Tuesday, 31 August 2010

Represent Offset Warehouse & teach design for a wonderful Indonesian initiative.

Meeting: 2nd SEPTEMBER

THE ORGANISATION: Helps adult & child victims of sexual exploitation gain training & employment through sewing.
...THE TASK: Offer design experience & help create marketable clothing.
WHEN: ASAP - The outfits will be in a London catwalk show 3rd Nov 2010!

Email: charlie@offsetwarehouse.com

We're looking for individuals who would be interested in representing Offset Warehouse and giving lectures/seminars to UK Universities, covering ethical issues.
If you are interested, please email charlie@offsetwarehouse.com with a list of the topics you are able to cover or have previously co...vered, any previous experience, and your hourly fee (excluding travel expenses).

- Looking for talented designer/maker to make up one ethical (womens) garment.
- Will be used on shoots, exhibitions and/or trade shows, and credited to you, Offset Warehouse & the fabric supplier.
- Ethical fabric supplied.
- email charlie@offsetwarehouse.com for more details.

Friday, 20 August 2010

Offsetter Clare, USA | Discovering 5 Ways To Get Sustainability in Education Buildings ...

Our Offsetter Clare, lives in Washington, USA and keeps us updated with snippets of her exciting stories and findings while she's there. She recently attended a Master Class, held by Ed Mazria, which focused on the design of a fictional middle school, in effort to get architects thinking more sustainably ...

Ed Mazria
©(2010)MetropolisMag

It was really exciting to hear Ed Mazria would be holding a design class. Known to American architects for his 2030 Challenge to clean up the environment through sustainable practices, I discovered he was going to join a select members of the DLR Group, an architect design firm, in Washington to help them design six fictional middle schools.

As you know, the Ethical Database we've been developing will feature all sorts of resources and information you need to create ethical interiors and fashion. We're very pleased to preview our latest addition ... a manufacturer who has just introduced a range of flooring, countertops and furniture made from old wine barrels.

As the end-products have a higher-value with a longer, more useful life than the original, the development could be regarded as upcycling. Oak is desirable for both flooring as a beautiful and durable material, and wine producers, or vintners, due to the benefits it imparts to the wine. However, vintners don’t like to reuse the oak barrels, and therefore, after they are used once, they are often discarded.

Introducing Hannah ... Ethical mixed media and textile artist

We first met Hannah when she was exhibiting a selection of gorgeous, hand-made pieces from a project of work entitled, "Every coast has a story to tell". Her work emanated a sense of nature, and in line with the central theme, all the elements she brought together were reclaimed or derived from natural sources.

We're delighted to say that Hannah features on our Ethical Database as a mixed media and textile artist, and even more delighted that she took the time to chat to us about her fabulous work, "Every Coast Has A Story To Tell".

©Hannah(2010)

"Currently living in Aberdeen, Scotland, my work takes inspiration from thechanging environment of Scottish coastal communities, in particular theisland of St Kilda.

We first met Elisabetta through her charming blog. It was clear from the plethora of experiments and documentations that she is totally obsessed with creating gorgeous markings and prints on reclaimed pieces of fabrics.

©Elisabetta(2010)

Shamayne H. features on our Ethical Database as a freelance print designer and we were eager to show you her most recent ethical print work, which is fresh back from a London exhibit.

Dedicated to colour, Shamayne's collection explores our connection to emotion. Initially inspired by postwar vintage florals, Shamayne developed her research by applying her unique perspective of seeing delicacy in the decaying and by exploring the subtly imperfect.

Offsetter Sarah: in Australia ...

Our Offsetter Sarah spent two months in Australia researching into everything green! She kept us updated with snippets of her exciting stories and findings while she was there.

The Forefront of Ethical Design: Australia

Desperate to get a grip on Australia’s bubbling Green Scene, I took a trip to the other side of the world. Taking in some of Australia’s finest cities,Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, devouring hip craft mags, and seeking my next interview catch.

Hot, beautiful blue sky, exotic birds and trees and super friendly people, you couldn’t ask for better surroundings. It was in one of Melbourne’s gritty hip, graffiti stained alley cafés that I meet up with Designer and Personal Consultant, Kim Kneipp. It is here that I have the chance to find out about Kim’s company, Frockerphilliac, the craft movement sweeping across Australia, and surprisingly, the non-recession.

Skirt transformed by Kim into gorgeous neck scarf!

Offset Warehouse has joined forces with an exciting new ethical company that supports a women weavers co-operative from Northern India, and we're so pleased to announce that their products will be available in both our Fabric and Haberdashery Shop and our Boutique.

Spinning and weaving lambs wool at the production centre.

Last week Offset Warehouse visited the Central St Martin's graduate show, where we discovered (and snapped up) the talented textile designer, Clementine. She'll be featured on our Ethical Database as a freelance textile and print designer from September.

She talked to us a bit about the gorgeous woven textiles she had on display. The project was called "See Your Space", which is exactly what the textiles did: they were literally a snap shot of an interior space, creating a trompe l'oeil illusion of depth - a room within a room if you like.

Offsetter Charlie : Day 5 in New Zealand & Meeting Zandra Rhodes.

Our Offsetter Charlie spent two months in New Zealand researching into ethical fibres and materials. She kept us updated with snippets of her exciting stories and findings while she was there.

Day 5: Meeting Zandra.

