Some of the Most Amazing Fashion Brands in the World – Part 2!

Posted on February 7, 2013 by admin

I ran out of time to post about the Ethical Fashion Forum Source Brand Preview last week, but I had to come back and post a part 2 to this post because it was such an amazing event. Even in this post, I still haven’t managed to cover all of the brands (as I would have liked to) but you can check out the full set of presentations for the event here.

Samanuscha is an American brand combining playful colours and prints with organic and natural fabrics. They have some fun menswear too!

Ananda Pascual works with Fair Trade Producers in Cambodia, India and Peru, using natural and organic materials to create fresh and fun knitwear, leggings, skirts and separates. I am particularly in love with these Motorcycle leggings! They also have some great menswear.

Cock and Bull Menswear is heritage led brand for the modern dapper man. Collections include organic cotton tee’s and underwear, tweed waistcoats, jackets and woolly knitwear made in the UK.

Embellished Truth use chrome free vegetable tanned leather to create beautiful handbags that have been hand embossed with Paisley designs. The Indian inspired handbags are a great way to add a subtle style statement to an outfit!

Katcha Bilek are a brand that have only just come onto my radar but one that I instantly loved for their distinct and unusual aesthetic. They are transforming materials such as innertubes, car seat belts, bike tyres and rubber car mats into bags and accessories. To quote their website “the most fun you can have with rubber in public”.

I am a big fan of African prints but have never really come across much in the way of beaded jewellery so was really interested to see Abacus Beadwork, a brand making jewellery in lots of brilliant colours and styles ranging from bold statement pieces to more subtle styles. The jewellery is a great combination of Zulu heritage with contemporary design and also helps to support traditional Zulu bead craftmanship.

Amanda Li Hope makes fine jewellery from fairly mined gold and gem stones. The collection are both elegant and minimal. I particularly love this sterling silver X ring.

CFM McEwan make beautiful hemp, bamboo and silk scarves featuring photograph prints of artist Claire McEwans sculptures which are made using a variety of materials.

That is it for now. As I said before there were loads more amazing brands featuring in the Source Brand preview, I would definitely recommend checking out the presentations.

I hope you are having a good week.

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

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style-is.co.uk launches – a search engine for sustainable style

Posted on December 7, 2012 by admin

You might have heard me mention once or twice ’the website’ that I have been planning for about the last six months. Well I am delighted to say that it has now launched!

style is… (www.style-is.co.uk) is a kind of ethical fashion/ sustainable style search engine which features over 140 ethical brands and 1000′s of sustainable choices all under one easily searchable virtual roof.

Since starting this blog a year or so ago, I have been looking for a way to make it quicker and easier to shop sustainably. I also want to share the amazing ethical fashion that is on offer and show how much choice there is availabl,e ranging from luxurious designer to surprising affordable pieces. style is… features some brands you will probably already know about like Monkee Genes, People Tree, Timberland and Komodo but also many you may not have heard of. It has women’s, men’s and children’s clothing, shoes and accessories, all of which can be sorted by style, price and ethics (e.g. vintage, recycled, fair trade, organic and vegan). There is also a sales section and some great offers and discounts.

I would love to know what you think of style is… (please email me or leave your comment below), I will also be running an ethical outfit competition next week to celebrate the launch.

This week has been crazy busy with the EFF Source Awards, website launch, Christmas prep and so many activities for the children going on. I am looking forward to a massive rest and hopefully the chance to catch up with some blog reading. Will you be doing anything fun or Christmassy this weekend? whatever, have a good one!

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

Antithesis for Commute Smart Week

Posted on November 21, 2012 by admin

I have posted about slow fashion brand, Antithesis before but when they recently contacted me about a collaboration for Commute Smart Week, I was delighted to get involved and to find out a bit more about how their clothes work. I was sent a few of the more casual pieces from their collection to photograph and illustrate a piece about working from home. You can check out the full post on their blog here.

The clothes at Antithesis are designed to be worn in lots of different ways so whilst I was sent 4 items from the collection, I could use them to make lots of different outfits.

