A saint once said

There's a couplet by the revered Indian poet-saint Kabir (incidentally, connected to the clothing trade in a way -- he was a weaver) that teaches us that it is not a person that conquers a situation, it is time. Same person, different time and the results can be unexpectedly altered ('purush bali nahin hot hai, samay hote balwaan; bheelan maari gopika, vahi Arjun vahi baarnd').

And so it is with ethical fashion. Casting my mind back to 2007-8 I can recall the quizzical looks I got at dinner parties when the subject was mentioned (by me only, of course). I was once even asked by a fellow school mother how my business in 'ethnical' fashion was going. Business minded types looked askance almost immediately when they heard I was starting an online business selling ethical or eco fashion.....many simply looked past my ear, scanning the room for a less ditzy conversation partner.

And here we are now -- same subject, different time -- and the response has changed noticeably. Eco fashion is a well recognised topic, feted far and wide. Vogue sponsors a Green Style Blog and Livia Firth's Green Carpet Challenge begets nods of recognition rather than head shakes of puzzlement. Ethical fashion makes its presence known at (no less than) the dinner in honour of Barack and Michelle Obama's London visit and, the launch party for (the inimitable) Lucy Siegles' new book 'To Die For' has a glitterati guest list to be reckoned with, including Sheherazade Goldsmith, Alice Temperley and Laura Bailey. Esthetica, London Fashion Week's collection of ethical fashion labels superbly curated by Orsola de Castro and Filippo Ricci, has always been a fantastic microcosm of the 'space' but rather than shouting to be heard, it is now honoured by Global Cool, as it celebrates its 5th birthday (the most picturesque note about which you can read here, courtesy ecouterre.). As if all that is not enough, at last count I rated about 40+ blogs, centrally connected to ethical fashion, as worthy.

Now thats what I call being known and being heard, loud and clear. Fashion's intellectually superior, cool-because-I-got-the-brains-AND-the-looks sister, has arrived to stay. Over the next little while, this blog will sat-nav its readers across the changed landscape of the relationship between these siblings.....

A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double. ~Toni Morrison

Saturday Swishing at Spitalfields

Winter's not quite behind us but the spring/summer 2011 collection 'round-ups' are upon us and upon us. Time to close your eyes and visualise yourself in sheer dresses, leather shorts, capri pants, cat woman sunglasses, clogs and more. More to the point, time to open your eyes and peer in your closet. Does it have what it takes?

If you are not in the mood to spend as you would have in years past don't fret....just stay with me; however, if you are, then perhaps you should first and foremost, aquaint yourself with why austerity is the name of the game for the next little while and then return to me.

Okay cautious spenders, next step: take from your closet clothes you won't be wearing/are happy to see the back of/have never worn; mentally note your favourite new season looks and then, on February 5 (Saturday) head to the historic Old Spitalfields Market for the first major swishing event of the year.

Swishing is just over 10 years old and is, basically a way to keep your wardrobe fresh by recycling what you no longer want for what you definitely want. Its upscaling of sorts, ie, the by -product has more value than what first went in...which for you it will. Most of you are well aware of the glorious, ethically brilliant idea that swishing is but if you want to know more read this.

Meanwhile, the rules for this Saturday are pitch up at Spitalfields between 11am and midday to drop off your contribution (you have to bring at least 1 good-for-wear thing). Chillax in the cool environs till 2pm when you can browse but not (yet) swish. At 2.45 get swishing. Tickets and full details now available online.

And remember to be civil to your fellow swishers. It is after all an ethical event.

SUMMER RAYNE OAKES' STYLE, NATURALLY IS OUT!

Some people might be a little put off by yet another 'green style bible' after the slew we was in 2008 but, to them I say, save the cynicism for the next book...this one - Style, Naturally, by Summer Rayne Oakes you have to get your hands on. Why? Well lets look at the facts:

Fact 1: Summer Rayne Oakes (or SRO as she is sometimes called) is truly stylish. Just watch some of her myriad youtube videos...she appears in all garbs, but always looking individual and chic/cool/fashionable/all of the above. This is someone who's views on fashion and style you want to hear.

