? On the cover of a book with the title Study of the Anti-Consumption Generation: The Young Generation That Doesn’t Want Much Shakes the Economy, a sentence in big, bold letters, “Aren’t you being stupid to want to buy a car?” jumped off the page at me. (All English titles are my translations.)
I believe that behind these trends is a conscious and/or unconscious awareness of the absolute ceiling for resources, energy and ecological carrying capacity including carbon dioxide absorption. As it becomes more apparent that the world is going beyond the limits of the Earth, people’s sense of values is changing, especially in their deep psyche.
It is certain that the parameters of consumerism are decreasing as Japanese society experiences a declining birth rate and ageing population ahead of the rest of the world. In addition, as public opinion surveys on people’s lifestyle conducted by the Cabinet Office of the Government show, a growing number of Japanese now value spiritual richness more than material abundance (and this applies particularly to people in urban areas, and more to women than to men). It is this fact, I think, that lies behind the major structural change. Would people who regard spiritual richness as more important than material abundance be willing to buy new products launched every few months?
The younger generation is particularly seen as having little desire for material ownership. They simply say, “When I have to go from point A to point B, I will drive a car if that’s the only option, but the car does not have to be mine. I can rent a car or use a car-sharing service, since that’s now available, or maybe I can catch a ride with somebody. Or I will go by bicycle if possible.”
In my opinion, people’s value systems can change rather easily. Let me give an example. In 2000, when car-sharing services started to become popular in Europe and the United States, I introduced the movement to Japanese people in my email magazine covering environmental topics. At the time, the majority of Japanese subscribers reacted adversely, saying: “We like things clean and tend not to want to use things when we don’t know who used them before us. So a car-sharing service will never be popular in Japan.”
But things have changed. People can now find a car-sharing service near any station along the Yamanote Line, a main railway loop in Tokyo. And similar car-sharing services in other areas of Japan become available almost every day.
“Japanese people like cleanliness.” “A car is a necessary item for any young adult.” “To be considered an adult, you must have your own house.” These are examples of conventional assumptions, or a mental model that dictates that things “should be this way”. The ability to identify and loosen up these types of mental model would, I believe, be indispensable for the future success of society and businesses.
I see three new trends that are changing people’s conventional assumptions. The first one is ‘de-ownership’, as described above. Another example: young people buy new books, but after reading them they usually sell them to Bookoff, a nationwide used-bookstore chain, or to other secondhand bookshops. They most often purchase a book based on the premise that they will sell it after reading it. In that sense, secondhand bookstores are the modern version of the book-lending shops that were very popular in the old days in Japan. As for music, the industry is going through a tough time, since far fewer people now buy CDs. More people are downloading music, or borrowing CDs from rental shops. House-share has become very popular, especially among young people, and even has its own real-estate market, and fashion-swap events known as ‘xChange’ are held in many places in Japan.
The second major trend is ‘de-materialism’ of happiness. Conventionally, buying and owning material goods is considered the best way to be happy. But now an increasing number of people define happiness as coming from personal relationships and from engagement with Nature. More and more Japanese say they are interested in agriculture, enjoy candle-lit events with their friends and families, and participate in Neighbours’ Day, an annual event that started in Europe to enhance relationships among neighbours. The xChange events are designed to exchange not only fashion items but also information and sentiments from the owners of the clothes, using what is called an ‘episode tag’. Participants put a tag on each of the items they bring and write on it their name and a brief note such as “I loved this item but it doesn’t fit me any more. I hope someone who loves red can wear it.” Participants love reading the episode tags because they make people aware of the human connection – something that can’t be measured in monetary terms – and also promote the exchange of feelings and communication by exchanging goods.
The third major trend is ‘de-monetisation’. In Japan, it used to be common for people to plan their lives around the amount of money they earned by devoting much of their time to their businesses. But now an increasing number of people are choosing a new lifestyle, such as being “half-farmer, half-X”. The idea is that people spend half their time growing food for their own family, and the other half on something else. I know a “half-farmer, half-writer” and a “half-farmer, half-NGO member”. The basic thinking behind this lifestyle is that it may not be necessary to spend all your time earning money.
Continued growth of these three trends could turn the tables on companies that persist in an over-reliance on business models of seeking profit simply by selling increasing numbers of products. This is because a growing number of people are feeling less need for material goods and are refraining from buying them.