Zandra Rhodes

As part of New Zealand fashion week, the town where I'm staying is hosting a few events featuring influential designers. This morning I popped along to the see Zandra Rhodes giving a talk in the local Museum. From the buzz of the town, it soon became clear that it certainly isn't every day a fashion legend and style queen comes into town! And I'm pretty sure, she's the only person in New Zealand with bright pink hair, electric blue eye shadow and boldly coloured outfits... so at least she's easy to spot.

We're very excited to introduce you to Parisa, a talented London-based illustrator, photographer and stylist. With some of today's top models hot on her tails, we were so pleased when she approached us to be on our Ethical Database.

Drawn to the glossy, perfected pages of Vogue and inspired by her beautiful and stylish mum, Parisa began creating fashion illustrations from a young age. Over time, as her knowledge of the industry grew, her aesthetics sophisticated: "Now I am drawn to addressing my illustration work with a different fashion take as I see beyond the aesthetics and look at the issues around the world that fashion draws inspiration from."

Offset Warehouse are pleased to announce our range of "Khadi" hand-woven fabrics, coloured with natural dyes.

Hand spun, hand woven, felt and wool blend fabric. Naturally dyed and chemically free.

Introducing Our Lottie: Encouraging sustainability through her graphic design...

Lottie features on our Ethical Database as a freelance graphic designer.

"As a graphic designer, I am interested in developing ways of communicating messages that encourage people to adopt more environmentally sustainable behaviour."

Lottie's interest in sustainability and enthusiasm, has led her to develop several really exciting, ethical projects. One of these "The Lost Skills Depository", was a project that explored an easy way to encourage everyday sustainability - by mending our clothes!

Offset Warehouse are extremely excited to introduce Franky - one of our ethical freelance illustrators.

Franky's tongue-in-cheek style highlights a sensitivity to line drawing, and an ability to combine minimalism with a messier, collage-like effect. Opting for a muted colour palette, Franky's illustrations, although child-like, are sophisticated, humorous, and quite frankly ... adorable!

©Polly's hand printed textile with natural printing paste - the colours derived from herbs and plants.

Polly features on Offset Warehouse's Ethical Database as a freelance printer and textile designer. You can buy her beautiful ethical textiles and furnishings from our online shop.

Our Polly at the printing table.

Coming soon: Naturally dyed organic cotton ..

Offset Warehouse are pleased to announce our range of organic cottons, coloured with natural dyes.

The gorgeous colours are created with natural dyestuffs including:

Onion
Turmeric
Pomegranate
Cutch
Indigo
Madder
Haritaki

They will be available to buy from our online shop in September.

Offset Warehouse provides a huge range of ethical fabrics. We sell everything you need to create ethical clothing and interiors.

Coming soon : The Gorgeous Munsiyari Fabric Collection ...

Offset Warehouse are pleased to introduce, The Munsiyari Fabric Collection.

Handloomed from pure pashmina by traditional weavers from Munsiyari, on the Tibetan border of Uttarakhand in Northern India, The Munsiyari Fabric Collection is due in our fabric shop later this year.

The Munisyari area is home to the Johari Bhotias, a semi nomadic people of Indo-Tibetan origin and Trans Himalayan traders. Traditional weavers from this area use hand held spindles and pit looms and have passed on their skills empowering a whole new generation of women.

The Munsiyari fabrics will be available in natural fawn and natural ivory colours in a variety of 8 different weaves, and lengths of up to 20 mts can be produced in three different weights.

Our Holly talks about her "Shared Talent India" project ...

Offset Warehouse's Holly Pressdee was one of six designers from the UK, to collaborate with six designers from India in Delhi for ten days. There, they worked on "Shared Talent India", a project sponsored by Defra and Monsoon and brought together by The Centre of Sustainable fashion.

Holly talked to us about her time there:

"Our aim was to collate information from workshops and discussions from trade workers, craftsmen and industry workers from India to use these ideas and knowledge to create a sustainable and ethical collection to be showcased at London and India Fashion week."

This summer Offset Warehouse will be selling the UKs first ever range of sustainable, bamboo sunglasses.

Coming in classic aviator, perspex aviator and tortoise shell affect wayfarerstyles, all three have tinted gradient lenses with UV400 protection.

Bamboo is the planets fastest growing wood resource and can grow up to 60cm in one day. Many ecologists promote bamboo planting for erosion prevention, and even to reverse the effects of global warming. [Keep an eye out for future posts, where we'll delve into the ethical pros and cons of bamboo].

With only weeks until the arrival of some much needed sunshine, start your summer on a sustainable high, and grab your pair early when we'll be selling them at a reduced introductory rate!

... our perspex aviators

Tuesday, 10 August 2010

One of our ethical designers, Holly, learns the art of traditional weave...

Watch our very own Holly B. in the "Weaving" episode of BBC's Mastercraft series.

Go to you tube clip. [Skip to 3:16mins for her debut].

Holly features on the Offset Warehouse Ethical Database as a freelance designer and consultant. And with the exciting arrival of her new loom, we are also looking forwards to seeing some of her fabulous textiles in our haberdashery and boutique at the end of the year!

And if you missed the show you can download it here.

About Us

Offset Warehouse

The only online site that brings together all the elements needed to make ethical clothing and interiors!

One of the biggest difficulties of working with ethical fabrics is sourcing them! Creating ethical clothing and interiors takes a huge amount of time and research. Due to launch in a few months, Offset Warehouse will be the only online portal where you can find all the ethical fabrics and manufacturers you’re looking for.

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