KNOW WHAT'S IN YOUR KNICKERS

Went to see the launch of Know Whats in Your Knickers at the Southbank Center last week (of course I did - DeviDoll was a sponsor!!). BBC's Verity White has made a very cool, short film that demands attention not least because it so graphically shows the ugly side of fabric production processes through the glamour of a catwalk showcasing the sexiest of lingerie....something that we have learned to associate only with positive (though sometimes naughty) adjectives....it's something we all want, its big time coveted. See the film here.

Film was good but I was perplexed by Ben 'Pants To Poverty' Ramsden's handling of it and the use of the platform it provided him to talk about ethical issues. I won't bore you with a long winded description but suffice it to say that Ben had to speak right after the film was shown (for the first time ever) and one would have thought he would mention something about the film (even if just the producer/director name). But he didn't...nothing at all. He simply launched into his own speech about poverty, labour, trade and so on....all of which was good stuff, no doubt, but seemed totally disengaged from the film, which had after all been the intro to his appearing on the stage. I think he could have done a better, more cohesive job.

Any way the film will now be shown widely in the media with plenty of events planned around it. We'll keep you posted.

DEVIDOLL GETS INTO YOUR PANTS

It's not often that you will think, whilst slipping on (or off, for that matter) your silk gossmer panties and matching brassiere , about fair trade practices and ending labour injustice. Even less likely is that you will be contemplating aspects of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which on Dec. 10 this year, is 60 years old.

Well, you're going to be thinking about all this together if Eco-Boudoir (purveyor of the finest luxury lingerie all ethically sourced and produced), Pants to Poverty (through the sale of fairtrade and organic pants - yes literally - they tackle various issues in poverty eradication) and DeviDoll, along with other like-minded souls, have their way.

The short film 'KNOW WHATS IN YOUR KNICKERS' engages viewers in a dramatic walk down the runway, with front row seats to watch the show unfold. The whole thing revolves around the
environmental and ethical issues associated with creating a garment that either gets no attention at all (when was the last time you really thought hard about your grey/black/white cotton underpants?) or when it does, we're programmed to think lovely, frilly, sexy, delicate, treat, beautiful -- a plethora of terms that conjure up anything but ugly and horrid. Fact is, though, that these innocuous garments can have some pretty awful origins and journey before they end up on us...something this thought provoking film highlights.

The events planned around the debut showing of this film at the Southbank Center on Dec. 10 (if you've been paying attention you'll know why they picked that date) include dance, music, poetry and a debate/discussion about what is/can be wrong with labour rights within supply chains. Sound like a dreary topic? Well, Ben Ramsden of Pants to Poverty is presenting the debate so its likely to have much chutzpah (remember the record set in November at St. Pancras for largest gathering of people dressed only in underpants....well, it was Pants to Poverty's brainchild....ain't nothin' boring 'bout this lot).

There are campaign films and then there are campaign films...this one promises to be unforgettable. Eco-Boudoir and DeviDoll both believe that the consumption of luxury can be wholly ethical....indeed that it should be.

Watch this film and you'll get a glimpse into why.