Fact 2: she has modelled quite a bit but her interest in ethical/eco style and fashion isn't shaped primarily by this sort of involvement in the field. Rather she has done some more in-depth study of the environment (she has an entomolgy and environmental science undergrad degree from Cornell). So she understands the science of being eco rather better than if she just looked pretty in 'trendy' green fashion. The latter, while commendable (at least more than just looking pretty in any old, mainstream, not-very -good-for-anyone-at-all, fashion), isn't grounds for buying a whole book by that pretty person. At least not to me.

Fact 3: As anyone who knows her knows very well, she has her fingers in most if not all the ethical fashion and design pies around....especially in North America, where so many of the most prominent, promising and solvent eco-labels originated. This is a woman that knows much about the business of ethical style. A she says in the promo video above, it is essential to discuss the 'cost' of being a green fashionista...and she suggests it actually can save you money.



To these quite compelling facts I'd add that she has a natural, humorous writing voice and her 'take' on being ethically aware in personal style is not one of judging but rather of showing a genuinely better way. Any book that she has penned is likely to be a fun read.

None of this is to say that I haven't had moments of feeling she was a bit OTT with her self-marketing...but then, thats American gusto for you, I guess (Oprah anyone?). And also I guess she is entitled to be as ambitious and the next media-exposed person (Oprah anyone), so perhaps its par for the course. Be that all as it may, it needn't affect our judgement on her ability and place in the eco-fashion/design/style world, to write an informative book.

So all that to say I'm off to buy the book on Amazon. The sneak preview shows plenty of interesting ideas from some fabulous designers - we love the fact the Doie features prominently with the collections at DeviDoll.

Looking forward to hearing what you thought of the book....and expecting ourselves to find a true blend of fashion and eco cred!

WELCOME TO YOUR 2009 FASHION LIFE.

In the US - southern Florida -- for Christmas break. All around us life swirls in ways that can only happen in America. Say what you like but this is a country with a very very deeply ingrained sense of hard work, hope, 'anything-is-possible' mentality and astonishing belief in happy endings. It seems like NYC apart, America cannot understand cynics. Of course, all this comes at a (sometimes huge) cost to individual and nation, but still, the innate positive mentality -- cranked up to full volume during the 'holidays' -- is something to ponder and, in places, admire.

So 2009 is here. Just this fact signals 2008 is over which, in itself, is cheering. Not that 2009 will be easy - nope, not at all -- but at least the deep economic pits we are most certainly going to visit will be expected...very little of the precipitous falls of 2008 were expected at all (Lehman gone in 72 hours....no one saw that coming).

Some important questions with which to look into the new year:

1) What will the relationship between money and fashion in 2009? As has been said before on these pages, fashion, ie, the desire to adorn and dress ourselves is a fundamental part of human self-expression. So we should be clear that the importance of fashion isn't going to recede because of the recession -- although we can expect a crescendo like baying from the usual naysayers who bang on about how fashion is essentially frivolous and not connected to any 'real' need etc etc. Be that as it may, the key thing to note is that, more than in a very long time and for some years ahead (at least), the relationship between money and fashion is going to be thrown into sharp relief.
Anyone who deals with fashion -- selling it, writing about it, marketing it and making it -- MUST contend with this issue. For the consumer, its not anymore just about looking good....its about looking good on a budget and this is going to reverberate all through the fashion food chain. The fashion industry will have to understand and accomodate less spendy shopping behaviour. The Guardian tells us that Chanel in Rue Cambon - that bastion of luxury and symbol of fabulous, untouchable wealth -- has cut 200 jobs as even it feels the pain of the economic downturn and that Prada advertised price cuts in the windows of its Milan boutiques (yikes!) last month. Yup, everyone's gotta re-think.

