Josie's Estethica Round Up...

Saturday morning dawns grey, and it’s raining.  As I scurry towards Somerset House, home of London Fashion Week, trying to avoid the dreaded drizzle-hair, people begin to look more beautifully dressed with every step and there’s a palpable excitement in the air.

It’s London Fashion Week and for me, previously to be found scampering around backstage clutching pins, it’s my first time front of house.

I’m given my pass by Offset Warehouse’s Charlie Ross and whisked up to the Estethica section. It’s clearly a busy time and it was great to catch a few minutes with her before she hurried off to another interview.

This marks Estethica’s fifth year at LFW and it’s going strong (I‘m sure it’s not only the lure of champagne that’s drawing the crowds!).

The room is heaving and there are some great pieces; Pachacuti’s new collection, effortlessly stylish as ever, and the unusual technique of Antonello’s bags are great examples of craft skills translated into high end fashion. And it’s hard to believe that Kumvana Gomani’s striking necklaces used to be industrial catering packaging!
But my favourite has to be the collection by Study NY, from New York designer Tara St James.

Rich knits, naturally coloured silks and luxurious reclaimed woollens create a sophisticated and very wearable collection, showcasing the versatility of both the designer and ethical fashion. St James tells me of her desire to not only use sustainable fabrics in her garments but to generate socio-economic benefits through their production.  What cannot be made in New York is sourced from cooperatives around the globe ensuring a fair wage for skilled labour, such as her Alpaca hand knits produced in Peru: she is surely one to watch.

Through the crowds I manage a quick chat with From Somewhere designer and Estethica curator Orsola de Castro to ask about the new collaboration with Speedo. Working on upcycling surplus LZR technical racing fabric Orsola’s creativity shines through and the results are stunning, sporting a floor length number herself she tells me how much she has enjoyed the project and that the fabric has been a dream to work with.
And if you want to bag a designer creation for yourself be sure to log on to asos.com on February 28th when the Fairtrade Foundation will be launching their limited edition scarf collection. A collaboration with Estethica designers to encourage labels to be more creative with their use of organic cotton, the scarves are sure to disappear fast so get that mouse ready.

I admit to being a little apprehensive of an ‘ethical fashion section’ fearing exhibitors would be overlooked by buyers who do not have a product’s ethical credentials top of their tick list. But the quality from the designers ensures the Estethica area flows with ease between the rambling corridors of Somerset House, and with the party in full swing I reluctantly retreat.
On my way out I overhear the doorman tell a slightly annoyed Fashionisto,

‘It’s so crowded it’s not even one in one out I’m afraid’.

Surely a sign for the future of Estethica and the pioneering ethical fashion lines it represents...

Josie was this season's Estethica competition winner and is also now one of our "Offsetters"!

Our ”Offsetters” are a group of writers, comprising of anyone who has a personal passion for ethical development.  Through short updates, they inspire us to be ethical by giving us a taste of exciting people and news they’ve come across, and letting us know about interesting things we don't already!

To be kept informed of all our competitions, sign up to our newsletter, and to find out more about becoming an Offsetter, check out our "Get Involved" page.

Ethical Fashion Interview With Offset Warehouse Director

Radio host, Devika Misra, interviews Director of Offset Warehouse, Charlie Ross, on ethical fashion, where Charlie presents her thoughts on the state of ethical fashion today alongside some surprising facts and statistics

For all you need to be ethical in fashion and interiors ... www.offsetwarehouse.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1UV5E2faYw&feature=player_profilepage

FACTORY EQUIPMENT & MACHINERY SALE - Currently at crazy cheap prices & all must go...

CLOSING DOWN SALE: 

Factory equipment for fashion and footwear manufacture being sold at RIDICULOUSLY cheap prices.

Factory based in Northampton, UK.  Factory visits to inspect machinery are welcome.
Please get in touch for a full list of items left:  info(@)offsetwarehouse.com

Amongst other items, there are :

• Lasts:
  • About 200 pairs being sold off in sets of 16 from sizes 5-12
  • firecrash boots for firemen – easy to slip on
  • Slight modified, bulbous toe to make room for steel-toe cap
  • Most are wood (some plastic)
  • 1/3 of buying price = £160 for 16 pairs
  • Images available

• Spares-or-repair Svit eyeletting machine, which moves a material, punches & eyelets. You might have to make or track-down a part. It's a small stand-alone machine.

• Small table-top machine which will move a strap or roll of labels a precise length before cutting.

• Couple of hem-folding machines for to use after applying glue or before sewing a thick material I think. They are the same sort of size as sewing machines and could probably be adapted to use with a treadle rather than a motor.

• There are a lot of heavy duty sewing machines including ones with cylinder and post-beds for sewing odd shapes. Some are built-in to desks; some are stacked-up on shelves.

• There's a huge press with microwave attachment which can cut and iron-together at the same time. Good for lined footwear vamps or synthetic wallets, folders, things made of plastic sheet or an odd sort of mesh insole for hot climates that it used to make (rolls of material available).  It’d have to be dismantled enough to go in the lift; loading bay available. There is another buyer but they’re a scrap dealer who might charge to collect.

• There's a long roll of thick dark blue cotton or linen with the name of the supplier to get more, among a selection of other fabrics stiffeners and such.

• There is a lot of dexion and chipboard, possibly thick cutting boards, and at least a hundred seconds in various boot designs.

