#ethical fashion
AFRICAN FABRICS – THE OPPORTUNITY OF AFRICAN MADE TEXTILES
“Doing ordinary things in extraordinary ways.”
This was something that my guest from this weeks youtube interview said and I think it’s extremely fitting for the work she is doing in Africa for its fashion and textile industry.
Mariama Carama of Mariama Fashion Production shares insights on running a business in Africa working with 1000s of African artisans and creating textiles using traditional…
Aid by Trade Foundation of CMIA Supports Sewing Education in Tanzania
In the East African country of Tanzania, the non-profit Aid by Trade Foundation together with local partners has opened a new vocational education centre. In the Bariadi district it is the first training centre ever. The training starts with four classes in carpentry, bricklaying, tailoring, food science and processing. 80 young people will receive a specialist training per course. The facility…
Your Sourcing Guide to Fashion Made in Nigeria – African Cotton
This week I uploaded a new youtube video with Nigerian fashion brand This Is Us
Such an amazing home grown story with a couple who focused on locally sourced textiles and textile traditions. This story I shared in their interview see it here but I also wanted to share a little about Nigerian cotton which is what they used.
African cotton is a topic close to my heart…if you know me by now you know…
Rebirth of Heritage – Textiles Made in Nigeria
So Fashion Made in Nigeria has seemed to almost erupt over the last few years and the gorgeous handmade textiles are being recognised more and more and this is what I want to briefly highlight. So lets dive in.
ADIRE
Now can I get personal for a minute? I personally LOVE Nigerian textiles with Adire being one that totally calls me out. Since the turn of the twentieth century, in Abeokuta, a center…
Starting my business Africa Fashion Guide in 2010 began with a heart to see trade in Africa and to be a change-maker in Africa. And fashion for me was the vehicle.
Fashion that is made in Africa.
Consider this.
If you too want to see change in Africa but source Chinese made wax-printand you sew yourself or locally in your home country then nothing is touching lives in Africa. I explain this in my…
AFRICA IS NOT A DUMPING GROUND! – the Secondhand Clothing Debate
I recently came across two press features that raised an important discussion around ethical fashion in Africa that I feel would be of interest for you.
Firstly the BBC interview titled “Tackle fast fashion or ‘our days are numbered,’ warns design icon Dame Zandra Rhodes”. And in contrast the article about amazing footwear brand Endawhich just secured funding for its made in Kenya sports shoe…
Want My African Supplier contact list? The Reason WHY I do NOT give this out
Firstly… let me talk fashion.
Fashion is a very competitive industry and African fashion being a niche where a lot of people hang out makes it uber competitive.
The competition can come across quite daunting but I want to encourage you to overlook those who see you as competition and instead seek those to collaborate with.
Rihanna with @Puma
Think @hm and their…
It’s Monday the 6th of January and the world is on fire. Quite literally, there are fires raging all over Australia. Many folks have been displaced and more animals have died or lost their homes than we can accurately count. The US is warmongering, and the next steps are uncertain.
It’s a hard day to feel optimistic about the world we’re living in. There is so much large scale stuff happening that I cannot control. I do some things, as a person, which helps. I buy clothes second hand or from makers who practice slow fashion and create quality that will last. I eat local food whenever I can. I vote.
As we know companies, not people, use the most resources, so perhaps the biggest impact I can make is to make Volante Design as green as possible. We ship in cardboard boxes and not in bubble wrap sleeves whenever possible. We have been looking into compostable plastic sleeves for our smaller products, you may have seen them if you’ve ordered recently. We use recycled paper, we use recycled printer cartridges, lots of little things that we can do. We recycle. Most of our office furniture came from free piles, our moms, yard sales.
The biggest thing we do is make things that will serve you for a long time.
Do you know Burberry threw out 38 MILLION DOLLARS of inventory in ONE YEAR according to Forbes Magazine July 2018 edition?
Can you believe that? The typical “luxury retailer” is outrageously wasteful. This is just one example. Small businesses are different. At Volante Design we are very aware of our resources, both environmentally as well as financially. We think lean, we make small batches, we’re very careful. We’ve fought hard to price things in a way that we cannot mark them down. We want to give you the best value we can while staying in business. We would never ever throw out a jacket. Heck, we don’t like to throw away our fabric scraps, we donate them whenever possible.
It’s not always obvious what the difference is between one coat or another. Learn about the process, learn about the company and think critically. Who do you want to support? You can vote in small ways with your dollar. I’m not saying it should be Volante Design all the time. (Yes, I know this is not what you’re supposed to say as a business person. But I’m not trying to sell you Volante Design, I’m trying to tell you what I believe in and how we’ve evolved Volante Design in response to that.)
Some companies that I respect their process-
Timbuk2 - They recycle old bags for parts and they also have a repair program. They make their products in the USA. One reason we haven’t made a ton of bags is because they do them so well. Maybe one day we will be able to help you re-sell your coats that don’t fit you anymore. Right now we don’t have the (hu)manpower.
American Giant - They make primarily solid basics. They’re American made and great quality.
Everlane - They are not US manufacturing, but they are amazingly transparent about their sourcing, pricing, and process. I hope one day we’ll have this sort of organization. I think it’s really radical.
I know there are so many more. These are just a few I immediately thought of. Send me yours. There’s a lot we don’t have control over, but together we can change how things work. Our actions matter.
-Willow
HARARE, Zimbabwe – The year is starting and I cannot contain how excited I am to be alive first and foremost and able to make great clothes that people love as well.
Last year I lost a very important part of my soul, grandma Josephine who was in full support for HAMBA from the time in Lilongwe. Being able to share the beauty of life through my art. I am truly grateful!
I therefore love how the bomber jacket has been my favourite piece from the beginning.
To date there are four versions of the bomber.
Version 1: It was lined in pongee and mainly had khakhi sleeves as the signature look the contrast was everything.
Version 2: This bomber is lined with fleece for extra warmth and bigger pockets
Version 3: Crop Bomber adds a different proportion for women to show their waist and less bulky look.
Version 4: Zipper bomber for extra security has zippers for pockets
We keep getting better and we keep making the all weather bomber jacket for everyone!
Xoxo
Robin
Why I love the bomber jacket HARARE, Zimbabwe - The year is starting and I cannot contain how excited I am to be alive first and foremost and able to make great clothes that people love as well.
Poesia Graminia soft launch this weekend
Poesia Graminia will have our soft launch this weekend during Open Studio Hartford,
Saturday and Sunday, November 11-12, 11 am to 5 pm.I will be showing samples and prototypes of my explorations with natural materials and upcycled post-consumer plastics.
Explore our archive of plant fiber design objects.
Take a selfie with our backdrop made of natural plant fibers.…
Hemp & organic cotton jumpsuit Why we love hemp? Thanks to its natural protein structure and the ability to defend bacteria, it’s comfortable for even the most sensitive of skins ♡ Now in store & phillyshop.gr
Thought clothing χονδρική διάθεση ✉️ [email protected]
Thought-clothing χονδρική διάθεση ✉️ [email protected]
