Ethical Fashion Brands in ASOS Green Rooms

Posted on June 10, 2012 by admin

I have, in the past, been a little critical of the ASOS Green Room for the fact that many of the clothes featured in it would not really be what I would consider ethical and they provided very little information on the ethics of the brands and clothes that they sold. I am pleased to say much of that has now changed and ASOS Green Room now contains quite a comprehensive collection of ethical brands as well as some of their own label clothes including the fabulous ASOS Africa Collection which has been produced by working with SOKO, a clothing production workshop for the export market that aims to create sustainable, fair employment and offer training and skills to some of the most impoverished communities in Kenya.

It also has a bit of information about each of the designers/ labels that it sells. I would however suggest that if you are unsure of whether a label fits with your ethics you look for further information on the brands own website.

I wanted to share some of the ethical brands and collections that are stocked in ASOS Green Rooms and have caught my eye.

ASOS Crochet Village

I love crochet and I love the way this dress incorporates it into a fresh and modern style of dress ! Crochet Village is part of ASOS collection and includes dresses, skirts and tops that fit perfectly with the other exciting and directional pieces in the collection. The collection is made in Bangladeshi village of Chonpara, it enables underprivileged communities to establish sustainable business through their local artisan craftsmanship.

Heti’s Colours

Heti’s Colours is the label of Heti Gervis, a colour forecaster and textile designer who has worked with the likes of Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein. The collection is inspired by the softness and depth of colour created by hand-dyeing. The collection consists of tonal jersey pieces which are perfect for layering and colour blocking hand dyed in a community near Jaipur, India.

Choolips

Choolips combines ancient textile traditions with fun colourful prints and pretty dresses. The dresses featuring modern Batik prints on pure cotton made entirely in Ghana with both ethical and sustainable practices. Theses dresses are so perfect for summer!

TOMS

I have seen TOMS featured on quite a few fashion blogs recently and really love them for their simple laid back style, multiple choices of colour/ fabric and that they match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a
child in need.

What do you think? have you visited the Green Rooms at ASOS recently?

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

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The New ASOS Africa Collection for SS12

Posted on May 1, 2012 by admin

I have loved previous ASOS Africa collections and couldn’t wait to see what they had in store for SS12. I have just realised it is now on sale and I have to say I am pretty excited by the whole collection. For someone like me who loves bright prints this collection is a dream come true but I also think there are some great choices there for the slightly more conservative fashionistas in the form of some great striped and plain pieces.

I love everything about this collection. It combines traditional prints with fresh and very wearable designs, it is very affordable and of course it is made by in collaboration with SOKO Kenya, a fantastic and ground breaking ethical company which allows underprivileged communities to establish sustainable business through local craftsmanship.

The collection consists of sporty dresses, trousers, tops and jackets in acid-bright zebra, giraffe and rhino prints, mixed with traditional Kenyan patterns. Fun, eye catching and contemporary, It moves well away from any of the old preconceptions of ethical fashion. My only wish is that there was even more of it!

What do you think?

You can see the whole collection here.

I have been a little sceptical of the ASOS Green Rooms in the past as I wouldn’t have classed many of the items in there as ethical and they seemed to lack information as to where the products where made and how they are ethical. I think they have got it spot on with this ASOS Africa collection though. They have also introduced some great new ethical brands and started providing much more information on the individual products.

Despite pledging to start a shopping ban just a few days ago, I have failed spectacularly and ordered myself a pair of trousers from this collection. In my defence, I have been looking for a pair of patterned trousers for ages. The shopping ban definitely does start today though.

With warmest wishes

Ceri x

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Ethical Prints For Spring Summer 2012

Posted on April 14, 2012 by admin

Prints are massive news at the moment! I have always been a lover of bold, bright and beautiful prints even when minimalism was in fashion but now they are everywhere that I look, I am even more tempted by them. Bold and bright prints is just one area where ethical fashion comes into its own with traditional methods of printing and local inspiration being used create contemporary fashion pieces in Fairtrade cooperatives and ethical fashion initiatives around the world. Let the high street copy and take inspiration from the prints of Africa, Asia and South America but I would much prefer the real thing because prints this beautiful transcend fashion and trends.

Check these Out!

Lalesso uses the creative talent of Kenyan artisans after realising the raw talent, incredible design aesthetics, rich resources and beautiful people that the country has to offer.

Modahnik is a US based label founded by Kahindo Mateene, a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Sika is a fantastic brand that I have only just discovered (and really glad I did!). They use fabrics sourced from local Ghanaian markets and hand-made using natural methods, creating exclusive limited prints. Each unique piece defines an area in West Africa’s vast textile landscape, using traditional fabrics such as tie dye, batik’s and wax prints.

Fair + True are a contemporary brand with an eclectic collection of clothes made in Kenya and Malawi under a Fair Trade schemes.

suno 4 Ethical Prints For Spring Summer 2012 Suno is a New York based womenswear label which produces clothes in Kenya, India and Peru using combination of traditional, local techniques and high-end tailoring, with an emphasis on fit and fabric.