Sustainable Fashion - hippy/hip? by M.O.

cover of October's Eco World Fashion Magazine - the DIY issue

Green is trendy and all that, but a lot of the time 'ethical', 'eco', or 'organic' bring to mind images of off-white canvas, long shapeless skirts, and other aesthetically dubious tree-hugging connotations. Similarly to feminism, the term is used vaguely, too much, and often condescendingly. It kinda makes me feel a bit sick. Sustainable fashion is serious business, but just as much glamour and style as anything else (on that note: did anyone get anything from the Jimmy Choo for H&M scramble? I always underestimate people's fierceness and motivation to queue). The fact that there's a slight moral premise to it doesn't mean that everyone wearing organic cotton will look at everyone else not wearing it like they are criminal idiots. Another parallel comes to mind - that of vegetarianism or veganism. It's true that some people think that shit like that makes them superior, and will as a consequence look down on everyone else, but it's not a movement relying on the existence of assholes in the world. Neither is sustainability, so it doesn't deserve the automatic reactionary treatment. Whether recycled, vintage, or diy, style is still style, and hence controversial, unforgiving, and a lot of work.

good

bad

It is true that some very noble initiatives are more on the funny, or cutesy, or downright pastoral side. The popular thing of making bags out of billboards is pretty cool, but no matter how fancy the designs, it will always work best on messenger-type sporty/urban pieces, channeling foreign typography and skateboarding/surfing style at best. I'm not saying it's ugly - it's just a very specific style - very low-brow&pop culture. In that context, I think it really works, but I find the transgressive attempts quite tiring. Rather than trying to outdo themselves to make loudly printed vinyl look business-like or feminine, recycled banner designers could branch out into other products, for example furniture (excellent examples by the Barcelona-based company Vaho: chairs, and even flower pots)

Stuff like Ecoist candy wrapper bags is exactly the kind of thing that in my opinion firmly ties sustainability to a bit of a crap/pop fest. The design may be durable or inventive, but it's hard to get genuinely excited about the aesthetics. It's more like something you buy if you're a teenager on a schooltrip, or as a ~funny~ gift for someone you don't know very well.

Making graduation gowns out of plastic bottles is so genius, so hilarious, so sweet and so tacky at the same time. Possibly the epitome of sustainable non-style (but for other reasons, very compelling!)

Moving onto stylish stuff: things made by TRAID (Textile Designing for Aid and International Development) are awesome. Their label TRAIDremade "design and produce gorgeous clothing for women and men using second hand textiles that would otherwise be thrown away". They really say it all themselves: "Each piece is a complete one off and sustainably remade by hand in our workshop beside the seaside in Brighton". Please admire, pictured above, one of the super limited edition of gorgeous eco bags designed exclusively for Timberland and in stock now at Timberland Regent Street and Fournier Street. TRAID Flagship shops in Brighton and Camden, more on this list.

Junky Styling is the home of "timeless, deconstructed, re-cut and completely transformed clothing." Take a moment to look through their massive galleries of proper catwalk shows, with mens- and womenswear. The label was set up by two best friends, Annika Sanders and Kerry Seage, who were club scene stars in the early 90s, and decided to transfer their talent into business "after extensive travels as skint teenagers" and "countless compliments on their clothing". They have a shop in East London, a custom order service, a walk-in wardrobe surgery and a book about it.

Fashion Conscience's slogan is "Seriously stylish, seriously ethical". "Eco fashion never looked so good": my point exactly. They have gorgeous pieces sorted into organic, vegan, sustainable, fairtrade, recycled. And everything looks brilliantly chic.


In two week's time I'll post about Christmas gift ideas; until then, keep it Modo people ;)

Cheryl Cole: Lazy Styled Barbie or Clever Style Icon? by K.R.

