London Fashion Week - hectic as ever!
Phew! Last week was a busy one. To start with it was London Fashion Week and People Tree were there showcasing our Spring/Summer 2009 collection. Sorry, I can’t show you the clothes just yet but believe me it will be worth the wait! Just have a read what two fashion journalists thought about the collection…
“People Tree’s mainline collection is their best yet – the style ethos of the designer collections has filtered down into the mainline pieces, bringing a new confidence and simplicity to the designs.” The Guardian
“Notably impressive” Vogue.com
London Fashion Week continues to lead the way by having estethica, the area of the shows for ethical and Fair Trade collections. Throughout the week there were so many evening events celebrating and debating the ethics of the fashion industry.
Safia, Matthew Rock (who chaired the event), Jen Ruppert and Ed Gillespie at the Feelgood fashion event at the British library.
I was really pleased to join Ed Gillespie from Futerra and Jen Ruppert from Revamp on a panel at the British Library Feelgood fashion evening where we talked about entrepreneurship in the ethical fashion business. It was a fascinating evening and you can watch it online along with a snippet of the Revamp and People Tree fashion show held after the pannel discussion.
Later in the week I was invited to be a judge on a panel for 'Make Your Mark.' Young deisgners created a new range for some of the most established sustainable fashion brands. Congratulations to the winner Miawi and to all of the finalists! It was a great afternoon, and made me really excited about the future of ethical fashion designers.
The wining design from Miawi.
The 'Make your mark' pannel with the finalists
People Tree rocks the runway! - 'Notably impressive' says vogue.com
The British Fashion Council have long taken a stand on size 0 models, but without other key fashion capitals falling in line London can't do more to regulate against this unhealthy trend.
Quintessentially models are an ethical model agency because they don't have size '0' girls on their books. They look after the health and welfare of their young women and don't employ under age models either. Having heard horror stories from model friends about how vulnerable young women are and being fed up looking at images of 14-16 year old girls working for big brands selling clothes with price tags that could rarely be brought by career women under the age of 30 (or the rich..?) I'm glad to see this kind of model agency launch and take practical steps to change the fashion industry from the inside and hopefully deliver some realler and healthier images of women in the process.
People Tree partnered with Quintessentially Models and Whisky Mist in the Hilton Park Lane to showcase its Autumn Winter 2008 collection and gave a sneak preview of the new Spring Summer collection just before London Fashion Week.
Quinessentially models Kaitlyn, Hannellie, Genevieve and Natasha.
We also showcased the best of our SS09 Collection - with an even bigger collaboration with high profile designers including Bora Aksu and Sam Ubhi - and this fabulous dress made with organic poplin designed by our new Head of Design Tracy Mulligan.
These messages reached some of the most important fashion editors, buyers and celebrities who all turned up to support Fair Trade. Among them were Jo and Leah Wood who choose our Sam Ubhi Jewellery as the perfect way to accessorise their vintage wear.
People Tree is at London Fashion Week next week - I'll keep you posted as things unfurl...
An interview with Peter Owang - Bombolulu Workshops, Kenya
Peter and Safia with his baby son Walter
Here’s an interview from Bombolulu Workshops on my recent visit to Kenya where they had just finished the Sam Ubhi for People Tree collection for AW08. Life is hard in Kenya and just before I arrived the Bombolulu van had been hijacked. Since the down turn of events in January things are holding up but with tourists few and far between life is tough and unemployment is at it’s highest in Mombassa and tourist resorts.
We launched the ‘Support Kenya Now’ campaign to help Bombolulu make up their loss of orders with extra orders from People Tree.
Bracelet from the Sam Ubhi for People Tree range, £20
Peter has been at Bombolulu for more than 15 years now. He has a baby called Walter who is four months old. Peter met Immaculate his wife at Bombolulu. Both Peter and Immaculate suffer from Polio.
Peter Owang – Immaculate and I were seeing each other for 1 year before we got married. She helps me with cooking and laundry and we have a baby boy – it feels good to be a father – my boy will help me. I’m disabled so he can help me get to town and it will make my life easier in many other ways too. It is like a gift for me. At the moment I ask my neighbour who can help me carry my baby to the clinic. I need a maid but I can’t afford it. My monthly income is 8,000 shilings.
Safia - How could life be made easier for disabled people in Kenya?
Peter - It would be good if disabled people weren't taxed as they have other overheads to pay because they need help. Immaculate expects to earn 1000 shillings per week. To get a maid costs 3,000 shiling per month.
The Kenyan government also rely on donations for polio vaccinations which is unreliable.
I don’t think of having Polio as a problem but more of a challenge. I can work, do anything really.
We are talking with the government to develop policy that will help in areas such as transport and home building, to make these more accessible for disabled people.
In Kenya there is a tax on callipers but in England they are sold tax free. We’ve written a lot of proposals to the government to make them understand. We hope that one day soon they will.
Safia – What are you looking forward to at Bombolulu and what are you doing?
Peter – We have a basketball team and we want to start an internet project to raise some money for players and to fix wheelchairs. We plan to have a football team next at Bombolulu – so we want to buy a footballs etc. I am a PE educator I would love to come to London to tell people about the effects of disability and HIV and how it effects us too.
Mr Hosayo from Bombolulu died recently from HIV– poor women come to us at Bombolulu as we are relatively well off. Mr Hosayo thought that he was safe at Bombolulu but one lady who was HIV positive kept coming. Mr Hosayo died after they were together 2-3 years and he will be buried tomorrow. Educating and motivating other disabled people that they shouldn’t be used or take anything that comes along is very important. I run weekly meetings at Bombolulu that are held every Friday to educate the producers about HIV and AIDs.
Safia - What parts of your work at Bombolulu do you enjoy the most?
Peter - I am very creative that’s one reason why I’m involved in product development it is challenging for me and I enjoy it!
Peter, Immaculate with their son Walter outside their house at Bombolulu Workshops, Kenya.
Have a look at our Sam Ubhi for People Tree collection, made by hand at Bombolulu Workshops!