2) How to spend money on fashion when money is tight? Mindfully....that principle of conscientiousness and balance that Gautam Buddha gave us over a thousand years ago works very well anywhere you apply it. For sure. The re-working of our finances that we most definitely will feel this year should push us to purchase what we want having saved for it and to keep and wear our purchases for yonks. The good, old fashioned way to shop for our wardrobes. We need to remember the joy of waiting to get and the exhilaration of receipt.

3) Money can buy fashion, but can it buy style? No. Real, actual style is something that originates within a person, is indelibly peppered with stuff about them, feeds off individuality, evolves over time and is/can be as fresh as every new thought the individual has. None of which can be purchased.** The paucity of credit must force us to evaluate each purchase within the context of our style and be confident in this. Use the current economic situation to learn about your fashion self.

**While advisors like DeviDoll (for example) cannot decide your style for you, they very much can offer inspiration and content. In 2009 DeviDoll will take this role very very seriously, providing many opportunities for style inspiration and style experimentation...stay tuned).

There are many more questions to be sure but I thought these 3 are good to start with. And added to them a sage snippet from Cintra Wilson in the (very well written) New York Times on the first day of 2009, which (under the auspicious eye of Ganesha, Lord of Auspicious New Beginnings), I am going to use as a road map for keeping my fashion life alive in the hard economic times ahead:

"At the finish of any regrettable life episode, we invariably go back to basics to distinguish values that are real and indissoluble from those that are false and temporary. In doing so, we rediscover joys we forgot during our manic race to the dead end."

Happy New Year, indeed.

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.

HOW MUCH DOES ETHICS MATTER IN FASHION - A LESSON LEARNED

Those of you who receive our newsletter will know that we did our first real public, 'in-the-flesh' appearance for Boutique de Noel earlier this month. Organised by the Junior League of London, Boutique de Noel is (basically) a 1 1/2 day xmas fair made up of independant, exclusive retailers, the proceeds from which go to charity projects in the UK. Always one to throw itself at good cause (and shopping to support children and families is a pretty amazing cause), DeviDoll was honoured to included.

Happy to report that it all went swimmingly. But even more interested in reporting the lesson learned: to an un-preselected audience, in an ethical fashion colletion it's the fashion part that speaks the loudest. This may not come as a huge surprise but to see it in action was instructive. Part of the problem seems to be simple lack of knowledge -- "clothes can be made from bamboo? really?!"; but there is definitely an element of apathy -- "cashlama, huh? fairtrade? Uh...that's, uh....interesting, I guess....erm...anyway, its so soft and cheaper really than regular cashmere. I love that!"

In my mind there is no doubt that if something looks good and then it has done good en route to you, it wins over stuff that only has the former going for it. But I realize some people don't really care about the latter....it's as if its not their problem to worry about. It will take a lot more public awareness for the message to sink in that, ethically made and delivered fashion, is something we all need to think about.

Listen, I'm not complaining because DeviDoll has many customers that are not fussed about ethical but the effect of their shopping is the same as those who are -- DeviDoll is better able to support ethical fashion designers, spread the message and move forward in its aim of making a difference. I am just noting that, having stuck my head out of the eco/green/ethical fashion bubble, I realized how much is still not obvious to shoppers.

Guess we have our work cut out.

DEVIDOLL LIVE DEBUTS WITH STYLISTS AT ECO-FASHION PARTY 2008

At DeviDoll we get around. And we wanted to share snippets of our tete-a-tete's with the whose who of ethical fashion, our forays into fashion shows, our exclusive interviews with consumers and purveyors of green fashion....the entire hoo-haa of being bang smack in the midst of the ethical fashion space.

So we bring you DEVIDOLL LIVE. Its not Hollywood (or Bollywood, for that matter...the difference matters to me not a little) but its topical, home-made and local, authentic and organic and educational.

Our debut was at the Eco Fashion Party (check August's archive here) held at the start of the Autumn fashion season at London's Surya Bar. We talked to 3 of the stylists present -- Lupe Castro, Style Counsel's Maggie and Louise from Create Yourself -- about the if's, why's, what's and how's of ethical styling.