As much as we may be divided about Cheryl Cole, invariably torn between an attitude of love, adulation and imitation, and one of indifference, jealously or abhorrence, one thing is certain: she has become a firm power in the fashion industry, backing up-and-coming designers and haute couture labels alike to the point that the dress, the earrings, or whatever it may be, flies off the shelves the next day.

But is Cheryl Cole clever in her choice of outfits?

Does she calculate these style decisions to up her profile, or indeed, that of the designer?

Or, is she simply playing a game of fashion by numbers, selecting The Dress, that is, the focal point of a runway collection?

Cheryl doesn't seem to know how to dress for her shape. The unusually similar dress styles donned by Cheryl and Dannii on finale night of the 2008 X Factor gives this away, while also drawing attention to just how much weight she had lost. While Dannii looks curvaceous, healthy and happy in her vibrant cut-away dress, Cheryl's Julien Macdonald dress seems to hang off her frame. As seen on the runway, a stronger, fuller body makes the clean-cut lines pop and really take shape. Regardless of any weight issues Cheryl may have had at this time, she is a petite girl, and therefore should bear this in mind and dress for her shape.

Meanwhile this year Cheryl chooses a dress, which nods to two trends in one outfit: that of Balmain shoulders, and the slightly less commercial look of an alien-esque, futuristic aesthetic. In this way, she proves, that she can take a risk and embrace new fashions. Nonetheless, is this dress merely an arbitrary pick from a successful runway show? After all, Cheryl is not renowned for her avant-garde style choices (for instance, like Lady Gaga, whose confidence and out-there-ness would undoubtedly lend itself well to this bold look)...

Similarly, the David Koma dress, an incredibly hard piece to actually pull off, did provide both Cheryl and Koma with some (well-deserved) press. Such a move on Cheryl's part may prove her to be on the ball when it comes to who to watch, however, this artistic dress seems to have been randomly chosen from the runway show with little consideration.

Arguably, the dress which Cheryl wore could be said to be one of the least commercially appropriate of the collection, an aspect which should be, or at least is normally considered on a show as far-reaching as X Factor. What's more, the dress with the tassels on the far right (below) with its narrow vest-like fit on the upper body would make a petite frame look fuller and enhance the broadness of shoulders, while showing off killer legs (or, indeed, thigh-high boots - another nod to one of winter's hottest trends).

In X Factor 2008, Cheryl wore a pair of earrings by Lucy Hutchings, (very hot jewellery designer, whose carefully crafted statement pieces have been making waves with stylists throughout the UK for a few seasons now - check her out at http://www.lucyhutchings.com). As such, Cheryl again proves her fashion know-how, but with finesse and sophistication, choosing a simple piece from a complicated beautiful collection, that, most importantly suits her. (Unfortunately, though, the poorly scrapped-back hair and gold hairband does nothing to support this sophistication).

These dresses by Atelier Versace are straightforward in their message of glamour and ornate prettiness, which Cheryl is indeed known for. Thus, while in endorsing such a well-known and already lucrative brand she may not be doing a 'good fashion deed' of getting a little-known designer into the limelight, but she certainly suits this aesthetic, and therefore in fact does herself a good fashion deed, by dressing for herself.

Atelier Versace 2009

Furthermore, this dress by 3.1 Phillip Lim is ideal for Cheryl's shape. The playful colours keep the aesthetic youthful, plus the shiny red belt adds a kitsch undertone.

Ultimately, though, we cannot actually take Cheryl's style choices on face value:

"Over the past 12 months Cheryl has become leader of the fashion pack thanks to a seriously clever makeover. Much of her amazing new style is down to her personal stylist, Victoria Adcock. If it wasn't for Adcock - who has also worked with Victoria Beckham and Christina Aguilera - Cheryl might still be looking a little more WAG than wonderful."

http://www.rte.ie/fashion/2009/1014/xfactorfashion.html

As such, we have to ask ourselves, to what extent do we see the real Cheryl in her clothes, indeed, to what extent do we really see any celebrity? With immense money, why not hire a stylist if you are unsure yourself? This, then, means that certainly in this case, individual style is superseded by a styled, contrived aesthetic. And with her conventionally beautiful face, luscious L'oreal locks and petite Barbie-esque frame, it could be easy to discount Cheryl Cole as anything more than a cleverly marketed brand. Perhaps this is unfair.

