The jewellery industry still generally lacks clear certification standards. Here some definitions used to describe responsibly sourced & manufactured jewellery.
Everyone seems to join in for the treasure hunt called Christmas shopping. Are the 'ethical' Christmas fairs worth it? Only for discoveries - such as these 3 tiny brands.
Sustainability is usually thought of as an environmental issue. And it is. But but not only. It is in fact a mindset. One that takes courage.
This magazine - come out of a creative collaboration - explores three key questions by interviewing personalities in business (Vincent Stanley from Patagonia, Eric Garnier from Choba Choba, Adriana Marina from Hecho x Nosostros, Fergal Smith from the Moy Hill Farm and Andy Middleton from the TYF Group), and by giving space to written creativity of sustainability professionals. The three fundamental questions are: How does ‘creating change’ feel from within? What does it mean to swim against the business mainstream because genuinely the status quo does not work? Where and how does courage come into play?
This free introductory, extensively researched guide to ethically sourcing fashion from India, aims at small(er) ethical designers during the first stage of their efforts.
Part 3 of 3. The jewelry industry is in many ways a messy one. What are the concrete business challenges and experiences encountered in the Far East, e.g. Japan?
Fairtrade certified or WFTO registered: What's the difference? And what is this now newly emerging Sustainable Fair Trade Management System (SFTMS) all about?
The conference on Ethical Trade, at the Goodenough College, London, on November 12 & 13, 2010, offered 2 tightly scheduled days, where qualified speakers followed one another.
Sneakers, or basket ball shoes, are an unlikely candidate for building a successful ethical brand, yet Veja has managed the grow in an otherwise saturated market.
Minimum wage, living wage. Many are the approaches to guarantee fair remuneration for work. In 2010, Bangladesh textile workers have been rioting for fair pay. What's it all about?
Part I of III. The jewelry industry is in many ways a messy one, marked by ecological degradation, disruption of social and economic order, child labour, even slavery and murder.
Perfumery can be a dirty business. In this interview with Marina Barcenilla, founder and creative perfumer of Glastonbury-based The Perfume Garden, we investigate the company's approach to ethical and vegan ingredient sourcing.
The coastal areas of Eastern Japan, while largely unaffected by the grade 9 earthquake from March 11th, 2011, was thoroughly washed away by the tsunami following the quake. Now that the recovery efforts are under way, also fashion companies and fashion related projects contribute their share. An overview of what is happening on the ground to-date.
'The hidden face of fair trade' is a thoroughly researched, critical review of the fair trade movement and its players. With France as the primary focus, the author revisits the movement's history, points out paradoxes and problems, and suggest what may, or not, become of it in the future.
What 'ethical' business trends can we see across the globe. In this double post, we look at what the trends in fair trade are, and what we can infer from them.
Part 1: What we probably know.
Not all is well with certification labels and their respective audit authorities. Self-audits, peer-audits, frauds are just the top of the iceberg. It's more - economics suggest we're going wrong with them entirely ...
Part 2 of 3. The jewelry industry is in many ways a messy one. The Kimberley Process tries to install a way to preempt many of the abuses. But it is only partially successful.
Fall 2010, day 2: London Fashion Week, the dream destination of fashionistas. Young designers have it tough - and some outstanding design by young, ambitious designers.
Historically, fair trade has pitch to and sold thanks to consumers' guilt. A grave mistake as the currently ongoing consumption trends show. Quality, exclusivity is what has survived the economic downturn best.
How expensive is fair labour really? What would need to change in the price to make this a reality at the consumer end of fast fashion? This article diggs through some research data that while answering these questions. In short: fair labour could be had for cheap.
This is the second post of a two article series. It will look at what we can say about the 'ethics behind a brand' from how they practically do business.