In the light of this, I personally have high expectations and am paying attention to the three trends of de-ownership, de-monetisation and de-materialism, which are quietly progressing at the grassroots level deep in people’s minds and changing their sense of values, although articles about such trends rarely hit the headlines in economic newspapers.
For further information visit www.japanfs.org/en/
Junko Edahiro is an environmental activist based in Tokyo.
LETTER FROM JAPAN
Japanese consumers are reportedly staying away from buying goods and are choosing spiritual richness over material abundance. Junko Edahiro explains why.
Whenever I have a chance to speak with high school or university students, I ask them about wanting to own a car. Few answer that they do, while an increasing number are saying that owning a car is “not cool”. And I find quite a few young people saying, “All I need is my mobile phone.” These responses echo new data showing that it’s true – a decreasing number of consumers now want to own an automobile, once a must-have social status symbol.
If people are sitting on their wallets simply because the economy is slow, then the problems will be solved after the economy recovers. However, there are many writers who think that some changes are happening at much deeper structural and psychological levels. In fact, numerous books focusing on this point have been published in Japan recently.
Among them are Rebellion of the Simple Lifestyle Clan, No Brand Japan: The End of Twentieth-Century Consumer Society, The Young Generation That Doesn’t Want Much, and The Lifestyle and Consumption Behaviour of the Young Generation: Are Young People Really Not Spending Money? On the cover of a book with the title Study of the Anti-Consumption Generation: The Young Generation That Doesn’t Want Much Shakes the Economy, a sentence in big, bold letters, “Aren’t you being stupid to want to buy a car?” jumped off the page at me. (All English titles are my translations.)
I believe that behind these trends is a conscious and/or unconscious awareness of the absolute ceiling for resources, energy and ecological carrying capacity including carbon dioxide absorption. As it becomes more apparent that the world is going beyond the limits of the Earth, people’s sense of values is changing, especially in their deep psyche.
It is certain that the parameters of consumerism are decreasing as Japanese society experiences a declining birth rate and ageing population ahead of the rest of the world. In addition, as public opinion surveys on people’s lifestyle conducted by the Cabinet Office of the Government show, a growing number of Japanese now value spiritual richness more than material abundance (and this applies particularly to people in urban areas, and more to women than to men). It is this fact, I think, that lies behind the major structural change. Would people who regard spiritual richness as more important than material abundance be willing to buy new products launched every few months?
The younger generation is particularly seen as having little desire for material ownership. They simply say, “When I have to go from point A to point B, I will drive a car if that’s the only option, but the car does not have to be mine. I can rent a car or use a car-sharing service, since that’s now available, or maybe I can catch a ride with somebody. Or I will go by bicycle if possible.”
In my opinion, people’s value systems can change rather easily. Let me give an example. In 2000, when car-sharing services started to become popular in Europe and the United States, I introduced the movement to Japanese people in my email magazine covering environmental topics. At the time, the majority of Japanese subscribers reacted adversely, saying: “We like things clean and tend not to want to use things when we don’t know who used them before us. So a car-sharing service will never be popular in Japan.”
But things have changed. People can now find a car-sharing service near any station along the Yamanote Line, a main railway loop in Tokyo. And similar car-sharing services in other areas of Japan become available almost every day.
“Japanese people like cleanliness.” “A car is a necessary item for any young adult.” “To be considered an adult, you must have your own house.” These are examples of conventional assumptions, or a mental model that dictates that things “should be this way”. The ability to identify and loosen up these types of mental model would, I believe, be indispensable for the future success of society and businesses.
I see three new trends that are changing people’s conventional assumptions. The first one is ‘de-ownership’, as described above. Another example: young people buy new books, but after reading them they usually sell them to Bookoff, a nationwide used-bookstore chain, or to other secondhand bookshops. They most often purchase a book based on the premise that they will sell it after reading it. In that sense, secondhand bookstores are the modern version of the book-lending shops that were very popular in the old days in Japan. As for music, the industry is going through a tough time, since far fewer people now buy CDs. More people are downloading music, or borrowing CDs from rental shops. House-share has become very popular, especially among young people, and even has its own real-estate market, and fashion-swap events known as ‘xChange’ are held in many places in Japan.