Whether you love her or hate her, one thing is sure. Cheryl has become a money-making machine, a constant inspiration and force within the fashion industry, and she's here to stay.

Keep it Modo people ;)

More Sustainable Fashion, by M.O.

Hello,

First things first - congratulations Clare for winning some Covert Candy credits! There were two comments to the post, and random.org generated the winning numer 2:

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

2

Timestamp: 2009-11-08 15:37:19 UTC






Any occasion is good to plug Clare's fantastic blog and shop, Pretty Green (though I will blog more about the stuff she makes in a few weeks, talking about Christmas gifts).

I already wrote about charity shops, freecycle, and other ways of swapping or buying second hand clothes in the last post. One place I forgot to mention is Bang Bang Exchange: two way cool shops that buy and sell "secondhand vintage, designer and high street clothing that is in good condition and seasonally appropriate". They say they are "choosy and prefer the quirky over the conservative or basic", which I'll confirm - that's a place where your old clothes may get rejected (some of mine did). If you bring some real good stuff, they offer you cash (30% of selling price), or exchange (50% of selling price), but either way what you get in return is an amazing, and let me stress this - AMAZING stock of second hand, ranging from very affordable high street/miscellaneous items all the way to strange and great and wonderful designer or ancient pieces. It's well worth a-visit-and-a-browse every so often. One branch is right by UCL at Goodge Street, the other in Soho.

Sustainable Fashion Part 2 - Street Markets
Brilliant places for finding second hand gold. You just gotta know where you're going and get there early. Avoid the stands that look too clean and organized: don't be afraid to plow through the piles and piles of stuff often lying right on the ground. Talk to the sellers, they're usually interesting people. You can try your luck in bargaining. Exciting, right? All you need is a little patience, and a little luck.

In London, there are some obvious street market destinations, but actual second hand stuff is either hard to find in places like Brick Lane or Portobello (if only because of active customer crowds), or it's way expensive (and only sometimes worth the exorbitant price). In any place, well-known or underground, my advice is to divert from the main street(s) and look around. There's always some activity, clandestine or not, on the outskirts.

My absolute six-star favourite in London is Deptford Market. The Wikipedia page doesn't even say it sells clothes. The market is filled with people's real actual junk, so it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but to the persistent and the determined - I implore you to go. It's far as hell and it doesn't make much sense to go after 1pm, but it's well worth an early morning on a weekend. Take a fast train from London Bridge and explore - I can't remember the exact location of the best part, but it's not big, so just look carefully. It's great for all manners of things, not just clothes: I bought my (fully functional and unused) Polaroid camera there for £5, a big bunch of records including Beach Boys and Simon and Garfunkel for £10, and some very over the top ridiculous earrings there. Just don't be discouraged by the lack of order and glamour, search through the piles, and you should be rewarded.

Talking to the sellers is also a great thing to do. It's one thing if they're just nice people, but another if they can also recommend you stuff (of their own or someone else's), tell you stories about the things they sell, maybe when they're getting more items, maybe even where they get them from. Obviously not every seller will be keen to do that, but usually if you're nice and inquisitive, they will be nice and informative in return. With bargaining: I always give it a try, but at the same time try and be as polite as possible. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. In some places figures go down closer to closing time. It's crucial to assess whether a particular item is really worth its price - try to weigh it against the period it's from and the condition it's in. If it's dirty, I'd say it doesn't matter that much - you'll wash it anyway, but if it has holes that will be trouble and not trashbin chic, either try to pay less for it or leave it. The fantastic thing about street markets is that they are fluid - nothing stays the same, so every time you come back, there'll be different stuff around. So if something catches your eye but you're not sure - leave it. You might find ten things with a better proportion of cool and cheap round the corner, or next time.

