Showing posts with label Ethical Database. Show all posts

Monday, 20 December 2010

Get Your Christmas Present from Offset Warehouse...

Take advantage of our Christmas offer available until the 31st December ONLY!

Freelance Print Designer on The Ethical Directory

What
For the next two weeks we've slashed our prices for freelancers and individuals to be listed on the Ethical Directory from £10 per month to an unbelievable £3 per month for the next twelve months!

Why
Launched in October of this year, Offset Warehouse has already received a huge welcome from the ethical fashion and interiors community, with more support and followers than we could have hoped for! As our way of saying a huge "Thank you!" and in light of the Christmas Season, we've decided for the next two weeks we're offering our freelance supporters listing on the Ethical Directory for an insanely cheap £3 per month!

What Is The Ethical Directory
Our Ethical Directory allows customers to access ethical freelancers and businesses, including ethical fashion designers, textile designers, fabric dyers, embroiderers, consultants, furniture makers and designers and many more.

Access to our database and freelancer information is completely free to our customers, to help them fully realise their creative visions ethically.

With over 3,500 hits since October, 1000 of which were directly for the Ethical Directory, you're sure to get all the exposure you need to be a successful, ethical freelancer!

Freelance Knit Designer on The Ethical Directory

How
If you would like to join our Ethical Directory as an ethical freelancer or business, please read through our Terms & Conditions. Once you have read these terms and are happy to comply with them and proceed, then please fill in an application form by clicking on the appropriate link below, and email it back to : info(@)offsetwarehouse.com

Ethical Freelancer Application Form

Better hurry ... this offer ends in two weeks!

If you are a business or service provider, and would like to find out more information, please see our Join The Ethical Directory page. Or download the Ethical Business Application Form to apply.

Please note, this Christmas Present offer is only open to freelancers and individuals and is not open to businesses.

Offset Warehouse brings you all you need to be ethical in fashion and interiors...

Thursday, 4 November 2010

Organic Corduroy at Offset Warehouse!

At Offset Warehouse, we're extremely pleased to present our wide range of pure organic cotton and hemp mix fabrics, from denim, to corduroy, to canvases and calicos all in gorgeous colours, and with a minimum of one yard or meter, there is nothing stopping you from supporting the production of organic cotton!

In 2009, The Organic Cotton Market Report claimed sales of organic cotton had reached £2.47 billion!

With consumers becoming evermore concerned with the ethics behind the supply chains of the clothes they wear, media have been scrutinising and exposing the high street’s worst offenders. Following suit, shoppers are beginning to understand the process behind cotton harvesting, and with the knowledge that the extremely harmful and environmentally damaging pesticides used to create cotton can be avoided completely, consumers are creating a demand for organic cotton, earning its respectful place on the high street.

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 ...

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...

Friday, 20 August 2010

Introducing : Our Ethical Database's Latest Addition ... interiors made from old wine barrels!

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.

MA Design For Textile Futures: Clementine

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.

Introducing Our Parisa: Illustrator to the stars ...

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.

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