Ethical Fashion Find: Patriotic Style

Patriotism on the back of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee tour and Olympic fever has hit an all-time high, which is delightful to see. In the spirit of all things Blighty, I'm sharing my top three ethical pieces that are inspired by, or made in, Britain (and if you're lucky, a bit of both).

Nancy Dee Brooke Dress in Jubilee

Ever the maestros of jersey, the ladies from Nancy Dee do not disappoint with this Brooke dress. Featuring their exclusive absract Jubilee print in blue, red, white and taupe, it is lovingly cut from bamboo and organic cotton in a classic tea dress style with a flared skirt and fitted body. I'd recommend teaming this with simple and chic jewellery from a brand like Made and platform wedges from Olsenhaus.

 

People Tree Cycling Mini Dress

Motifs and illustrations are definitely in this season, with everything from owls to moustaches. Embrace a motif with meaning with this quirky Cycling mini dress from People Tree. Created following the brand's Circles of Hope competition, it represents the key countries it has worked with over the last 20 years and aptly reflects the success Team GB had in the cycling events. Wear it with tights or jeans and ethical sneakers from Ethletic.

 Hattie Rickards for Made Bone Circle Pendant

In the spirit of the many many medals won at the London 2012 Olympic Games, and a record number of golds for the Brits, it would be wrong of me not to include a gold pendant. This Bone Circle Pendant was designed by Hattie Rickards for Made, a brand that creates stunning jewellery in partnership with craftspeople in developing countries and uses bone that is a natural by-product of the food industry in Kenya.

Ethical Fashion Focus: The Rise & Rise of Stella McCartney

The Kit: Olympic Champions Sir Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton, Andy Murray and Jessica Ennis

Designer of Champions

The finale of the London 2012 Olympic Games tonight marks sees the end of Team GB's most successful Games in history with 65 medals - 29 of them gold - and the start of the build up to the Paralympics, where a record 2.1 million spectators will watch athletes compete in 21 sports.

The Games have also been a resounding success for Stella McCartney; British fashion designer, eco warrior and daughter of pop royalty. She has been responsible for being the first ever leading designer to deck out Olympic and Paralympic teams in a kit that is both functional and fashionable, representing a new generation of champions.

Stella McCartney AW12

Enduring Ethics

After graduating from the legendary Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London in 1995, Stella became the Creative Director of Chloe in Paris and launched her own fashion house in 2001. Keeping her clothes ethical has always been important to her - as a lifelong vegetarian, she pioneered the use of leather substitutes in haute couture and does not use fur in her designs.

As well as ensuring her main ranges are eco-friendly, she has also launched her own organic skincare range CARE, designs a sport range for Adidas and an eco sunglasses collection. Now, Stella has gone one step further and launched her first fully ethical lingerie diffusion collection, aptly named 'Stella'.

 Stella by Stella McCartney Lingerie Collection for AW12

A New Collection

Crafted from organic cotton and recycled metal trims and underwiring, it features three key styles; Stella Smooth, Stella Mesh and Stella Lace - all made from luxurious materials using the latest technology to make them super-lightweight and almost invisible. Look out for the blue python print in the Stella Smooth style and the innovative Supernatural bra, which has been developed to provide a great cleavage and a naked fit whilst being completely wire-free.

Something For A Rainy Day!

I just HAD to share these with you! Joules' Spring/Summer 2011 collect is utterly gorgeous but my absolute favourite pieces from the collection have to be these awesome wellies! Available in five different prints, they are a stylish but fun way to stay dry this spring.

x

Fashion Icon: Gareth Pugh

Gareth Pugh is one of the reasons I love fashion and the arts; he mixes performance, beautiful imagery and skillful design to create an iconic reputation, and 2011 is no different. I have always loved the intensity and darkness that comes with Pugh's collections, and while his creations are usually not meant to be worn (they are works of art in themselves), the inspiration they bring to the fashion and art world is incredible.

