THE SOLUTION TO A SIMPLE, MEANINGFUL, WELL-DESIGNED LIFE /
THE F Ê T E / LIF E PROJECT NO.
37
SLOW LIVING Welcome to the Fête/Life Project – a collection of helpful, useful and practical articles that can be applied to life at any time, but especially now. Sourced from the many magazines we have released, our message has never been more relevant or needed by our community today… let’s embrace the simple life and treasure what is truly important – human connection, community, self care and pure acts of kindness. SUPPORT WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST /
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PHOTOGRAPH BY SERAINA SIL JA HÜRLIMANN
health / W E L L - B E I N G
PHOTOGRAPHS / SERAINA SIL JA HÜRLIMANN STORY / LUCINDA MCKIMM
SLOW LIVING When I think about the concept of slow living, I’m transported to a certain time and place. It’s July, 2016. I wake up to the gentle stream of light filling my room and sleepily walk out to a terrace that overlooks the Mediterranean. I’m in Praiano, a charming fishing village on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. Below, an old man leisurely moves a number of large, heavy pot plants from his terrace as he prepares to re-paint. There is chipped paint everywhere and his movements are so slow that I am left bewildered and stressed about the inefficient way he is going about this. His pace is mellow and his face is relaxed. He does finish, eventually and he’s content with his slow and steady work. The streets are quiet in sleepy Praiano. It’s warm, but the sun is gentle, unlike the harsh, unforgiving sun at home in Australia. I can still remember the gentle, warm, enveloping feeling while overlooking the sea as we prepare for another day of swimming and sunbathing. Reality is a little bit different. As I piece together the moving parts of this article, I am on the road. I’m proofreading from the passenger seat, unaware of what’s going on beyond my laptop. It’s not a smooth road, but I’m so distracted by what I am doing that I hardly notice. There’s a three-hour journey ahead of me, and between here and there, I need to have wrapped up this piece. It’s not exactly what one would identify with slow living. Perhaps one would imagine the writer of such an article sipping on a ginger and lemon tea overlooking the hills from her home office. She’s feeling particularly relaxed after a three-hour yoga session and when staring at the laptop becomes too much, she simply walks out to her balcony to inhale some fresh country air, perhaps pausing for a ten minute meditation before heading to the local farmers market. That sounds pretty perfect, actually, and on days that aren’t today, it might just be how I spend my morning. Only, my lemon and ginger tea is a strong latte and my three hours of yoga is cut in half. It’s busy moments like these that I like to reflect on the lifestyle of the locals of Praiano – the old, happy man on his terrace and the softly spoken shop keeper at the local alimentari. And at a time where moments of chaos, countless distractions and instant gratification have become the norm, there is now more need than ever to press the hold button and take a step back.
While the concept of slow living may feel like the kale smoothie of 2017, there are obvious benefits of stealing some time back for ourselves, of living a more deliberate life. Stemming from the slow food movement born in Italy in the late ‘80s, in its most obvious form, slow living is a shift towards slowing down life’s pace. In the same way that the slow food movement aims to preserve traditional growing and cooking methods, slow living aims to preserve the lifestyle habits of simpler times. “Slow living is about making a conscious effort to invest in our personal wellbeing through activities that boost happiness and reduce stress,” explains Julie Haslam, founder of the Downtime Agenda. With the goal of encouraging and enabling greater appreciation for relaxation, the Downtime Agenda offers a curated collection of insights, products, gifts and experiences that aim to maximise time to ourselves, thereby improving mental and physical health. “It’s about slowing things down and taking the time to allow ourselves to live a healthier, happier and more fulfilling life in this over worked and over connected world.” For some, slow living might mean freeing ourselves from the constraints of unnecessary tasks or activities that do not bring us joy or wellbeing, while for others, it might be making better informed purchasing choices when it comes to our
