ISSUE 2 AUTUMN / FALL 2015
An Eclectic Lifestyle Magazine about Eco-Conscious and Heritage Craft, Design & Fashion
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Two Days of Plant Identification and Eco-Printing
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Interview with Andrew Morgan
Connecting with the Countryside:
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Behind the Scenes of Slow Fashion:
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Natural Processes and Contemporary Aesthetics with Alice Fox
Dear readers, We have reached our second issue, welcome! First of all I wish you all a lovely autumn, whether you are in a place where the leaves stay green or one where they become yellow and then fall to prepare for another cold winter. We would like to thank all those who participated in our ‘feedback competition’ in the previous issue. The feedback provided did help us in the making of this issue. We have another feedback competition going and also other prizes up for grabs so make sure to get to the end of the magazine to find out more! In this issue we talk about natural processes, contemporary aesthetics and three-dimensional art with Alice Fox in the UK. In the same article, we also review her new book, which is rich with suggestions from the field, the wood and the seashore. We travel to Italy (Piemonte and Marche), to visit two artists: an artist who works with recycled paper and a dressmaker who makes fabulous wedding collections. Their journeys of ecologically minded experimentation are an inspiration for those searching for a special dress whose charm is enhanced by clean and contemporary lines and natural fabrics (Silvia Cuatto) or for an insight into paper crafts inspired by the Medieval traditions of Fabriano (Mariapia Zepponi). Back in the UK, we visit a young fashion
designer who began her creative career by working on bespoke projects for clients and who is now working to create fashion collections using existing stock and original eco fabrics. Most importantly, we had the pleasure to talk to Andrew Morgan, the director of a documentary on sustainable fashion triggered by the tragedy of the collapse of Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh where more than a thousand workers lost their lives. We ask about the making of the movie as well as some advice for designers and fashion consumers who want to make a difference. We hope you enjoy the magazine, you can continue the conversation with us on our social media groups and pages. We have strived to make this e-magazine as informative and interactive as possible, so feel free to click away and send us valuable comments! All the best,
No Serial Number Team In the Next Issue... An Interview with India Flint Harvesting Saffron a Centenary Tradition Making Baskets the Galician Way The Eco Designers’ Complete Handmade Outfit Purchase a Yearly Subscription for Only $5.99 Subscribe Now
Are you an artisan or designer working with traditional techniques and/or eco-friendly, organic, locally-sourced or recycled materials? Are you a small scale manufacturer? Are you based in or near London (UK)? Would you be interested in travelling to London to participate at trading/design shows? If you answered YES to these questions please contact Francesca: noserialnumber@gmail.com
This is a quartely magazine that will be released on the following dates: Spring: 23 March - 23 June 23 September - 23 December
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TRADITIONAL TRADES AND CRAFTS
(Weeds and their Surroundings) from Facebook Group to Event
aper Craft and Recycling for P an Eco-sustainable Form of Art
TRAVEL CHRONICLES
7 Connecting with the
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CONTENTS 35 On the Trail of a Cup of Tea: Chronicles of my Indian Travel
Countryside: Two Days of Plant Identification and Eco Printing (List of Plants Included!)
37 DIARY: forthcoming events,
COUNTRY CHRONICLES
38 REGULAR COLUMN BY CLOTHO
atural Processes and N Contemporary Aesthetics with Alice Fox: Challenging Commonplace Ideas of Sustainability in Textile Design
CITY CHRONICLES SUSTAINABLE FASHION
exhibitions and museums
LONDON Swap Your Clothes, Save the World
THE SANDPIT
40 Games, Competitions and Giveaways CREDITS
16 Eco Haute Couture:
Experimenting with Materials to Create Quality Fashion that Lasts
19 The Eco-friendly Wedding with Natural Textiles
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Editors and Creative Directors Alessandra Palange Francesca Palange Rosa Rossi
Translations
Fuschia Hutton
Graphic Design
ehind the Scenes of Slow B Fashion: Interview with Andrew Morgan on the Making of The True Cost
HOME CHRONICLES
27 Home Decor: How to Furnish your House with a Thread of Memories
KITCHEN CHRONICLES Cooking With Local Produce
30 Kerala Cooking School: Ethakka Masala
MULTIFUNCTIONAL GARDEN
32 Savvy Farmers of the Internet
Age: the Journey of Erbacce e Dintorni
Caterina Sebastiani Arti Grafiche Aquilane http://www.artigraficheaquilane.it
Cover Photo
Photography by Alice Fox
Copyright
All images and materials are copyright protected and are the property of their respective makers/owners as detailed below.