The second major trend is ‘de-materialism’ of happiness. Conventionally, buying and owning material goods is considered the best way to be happy. But now an increasing number of people define happiness as coming from personal relationships and from engagement with Nature. More and more Japanese say they are interested in agriculture, enjoy candle-lit events with their friends and families, and participate in Neighbours’ Day, an annual event that started in Europe to enhance relationships among neighbours. The xChange events are designed to exchange not only fashion items but also information and sentiments from the owners of the clothes, using what is called an ‘episode tag’. Participants put a tag on each of the items they bring and write on it their name and a brief note such as “I loved this item but it doesn’t fit me any more. I hope someone who loves red can wear it.” Participants love reading the episode tags because they make people aware of the human connection – something that can’t be measured in monetary terms – and also promote the exchange of feelings and communication by exchanging goods.
The third major trend is ‘de-monetisation’. In Japan, it used to be common for people to plan their lives around the amount of money they earned by devoting much of their time to their businesses. But now an increasing number of people are choosing a new lifestyle, such as being “half-farmer, half-X”. The idea is that people spend half their time growing food for their own family, and the other half on something else. I know a “half-farmer, half-writer” and a “half-farmer, half-NGO member”. The basic thinking behind this lifestyle is that it may not be necessary to spend all your time earning money.
Continued growth of these three trends could turn the tables on companies that persist in an over-reliance on business models of seeking profit simply by selling increasing numbers of products. This is because a growing number of people are feeling less need for material goods and are refraining from buying them.
In the light of this, I personally have high expectations and am paying attention to the three trends of de-ownership, de-monetisation and de-materialism, which are quietly progressing at the grassroots level deep in people’s minds and changing their sense of values, although articles about such trends rarely hit the headlines in economic newspapers.
For further information visit www.japanfs.org/en/
Junko Edahiro is an environmental activist based in Tokyo.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Traveling Denim
A short documentary film by japanese artist Takayuki Akachi which chronicles two years in the life of a beloved pair of blue jeans. She wore them in 50 countries, documenting every rip and faded fiber. It’s a powerful testament to how your wardrobe — the longer you keep it — becomes a part of your history. Watch and learn.
via Ethical Style
" Traveling Denim " Recording color fade for two years from Takayuki Akachi on Vimeo.
via Ethical Style
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Figuring out the patterns
I have been working on the patterns for my clothing all week and i've been trying to keep them as simple as possible, keeping minimum waste in mind. Yesterday I was trying to figure out how i was going to get my one size fits all dress to work and I suddenly thought of my first textile project where i made a dress with some sort of a bustle at the back. The pattern of that dress was quite simple, just a couple of semi circles put together.
I decided to use that idea but instead of using circles I used rectangles and played around with different fastenings. There are still some glitches and I need to figure out if my idea for one size fits all is actually going to work. But I kind of like the way it looks!
I decided to use that idea but instead of using circles I used rectangles and played around with different fastenings. There are still some glitches and I need to figure out if my idea for one size fits all is actually going to work. But I kind of like the way it looks!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Swap Dont Shop!
Here are some pictures of the swapshop which i held over the past two days. Even though the turn up might have not been as good as i had hoped, i think it was quite successful. I was a great feeling to see all the excitement and smiling faces.
People were so happy that they kept asking me when I would be doing this again. It was good to hear that people were so enthousiastic about it, and i told them that i hoped that they would be the ones initiating it in the future. They said they would..and i really hope they do. If that happens then i will actually feel that my swap shop mission has been accomplished.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Jane Schoufen
A friend of mine sent me a link to Jane Schoufen's work because she felt it was my kind of thing, and it so is! She has used old blankets and re-cycled materials and done some embroidery and applique on them and used the materials to upholster chairs. Love them!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Strawberry Earth Wonderland
I keep receiving mails of these amazing sounding fair fashion events that are happening around Europe. I really wish there were things like these happening here. Strawberry Earth organises some fantastic events, like the Dutch Environmental Film Festival that happened earlier this year. In october they are organising Strawberry Earth Wonderland
Almost every major capital city has an ordinary fashion fair. But knowing just how polluting the fashion industry can be, Strawberry Earth decided it was time to put eco and fair fashion in the limelight! they want to support the true fashion pioneers and trendsetters out there.
They've selected over 30 wonderful eco fashion and art exhibitors, including their favourite labels from Amsterdam, Arnhem, London and Berlin. But that's not all... There'll be fashion shows, fashion and beauty workshops, a 'fashion blogger camp' and live music.