Price of course is completely relative, as 50 quid might be a bargain for an original piece from a couple of decades ago. Though personally, I like to challenge myself to find cheaper rather than more expensive things. It's not difficult to pay a lot of money for cool shit. It's a real hunt to go after hidden gems that cost you next to nothing. The pride! The raised eyebrows! The spent-yet-saved cash! That's why I dig the junk and pile appeal more than the tidy racks.

If the weather sucks or getting up early is too much process, the closest there is to a wonderful and exciting street market online is Etsy. In short, Etsy is AWESOME. That's not a very journalistic expression, but in all honesty, it's true. It hosts zillions and zillions of shops selling handmade goods, vintage items at least 20 years old, and supplies. What more can you want? And like on a street market, it all comes from real people, and in most cases it also goes by an important sustainable principle: it's been handmade by them, too. You could argue that's hardly second hand, but loads and loads of Etsy sellers upcycle (or reuse) stuff. Like on any market, there's a lot of shit to look through, but it's a nice place to spend your time. There is not enough space in one blogpost to praise it; I will definitely blog more about the handmade aspect of it soon. Meanwhile check out what Etsy say about themselves in a video.

Diverting slightly from the topic of markets: there's a more radical way of finding clothes: exactly that - finding them. This obviously involves a lot of luck, but miracles do happen. Clothes often lie around near trashbins or straight in the street. Most will probably not be that great, but take my word that impossibly, unbelievably good stuff can also be simply found. One person's trash is another's treasure, and some people prefer to chuck out their shit rather than take it to the recycling centre, which creates these magical instances when you can just find clothes for free. Have a look at FoundClothing, a website documenting these fantastic occurrences (sadly based across the ocean, but useful if you ever go on holidays to Chicago and want to know which intersections to take into account when planning itineraries for walks). From my very limited experience, the rich and poor of Paris often use the street for their unwanted stuff, and you really get the full spectrum. Earlier this autumn I rescued a handsome cropped sweater from a pile near Belleville station that was clearly very, very dirty, and possibly had also been pissed on (that's a disgusting reality of street finds, that's why they should go into separate plastic bags and then straight into the washing machine), and two days later, late at night in Montmartre, my friend and I found a neat, freshly washed and pressed stack of Diesel jeans, topped with a black 100% cashmere sweater dress. A cashmere sweater dress! I'm not trying to inspire jealousy, rather faith - this shit is real and possible. It's just not easy, and can be unrewarding despite efforts. Luck, knowledge, and community information exchange should be starting points. If you thought this was interesting, read more about freeganism or dumpster diving.

Lastly, and not much in connection to any of the above, I found a super interesting and awesome project: The Uniform Project. It's Sheena Matheiken pledging to wear one dress every day for a year, and still making the outfit exciting with accessories and things. She calls it "an exercise in sustainable fashion", and likens the variations of the same outfit base to wearing a school uniform and still striving to express some individuality. I think it can be very inspirational in more than one way to look at the impressive archives of outfits she's already worn. You can also donate accessories for her to wear, or donate money: The Uniform Project is also "a year-long fundraiser for the Akanksha Foundation, a grassroots movement that is revolutionizing education in India". I'm thinking impressive, creative, charitable, sustainable.

I've no prizes this time, but post your favourite street markets or directions to clothes piles in the comments! And invariably, keep it Modo people ;)




[I took most photos at my local Mercat Del Encants. The rest are from The Uniform Project, or Google Images. The found clothing image is from Perfectly Good via FoundClothing.]

Give Earmuffs a Chance by V.B.

I am definately a winter girl. I love wrapping up warm in scarf and gloves to brave the cold then coming home to a pure liquid cosy thick knit. However there is one winter item I have never sported and that's the earmuff. Whether its the image of little girls in bright pink fluffy ones or novelty burger versions the earmuff has never been the first point of call when the temperature drops. Now its November and it is definately getting cold (lets take a moment to say goodbye to those autumn blazers) I propose we think again about the earmuff as a quirky solution to that British winter problem; painfully cold ears.