Before anyone thinks we don't know it: yes we are aware this is not from yesterday but from the start of a season that already feels 'over' in fashion buyer terms...and to that we say ' hey...ever heard of slow fashion??'

DEVIDOLL LIVE -- here to stay, so tune in and listen up.

IF YOU GET IT RIGHT, THEY'LL WRITE...

These are hard times for the biggest names in high street retail. Imagine what they are for a online, ethical designer fashion start up. Yikes!! - as Shaggy from Scooby Doo would say. Don't dwell on the image though - you may not survive it.

Fact is times like this are the context in which all those self-help books come in handy. Time to find your reserves of tenacity, self-belief and most of all, tap into your almost pathalogical sense of optimism (a phrase from my one and only meeting with the late Anita Roddick. She told me it was required of any entrepreneur. I memorised it).

I'll admit that nothing does the trick quite like self-motivated, organic (how could I not use the term) energy but I cannot agree that this is enough. A necessary ingredient to keeping your head above water are peer reviews. They keep the space fertile and make what you do seem worthy.

And lately, BTGOG (my secret term which I cannot unfurl, sorry), DeviDoll and our efforts to define and propogate the notion of ethical fashion as essential, fashionable and the the only way forward, have received plenty of attention. Editorial, no pay for play, pure opinion from those who know about luxury, fashion, green issues and have something to say.

So a very big thank you to

greenmystyle.com -- a truly 'daily' read. Lots out there says it is such but you wouldn't really go there everyday. This you would -- for a start for the 'daily e-bay' finds that make reused/vintage/recycled a J-O-Y. Sift for the best green style.


Spire.com -- join up, ask (literally) any question you need answered about luxury, quality travel, lifestyle, shopping, eating and more, and I guarantee you will benefit from the responses you get. A discreet meeting of like minds happens at Spire and experiences of how, what, where are shared (but not your whole life, phew!). The site does what it says on the package: Quality lifestyle. Savvy perspective.



ecofashionworld.com -- for these folks, its all about helping you arm yourself with knowledge about ethics in that most universal of medium, fashion. Very global, very much about things close to style as well as those that impact it from far off (China Issue, Sept 2008).



theginlady.com -- 'under the influence of Green, Independant and Natural lifestyle brands'. Pretty much sums it up really...read here about all kinds of brands, events, happenings, and more -- all from the land of ethical. Sweet.


Check these for more than their take on DeviDoll. As Spire's Suzanne says - 'Sharing the best, so you can leave the rest'.

(ETHICAL) FASHION FESTIVITIES BEGIN...

So while many fashionistas are away sunning themselves (under cover of SPF factor Trillion+, of course) reading all about 'autumn 2008 pre-ordering' -- #2 of Grazia's TOP 10 stories is all about 'pre-collection' ordering (pre-order I understand but pre-collection..? I'm obviously not reading by Grazia closely enough. After this post, perhaps) -- those of us who are part (also) of the supply side of the fashion world, are hoisting up are (pre-ordered) summer skirts, rolling up the sleeves of our (pre-collection, pre-ordered) gauzy hot-weather tops, to get ready for FASHION'S AUTUMN/WINTER 2008.

Now, the fashion world works on 2 clocks (sorry if I am boring you but I find this point endlessly intriguing) -- the fashionista one and its own. The former is about clothes that match the season, ie, AW08 buying for a fashionista is about buying autumny-wintery type stuff....about diving into the debate over knee-high vs ankle boots; chunky knits vs body con cashmere and so on. The other clock is one that buyers (eg - yours truly) adhere to and its set to 1 season ahead. So at all the trade shows (LFW, NYFW etc etc) I will start attending from next week, my concern will be about what will take the fashionista's fancy IN SPRING/SUMMER 2009 (florals?/mini vs supermini/neon vs pastel etc etc). Of course the whole notion of pre-ordering and pre-collections, sort of throws this received clockwork into a bit of a tizzy but that is a conversation for another time -- prepare to receive that dish with lashings of commentary on fast vs seasonless fashion.