Paper Craft and Recycling for an Eco-sustainable Form of Art Photos by Mariapia Zepponi Text by Francesca Palange
Connecting with the Countryside: Two Days of Plant Identification and Eco-Printing (List of Plants Included!) Photos by Elia Palange Text by Rosa Rossi
Natural Processes and Contemporary Aesthetics with Alice Fox:
Designer Claire Couchman Photos by Pedro Agoas Make Up Rosita Baiamonte Model Stephanie Balogun Text by Francesca Palange
The Eco-friendly Wedding with
Natural Textiles Designer Silvia Cuatto Photos by Francesco Chiapusso Text by Francesca Palange
Behind the Scenes of Slow Fashion: Interview with Andrew Morgan on the Making of The True Cost Photos from The True Cost Reporter Francesca Palange
Home Decor: How to Furnish your House with a Thread of Memories Photos by Elia Palange Text by Rosa Rossi
Kerala Cooking School: Ethakka Masala Photos by Naresh Murthy Text by Silvia Vastano Savvy Farmers of the Internet Age: the Journey of Erbacce e Dintorni (literally, ‘Weeds and their Surroundings’) from Facebook Group to Event Photos by Elia Palange Text by Rosa Rossi
On the Trail of a Cup of Tea:
Challenging Commonplace Ideas of Sustainability in Textile Design Photos by Alice Fox Reporter Francesca Palange
Chronicles of my Indian Travel Photos by Naresh Murthy Text by Silvia Vastano
Eco Haute Couture: Experimenting
Swap Your Clothes, Save the World
with Materials to Create Quality Fashion that Lasts
Photos by Clotho London Text by Vivien Tang
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TRADITIONAL CRAFTS
ISSUE 2 AUTUMN / FALL 2015
Paper Craft and Recycling for an Eco-Sustainable Form of Art
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ariapia Zepponi comes from a place of ancient traditions, Fabriano, the place where paper was first made in the thirteenth century, having been brought by the Arabs from China.
designer and then, alongside her professional work, developing her artistic side, painting and working with various materials including glass, ceramic and of course, paper.
Making a living through art, these days as Traditional paper manufacturing (and its cir- much as in the past, is difficult. Nevertheless, culation, which was guaranteed by an impor- Mariapia pursued her inspiration with tenactant merchant trade operating from the Port ity, dedicating herself to her work completely of Ancona) has a solid base in Fabriano, and removed from the world of art. At the same went through various incarnations to become time as developing her artistic works, she what it is today – from artisan shops, started to concentrate particularly on to the Miliani Paper Mill in 1800s to Milglass work and trompe l’oeil without, iani Fabriano Paper Mill in the 1900s. of course, abandoning her first passion, painting. It is in this place of ancient traditions that Mariapia was born, first training as a graphic It is in fact through her painting that Maria4
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Connecting with the Countryside: Two Days of Plant Identification and Eco Printing (List of Plants Included!)
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he course is about to begin. It is taking place in an enchanting setting; a fifteenth century monastery which was recently turned into a hostel (Ostello sul Tratturo). Its name comes from the Italian word ‘tratturo’, which is a path walked for centuries by farmers twice a year during the ‘transhumance’. They walked this path in spring to take flocks out to the mountain pastures and then again back towards the sea in autumn. This was when sheep farming was the main source of income for this region.
At nine in the morning the participants are ready and all the necessary gear (containers, saucepans, stoves) is in perfect order. After introductions have been made, Michela (better known as Rosso di Robbia) begins the first activity on the programme; a walk in the surrounding area to find materials to use.
Then the twentieth century arrived, for better or worse. Now with the turn of the century, the entire area is on the rise, one could say, focusing on traditional products, bringing
We set off with baskets and scissors, revelling in the wide open and steeply sloping space, where wild vegetation grows and skirts along the cultivated fields. We return with a messy
back traditions linked to sheep farming and tourism. Ostello sul Tratturo is an attempt to make more accommodation available in the area and attract visitors.