This video is Pugh's offering to Pitti Uomo 2011 and is directed by Ruth Hogben, a filmmaker and Director of Fashion Film at Nick Knight's SHOWstudio in London. It is through this explosively creative collaboration that Hogben and Pugh have pretty much thrown out the rulebook on how collections are presented to the industry, and to the world. While I am usually a traditionalist at heart (I still love CDs and looking at old vinyls and 3D cinema is usually a no go), when a film as wonderful as this pops up I can't help but think that this is a natural progression.

Of course, normal catwalk shows will always have their place - think of the great showmanship of Viktor & Rolf and the late Alexander McQueen - but in the right context and with the right designer, these videos can transport you to another world, right inside the mind of the designer. Check out the video above, it will not disappoint!

x

Video courtesy of SHOWstudio

Eco Advances: The New Generation

It looks like the New Year is set to be a big one for eco, and it’s certainly not pulling it’s punches! We are only little over a week into 2011 and the ethical world has pulled out the big guns: the cars. There are an estimated 600 million cars globally and the automobile market is, like the fashion industry, one of the highest earning and polluting sectors in existence today.

While those of us concerned about the impact our travel arrangements have on the environment have been trying to reduce our emissions by any means possible, it looks like the rise in petrol prices are forcing others to consider the option of electric and hybrid vehicles. These alternative cars have been around for decades but none have quite come up to the standard required of a high quality consumer-focussed vehicle.

Up until recently, the only car of this quality on the market was the Toyota Prius, with a hoard of celebrity admirers such as Cameron Diaz, Jack Black and Brad Pitt. However, thanks to some big names in the industry, it looks like a wider range electric and hybrid cars will soon be on the market and available to everyone. The North American Auto Show in Detroit this week saw General Motor’s Chevrolet Volt, an electric-petrol hybrid, win the coveted North American Car of the Year Award, with the Nissan Leaf coming in as a close second.

Ford has also jumped on the ethical bandwagon (which, of course, is not bad thing), unveiling not one but THREE hybrid and electric models – the C-Max Hybrid which does an impressive 41 miles to the gallon, the C-Max Plug In which is a plug in hybrid, and the Ford Focus Electric; a battery electric vehicle.

While there have been concerns in the past over the reliability of electric and hybrid cars, the recent technological developments are sure to put many people’s minds at ease and even encourage them to make a purchase. What’s more, a hybrid is a perfect option for those of you not comfortable with the idea of a fully electric vehicle. Whatever you choose, whether its an electric, hybrid, or a bicycle, making eco an option is one of the best things you can do in 2011 – it can save you quite a bit of moolah, and maybe even top up your good karma!

x

Images Courtesy of Ford

Happy 2011!

Well, slap my wrist and call me naughty! I admit that due to a HUGE pile of uni work and other extra-curricular activities (yes, I know, GEEK) I have seriously neglected my blog and I do apologise profusely! However, I am now back, very much focussed and looking forward to what 2011 will bring.

Before we delve into the ethical delights of the new year, I just want to take a moment to shamelessly plug a selection of things I have poked my nose into over the past few months (just so I don't look completely useless and neglectful of all things eco... I did say this would be shameless...).

Firstly, I have had the wonderful and exciting opportunity to work with Tori Mistick of EcoFashionistas since the beginning of September. Based in America Tori is responsible for some of the best ethical fashion and lifestyle spots and advice in the industry, and has also been kind (and brave) enough to let me loose as a weekly guest writer on her blog. It has been a fab experience and I hope it continues for a long while yet! Check out her blog at http://www.ecofashionistas.com/

Secondly, another lovely lady has allowed me to run riot styling in the Student Union's SONAR magazine. Thanks to Laura, Editor Extraordinaire, I have had the opportunity to meet some awesome models, photographers and make up artists and go out on location to produce some beautiful images (Issue 2 was a Gothic shoot and can be found at http://issuu.com/sonarmagazine/docs/sonarmagazineissuetwo/1, and Issue 3 was a men's countryside shoot that can be found at http://issuu.com/sonarmagazine/docs/sonarissuethree).