The Circular Parka is perfect for wet and windy days and can be worn in lots of different ways.

The reversible overpiece can be worn 2 ways, it is really lovely and warm.

This Multi-way piece can actually be worn as an assymetrical top/ dress (pictured above), a skirt and a cape.

I hope you are having a good week! Mine is going well so far, I have had news that my new website will be ready by the end of the month, I hope to have details on a blogger event that I am organising by then as well.

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

Xsenia and Olya SS13 – Liquid Smoke

Posted on October 22, 2012 by admin

SS13 Fashion Film – Xsenia & Olya from Xsenia & Olya on Vimeo.

Xsenia and Olya’s SS13 collection is inspired by movement and the properties of smoke and water. Each piece aims to captivate the senses with its magical beauty and movement and also magnetise from a distance with its striking prints.

The collection is also heavily influenced by the work of artist Pat Steir known for her paintings of brilliant colour and her ability to create flowing layers of paint superimposed over one another.

I love the beautiful prints and the way that they work so well with the flowing shapes and fluid fabrics. Interestingly whilst most of the pieces appear to be dresses there are some clever skirt and top combinations which appear to be one piece. I also love that they use a zero waste pattern cutting technique and make beautiful clothes to treasure.

But how wearable are they?

They say

Each Xsenia & Olya piece elegantly drapes around the silhouette enabling each woman to feel both free and feminine. They have been inspired by the women who are well travelled and have a refined eye – for those who seek comfort in clothes because they are more mobile, more active but still want to look and feel beautiful.

So I guess that answers my question! I would definitely love to wear something from this collection for a special occasion.

The collection is designed by duo Xsenia Runa and Olya Shishkina who met at Central St Martins and are becoming known as one of the most exciting emmerging womens wear brands with their signature digital prints and geometric forms.

Beautiful?

Although this collection is not available until SS13, Xsenia and Olya are currently stocked at the following boutiques and their AW12 collection also has some very beautful pieces.

Independent Boutique (which by the way has quite a few other fantastic ethical brands)
123 Store
Carnet De Mode

I hope you are having a good start to the week.

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

Arthur&Henry – Ethical Menswear

Posted on October 15, 2012 by admin

Since Arthur&Henry arrived earlier this summer, my outlook on the
direction of ethical menswear has vastly perked up.

I caught up with Clare Lissaman, co-founder of Arthur&Henry, to see
how they were getting on.

It’s been an incredibly busy few months for the team, and Clare tells me
the response to Arthur&Henry’s launch has been fantastic. “We always knew
that there were eco-minded men out there who were desperate for something they
could wear to work or for smart occasions, but we weren’t expecting the
customers who were simply looking for a decent shirt. It’s been brilliant – and
we’ve already had customers returning to order more shirts.”

Arthur&Henry are passionate about organic and Fairtrade cotton. It’s a
socially and environmentally sustainable option for producing their incredible
line of shirts, but it’s not without its difficulties. “It’s quite a challenge
making shirts of this quality in organic and Fairtrade cotton,” Clare says,
“There’s a reason why no-one has done it before!” Rising prices of raw materials
and set against an economy in recession, Arthur&Henry are among the first to
create a beautiful menswear product that is affordable, and accessible.

Getting hold of the quality of yarn they require (“particularly for
Fairtrade cotton”, Clare has observed) has been something they’re continually
working on. “Organic cotton is still a niche fibre, and spinning mills normally
have to blend different cottons – but when they’re working with organic cotton,
the amount of raw materials they’ve got to blend shrinks considerably, driving
up the costs. It is harder, but we believe – and our customers seem to agree -
that it is definitely worth it.”

If you’re interested in the cotton textile industry, and the impacts (both
positive and destructive) of organic and conventional cotton, I recommend you
check out the Soil Association’s Have you cottoned on yet? report

Talking about the future, Arthur&Henry will be launching their winter
collection soon, but adds that – as part of their efforts to be a better kind of
menswear brand, they’ll not adhere to rigid ‘seasonal’ collections. It adds too
much pressure to the factories, and the garment workers are almost always the
victims. “So while we will introduce new fabrics and shirts, we’re not going to
be beholden to a cycle that is good for neither customer nor producer.” This,
for me, is the kind of game-changing thinking the ethical fashion movement
desperately needs.

