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...

OFFSETTER PAMELA, UK | Interview with co-op, Isan silk weavers...

Pamela, Offsetter and passionate ethical advocate with particular interests in sustainability, photography, design and textiles, talks to Rosanne Trottier, CEO of Sawang Boran, a social enterprise supporting cottage weavers in north-eastern Thailand.

Sawang Boran and the Isan silk weavers – A social community business in Thailand

Rosanne is a traditional "knowledge anthropologist" turned business person.  She collaborates with weavers of the north-eastern Thailand region, OfIsan, in order to sustainably develop their hand woven products through cultivating artisanal knowledge and excellence, natural colours and fully organic processes.

Golden Isak Silk: The raw material for all Sawang Boran products.

©(2010)Sawangboran

Rosanne’s adventure with the community of Sawang Boran started when she was given a length of Isan silk, a gift of love and art made specially for her.  The story since, is one of a social business to revitalise and honour a deep artisanal culture, when modernity has already modified much of traditional life.

The village community Sawang Boran works for, is one of many silk-producing villages in the province of Khonkaen, source of some of the best silk in Thailand – if not in the world. The raw silk, typically yellow (see picture above), produces exceptionally soft, strong and shiny yarn best woven on hand-looms as it is not very amenable to mechanised processing. The designing, dyeing and weaving skills of Isan women make up one of the world’s valuable repositories of ikat creativity, in a remarkable, and complex, female culture.

Ladies & Gentleman, we bring you .... fish leather!!!

Fish Leather ... an amazing, ethical material on the fashion scene... and now in the Offset Warehouse Fabric shop.

© 2010

Fish leather including cod, salmon, ling and haberfish, have been transformed from disregarded waste to highly popular materials for products.  Salmon skin, for example, is used for the manufacturing of many fashion and interior products including cushions, clothing and shoes.  Fish skin is maluable, soft, aethetic and breathable, furthermore, it's extremely durable, which adds to its sustainable quality!  Their small size (in comparison to cowhides) makes them particularly perfect for smaller items like hand made shoes, gloves and purses.  

 

Fish leather is made from by-products of the commercial fish industry.  Because the fish are in abundant supply and we would only disregard the skins once consuming the meat, it's considered a very sustainable and ethical choice.  The leather is tanned by soaking the hide to remove the flesh before strengthening removal of odour.  Thanks to the scales, the tanning process is not designed to remove hair, and therefore does not need the polluting chemicals used in traditional tanning. 

 

We're extremely excited to be stocking fish leathers in the Offset Warehouse Fabric Shop, in a huge range of fantastic colours!

© 2010

Offset Warehouse sells ethical fabrics of all sorts in our Fabric Shop and Haberdashery.

You can also access ethical freelancers from all sorts of creative disciplines for free, by visiting Offset Warehouse's Ethical Directory, and fully realise your creative visions!

Don't forget to sign up at www.offsetwarehouse.com to be kept informed of our big launch!

DESIGNERS

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