Let's consider the alternatives. When I was on my gap year in Canada the ear protection of choice was not far off a sweat band that wrapped round your head like a wollen Alice band, never a good look. Then there's the oversized wolly hat pulled down over your ears which alas can only truly be carried off by trainspotters and patio gnomes. Now the dearstalker is ear covering head wear I would advocate anyday, its a classic look but hard to find south of Baker Street, so it seems the earmuff really is the solution. At New Look you can find these heart shaped ones which do edge on the cute side, however with their twist on the usual round version they're just kitsch enough to be cool.

If you want to get away from the fluffy Debenhams do these great Alpine versions.

So the next time the wind is blowing and it is bitterly cold outside you'll see me snug and warm rocking some earmuffs, and whilst I may get a few odd looks I know they'll be jealous as my ears will be warm and more importantly will look fabulous.
Keep it Modo people ;)

Back To School by K.R.

This autumn I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about my style. The Elle

Talent Competition question “What is Style to You?” left me reeling. After much deliberation (though, unfortunately, no entry into the competition – what’s a girl to do what with so much final year degree work?) I decided that I definitely could not pin my style down to one distinct category and worried that my attempt to put the idea of a fluid style into words would come out like the kind of badly-articulated, badly-styled nonsense Amber from Clueless might come up with.

Nonetheless, it’s not just me. For some people age, mood and trends can have a lot more to do with what they wear than any consistent contrived style per se. I reckon (for the time being anyway) I’m one of those people.

As such, this autumn I’m taking inspiration from some of the best-dressed school kids I’ve seen on the box recently. Ironic perhaps, that this being my last year of education, I choose now to experiment with (and cling onto?) a uniform aesthetic, but it certainly doesn’t hurt that kilts look great against a backdrop of crisp golden leaves.

Style icons for this look include Twin Peaks' raunchy Audrey Horne, whose style straddles the line between audacious schoolgirl and astute businesswoman, and Donna Hayward, whose edgy button-up shirts, slouchy jumpers and suede tassel jackets give schoolgirl a rock 'n' roll undertone. Meanwhile the plaid skirt suits as seen on Cher and Dionne in Clueless epitomise a quirky take on school uniform, and the cast of Dawson’s Creek give the look a 90's minimalistic cool.

How I yearn for high-school lockers. UCL should really get in on the act.

Dungarees on Andie and just rolled out of bed and into lectures hair on Jen - oh yes.

Layering jumpers or 'sweater-vests' over crisp shirts look chic. If you're brave attempt a more 70's-esque shirt style - bold collar and cuff shapes say 'I mean business' Give me that First!'.

Albeit they don’t always nail their look (- Dawson’s Creek is filled with 90’s errors of judgement) but they certainly have some spiffing jumpers. The pairing of slouchy 80's jumpers and kilts in David Lynch's Twin Peaks is a genius coupling of effortless comfort and rockabilly style.

What's more, the current popularity of blazers and brogues can only help you nail this look.

Keep it Modo people ;)

Sustainable Fashion, by M.O.

After Wikipedia: According to the May 2007 Vogue, [sustainable fashion] appears not to be a short-term trend but one could last multiple seasons! That's good news, because I'd risk a statement that it's a bit more important than the pendulum of shoulder shapes, dress lengths and the-new-blacks. It would be nice to conceive that one day the fashion industry would not contribute extensively to the world's carbon emissions and would promote ethical and responsible lifestyles, on levels of production and consumption alike.. Meanwhile, who doesn't love shopping? Faced with the exciting prospect of new clothes all arguments about growing landfills, child labour, fair trade, sweat shops, pesticides, water waste, carbon footprint, etc kinda move slightly to the side, right?