You're going to hear from me over the next 2 months about interesting events and happenings from FTZ (fashionista time zone) and OTZ (our time zone). Some even overlap!

To kick off, let me alert you to 'The Eco-Fashion Party' to be held on August 12, 2008 at Surya Bar of the (shiny new) Club4Climate (there is some seriously ecological intention, fronted by the seriously wierd Dr. Earth, behind the Club4Climate - check it all out here).


There is an auction of prize pieces from participating brands (DeviDoll included) and also the opportunity to purchase from their larger collections. Basically a big party (club style, full on party) with the chance to see and buy some seriously fashionable clothes -- all of which look good and are certain to make you feel very good.

Pre-collection or not, these are clothes no serious fashionista can afford to miss. See you there.

BBC THREAD STYLE SEARCH AND DEVIDOLL

DeviDoll is proudly supporting BBC Thread in its Style Search for ethical fashion designer talent. Wondering what BBC Thread is (where have you been?!) - its an online portal (used to be a time when that was only ever a Star Trek word...remember?) that is all about everything relevant to ethical fashion: they talk about style, ethical styling (interesting video with Elisabeth Lasker from Ethical Fashion Forum and Konnie Haq), pure fashion trends, how to be a fashionista as well as whats going on behind the scenes in the manufacturing and production world (hence the strap line 'fashion without victim'), ie, susbstantial issues that no credible ethical fashion lover can afford to ignore.

And now, through the Style Search competition, they aim to support up coming sustainable and conscientious designers. Something DeviDoll upholds as an original principle having from its very inception been an 'incubator' for promising ethical fashion talent, across the globe, by giving it a commercial platform.

So get moving on your designs or at least put the word out! A digital image of a design must be uploaded to the BBC Thread site and away you go. E-A-S-Y! And the prize (ooh-aah) -- a day spent with a catwalk stylist at London Fashion Week in September. Click the picture above for full details.

WHAT (ETHICAL) COMPANY ARE YOU KEEPING?

Earlier this month I was at a conference about online fashion retail. Among the many 'nuggets', as an old friend used to call wise advice, I came away with was that shopping is an emotional experience for women (check), it is as much about aquisition as socialisation (can't disagree), referrals from trusted sources (your friends, me, blogs/sites that insist on 'no pay for play') are increasingly important as choices proliferate (true). All this means that any successful retail enterprise on the net needs to locate itself firmly in a like-minded community. Its visitors can that way socialise, refer, discuss, emote and so on while (hopefully) putting the ching-ching in ka-ching (££$$) as they (in a way only women can) multi-task.

Made me think a bit harder about the DeviDoll 'community' -- I know who the like-minded retailers are out there, but what about the rest of the community: the advisors, referrers, informers, discussers? Two things emerged --

1) Most of the community is widespread across the blogosphere. Everyday new and interesting blogs spring up with new things to say and DeviDoll's current 'we-know-you' list is to the right hand side of this entry. But among them as far as women-centric goes Eco-Chick is the only one that comes to mind. But then EcoChick is relevant to everyone not just women even if its roots are from there.....

2) There simply aren't that many sites that (a) are geared to all those things about shopping that define women and which para 1 talks about here (b) are portals that put all this together. I did, however, find one (I think relatively new - though if not, then apologies in advance) that comes quite close:
Ethics Girls
There is alot going on on this site that aims to SET THE EXAMPLE on how to shop and care about the future of the planet AND to socialise about all this and more. They have customer recommended items, a magazine, ethical money, food, fashion (and more) tips/insights and interviews with like-minded women who are making a difference. Most interestingly, they operate like a cooperative. Keep an eye out for what these Girls do next...

Happy as I am to have discovered them, my little reccy mission has spawned another one: to find 'social netoworking' type ethical lifestyle sites. First lets find them and then lets see how many are savvy to the most emotional shoppers of all.....

