PASS THE BATON is a new type of recycle shop with two locations, in the center of Tokyo. It cherishes the emotional bound that both, previous and new owner have with the item, fostered by a carefully curated setting.
Japanese historic textiles, as much as their modern version, are famouse for their distinct colour ranges. What few know: all 1052 of these shades are created with natural dyes (only!), and each has its own distinct name.
"Made in [your country]" is an ongoing attractive topic in the contemporary sustainable fashion discussion. In many cases, one that borders - or is even right in the middle of - some rather right-wing nationalist sentiments. Europe as a whole does not need that - there is enough quality design and craftsmanship to be proud of without getting into shallow waters.
Animanà is a calling to give the world an alternative production model that connects the market with the artisans who live in marginal areas of the Andean region. A portrait.
5 years ago one Araisara's customers brought in a long Miyazome-dyed handkerchief. The designer fell in love with this beautiful dye technique. As soon as she could, she visited the Miyazome-dye atelier in Utsunomiya City in the northern Kanto region, some 2 hours from Tokyo on the Shinkanzen bullet train. The atelier was run by just one man, who was well into his 80s.
March 22, 2012 : Araisara has completed her last runway show at Japan Fashion Week, and is preparing her collection's launch in Paris in October 2012. But while fashion shows are important, it is the people that remain the one single most important source of inspiration for her brand.
For Araisara, one of the biggest influences in her career as a fashion designer, in her life, comes from a women she tenderly calles 'Granny.' Granny is the inspiration behind Araisara's SS2010 'Hibiki' (echo) collection, which features stunning Sumi-Nagashi dyed fabrics.
Natural Dyes in large scale industrial processes sounds like a complete 'No Go'. Tintoreria Clerici - one of the oldest and biggest in the business - is going back to their roots, and proving us all wrong.
Algha Works are Britain’s last metal spectacle frame manufacturer, operating from Fish Island - close to the 2012 Olympics' site - for the past century. A portrait.
“The raison d'être of Lilou is my desire to connect people with 'their' colour.
I wanted to take the opportunity and expose people to their colour, the ones that make them feel relaxed, energized, happy, motivated..." says Ingrid Vercruyssen, the textile designer behind Lilou.
Connecting the present and the past, learning and drawing conclusions from either, is and will remain key to creating a more sustainable fashion industry. So far, learning from the past in particular - in the good and in the bad - has been chiefly neglected. A series of thoughts.
Understanding cross-border diversity in consumer behaviour, advertising, sales and marketing management is a widely studied topic of international marketing. Cultural difference matter particularly in business negotiations, advertising, consumer behaviour and marketing research. One of the most frequent approaches differentiates between high-context and low-context cultures, which impacts directly on the quality and quantity of information businesses are willing to share.
The story of London Cloth is a rather engaging one. It all boils down to a rather single minded fascination for looms, mechanical ones specifically. 2 years on, the hobby has become a proper weaving shed with both mechanical and power looms, and clients such as Ben Sherman.
Khadi is an Indian fabric par excellence. Hand-made from start to finish it has for centuries been the livelihood of rural communities. But the industry is in decline. Interview with Shailini Seth-Amin, CEO of MoralFibres, a company set to re-invent Khadi.
Indigo is probably the most famous of all dye stuffs. Hacienda Los Nacimientos is one of only 2 farms world wide that produce certified organic Indigo, and is located in El Salavador. The farm's story reaches far back, and is marked by the years the country suffered from a violent guerilla civil war.
Itchiku Kubota is possibly the Japanese Kimono artist par excellence. None of his contemporaries have created such a body of work. At the same time, the artist brings the value of craftsmanship, today often ignored or under-rated, to our attention.
Discarded at one time, and hidden away in a drawer of the family home or even flogged off in a car boot sale, 'Little Glass Clementine' turns the most improbable centre piece of unique necklaces, each made 'to measure' for the personality and character of its new owner.
Bryan Whitehead is one of the few remaining textile craftsmen in Japan who not only rears his own silk, but masters the whole textile process. Just as he as learned from seasoned crafts people, he now hands his knowledge on to his students. A plea to best of craftsmen and women cherish their expertise by teaching.
This book emerges itself into how clothing is bought, worn, discarded and recycled within India. In other words, it tracks down how Indian citizens (primarily women) manage their wardrobes, and the strategies and criteria of how they do it.
The reaping (black market) trade in reptile skins for the luxury fashion and accessories market is an openly talked about, albeit ugly, reality of the present.
The recently published UNCTAD BioTrade report and toolkit provides useful and pragmatic info for designers.