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COUNTRY CHRONICLES
ISSUE 2 AUTUMN / FALL 2015
Challenging Commonplace Ideas of Sustainability in Textile Design: on Natural Processes, Contemporary Aesthetics and 3D Weaving with Alice Fox
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lice Fox is a textile artist from the UK. She’s mainly known for printing and dyeing with rust using rusty objects that she finds on beaches, in the streets and anywhere she goes. She works mainly with linen and paper as well as found materials but she is currently exploring the making of three-dimensional art. We are interviewing her for this issue to mark the occasion of the release of her new book that was published in August 2015. I had the absolute pleasure to receive a review copy of this book, which I found equally beautiful and informative. 12
Tell me something about you, how would you like to introduce yourself? I am an artist who has a background in nature conservation. I changed career, having started off doing a physical geography degree and then working in nature conservation. Then after having children I got more into textiles. I did a part-time degree as a mature student and graduated in 2011 with a degree in Contemporary Surface Design and Textiles and I have been working self-employed as an artist since then. I would say that my first career with a background in landscape and the natural world make a firm back-
drop to what I am doing now. What inspired you to do art? Well it is something that I have done all my life. I have always been creative. I was always making things as a child and when I left school I was torn between going to Art College or down the geography route. But I decided at that point that if I went to Art College I probably wouldn’t come back to the geography whereas the other way round was more likely to allow for both, which is exactly what has happened. What does it mean to you to be an artist?
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CITY chronicles
ISSUE 2 AUTUMN / FALL 2015
Eco-Haute Couture: Experimenting with Materials to Create Quality Fashion that Lasts
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laire is an inquisitive young designer and manufacturer with a lot of energy geared towards the kind of creative fashion that never goes out of fashion. Passionate about quality designs, she deliberately ignores the latest fads, opting for a personal commitment to lasting products. She turns her environmental sensibility in positive energy and openness to experimentation, which she uses to research new fabrics, whatever the materials used, as long as the environmental impact involved in making them remains minimal. Her dedication to this philosophy shows in so many aspects of her work, for example in the way she wishes to develop a business that is as fair and transparent as possible. She has a catwalk coming in October in London and New York, you can visit her website and sign
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up to the newsletter to receive an invitation. I wish her every success with her new collection! First of all introduce yourself… I am Claire owner of Couchman-Bespoke, a designer and manufacturer. I work in retail full time as well, which makes it quite stressful as I am also preparing for my fashion show in October. It is really exciting but it’s also very intense. I have just done a photo-shoot as well. I try to work before and after work and all the hours in between to get everything done What inspired you to get into fashion? It’s always something I wanted to do. My family always said I was very into it from a very early age. I always loved drawing especially the Disney cartoon characters. I re-
member when I was at college studying a fine art course I was doing illustrations of Manga but still finished with elements of fashion in it. And I think from there I started looking a fashion colleges and I went to Reading to do a womenswear design course but it wasn’t the course for me so I took a year out doing other things. And one day I was with my dad looking at colleges and he said ‘why don’t you look at menswear?’ I started a course in menswear and tailoring, I had a really good tutor and he taught me all the ‘tricks’. I also like menswear because I think in women swear everything is being done, when I felt that with the man there was a lot more I could explore. But unfortunately, this is the worst industry to try and get a job in as you have to do a lot of unpaid work experience hence why I have to work full time in retail!
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Behind the scenes of slow fashion: Interview with Andrew Morgan on the Making of The True Cost
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am going to spare a long introduction to this article as we have decided to include here the full interview with the maker of The True Cost, a deeply moving and informative documentary about the glooming conditions of the manual workers of the “cheap and fast� fashion industry around the world. This is far too an important topic for edits and cuts and especially, it is one of the reasons why No Serial Number is determined to continue in its mission to promote alternative ways to think about fashion, shop, upcycle, create and design.
