Nature vs Future
Elisa Jimenez
Linda Loudermilk of course.
This spring 3 friends of mine were diagnosed with cancer. They’re all women, mid thirties to early forties. The news of these illnesses all came within a month and it felt like the sky was falling. I started blaming everything, cleansers, carpeting with it’s fire retardants.. everything.
About a month ago, I noticed that I had started feeling tight in my chest, like asthma or something. I had written it off as spring time allergies or the cat’s dander, but considering the issues my friends were facing, I thought I’d pay more attention and focus on when I felt the sensation the most. After a couple of weeks, I was able to link the feeling to when I wear my foundation.
For two years, I’ve been wearing Bare Minerals, “all natural” loose powder foundation and I have been very pleased with how I look and how my skin has responded… that is until now. I started holding my breath when I apply it and it definitely reduced the feeling in my lungs. So I’ve stopped wearing it and now I’m on the hunt for a new foundation (I have acne so I need coverage and it’ can’t make it worse).
I did a bit of research and found some articles about Titanium Dioxide, when inhaled in mineral and other powder based makeups it damages lung tissue and puts the user at risk of lung cancer. Yikes! I hope I’m OK. The first ingredient of Bare Minerals is Titanium Dioxide and I find it hard to believe that they aren’t aware of this research. But when used in a cream form Titanium Dioxide is not dangerous because it is a naturally occurring mineral, it’s only when it’s inhaled that it becomes a cancer risk (which makes sense since my sensitive skin didn’t have problems with it, it was my lugs breathing it in!).
I’m trying a few all natural alternatives and I’ll post results as I draw my conclusions. Dr.Hauschka products and Logona are both German and are BDIH certified all natural. Europe has strict rules about what can be called “all natural” while the US allows loose interpretations of this labeling (more posts on the rules will come). Meanwhile Lavera products, also BDIH certified, are also vegan and organic. Neither use any of the preservatives and petroleum based ingredients that have been linked to cancer and can be found in most mainstream beauty products.
Seattle based metalsmith Kim Williamson of dottyspeck crafts whimsical pieces that are lovingly handmade of sterling silver (can't you just feel the love?). Their graphic qualities are modern with a touch of childlike wonder. For girls who like a bit of playful cuteness but still want to be sophisticated, dottyspeck is the perfect choice. For places to buy, check out dottyspeck.com
This weekend in San Francisco, fashion students gathered for a fun runway show "Discarded to Divine" down on the Embarcadero. The theme for the show was cloths made out of cloths... designers had to use only donated and unusable clothing making completely recycled pieces. Designers came through with some fantastic work, like the black and white dress (above) designed by Eva Garcia from the California College of the Arts. Who would have guessed that this bold piece is made entirly out of mens pants?
The clothing was auctioned off and proceeds went to St. Vincent de Paul Society which gives free clothing and food to low-income and homeless people in San Francisco. From the quality of the work produced by these students, it looks like a successful fund raiser.
This wonderful piece was designed by FIDM student Steven Allen Neff who constructed it out of six pairs of jeans. It was the hottest item at the event and auctioned off for $400.. now that's quite a few hot meals!
Anya Hindmarch is the British “queen of bagland” with over 30 stores world-wide selling her gorgeous bags but last April, it wasn’t her leather bags that caused people to line up at 2am, it was an unbleached cotton $6 bag: “I Am Not A Plastic Bag.” It was all the rage in the UK and the limited edition run quickly sold out.
Now, this June, she's releasing the US version of I'm Not A Plastic Bag around the US. These bags will be in navy blue and you can register at her website to find out when and where you can line up at 2am to get yours. Some customers want the bag because it’s a cheap Anya Hindmarch, but I’m sure others like me want to support a green project from an otherwise non-green designer.
That’s not to say that Anya Hindmarch doesn’t care about the issues, in 2001 she launched a charity project “Be a Bag” which allowed customers to have their own photos printed onto a bag and proceeds went to more than 20 charities around the world.
This latest project “I'm Not A Plastic Bag” addresses a few issues too. Besides making a statement about plastic bags, Anya also addressed labor issues by making sure the factory in China was a reputable supplier who’s workers are paid double minimum wage and that complies with all aspects of Chinese Labor Law (what ever those are… perhaps a future post). “The factory also retains external consultants to monitor it from an international standards standpoint” (what ever that means).
Anya admits that the most environmental thing about the bag is that it’s unbleached and it replaces plastic bags (as long as people use them). She admits that she didn’t use organic or fair trade cotton. But she shipped the bags by sea and carbon offset the production and freight through the purchase of carbon credits. Which to me demonstrates that she understands the issues.
Thinking like an Econista:
This is a great example of a mainstream brand starting to make changes. It also exposes an interesting dynamic in branding: when mainstream brands go green, they must address all of the issues in question. Because how they respond to the issues begins to redefine the brand. This is due mostly to the fact that these green products are being sold to a different audience than their traditional products – they’re being sold to Econistas! These consumers are educated about the issues and therefore the brands need to address the issues with more than just marketing (or, like Anya, admiting failures). It’s the wonderful free markets in action and proves that an Econista can change fashion.
For a laugh, check out this by Marrisa V. lol.
One of the most active organizations in the sustainable fashion scene is People Tree out of the UK. They work with 50 fair trade groups in developing countries providing jobs and fair wages to some of the most marginalized communities in the world. They’re dedicated to respecting people and the planet.
For the June 2007 issue of Japanese Vogue, People Tree has collaborated with international fashion designers Thakoon, Richard Nicoll, Bora Aksu and Foundation Addict to make these gorgeous pieces from organic cotton and recycled fabrics. These are a limited edition (100 pieces) so if you want one get yours now here. Profits go to supporting and expanding People Tree’s good works.
Ok, does this organization do anything objectionable? Are they hiring? Wildlife Works is a S.F. based company that's approach is "Consumer Powered Conservationsm". Their consumer brand stands for wildlife conservation by promising that their proceeds go to saving endangered wildlife around the world, promoting fair trade and creating jobs.
When you buy something from Wildlife Works, you are helping them create sanctuaries like the one they made in Kenya, Africa. An 80,000-acre Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary, where elephants, cheetahs and 45 other large mammal species now roam freely. To go even further, Wildlife Works built an eco-friendly factory nearby where they employ members of the community to create some of their products.
Many of their products are made from organic materials because they are committed to keeping drinking holes clean for all species. They use recycled materials, run their operations under fair trade rules and donate proceeds to causes. Wow!
Thinking like an Econista:
I've been wondering for a long time about the true value of a dollar. Because to us in the US, a dollar isn't worth much, but elsewhere, it's worth a whole day's earnings. So what is it's true value? I guess Einstein knew the answer: it's relative... sort of. If I buy a shirt from a company like Wildlife Works, they can use that money to do so much... as if the one dollar is worth ten dollars. But then, if I spend the same amount with a mainstream brand, it just gets absorbed into a bank account somewhere. Why can't they do something meaningful with it?
I think the answer is that the dollar is worth what you want it to be worth. Wildlife Works wants to use the dollar to benefit a lot of causes, conservation, organic farming, recycling and fair trade. This is their intent, so the dollar works toward making their intent into reality. If a company's intent is to make a profit or wealth, well then, the dollar will work toward making that a reality. With this in mind I, as a consumer, intend for my dollar to be worth more than a cup of coffee, I want it to support families, animals and land. I want my dollar to effect the future as we know it, not the future of a few individuals. So, to make this intention a reality, I need to ask where the money is going, how is it working for my values and a company like Wildlife Works is right in line with what I care about...plus their cloths are cute!