Almost every major capital city has an ordinary fashion fair. But knowing just how polluting the fashion industry can be, Strawberry Earth decided it was time to put eco and fair fashion in the limelight! they want to support the true fashion pioneers and trendsetters out there.
They've selected over 30 wonderful eco fashion and art exhibitors, including their favourite labels from Amsterdam, Arnhem, London and Berlin. But that's not all... There'll be fashion shows, fashion and beauty workshops, a 'fashion blogger camp' and live music.
This sounds great, wish I could be there! Next time, and till then i hope some of my dutch counterparts experience it for me.
Monday, September 6, 2010
oh how i love open source websites!
I think the internet is a great thing! i love how you can find out how to do just about anything with just a click of the mouse. a few years ago, when we did a course on off loom techniques i tried you tube tutorials for the first time. We had been taught how to crochet, but i just didn't seem to understand how to do it, so when i got home i decided to look it up on you tube and a success it was. I ended up finding some really good tutorials and got the hang of it pretty easily. So this time while thinking of techniques to use for my project, i definitely didn't feel limited to the techniques that we have learnt in college.
Like i said in my previous post, i always thought there was something about lace. Not the over done kind, but i think with the right amount of lace a piece of clothing or an accessory could be really beautiful. So i did some research and decided to zero in on two techniques: Tatting and Needle point lace. Over the past week i've been experimenting a bit and i must say i'm starting to get the hang of it. I still have to take some pictures that i will put up in my next post but i will share with you some of the videos that i learnt from:
It definitely wasn't an easy task to learn this, but i've done it. And if i can, then i'm sure a lot of other people can. This is the great thing about open source websites, it puts a stop to the one way stream of information that flows from companies to consumers, and instead gives us access to new things that we probably thought we were never capable of. It allows us to be the producer instead of just a consumer.
Like i said in my previous post, i always thought there was something about lace. Not the over done kind, but i think with the right amount of lace a piece of clothing or an accessory could be really beautiful. So i did some research and decided to zero in on two techniques: Tatting and Needle point lace. Over the past week i've been experimenting a bit and i must say i'm starting to get the hang of it. I still have to take some pictures that i will put up in my next post but i will share with you some of the videos that i learnt from:
It definitely wasn't an easy task to learn this, but i've done it. And if i can, then i'm sure a lot of other people can. This is the great thing about open source websites, it puts a stop to the one way stream of information that flows from companies to consumers, and instead gives us access to new things that we probably thought we were never capable of. It allows us to be the producer instead of just a consumer.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Survey
I made a survey a while ago to help me conceptualise.
Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
There's something about lace..
I've been thinking about different techniques that i will be using to make my garments. And one that i keep coming back to is lace. I just feel that adding little bits of lace to my collection would be really nice. It will give it a delicate feminine touch.
Being a "textile designer" i have been looking into different types of lace making and wondering if i could make some pieces myself. I'm sure its going to be a challenge but i've decided to give tatting a shot.Tatting is a technique for handcrafting a particularly durable lace constructed by a series of knots and loops. Tatting can be used to make lace edging as well as doilies, collars, and other decorative pieces. The lace is formed by a pattern of rings and chains formed from a series of cow hitch, or half-hitch knots, called double stitches, over a core thread. Gaps can be left between the stitches to form picots, which are used for practical construction as well as decorative effect.
Tatting dates to the early 19th century. The term for tatting in most European languages is derived from French frivolité, which refers to the purely decorative nature of the textiles produced by this technique. The technique was developed to imitate point lace. I have absolutely no experience but considering im reasonably good with my hands and there are some great video tutorials online i think i should manage.
I am now off to buy some tatting shuttles and crochet thread.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Mood Boards
Ive been breaking my head over the past few days as to what aesthetic i will be going for but i think ive finally cracked it. Its going to be feminine, subtle with a slight rough edge to it.
I'm working on some mood boards:
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Reflections
What became painfully clear to me after this visit is that its very hard as a small scale designer to set up a certified organic and fair trade line. Everything is done in such large volumes and at such a large scale that it is unrealistic to think that doing something like this is going to be easy. In my case i was lucky to be able to get the material because my father has supplied cotton to them in the past.