Lastly I have also been spreading the ethical word as a guest writer for My Retail Heaven's Online Magazine. My Retail Heaven also sell a range of ethical clothes and products, so check them out here: http://www.myretailheaven.co.uk/magazine/index.php

x

One To Watch: Jane Bowler

Old shower curtains, bath mats and random pieces of plastic are not usually the materials of choice for a designer, even an ethical one. But for Jane Bowler, a recent graduate from the Royal College of Art, these bits and pieces that we just discard without a thought are her inspiration for her Masters graduate collection.



Concerned with sustainability, Bowler aims to make pieces that last forever in our fast fashion, throwaway society. While I love her works and think they are beautiful and striking, I am unsure as to how making garments that last for thousands of years will help the environment. Nevertheless, anyone who highlights the need for sustainable fashion is on the right track.

x

Inspirational Fashion Figure: Jeff Garner for Prophetik

Jeff Garner isn't your typical Pepperdine Christian University graduate. He is, however, a great example of the new fierce ethical designer.Creativity, skill and a whole lot of perserverence is what's needed to push ethical fashion to the forefront in today's fast fashion world and Garner has it in bundles. Originally an entertainment manager for the likes of Fleetwood Mac and Barry Manilow, Garner moved into the world of fashion because he had always wanted to be a designer.

Describing the process of moving from show business to ethical fashion as "super hard, with a lot of testing and learning", Garner was clearly meant for this industry: within eight years he had interned with Calvin Klein and J Lindeberg and had opened London Fashion Week with his own sustainable label Prophetik.



By using vintage materials, Greenspun fleece made from recycled bottles, hemp and peace silk to name a few, Prophetik is one of the world's leading and most famous ethical labels. As well as ethical design, Garner is always keen to bring a charitable element to his collections. He chooses a beneficiary for each of his collections, his Autumn/Winter 2010/11 one being Equine Destiny, a film exposing the unhumane treatment of horses.

Prophetik also has a strong partnership with Elephant Art, an organisation which trains elephants to paint organic silk and hemp with their trunks, making each garment unique. I am loving the new A/W collection from Prophetik! Inspired by the American Civil war, the collection partners romantic floating fabrics with bold colours and beautiful lines.

x

One To Watch: Nancy Dee

The bosoms are bountiful, the waist is waspish and the hips are womanly this A/W season. Lara Stone caused a right rowdy reception at the Louis Vuitton show, proudly sashaying down the catwalk with her rather plentiful chest and brands such as Fendi and Dries Van Noten have followed suit. The likes of L'Wren Scott and Dolce and Gabbana have favoured the pencil skirt look instead but I am thrilled to announce that Retro Glamour is here to stay! For this season at least.

However, for the ethically minded consumer, where do we go for such beautiful shapes and echos of a bygone era? Well, it appears I have found the guiding light, the solution: Nancy Dee. Founded by sisters Tamsin and Seraphina Davis, Nancy Dee is an ethical womenswear label specialising in 'day to night jersey' garments. Painstakingly sourcing top quality jerseys from wide variety of natural, sustainable and organic sources such as bamboo, modal and soya, the girls believe versatility is the key.



"Our style is mainly inspired by retro shapes and prints - actually bold prints in exciting colours are a big part of the Nancy Dee look. The Autumn/Winter season is all about patriotic colours - think French Resistance and the forties with a bit of silent movie glamour thrown in too! You can expect pencil-skirted dresses, pussy-bows and a retro snowgoose print," says Tamsin.



I have to say that I am a huge fan of the Nancy Dee prints and always have been. Their rich colours give a luxurious feel and clever pleating and draping make their creations easy and comfortable to wear. The forties has come back with a bang!

"Ooooohhh Renéeeee!"

x

Ethical Event: Eco Experience

I was recently fortunate enough to attend an ethical fashion event in the depths of Haldon Forest in the magnificent rolling hills of Devon. Organised by four graduates from the MA Fashion and the Environment course at London College of Fashion and the Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World (CCANW), Fashion Footprints: Sustainable Approaches featured an exhibition and one-off Eco-fashion Show in the Forest.