Starting A Fashion Label?

It Couldn’t Be Easier Being Ethical…

OffsetWarehouse.com is an essential resource for start-up fashion designers and businesses, bringing together everything needed to both create fabulous, ethical clothing and buy them!

Offset Warehouse is the only business of its kind globally, where you can source ethical fabrics on both a retail and wholesale level in their Fabric & Haberdashery Shop, and find the ethical businesses and freelancers you need to complete your vision in their Ethical Directory.

Not only this, but Offset Warehouse presents a huge number of resources – whether you’re starting a business and don’t understand the implications of non-organic cotton, or you’re trying to become Fairtrade accredited, the Resources area will have something for you. Still can’t find the information you’re looking for? The Offset Warehouse team will find it for you! Amazing!

Research shows that companies can fail in the first few years because directors simply don’t delegate the jobs they are no good at. If you’re no good at design – get a designer! If you can’t use photoshop to create an eye-catching advert or logo – then get a graphic designer! Through their Consultancy, Offset Warehouse makes the process easy by understanding what you need, finding the most suitable professional for the job, often Masters and PhD holders, and completing your brief to the full, AND doing it to YOUR budget. Fantastic!

Starting out can be tough financially, so if you can’t afford a consultant, Offset Warehouse have started this amazing new “referrals” scheme, where they can refer you to the people you need – be it ethical manufacturers and producers or freelancers, at no cost to you – they simply ask for a small commission from the supplier for generating them business.

Start-ups and new businesses should definitely check it out. And who knows, once you’ve done all that hard work, they may even stock your line in their Boutique! Triple bonus!!

www.offsetwarehouse.com
info(@)offsetwarehouse.com

COMPETITION | WIN TICKETS TO LONDON FASHION WEEK

by Offset Warehouse

Want to go to London Fashion Week??  Start a hot discussion and win your ticket to Estethica at London Fashion Week 2011!!!

We're running a competition to see who can create the most stir!  Winners will receive a ticket to London Fashion Week's Estethica, to meet he hottest, innovative, ethical designers and preview their newest collections.

HOW : Start a fashion or textiles related "Discussion" on our discussions board (http://bit.ly/eQ4oU5) and the person who creates the most interesting debate will win a ticket.  Get your friends, peers and family to participate in the debate, and you could be in for a treat this February.  It couldn't be easier!

RULES : Only one entry per person allowed.  Comments on the discussion may be entered by friends and associates of the entrant, and further comments may be added by the entrant to continue the discussion.  Judging will be based on both the number of responses and content of the discussion.  Winners will be announced Feb 15th.  Winners will be asked to write 500 words on their experience at the event.

Good luck!

From The Offset Warehouse Team

"Why Green Is Not The New Black", by Eben Harrell

by Offset Warehouse on Friday, January 7, 2011 at 6:55pm

Fashion: Why Green Is Not The New Black

by Eben Harrell Monday, November 22, 2010

http://www.offsetwarehouse.com/boutique

Part of the challenge of the environmental movement in the developed world is to get people to look more deeply into their lifestyles and consumer choices: to see, for example, that cellophane-wrapped beef probably comes from a cow that fed on grain grown on land cleared of rain forest, which accelerates climate change.
But while ethical eating has gained traction in the mainstream, one aspect of our lifestyle lags well behind: style itself. In clothing, green, it seems, is not the new black—at least not yet.

At least that's according to a new, but small study, carried out by the International University of Monaco (IUM). In a survey of more than 100 Europeans and North Americans, researchers found that organic fashion did not have the same glamor as organic food.

“Although consumers are ready to pay a premium to purchase organic food, they do not yet see the interest in organic fashion,” Sandrine Ricard, Vice-President of IUM and part of the research team said in a statement released by the University. “There is a need to better inform consumers about the nature of organic fashion and to continue ‘glamorizing' both the communication and the products.”
Here is the pertinent parts of the press release provided by the university:

Researchers found that North Americans perceive green fashion more favorably, in part because eco-clothing brands have been launched by celebrities, such as the brand, Edun, run by Bono and his wife. North Americans associate green fashion with a woman in her 20's, simple but sexy, who wears organic shoes and clothing.

On the other hand, European respondents perceive organic fashion consumers as unglamorous. A typical consumer would be a simple woman in her 40's, wealthy, having a healthy lifestyle but unsophisticated. Because organic products are more expensive, Europeans associate organic with social status and showing-off.

The research team also concluded that the concept of green fashion is not clear to the majority of respondents. Consumers seem lost in the exact meaning of green fashion and lack information on norms and processes. In Europe, green fashion must become more attractive to the young generation to be a viable consumer option.

This last finding might be the most pertinent. What does green fashion actually mean? Non-toxic dyes? Organic wool? Ethical employment to offshore factory workers?

Without certification program or governing bodies to assure consumers they are purchasing ethical products, fashion is open to all sorts of green wash shenanigans—such as one brand that recently tagged a clothing line as green because it used recycled paper price tags, without offering any more information on the production of the actual clothing.

It is not impossible to shift public consciousness about fashion—think of how the mainstream turned on fur 30 years ago. But clearly the clothing industry needs to be more clear on what they mean by going green. 

 


Offset Warehouse presents everything you need to be ethical in fashion and interiors.

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...