The way it works at this factory is the way it goes everywhere. Minimum orders of 4000 metres of woven fabric, 500 kgs of knit have to be made. The absolute minimum of stitched garments is 150 pieces per design. Even this is actually not preferred. Fabrics get dyed at a minimum of 500 kgs per colour.
A solution to this could be designers collaborating together and placing combined orders. But most designers dont seem so be willing to do so. And there fore are forced to go to buy fabric at more expensive rates on fairs. This way making fairtrade and organic products becomes very expensive and you will only be able to cater to a small market.
One of the things that also struck me, was the mechanisation of things. It made me think of all the work we have been doing over the past few years and where there is place for that in todays world? It somehow seems silly to think we put so much time and effort into these things, while the things that are actually bought are made by machines in a fraction of the time we spend on it.
All the products made at Raj Lakshmi Cotton mills are exported. They don't have a single client in India. Why is that? Is it because it is too expensive? is it because people are not aware, or dont care? In the back of my head i knew this, but i cant help but wonder why. Does this mean there is no market for these products here? or are certifications just not that important?
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Raj Lakshmi Cotton Mills
Yesterday I made a trip to Raj Lakshmi Cotton Mills. I went there to source some material but more importantly to talk to people and see what this whole industry is about.
Raj Lakshmi Cotton Mills is a company based in the city of Kolkata. They produce Organic textile products. Knitting, cutting, printing embroidery and stitching is done in house with organic yarn that comes from Chetna Organic a fairtrade organic project for small scale farmers.
Knitted/Woven fabrics are dyed in the Dyeing units next to their factory. These factories are certified under Control Union & Ecocert.
On my way to the factory I was in the car with Rajat Jaipuria's (director) father. We had a very interesting conversation about the way he sees sustainability and what we as designers can do to change things. When he heard my vision he didn't seem very convinced. He said that there was no scope for this as competition would get the better of me.
He also felt that there was too much talk on this field of sustainability. People talk and "do" things that make them feel better about themselves but their donations don't get to the source. Things need to change right at the bottom of the chain before we can go forward.
Once we reached I was given a tour of the factory. Everything looked pretty clean and organised. We walked through the knitting unit, which basically consisted of 5 huge machines and a few people walking around. Each Machine was for a different type of knit, and I was told that Jersey was the type of fabric that most orders were placed for. Fabric is made to order only and generally processed further into garments. They prefer not to supply just fabric.
I was then taken to the embroidery and print units. The embroidery unit was just a set of embroidery machines with one or two people keeping an eye on things. There were huge storage spaces filled with various colours of yarn that were labeled as GOTS approved. The print unit looked a lot cleaner than the ones i've been to before and all the labourers were wearing masks (unlike other printing units ive seen in the past). The were MSDF sheets (material safety data sheet) which I didnt really understand much of hanging every where. The dyes used for printing are certified water soluble pigment dyes.
After the print units we headed to the cutting and stitching units. I couldnt help but notice all the dutch brands lying around, getting stitched labeled and packaged. Ive always known most of these things get manufactured here, but somehow its strange to actually see it happen. A lot of things that were being stitched were bags and T-shirt with slogans promoting fair trade and organic cotton in different european languages probably to be handed out at festivals and events.
Then it was time for me to head back to their storage and choose some fabrics that I would be using for my project. The huge shelves and piles of fabric were a bit overwhelming and I had no idea where and how to begin looking. Thankfully they had a swatch book with all the fabric that had been manufactured for previous clients and I was able to choose from there. I decided to go mostly with unbleached and undyed fabrics as I wasnt too sure if I liked the colours that were available. I ended up buying about 14 metres of different types of jersey and voile. I think it will be a bit too much but I didnt want to risk falling short. Its lovely fabric and im sure it wont go to waste.
I then had a long conversation with the manager about the traceability of the fabric and how they prove that something is actually produced the way that they say it is. It is a very complex process and I will probably need to talk to someone else about it to understand it better but i did get a whole file of sheets which trace my fabric back to being organic etc.
It was a very interesting day and it has made me think about quite a few things. More on my reflections in the next post.
Something about the certifications that Raj Lakshmi Cotton Mills has:
ECOCERT is an organic certification organization, founded in France in 1991. It is based in Europe but conducts inspections in over 80 countries, making it one of the largest organic certification organizations in the world.ECOCERT primarily certifies food and food products, but also certifies cosmetics, detergents, perfumes, and textiles. The company inspects about 70% of the organic food industry in France and about 30% worldwide.