The event began with a talk by the inspirational and eclectic 'Hactivist' and fashion theorist Otto von Busch. He explored the idea of the way we engage with our clothes and emphasised that what we wear is not necessarily dictated by the influence of designers such as Karl Largerfeld but by our friendship groups. Busch also described how we need to engage more with the environment and how our choice in fashion impacts on it. By recycling clothing and choosing ethical, we have the chance to really help the planet and make a difference.




Following a 15-minute walk into the forest, we were seated in a huge tipi and awaited the three act show performed by dancer/models from Totnes School of Dance. Donned in ethical couture by designers from Elena Garcia to Bodkin, the dancers illustrated the engagement with nature described by Busch perfectly. Unique and exciting, Eco-fashion Show in the Forest was an amazing show!

x

Style Icon: Mumford & Sons

OK, admission time. For those of you who do not know me well, I have a complete, total and unashamed obsession with London-born folk-rock band Mumford & Sons as well as a huge passion for folk and alternative music.




First formed in 2007, the band is made up of four friends; Marcus Mumford, Country Winston, Ted Dwane and Ben Lovett, whose talent, passion for and engagement with both their music and audience has turned Mumford & Sons into one of the biggest bands of this year.



It is unusual for me to be a fan of an abundance of facial hair but the lads pull the look off completely and look pretty dashing as a result! And you don't want to get me started on their clothes. They have the smart-casual edgy-country look down and it suits them completely. Incredible musicians, festival favourites and style icons. Obsession well and truly cemented.

x

One To Watch: Goodone

How's this for recycling? Founded in 2006 in a Bristolian disused car showroom by Nin Castle and Phoebe Emerson, Goodone is a multi-award winning sustainable brand, which produces forward-thinking body-con clothing through an upcycling process.

"The team at Goodone develops a design method that's informed by the use of recycled fabrics but not restrained by it," say Castle. By mixing surplus luxury fabrics with used clothes Goodone is a perfect example of what sustainable fashion can achieve.

x

Inspirational Fashion Figure: Otto von Busch

I was on holiday in Devon recently and between shimmying up trees on a harness (fear not, this is a normal family holiday pursuit) and riding round the forest on a Segway I came across a poster for an eco fashion event (look out for the low down on this in a later post) featuring a presentation by fashion 'Hacktivist' Otto von Busch. A designer, artist, activist and fashion theorist who is a PhD candidate of critical fashion design at the University of Gothenburg, Otto is one of the most inspirational people I've ever met.

While his areas of interest are the vastest I've ever come across, Otto gave his presentation on our engagement (or lack thereof) in fashion and the myth of the fashion hierachy in relation to the way of the natural world. I have never come across anyone who can link two subjects that cannot be more different and his enthusiasm and energy were catching. I can safely say I have found my role model!

x

Style Icon: Pharrell Williams

Producer, recording artist, fashion designer. Pharrell Williams is best known for his role in N.E.R.D and numerous collaborations with artists across a huge range of musical genres from rock to R&B. While Pharrell has had success as an artist with hits such as 'She Wants To Move' and 'Frontin'', he is most revered in the industry for his skills as a producer: being responsible for hits by artists like Nelly, Britney Spears, Beyonce and Madonna to name a few. I, however, have always loved him for his fashion sense (amongst other things... ahem).



Since his N.E.R.D came to the world's attention in 2004 for 'She Wants To Move' I have been following Pharrell's fashion metamorphoses. In 2005 he collaborated with founder of A Bathing Ape apparel label and fashion icon Nigo to produce his own fashion lines Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream. Five years on he is now working with couture giant Louis Vuitton, producing a range of jewellery and sunglasses.



But if there is one thing I love about Pharrell it is his confidence in what he wears. He is a fashion chameleon and has sported a wide variety of looks over the years, but he is always true to himself and always looks effortlessly cool. My personal favourite is his most recent waistcoat combo. What can I say? I'm a fan of the modern day gent!

x

One To Watch: Cecilia Hammarborg: Gun and Sparrow

I was at the Pure London Trade Show recently and whilst looking through the handy map I was given (Yes, I am a geek and yes, I do plan my visits but Pure is HUGE! Even with a map and a couple of trade shows under my belt I still get lost!) I stumbled across the brand Gun & Sparrow.