I have no background in fashion at all. I was getting coffee one morning just over two years ago, just finished up my last film. I looked down at the copy of the cover of the New York Times and there was this photograph of these two boys, that were very close to the age of my boys at home, and they were standing in front of this just enormous wall of missing people signs and something about the photo just really connected with me and I picked up the paper and read the article about the clothing factory that had just collapsed the day before at Rana Plaza. As I stood there that morning Where did the idea of this reading the article I rememmovie come? ber thinking two very distinct
things: how is it possible that an industry this powerful and this profitable is doing business in such a way that was continuing to lead to this incredible loss and lessening of human life? Maybe more chilling though, as I stood there that morning, how is it possible that I have never stopped to think about were my clothes come from. That moment is when it all started. I went back to my office that day reading everything I could get my hands on and I picked up the phone and called people all over the world that week. So I asked Lucy Siegle, who is a product person, help me understand this industry help me understand this story that I have never been told. 21
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HOME DéCOR ideas
NO SERIAL NUMBER
HOME DÉCOR: How to Furnish Your House with a Thread of Memories
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n every room there is at least one redun- stage was to furnish the bare wall above the dant corner. One of these is surely behind radiator. the door! In the redistribution of all the framed items If the back of the door is also ‘furnished’ with that we had in our house in the city (postradiators then the situation is even worse. ers, postcards, reprints, lithographs, draw ings etc.), we immediately realised that decEven so, if every morning on awakening the orating an apartment and furnishing a house eye falls upon this corner, the situation be- built on the top of a hill, and therefore with comes unbearable (well, if the door is open, I stairs, presents space problems. also see the garden through the landing win- dow, I check the weather, the season, what’s It so happened that a series of lithographs in the garden; crows, cats... and this makes had not yet found a home, and had been conthe situation a million times better than what fined to a corner waiting to be sorted out. I left in the big city!). Looking and relooking, morning after mornAnyway, ever since we started to live in this ing, I started to see where they could possibly house castled on a hill, on the edge of a me- go; they would be perfect over the radiator! dieval hamlet - a true open air museum - I decided that this ‘dead’ corner of the house These aren’t just any old ‘objects’; they are would become a ‘living’ corner. lithographs of drawings by Raphael Sanzio (Urbino, 1483-Rome, 1520) or rather sketches This was my plan for decorating, which grew that the great artist made as studies in prepover time, one piece after the other. The first aration for his masterpieces. 27
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kitchen chronicles
ISSUE 2 AUTUMN / FALL 2015
Kerala Cooking School: Ethakka Masala
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his year, after five long years, I decided to return to India, my husband’s country of origin. It was a particularly intense trip, both from a logistical and an emotional point of view. We returned – my husband and our children who are 9 and 15 and I – for the third time to Kerala in south-west India, which is famous for its spices and Ayurvedic medicine.
ficial language of the state of Kerala) or Banana and Plantain Masala. It is a very tasty side dish that can be accompanied with white rice, preferably basmati. Ingredients: 4 people:
• 4 bananas (with pink flesh, red bananas or medium sized plantains) • Coconut oil There are many aspects of this region which • 2 green chilli peppers make it the ideal place for discovering the na- • 1 big white onion ture and cultures of India, added to which is • Ground red chilli the opportunity to try its cuisine direct from • Masala powder (such as Kitchen King) the source. Although its gastronomic influ- • Salt and black pepper to taste ences have already spread afar, it is in a way • Some tomatoes as garnish that is grouped together with the rest of Indian cooking. Method: • Wash the bananas/plantains with their skins Kerala’s cooking is particularly rich and tasty. on and cut off the ends. Fish, meat and rice, but especially fruit and vegetables. And often, what we in the West There are many aspects regard as fruit, is also used as a vegetable in of this region which make Kerala. This is the case with a recipe that is it the ideal place for as simple as it is common in the diet of Kerdiscovering the nature and ala, and has spread to many tropical councultures of India tries; Ethakka Masala (in Malayalam, the of30
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the multifunctional garden
ISSUE 2 AUTUMN / FALL 2015
SAVVY FARMERS OF THE INTERNET AGE: the journey of Erbacce e Dintorni
(‘Weeds and their Surroundings’)
from Facebook group to event
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he event, which was held at Sasso Cas- the virtual world of Erbacce e Dintorni tle (Cerveteri, Rome) at the start of to life in two days filled with activities, June 2015, brought to life a vibrant Fa- debate, ideas and personalities. cebook community. The virtual space – the Facebook group – is This was a point of departure for the incredibly active; it is a place where knowlSemilune Association, and it has beedge, in-depth analysis and research is come a dynamic, very active and conshared. stantly growing group. Information and experiences are shared in a continuous dialogue between experts and I find the members sat around a table in the amateurs, usually calmly and without the splendid gardens of medieval Sasso Castle raised passions and dumbing down usually – it’s one of the numerous magnificent and associated with platforms like Facebook. richly historical places that abound within the Italian peninsula, all too often underused. The event itself turned out to be the result They are taking a brief break from the enor- of a complex organisation set-up (the promous amount of work involved in bringing gramme is substantial and participants can
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travel chronicles
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ON THE TRAIL OF A CUP OF TEA: Chronicles of My Indian Travel
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here is a little village in the Wayanad district, in Kerala, south-west India, which is called Vythiri and is part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves. It is the favourite destination of many honeymooners and nature lovers. Here it is possible to have a close encounter with rainforest flora and fauna, and you can stay in a way that respects the local ecosystem; in bungalows on stilts over a gushing stream coming from Western Ghati or in treehouses. Early in the morning, accompanied by Yogananda Rao – a young academic who, in this unpolluted environment, is carrying out PhD research into butterflies – we set off on foot into the rainforest to look for ‘small’ animals and sometimes big ones too, since elephants, leopards and tigers are the undisputed masters of this territory. The afternoon is dedicated to exploring the neighbouring tea plantations; an expanse of green, where it is possible to observe for real
and close up the plants from which one of the most popular beverages in the world is made. India is the second producer of tea worldwide after China, and the three regions where the plant is grown - Assam, Darjeeling, Nilgiri – have become synonyms for different ‘varieties’ of tea. In reality, these are just place names; there is no such thing as different varieties of tea, just different ways of treating the leaves from a single plant, the Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub originating from Asia.