SA8000: SA8000 is a global social accountability standard for decent working conditions, developed and overseen by Social Accountability International (SAI)
Control Union
GOTS certification: This standard for organic textiles covers the production, processing, manufacturing, packaging, labelling, exportation, importation and distribution of all natural fibres.
Fairtrade:
the fairtrade union is 24 organizations working to secure a better deal for producers. From their headquarters in Bonn, Germany, they set international Fairtrade standards and support Fairtrade producers.GOTS certification: This standard for organic textiles covers the production, processing, manufacturing, packaging, labelling, exportation, importation and distribution of all natural fibres.
Fairtrade:
SA8000: SA8000 is a global social accountability standard for decent working conditions, developed and overseen by Social Accountability International (SAI)
Monday, August 16, 2010
Material Sourcing in Calcutta
Today I'm going to Calcutta to source some of my organic cotton. I am going to the factory to see how things are done and I hope that I get the opportunity to ask some questions.
The whole weekend I was contemplating whether I should go all the way there just to get my material and whether I should . But on the other hand I really want to go there and see how things work and understand this topic better. When I went online to check out tickets i saw that there was an option to reduce your carbon footprint by making a donation to Seva Mandir along with your ticket. Seva Mandir is an NGO that works with de-forestation and strengthening sustainable livelihood. Depending on the amount you donate they plant between 5-40 saplings and therefore reduce your carbon footprint. I know this is probably not the best way to go about it but it does make me feel better.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Swapshop Plan
Back in Holland swap parties seem the in thing to do these days.While working at the Arnhem Mode Biennale last year I first became aware of how popular this concept has actually become when i saw the immense response to the little green dress event.
The concept of a swap shop is simple: you offer up your loved but no longer wanted fashion items and swap them for something else that takes your fancy.
1. Clean out your cupboard: All of us have those items in our cupboard that we once bought but never wore. We dont want to throw them away because we keep thinking that we might want to wear them one day. Just let it go, if you dont wear it now, you will probably not wear it in the future either.
2. Over 7.5 billion articles of clothing go into our dustbins every year, with most ending up in landfill. Don’t throw it – swap it! (if it is in swap-able condition that is)
3.Re- invent your style
4.Feel good factors…you get the buzz of a trip to the shops without it costing the earth
How I'm going about it:
There are a lot of factors that have to be considered to be able to organise the swapshop at a larger scale. The first thing I had to consider was the venue:
I decided to hold the swapshop in college because it takes a lot of organising. I have no idea what the response will be and want to see how it goes with people from college first before organising it in a public venue.
It's easier to do this in college because i can collect the clothing before classes start and then have the time to organise everytime while classes are going on. Also it is easier to get a hold of a venue and permission.If i had planned the event in a public space i would have to organise a system to collect clothes from people living all over the city, getting a venue and advertising would have also been more complicated.
I would love to do this event at a larger scale and see how people respond to it but at the moment i dont think i have to organise such a large event. Depending on how the event in college goes i will definitely try to organise one for the public in the future.
Volunteers:
Since I will need to keep an eye on everything and also want to talk to people and do my first hand research, I will need to get a group together to organise things and help me sort out the donations (the clothes, shoes and accessories that people bring to swap). Each helper should have a clear role at the event to help the party flow:
• Clothes arrangers
• host
• Giving out vouchers and receiving
clothes donations
• Documentation
Invites and Publicity:
I Created an invite on facebook informing people about the event and put up posters on various campusses. I have also gotten in touch with Cutlet and Srishti logblog and asked them to inform people about it. I have a week to go and so far the response has been pretty good. I just hope the enthousiasm lasts and people actually show up.
Gathering and organising donations:
Let people know they have to bring at least one item of clothing or pair of shoes or accessory to join in the swap.
• The clothes, shoes and accessories donated need to be of a good quality. Bring items you love but don’t or can’t wear anymore that you’d like to pass on to a good home.
• Ask people to bring clothes that are clean, ironed and preferably on hangers.
• Accessories and shoes can be brought in boxes and plastic bags.
• Exchange Vouchers use the vouchers to make it fair so that people can swap as many items as they bring. Each guest receives an Exchange Voucher with the number of items donated written
The donated clothes need to be presented well and kept that way throughout the party.