Stay tuned....(and if you know names I am missing, PLEASE direct me there).

DOES ETHICAL FASHION REALLY MATTER?

Readers of this blog will be well aware by now that this is a question, the treatment of which at the hands of general press, vexes me. Not the question, you understand, rather the absence of sensible or helpful or not wildly biased (to put it mildly) answers to it. Not sure what I mean? Here's an example.

Not to say there isn't more positive press...rather to say that this type of questioning is now archaic and needs to be switched off and replaced with some actually helpful advice on how to go about the business of being more ethical in our fashion/lifestyle choices.

But, you know, my insistence alone isn't all that and so I decided to put the matter to other, better known people, in the space. Fertile, informed debate - who can resist it? Here's the question I asked:

"Given the reputation of fashion as a 'dirty' business, a 'shallow' business and as creating false needs, ethical fashion is often written off as hypocritical/unrealistic/fashion piggybacking on wider awareness of eco-issues without adding any real value; a 'rich people' syndrome -- from organic food to organic cotton tops simply for the sake of seeming 'in' -- is derided as the symbol of what ethical fashion really is all about. And so the question is often asked: does ethical fashion really amount to any real good for anyone/the planet?
What are your thoughts on this kind of thinking and can you offer a counter-opinion about ethical fashion?"

And here's who I asked (if you're reading this because of even a modicum of interest in ethical fashion issues, you'll know at least one of them) --

Margaret Teich: Associate Producer on The Lazy Environmentalist radio show and curator extraordinaire of the Directory of Eco-Fashion Retailers on the influential Lazy Environmentalist blog. Margaret's job requires her to be somewhat of a knowledge bank and have her eye on lots and lots of different goings-on in the world of modern-day eco/sustainable/ethical living.



Starre Vartan: founder of must-read, in the know, particularly inspiring for (but by no means only) women , blog Eco-Chick. Starre writes for other publications too and she's on our panel because there is very very little going on in the eco living world that she is not aware of. She is quite simply, in the know.

Jocelyn Whipple - far left

Jocelyn Whipple: Jocelyn's agency, Element23, represents leading ethical fashion brands in the UK and Europe. She also separately designs and supplies sustainable textiles as well as being a personal stylist. This is a person who lives and breathes the commerce of ethical fashion -- its creation, marketing and distribution.

Interestingly, all 3 of them had the same key arguments:

GET REAL!

Women will shop, fashion will be important-it always has been. To question the interest in/place of fashion is to be, at best, naive and at worst, part of the problem, not the solution. Starre puts it aptly "Human beings have been decorating themselves and their clothes for as long as there has been civilization, so assuming that we're going to stop for any reason (even the poorest people in the world add color to fabrics they create themselves, or patch clothing in ways that show creativity and flair) is just ridiculous." and Margaret is even more direct "So here is the reality: women love to shop. We love the idea that the interior can be expressed by what is worn on the exterior."

BEING ETHICAL AND FASHIONABLE IS TO RETHINK OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CLOTHES.

Jocelyn goes straight to the heart of the matter "Buy better, less often". We should understand where clothes come from and what happens before they arrive in front of us (just like you think about battery chickens and automatically buy free-range eggs). We should also revert to previous ways of thinking, according to Starre, so that clothes are not "...disposable items, but investments...". Then, we'll more naturally, make better choices whether these are to eschew disposable fashion, ask for accountability or, as Margaret emphasizes "...(support) designers and their artistic craft, green sourcing and ethical manufacturing processes...".

AS CONSUMERS WE REALLY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Forget all the cynical nay-saying about ethical fashion being the purview of only the select few blah blah blah; no, it affects and can be affected by everyone at some level. Starre sets it out simply "We can make a lot of positive change, as consumers, in all these areas.(...)These problems need to be solved, not ignored. This is not just an issue for "yummy mummys". We all need to wear clothes.". How? you ask - well, by building your awareness, looking behind the label and, as Jocelyn emphasizes "...be sure the brands and concepts you are buying into are upholding their part of the deal, by giving you real information and support around the complexities of the ‘eco /ethical’ fashion industry. Ask questions. Ask for accountability."