As my closest friends know, there is often no explaining my thought processes and this time round, it was no different. I just liked the name, hadn't heard of the brand before and thought "what the hell, why not eh?" So off I toddle and after a good ten minutes and several unintentional laps of the hall, I arrive at Cecilia Hammarborg's stall.


As soon as I set eyes on the stand I was in love. I am a huge fan of quirky and unusual prints and new ideas (as you have probably gathered) and fell completely in lust with Cecilia's trademark Gun & Sparrow print. I am also a big fan of coats - I have a not-so-secret wish list of various outerwear garments I aim to acquire over my fashion lifetime - and the beautiful, skillful and simple cut of Cecilia's collection for Urban Outfitters are some of the best I've seen.


"Cecilia Hammarborg is based on the concepts of Ethics, Style, Simplicity and Quality. Made for strong independent women who want to embrace their femininity and our future," says the press release. I was sold even before her mission statement! The fact that Cecilia uses her Gun & Sparrow print throughout the collection gives it a cool and funky edge, making it accessible to everyone who loves fashion. I think we will be seeing more great things from this brand for the foreseeable future.



To see Cecilia Hammarborg's creations for yourself, go to www.ceciliahammarborg.com

x

Iconic Imagery: ADZ by Ada Zanditon

ADZ BY ADA ZANDITON S/S 2011

A first class honours graduate from London College of Fashion who interned with the late, great Lee Alexander McQueen, Ada Zanditon is a force to be reckoned with. One of ethical fashion's most famous and successful designers, she has also interned with the likes of established Scot Jonathan Saunders and the dark, conceptual mind of Gareth Pugh. As well as unveiling her third collection this September, Zanditon will also be showing her new diffusion line ADZ.

Named 'Nebulayan', the Spring/Summer 2011 debut collection includes some stunning prints inspired by the most mysterious and beautiful scenes the universe can offer. Focussed on daywear pieces cut cleverly to create bold, fluid and unusual silhouettes, 'Nebulayan' is dramatically set off by prints of photographs of deep space nebulae taken by the Hubble telescope overset by illustrations of thermal imaging of the Arctic and Himalayas.

ADA ZANDITON A/W 2010

It is easy to see the influence McQueen, Saunders and Pugh have had on Zanditon's creative mind. The prints she has used in her last couple of collections including 'Nebulayan' have been reminiscent of those in McQueen's last collection although her stance of ethical fashion and sustainability makes her stand out from the rest. Using organic fabrics and AZO-free dyes (which can turn into chemicals that increase the chance of cancer), Zanditon tries to ensure that waste is kept to an absolute minimum.


For more on Ada Zanditon's lines see www.adaz.co.uk

x

Style Icon: Tim Wonnacott

Now let me just put this out there, I don't watch a whole lot of daytime TV (or TV in general) due to a rather busy daily schedule that I admit is brought on by my attitude as an extreme workaholic.




However, whilst convalescing after a recent illness I found myself with a new love for Bargain Hunt. Yes, it's the type of thing your parents and grandparents indulge in along with Antiques Roadshow and the news but I admit that I have been known to watch a few episodes of Bargain Hunt, OK? You never know, the knowledge you acquire might just tip the odds in your favour if you ever find yourself antiques hunting at car boot sales...



The pretty things and exciting auction room banter (... work with me here) are all very well and in all honesty there wouldn't really be much of a programme without them. However, I believe I have discovered a new style icon in the form of Tim Wonnacott.




Originally replacing the sometimes questionably coloured form of David Dickinson on the show with an initial 30 show contract, he has now presented over 350. Tim is probably the only person on this earth able to wear separate blue, pink and yellow garments together and get away with it and I love his trademark bow tie and waist coat combo. His eccentricity makes him a modern day dandy!

x