The challenge to blog about sustainable fashion will hopefully not be restricted to praising vintage clothing. It's been said a gazillion times that wearing vintage means uniqueness, character, and all those things that fade away as soon as enough magazines write about it. Vintage will always hold some validity as a trend, because recycling silhouettes or cuts is what fashion relies on, but it's good to conceive of sustainability as more than just a way of impressing the people you bump into in the library. In response to the 10:10 project to reduce carbon emissions by 10% in 2010, The Guardian proposes the following under the 'clothes' section:

Annual savings in tonnes of CO₂
Buy 50% secondhand clothes 0.3
Reduce purchases by a more than a quarter compared to last year (eg buy four new T-shirts not the UK average of seven) 0.2
Buy only manmade fibres 0.2
Focus on new fabrics made from bamboo, hemp or other cotton substitutes 0.1

(full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/sep/01/how-to-reduce-emissions-10-10)

I'd say that's a very tall order for anyone remotely interested in style! I myself am definitely very guilty of excessive wardrobe contents and a constant influx of novelty finds, yet still on many occasions I gape wordlessly at the heaps of clothing, thinking 'I have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to wear..'. So what do you do? Can you be stylish and sustainable? It's not like I have the answer, or that there is one at all, but I'll do my clumsy best to research the options.

Part 1 - Swapping
Exchange old for new! This requires two steps - identifying the old, locating the new. So first, have a critical look at your wardrobe(s) and determine which things you never wear, grew out of, got tired of, or never liked in the first place. These can them magically turn into new and exciting shit. Here are some ideas, in the order of ascending magic-ness.

• offer your clothes to the local charity shop or recycling centre, and choose something from what they offer in return. In case of the charity shop, this might involve money, so it's not orthodox swapping.

• offer your clothes online: both craigslist and gumtree have 'free' sections, and gumtree even a proper swap shop. Though by far the best free goods exchange is the fantastic network of freecycle. There is a group for just about every London neighbourhood, and people are super nice and generous. Speaking from experience - it's definitely well worth giving a try.

• organize a clothes exchange with your friends. invite yourselves to someone's house for brunch/dinner/tea and bring all your unwanted clothes for an afternoon/evening of mass trying-on bliss. Extend the invite to all these people whose clothes you'd want to lay your hands on!

• MODO Boot Sale - do I have to say more? Two more this term: 17th November and 8th December, South Cloisters
  

• Go to Swap-a-rama. It's a clubnight where you're supposed to swap an article of clothing with the person next to you every time a klaxon sounds. Genius, unpredictable, amazing, true.

• Create an account on Covert Candy, a new service where you can give away your clothes in exchange for credits, which you can then use to buy clothes from other users. Or buy nice and cheap vintage clothes in their vintage shop. Covert Candy is only starting out, so it would be super cool if many people joined in on the idea - then there would be more clothes to choose from! It seems to me like a very good call, as selling your used clothing for money kinda gives me the creeps, and giving it away for absolute free is not everyone's cup of tea. Here you get some sort of promise that in exchange for what you pass on to someone else, you'll be able to choose something for yourself. And it's all the rewarding, cheap, and magical stuff of sustainable fashion.

Yeah, did I mention sustainable fashion can be CHEAP? Insert a comment about the recession and studentness here.

Lastly, this post includes a treat! I have £25 worth of Covert Candy credits to give away! A nice start up gift that may encourage people to use the service. I received it myself and happily spent it on two t-shirts, a top, and a pair of shoes. Gods willing I'll start uploading my own stuff soon (please feel free to add me as a friend if you get an account). All you have to do is comment on this post, and leave some sort of contact info, so if you are picked (random.org will be involved) I know how to contact you. All comments posted up until midnight on Saturday, November 7th will count. Winner announced in the next week's post. So have a look at Covert Candy and comment away! Free shit is good shit!

All images courtesy of Google Images.


And yeah, keep it Modo people ;)