DESIGNERS | showcase your "Ethical" black-tie design for OW Director to wear at GREEN AWARDS!

Offset Warehouse DESIGNERS | Our Offset Warehouse director, Charlie, has been invited to this year's GREEN AWARDS and is offering the exciting opportunity to showcase an ethical, black-tie outfit...

Charlie is looking to show off a "green" evening dress at the black tie event, in front of the likes of David Attenborough, Jo Wood and Wa...yne Hemingway, not to mention the plethora of paparazzi who'll be present.

The opportunity is open to both brands and non-professionals or students, so if you'd like her to promote your ethical design, please email us with your design at: info@offsetwarehouse.com

http://www.greenawards.co.uk/about/background 

http://on.fb.me/9kebAg

Inspirational Designer: Leaving Burberry, Mid-life Crises, British Mills & Why High Fashion STILL Isn't Ethical ...

Morgaine at an Ethical Workshop in London
©(2010)OffsetWarehouse

Morgaine Wade, designer of gorgeous, ethical jewellery label, "Morgaine Alexandra", recently took the time to talk to us about her story: the mid-life crisis that spurred her to leave her high profile job at Burberry and fulfill her dreams of her own ethical jewellery label!  Here's what she had to say ...

Katharine Hamnett Speech

We caught Katharine Hamnett on film talking at a recent Ethical Expo... Who's to blame for the lack of interest in unethical design in high fashion?

by Offset Warehouse (videos)

8:19

Highlights of Katharine's speech:

"Everybody thinks it's the designers fault that a brand is sustainable, actually it's down to the head of finance and the CEO. So why isn't high fashion engaging in sustainability? Because people are idiots... and in their cocoons in lala land! They don't understand that 80% of M&S consumers and people that shop at Luis Vuitton, are actually concerned with corporate social responsibility and sustainbility, fairtrade, organic & not destroying the planet, so i think high fashion has to wake up and get with the program!

"The latest research shows sustainable isn't a passing fad, its not not a trend. You can be the biggest bastard in the world, but the only way to save your company is to be sustainable, so they'd better get with the program!

"There is a huge siege and what's fascinating is that the industry is being completely consumer driven. Brands are perceived on their reputation, so the future of high fashion is that ... it does cost you more.

"High fashion brand actually have a slack in their margins where they can absorb it - They can afford to do that. The younger gen is even more obsessed with sustainability and than we are.

"This what we have to do, or die"

I-Ella in OW Resources!

Supporting the recycling of clothes and accessories, I-ELLA is an innovative, fashionable AND ethical website, combining all the elements required for fashionistas.

Recently added to the Offset Warehouse Resources area, where customers can freely access fashion & interior related eco-businesses, I-ELLA is the new, online marketplace, that allows you to edit your wardrobe and buy straight from celebrity closets!

©(2010)I-Ella

Contributing ten per cent of each transaction fee to a social venture, and regular charity auctions of celebrities clothing, this website is sure to become huge, extremely soon...

You saw it here first ... https://www.i-ella.com/

Visit the Offset Warehouse Resources area to download research papers, e-books and newsletters or link to websites which deal with ethical issues.

Keep following Offset Warehouse for all you need in ethical clothing and interiors.

Disguising Tramps ...

During our jam-packed London Fashion Week, we managed to catch the next big designer, Sini Moilanen, founder and head designer of "Tramp In Disguise", who happened to be wearing our fabulous Offset Warehouse ethical aviators!

Sini (Left); Model Wearing Sini's Collection (Right)

Our Richard chatted to her about her latest gorgeous collection inspired by volcanoes, the possibilities of ethical fashion and words of wisdom for any wannabe designers! 

You can listen to the podcast here - or these are some of our highlights of what she had to say:

"Sini, Where did you get the name 'Tramp in Disguise'?"

"When I was studying, one of my best friends said to me that it was the best way to describe me and and I found it funny, so that's how I got it!"

"Where did you get your inspiration from for this collection?"

 "This whole collection was based on volcanoes.  I designed all my textiles first, which were really inspired by volcanoes and once I'd got my fabrics, I decided what the style of the collection would be.  Actually, my training is in textile design ... so I tend to design my textiles first before my shapes."

"Do you think there's a importance in striking a balance between being ethical and fashionable, do you think its possible?"

Sini in her Offset Warehouse Aviators

"It is possible but sometimes the selection of materials you can get like recycled materials is not necessarily, from a designer's point of view, a material to get the best results from.  For me, as I do prints there is a certain method I have to go through to get them done, which is difficult to do responsibly.  Hopefully they'll develop printing techniques which are more ethical, and certainly, all my knitwear I've done myself, which is definitely an ethical way to work!"  
 [N.B. Readers - since the interview, we've hooked Sini up with some of our ethical printers from Offset Warehouse's Ethical Directory]

"What advice would you give to someone that wants to get into this industry?"

"You have to be persistent and take everything that people say with a pinch of salt.. !"


Look out for Tramp in Disguise in the Offset Warehouse Boutique!

www.OffsetWarehouse.com - Brings you all you need to be ethical in fashion and interiors...