Helpers should re-hang items throughout the event to maintain presentation.
2. Explain the ‘rules’ of the exchange as people arrive.
3. An Exchange Voucher should be handed out on entry and the number of items written on the voucher. On leaving the party, the number of items of clothing should be checked out against the guest’s voucher so that no one goes away with a huge bundle!
4. Before the opening of the exchange all items must be on show.
5. Guests can view and try on clothes when they arrive after they’ve given in their donation. no clothes or accessories can be claimed before the opening of the ‘exchange’.
6. Once most people are there give them about half an hour to rifle through the goodies and try on clothes they like.
7. Officially open the ‘exchange’.
8.At this point guests can take any of the items they want.
The concept of a swap shop is simple: you offer up your loved but no longer wanted fashion items and swap them for something else that takes your fancy.
1. Clean out your cupboard: All of us have those items in our cupboard that we once bought but never wore. We dont want to throw them away because we keep thinking that we might want to wear them one day. Just let it go, if you dont wear it now, you will probably not wear it in the future either.
2. Over 7.5 billion articles of clothing go into our dustbins every year, with most ending up in landfill. Don’t throw it – swap it! (if it is in swap-able condition that is)
3.Re- invent your style
4.Feel good factors…you get the buzz of a trip to the shops without it costing the earth
How I'm going about it:
There are a lot of factors that have to be considered to be able to organise the swapshop at a larger scale. The first thing I had to consider was the venue:
I decided to hold the swapshop in college because it takes a lot of organising. I have no idea what the response will be and want to see how it goes with people from college first before organising it in a public venue.
It's easier to do this in college because i can collect the clothing before classes start and then have the time to organise everytime while classes are going on. Also it is easier to get a hold of a venue and permission.If i had planned the event in a public space i would have to organise a system to collect clothes from people living all over the city, getting a venue and advertising would have also been more complicated.
I would love to do this event at a larger scale and see how people respond to it but at the moment i dont think i have to organise such a large event. Depending on how the event in college goes i will definitely try to organise one for the public in the future.
Volunteers:
Since I will need to keep an eye on everything and also want to talk to people and do my first hand research, I will need to get a group together to organise things and help me sort out the donations (the clothes, shoes and accessories that people bring to swap). Each helper should have a clear role at the event to help the party flow:
• Clothes arrangers
• host
• Giving out vouchers and receiving
clothes donations
• Documentation
Invites and Publicity:
I Created an invite on facebook informing people about the event and put up posters on various campusses. I have also gotten in touch with Cutlet and Srishti logblog and asked them to inform people about it. I have a week to go and so far the response has been pretty good. I just hope the enthousiasm lasts and people actually show up.
Gathering and organising donations:
Let people know they have to bring at least one item of clothing or pair of shoes or accessory to join in the swap.
• The clothes, shoes and accessories donated need to be of a good quality. Bring items you love but don’t or can’t wear anymore that you’d like to pass on to a good home.
• Ask people to bring clothes that are clean, ironed and preferably on hangers.
• Accessories and shoes can be brought in boxes and plastic bags.
• Exchange Vouchers use the vouchers to make it fair so that people can swap as many items as they bring. Each guest receives an Exchange Voucher with the number of items donated written
on it. So the more you bring the more you get to swap .
Setting up:
The clothes will be collected and organised on saturday morning. All the donations will need to be done before the start of the event so that organising and setting up goes smoothly.
Displaying the clothes:
The donated clothes need to be presented well and kept that way throughout the party.
Helpers should re-hang items throughout the event to maintain presentation.
• Clothes can be displayed on rails and hangers, or they can be draped over chairs and tables or an indoor washing line.
Order of play:
1.
Doors open for donations. Allow enough time in advance so the clothes can be arranged.3. An Exchange Voucher should be handed out on entry and the number of items written on the voucher. On leaving the party, the number of items of clothing should be checked out against the guest’s voucher so that no one goes away with a huge bundle!
4. Before the opening of the exchange all items must be on show.
5. Guests can view and try on clothes when they arrive after they’ve given in their donation. no clothes or accessories can be claimed before the opening of the ‘exchange’.
6. Once most people are there give them about half an hour to rifle through the goodies and try on clothes they like.
7. Officially open the ‘exchange’.
8.At this point guests can take any of the items they want.
After the event:
Any left over clothes will be given to charity.
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