Arthur&Henry will be appearing in some Christmas fayres, including the
Fair Christmas Fayre, and the Festive Feast Indoor Christmas Market in Stoke
Newington.

As a special treat for our Ethical Fashion Blogathon followers, use voucher
code ETHICALBLOGATHON to receive £15 off their favourite shirt of the
collection, the Blue Floral Shirt.

Caipora Jewellery – An Ethical Fashion Blogathon Giveaway

Posted on October 15, 2012 by admin

FAQ Caipora Jewellery An Ethical Fashion Blogathon Giveaway

Today we are lucky enough to be able to offer a fantastic giveaway to anyone supporting the blogathon on Twitter. Two beautiful pieces of unique ethical jewellery have been donated by Caipora Jewellery. The winner will be able to take their pick of colours of a paper ring and arm candy paper bracelet (subject to stock availability). All you need to do to enter this fantastic giveaway is follow @Caipora_Jewelry on Twitter and retweet posts from the blogathon with the hash tag #ethicalfashionblogathon. The more you retweet, the more entries you will get in the giveaway!

Caipora are designers of ethical, vibrant and luxurious jewellery. Perfect for those who want to transform their style into a unique look, their jewellery is a real expression of your individualism and creativity. Each piece at Caipora is infused with the vibrant multicultural mix of art. The selection of designers explore the land’s natural elements and the fusion of cultures to produce fantastic ethical jewellery which pay special attention to quality and the spirit of human expression.

There is a piece of jewellery at Caipora for what ever your style or mood with collections for Earth, water, wind and fire. I particularly love the bold paper jewellery, made from upcycled paper and the handcrafted multistrand beaded necklaces which are the perfect accessory for both contemporary tailoring or a simple t shirt.

The name Caipora is synonymous with environmental responsibility, too – it is
an entity of indigenous Tupi-Guarani mythology of Brazil, and means ‘the forest
protector’.

Caipora Jewellery was also first accessories label to win the Ethical Fashion Forum Innovation Award, in 2011.

Check out the full collection now on www.caipora.co.uk

Please Sponsor the #EthicalFashionBlogathon for Blog Action Day

Posted on October 3, 2012 by admin

First of all I would like to say a big thanks for everyone who has volunteered to join in with my Ethical Fashion Blogathon for Blog Action Day (in memory of my Niece Maddie and in aid of Naomi House Hospice) on 15th October and also for all those who have offered to support the event by sharing and retweeting posts during the event.

If you haven’t read my previous post about why I am organising this event, you can do so here. Basically I will be blogging to promote awareness of ethical fashion brands for 12 hours between the hours of 9am and 9pm on Monday 15th October, writing 24 blog posts. I will also be joined by some amazing fashion bloggers who will be contributing varying numbers of posts inlcuding Esther at Ms Wandas, Lori at Rarely Wears Lipstick, HJ Fantaskis at Green House PR, Hayley at Hayley Thrills and Marie at Learning the Business of Fashion. If you are a fashion blogger and would like to get involved there is still time, just email me asap.

You can sponsor me on Just Giving here. Any amount of sponsorship will be very greatly recieved. If you are fashion brand or fashion related company with a sustainable or ethical ethos, for a minimum donation of £30, you can sponsor a post in the blogathon. Not only will you be supporting a fantastic charity, but you will also get the following in return. Just email your details to ceri@heathcotecommunications.co.uk once you have made your donation.

a 250 – 300 word post about your brand plus at least one image and link
Facebook/ Twitter/ social media coverage through our supporters during blog action day (I will also be sharing my favourites in Pinterest)
A mention and link to your post on the blogathon round up post on this blog
A little extra juice for search engine optimisation

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

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Pick of the Ethical Fashion Sales