SLOW BUSINESS BOB B O B I S A N AT U R A L, S U S TA I N A B L E HAIR SALON IN MELBOURNE FOUNDED ON THE BELIEF THAT A S I M P L E R A P P R O A C H T O W E L LBEING ENRICHES OUR LIVES. USING PURE, HIGH QUALIT Y PRODUCTS DEVOID OF HARMFUL CHEMICALS, FOUNDERS AMANDA BERRY AND CHARLOT TE ARCHER ARE FOCUSSED ON IMPROVING T H E H E A LT H O F T H E I R C L I E N T’S AND THE EARTH. WITH HAIR C L I P P I N G S B E I N G R E-P U R P O S E D INTO WIGS FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER AND ‘HAIR BOOMS’ THAT CLEAN OIL SPILLS IN THE OCEAN, B O B TA KE S A M I N D F U L A P P R OAC H TO HAIR. B O B M E L B O U R N E .C O M . A U VEGE THREADS VEGE THREADS EMBRACES THE SHIFT TOWARDS SLOWER LIVING AND AIMS TO PROVIDE CUSTOMERS WITH LONG L ASTING, PRACTICAL Y E T B E A U T I F U L LY D E S I G N E D G A R M E N T S F O R E V E R Y D AY WEAR. EACH COLLECTION IS MANUFACTURED IN AUSTRALIA USING ORGANIC AND ECOF R I E N D LY M AT E R I A L S A N D D Y E S I N LIMITED NUMBERS. WITH LOCALIT Y A N D S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y AT I T S CO R E, VEGE THREADS WORKS WITH LOCAL KNITTING MILLS AND DYE HOUSES, A N D TA K E S A N E C O-F R I E N D LY APPROACH TO PACKAGING. V E G E T H R E A D S.C O M
food and our clothes.
ISSUE NO. 25 / FETEPRESS.COM.AU
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health / W E L L - B E I N G
Consider making pasta. A quick trip to the “The good news is that the status quo has
SLOW BUSINESS
supermarket to purchase pre-made pasta
started to be challenged by those acutely
LE LABO
and sauce is a simple task, but one of little
aware of the state of our planet and the
F O U N D E D I N T H E N O L I TA
contemplation and no connection to the
role fashion can play in its preservation,”
maker. On the contrary, if you set out to
says McCarthy. “We are asking more
make pasta from scratch, there’s more
questions and looking for greater
to consider – a recipe, a list and allowing
connection with what we wear.”
the time to prepare and cook. You’re more likely to think twice about the variety of tomatoes, or the type of flour you need, and the process may even invite conversation with the local shop assistant.
Slow money is an important aspect of slow fashion, too. The old idiom of ‘voting with your dollar’ has become more
S O M E T H I N G O F A C U LT S TAT U S ACROSS THE GLOBE. WITH THE NOTION THAT THERE ARE TOO MANY BOTTLES OF PERFUME AND NOT ENOUGH SOULFUL FRAGRANCES, LE L ABO WAS BORN FROM A PASSION FOR C R A F T S M A N S H I P. C A N D L E S A R E
support local makers who create with more
H A N D-P O U R E D O N E B Y O N E,
than just their bottom line in mind, we’re
subtly different, the experiences are
also making the choice to keep local
entirely unique of one another.
industries alive.
Inextricably linked to slow food is slow
“I have a great deal of respect for brands
money, which emerged from the notion
that refuse to settle; the ones that see
of keeping money local and thereby
ethical business practices as the
encouraging consumers to support
expectation not the selling point; the
small businesses and farmers.
ones that create beautiful and functional
positive by-products of our increasingly
IN 2006, LE L ABO HAS EARNED
relevant, and when we make a choice to
While the resulting dish may only be
Somewhat ironically, there are some
N E I G H B O U R H O O D O F M A N H AT TA N
products that also happen to have a conscience and lighter footprint.”