Of course, these ladies had more to say and I'll publish their full comments later. Here I wanted to just point out that there are substantial issues which everyone in the field, regardless of specific involvement, recognizes. And, even more crucially, these are issues which pertain to you and me....not just celebs or deep green vegans. As Margaret reminds us, there is 'modern environmental revolution' afoot (by they way, you're ALREADY part of it with all your organic food choices, washing machine at 30c, switching off lights, buying white goods with optimal energy ratings....) and 'touting green fashion' is part of that revolution.'

Yes, these are extraordinary issues relevant to ordinary people.

'THREAD' - THE BBC GETS INTO ETHICAL FASHION

The BBC has launched an online fashion magazine - Thread, Fashion without Victim, wholly dedicated to eco/ethical fashion. Its about style but also substance - various terms used in ethical fashion are explained, the true cost of cheap clothes is revealed, whats out there to purchase is well catalogued, and we're told which organisations are actively involved in ethical fashion.

And thats the tip of the iceberg -- there's a gorgeous style-file full of fabulous clothes (including Mociun's Judas tee!) and key trends for the season. Jewel in the crown has to be the associated programme, "Blood, Sweat and T-shirts", about a group of twenty-somethings -- very into fashion from different angles -- who experience life as factory workers in India, making clothes for the UK high street. Needless to say it deeply affects their views on fashion and the cost of fast fashion.

So this is a 'go-to' url to the say least. And happily its got many relevant issues woven through it, so that we can understand the dilemmas as well as victories of ethical fashion in an intelligent way. At DeviDoll its always been about how and why to curate your consumption -- the BBC Thread magazine is a welcome addition to this project.

Photograph courtesy Thread-BBC site

DEBORAH LINDQUIST ON SOPHIE ULIANO ON OPRAH

Deborah Lindquist, LA's celebrated 'Green Queen' dresses many celebrities and her emails are full of 'firsts'. Recently she sent me a really special one -- Sophie Uliano, founder of the lifestyle site 'Gorgeously Green' and author of 'Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life' will be wearing one of Deborah's signature sweaters on Oprah which airs in the US on April 22 (browse the book here). We've had a recent spate of 'how to be more green' books in the UK fashion world by Matilda Lee, Tamsin Blanchard, Sandy Black and Kate Fletcher but none have the breadth of this book nor the unique (American) quality of breaking things into 'easy' steps that cover 'everything'.

But I digress; at DeviDoll we are thrilled for Deborah and, to be honest, a bit for ourselves too. I once saw Jane Fonda on Letterman talking about her eco fashion look but having one of the original DeviDoll favourite labels on Oprah is a real treat.

It gets better - Sophie will be joined by her friend and perhaps most enthusiastic supporter of her book (at least so far) - Julia Roberts. Al Gore will be there too. Just missing Leonardo and Cameron (Diaz) I guess. Anyway, here is an excerpt from what Julia, who wrote the forward for the book, has to say about it:

"I am absolutely altered. This Gorgeously Green book has provided my household with a bible of hope and help (not to mention a good cleansing mask and source for eco-cashmere).
So where to start?
Congratulations - you are already there".

Pretty glowing. The book is widely on sale now. And, as for Deborah Lindquist....well you already know where to get your hands on some of that.

TRULY IN VOGUE

Am thrilled to see that the recently launched Vogue India is concerned with sustainable style. Not to suggest that the Vogue family doesn't pay due attention to eco-fashion -- who can forget Dec 07's Penelope Cruz -on-the-cover Green xmas shopping guide issue?No, its that 'eco-lux' has a context for, say, American or British Vogue because luxury-living is here maturing beyond bling and designer logos. Stella McCartney, ($1000+ vegan 'must-have' boots to new, 100% organic cosmetics line CARE), uber-posh Lady Bamford (founder of Daylesford Organic), Cameron Diaz's Prius habit....eco, fashionable and lux fit well together here and the respective Vogues can capitalize on that.