Posted on August 17, 2012 by admin

I have seen so many amazing ethical fashion finds in the sales over the last few weeks, I thought that I would share with you some of my favourites. As I mentioned in my last post, if you have never tried buying ethical or eco fashion before, the sales are a great time to give it a try. I guarantee you will be really surprised by the amazing quality and how different it is from much of the clothing you will find on the high street.

komodo fair trade zoe dress black 1 Pick of the Ethical Fashion Sales

Zoe Fair Trade Cutout Dress by Komodo

If you saw my recent posts about the 6 Items challenge (where I wore only 6 items of clothing for a month) you might recognise this dress as one of the six items that I choose. It has become one of my favourite pieces in my wardrobe as it is so comfortable and easy to wear and can be accessorised in so many different ways or worn without accessories. It is now on sale at Fashion Conscience with just a few sizes left. Use code SALE10 to get an extra 10% discount.

Garat T Shirt Dress by Skunkfunk

I am a big fan of neon and this dress would look amazing with any of the brightly coloured beaded sandals or accessories from the amazing www.Aspiga.com. Definitely a look for those who like to stand out from the crowd! this dress is also on sale at Fashion Conscience along with more items from the Skunk Funk brand. Again you can use code SALE10 to get an extra 10% discount.

Orla Kiely Navy Cabins Dress

I love People Tree sales and I love the Orla Kiely collection at People Tree. This dress is one of the items that I have been admiring on the site all spring and summer and it is now reduced by 50%. It looks like a perfect every day dress and a really flattering cut.

Denim Dress by Outsider

This beautiful dress is part of the Eco Age by Livia Firth Collection on Yoox. It is made from organic cotton denim with silk detailing at the neck. A really beautiful wardrobe staple for a sophisticated daytime look .

Bamboo Sunglasses by Kayu

These unusal sunglasses are another item I have been admiring all summer. They are great for a quirky and fun summer time look. They are also from the Eco Age by Livia Firth Collection at Yoox.

Keiko Maxi Dress at Monsoon

This beautiful Kimono style dress is reduced by over 70%. An amazing bargain especially if you have a special event to go to.

As you probably already know, I am a big fan of charity shopping. Oxfam is the best place to charity shop online and has some amazing pieces which can easily be searched by price, brand etc. They currently have a 30% off sale. You can check it out here.

Have you found any ethical fashion bargains in the sales? please share?

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

Ps just to let you know that this post contains some affiliate links.

Eco Shoes – Summer Sale

Posted on August 16, 2012 by admin

Summer sales are a great time to buy eco shoes as they are super affordable. Eco friendly shoes are usually really made well and extra comfortable so will last for years.

Spartoo have got some fantastic eco friendly shoes on sale at the moment, you may well recognise some of them which from one of my favourite shoe brands Dream in Green which I am pretty sure I have posted about a few times before. I really love those wedge heels and candy colours! There are also some other fantastic sustainable brands including Terra Plana. All of these shoes are reduced to under £50 and In my book that definitely constitutes a real bargain as long as you actually need them.

Milva by Dream in Green – reduced by 50%

Cook by Dream in Green reduced by 45%

Anapurna by Dream in Green 40% off

Betty Print Sandals by Terra Plana

Formenterra Vecho Sandals by Pikolinos – reduced by 40%

Have you bought anything in the sales? and do you wait to the sales so that you can buy better than you would usually be able to afford?

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

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Ethical Lingerie Sale at Luva Huva

Posted on August 13, 2012 by admin

I was recently contacted by Ethical lingerie Luva Huva about their summer sale and they also send me a pair of knickers so that I could see the quality for myself. The collection looks fantastic and I was very pleasantly surprised by the beautiful quality. With underwear I usually opt for comfort above all else and that means I buy very plain styles. It was great to find an option that is supersoft and comfortable to wear but also a feminine style.

Luva Huva lingerie is handmade in the UK using sustainable fabrics wherever possible. 100% organic cotton, bamboo, and soy fabrics, along with end of line remnants, and vintage lace. They currently have an amazing summer sale with up to 50% off.