A N D E A C H S C E N T I S F R E S H LY H A N D-B L E N D E D I N F R O N T O F T H E CUSTOMER. PLUS, IF BURNING SANTAL 26 DOESN’T SLOW YOU DOWN WHILE YOU RUN YOURSELF A BATH, WE’RE NOT SURE WHAT WILL. L E L A B O F R A G R A N C E S.C O M OLIVE GREEN PARCELS WITH SLOW LIVING IN MIND, OLIVE GREEN PARCELS HAS JUST L AUNCHED. OLIVE GREEN DELIVERS DESIGN-DRIVEN GIFT
globalised (and therefore connected)
When opting for a slow minded fashion
world. The digital space has opened up
brand, McCarthy’s interest lays within
conversations about slow money, with
labels that value transparency,
BABIES. WITH EACH PURCHASE,
many online journals calling for greater
sustainability, craftsmanship, utilising
$5 IS DONATED TO MATERNIT Y
PARCELS WITHOUT CHEMICALS OR CLUTTER, FOR WOMEN AND
WORLDWIDE, A CHARIT Y THAT
transparency within industries such as
local skills, and the quality and longevity
fashion that once upon a time showed
of its products, such as local Melbourne
little regard for environmental and
label, Arnsdorf, and New York label, FEIT
AND GIRLS ACCESS THE HIGH
social impact.
Direct, who produces each garment
QUALIT Y MATERNAL HEALTH
WO R K S I N LOW-I N CO M E COUNTRIES TO HELP WOMEN
by hand using natural materials.
CARE THEY NEED TO BE ABLE
publication that is reconnecting the
Adopting more conscious spending habits
O L I V E G R E E N PA R C E L S.C O M
designer, maker and wearer, and thereby
is an important aspect of slow living.
encouraging people to value what they
Another is taking out time for oneself
READ
buy on a deeper level. Exploring the
and on the topic, Julia Haslam,
HOW TO HYGGE: THE SECRETS
relationship between people and style,
recommends blocking out a time in your
OF NORDIC LIVING
Intent Journal is interested in how
calendar as you would any other meeting
SIGNE JOHANSEN
personal values inform the way we
that is dedicated to something that brings
HYGGE IS CENTRAL TO THE NORDIC
live and work.
you joy and relaxation.
S E N S E O F W E L L-B E I N G . T H I N K
Intent Journal is one such online
“For a long time, the fashion industry
“You need to be strong enough to stick to
T O G I V E B I R T H S A F E LY.
WARMTH, CONVIVIALIT Y AND C O M M U N I T Y. S I G N E S H A R E S T H E
has operated with little regard for its
it and to politely say no when other things
environmental or social impact – focusing
pop up.”
SHOWS HOW TO ADOPT THESE
Moments of chaos are likely to fill each one
WHERE YOU ARE IN THE WORLD.
instead on ways to maximise profit and minimise responsibility,” says Intent Editor, Sigrid McCarthy. “This disconnection throughout the supply chain and lack of transparency has led to many consumers making uninformed choices that ultimately fuel a broken system.” While slow food appears to be an obvious concept that is garnering a lot of air time, McCarthy acknowledges that fashion seems to have gone under the radar.
SECRETS OF NORDIC LIVING AND ELEMENTS INTO LIFE NO MAT TER
of our days, but it’s about scheduling time for those down moments so that we are better rested and well equipped for busier moments of work and play.
LISTEN THE SLOW HOME PODCAST BROOKE MCALARY
As for me, that means closing the laptop
I N T H I S P O D C A S T, B R O O KE C H AT S
and heading into the kitchen to prepare
TO OTHERS WHO, LIKE HER, HAVE
sage and pumpkin quiche for a family dinner. With sage freshly picked from my friend’s garden and mum’s homemade pie crust, I can pretend to be that farmers market going, ginger and lemon tea drinking girl, after all.
OPTED TO LIVE A SLOWER, MORE S I M P L E WAY O F L I F E.
BREATH HEADSPACE GUIDED MEDIATION APP HEADSPACE MEDITATION LIMITED O F F E R I N G G U I D E D M E D I TAT I O N S WITH THE AIM OF IMPROVING M I N D F U L N E S S A N D W E L L-B E I N G .
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FETEPRESS.COM.AU / ISSUE NO.25
PHOTOGRAPH BY SERAINA SIL JA HÜRLIMANN FOR INTERIO