Vogue India, however, has a more complex mandate: the economic boom has created a large (and growing) population of rich (and fashion-conscious) Indians who equate chic with top designer labels and are willing to spend on it like never before. Status flows from Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior and Maybachs. Don't forget this is the country whose Maharajas alone gave Cartier and Rolls-Royce enough business to stay afloat.That's the legendary Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala who commissioned Cartier to create his necklace. The famed 'Patiala Necklace' stuff of legends and Cartier's most reknowned piece, is among the most exquisite (and expensive) jewels ever (with 2930 diamonds including De Beers 7th largest, this isn't really a surprise).

But, back to Vogue: the issues of sustainability and responsibility in fashion need attention now - not, like in the West, when enough has been spent on conspicuous consumption so that those who need to, start thinking twice. In this context it is heartening to see that Vogue India is willing to ask the question: latest Miu Miu arm candy or (a more sustainable ) chic fabric bag?

By no means am I suggesting that Vogue India can (yet) give Sublime or NU competition...I am just highlighting that a young magazine with big boots to fill, in a status/money/fashion/luxury drenched environment like that of India's Vogue readers, has asked a very good question which shows that it cares about fashion, but in an intelligent way.

Well done and keep it up. After all, everyone knows that to be in vogue is more than about just looking good.

THE SEASONLESS WARDROBE GOES MAINSTREAM

The Gods/Universe/powers-that-be are doing their bit in ensuring our new year's resolutions don't fall by the wayside: 'cross-season dressing' is a big goal of ours for 2008. You shop less (and we can all agree that this is a key part of being an ecoista) and make your wardrobe work hard.Well turns out we're in good company (so what if differently inspired) -- this weekend's Wall Street Journal reports that AW08 mainstream collections are looking unusually lightweight and 'springy' because designers have realized they need to get real about the weather when they present their collections. Michael Fink, Women's Fashion Director, Saks sums it up "It's a season where we're seeing people really think about the weather and that's important. These clothes are delivered in July and it's not getting cold until October now."

I want to add 'that women travel more than ever just as a matter of routine' to Mr. Fink's observation. It might be cold in October in NYC but in California heavy wool won't cut it and let's not even think about farther afield (like India, for example).

All hail the wardrobe for all seasons.

YOUR TRASH IS MY CASH

Talk about really getting the recycling thing *REALLY* right: Conserve, an Indian NGO, founded by Anita Ahuja and her husband, Shalabh, takes discarded polythene bags and through unique processing creates some pretty funky bags and other accessories. Conserve showed at Paris for the first time this past September.


Not only is this intelligent waste management, its also compassionate social management: the Ahujas provide decent wages to the garbage pickers (a notoriously badly treated subset of the contractors the run 'waste management' in India's cities) and employment to otherwise destitute slum-dwellers who are taught skills in polythene processing or design.
Jewel in the crown: informal schooling for the children of the 300-strong slum dwelling work-force has now been put in place. About 200 youngsters between 5 and 13 now gain basic learning from about 8 teachers.
Read more about Conserve's work here and expect to see some of their designs at DeviDoll in Spring 2008.

UNDER ONE GREEN ROOF

Introducing EVO -- 'the' place to go for all things ethical. The US based site is a 'green' marketplace (though products are not sold on the site -buyers are connected to online merchants) where you can also go to get an education. EVO can help you learn about making more ethical choices in every area of life: home/auto/body/money and also figure out how green your current lifestyle is (take the Greening Your Tree quiz). The website is interesting and easy to use.



So far on this side of the pond we don't have something quite like EVO, ie, as complete a list of consumer goods combined with knowledge bank. At the moment the focus remains on having ethical goods sold in one place - not a bad place to start. Check out the Ethical Superstore or the more chic, 'department store' launched in September 2007, The Ethical One Stop Shop.