‘The afternoon was dedicated to exploring the neighbouring tea plantations; an expanse of green, where it is possible to observe for real and close up the plants from which one of the most popular beverages in the world is made 35
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NO SERIAL NUMBER
Diary of Forthcoming Events, Exhibitions and Museums OCTOBER
Call to Action for Living Seed and Living Soil 2-16 October 2015
The Global Movement for Seed Freedom invites you to join people and communities around the globe, from the 2nd to the 16th of October to celebrate our seeds, our soils, our land, our territories, and to create an Earth Democracy based on Living Seed, Living Soil, healthy communities and living economies. https://www.facebook.com/eve nts/512401492126208/1030881943611491/
Enjoy using plants and leaves to dye and print onto fabric and paper. You will be able to design and produce a completely original piece of work, for example a silk scarf, some gorgeous cards, a cushion cover, using items you’ve gathered from your garden or the woods. Contact: sue@artspacecinderford.org or call 01594 825 111 (extn 4)
NOVEMBER
Remade 15 7 November 2015 REMADE 15 will be held at the Inveresk Cultural Precinct Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery http://streetsalive.com.au/remade-2015/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/RemadeFashionShow
Zero Waste 4th International Zero Waste Youth Congress Tirana, Albania The event aims to develop and empower groups to become National Ambassadors as well as to strengthen Zero Waste Youth Albania as a branch of the movement. People from all around the world are expected to attend the 2015 Congress, to present case studies, share experiences and debate the future of the world. http://zerowasteyouth.org
The San Francisco Green Festival comes to the Cow Palace The tastes of autumn will return at the RHS Lon- 13-15 November 2015
RHS London Harvest Festival Show 6–7 October 2015
don Harvest Festival Show and Harvest Late. https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-london-shows/rhs-london-harvest-festival-show
Eco-Printing Workshop with Kathy Hays 16 -18 October 2015 Aya Fiber Studio Stuart, Florida 34997
During the three days eco-print workshop participants will learn about plants, fabrics, equipment, processes and bunding techniques. The workshop is the ideal event for fiber artists, feltmakers, dyers and art quilters. No experience is necessary. Some hand strength is needed to create the bundles. The workshop is designed to learn the essential to carry on printing at home. https://www. facebook.com/KathyHaysDesigns?fref=ts
‘Eco Dyeing and Printing’ with Lizzie Godden 17 October 2015 - 10:30am - 4:30pm
The largest and longest-running sustainability and green living event in the United States - a vibrant, dynamic marketplace where companies and organizations come to showcase their green products and services, and where people go to learn how to live healthier, more sustainable lives http://greenfestivals.org
Banks Mill Open Studios and Artisan Fair 20 - 22 November 2015 Join thehe best of Derbyshire’s artists, designers and makers in their studios and visit the Artisan Fair at the Enterprise Centre. Browse, buy and commission unique pieces of work by artists, designers and makers including fine art, photography, printmaking, ceramics, jewellery, fashion and textiles, sculpture, glass art and creative services businesses. http://www.evolvederby.co.uk/openstudios
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REGULAR COLUMN
ISSUE 2 AUTUMN / FALL 2015
Swap your Clothes, Save the World - by Vivien Tang from Clotho London
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ashion is the third most polluting industry in the world after oil and agriculture, and sustainability in fashion is a very complex matter. There is a spotlight on the front end production of clothes in the media at the moment. We are shocked by reports of terrible conditions in sweatshops, highlighted by tragedies like the Rana Plaza factory collapse. We denounce the fast fashion labels who turn a blind eye to slave labour in their supply chains, which allow dirty cheap £5 T-shirts to be sold back here in the UK. We complain that items are now designed to fall apart so that we are driven to buying even more clothes.
are being broken apart and used as building insulation. But actually the most likely fate of your old clothes is that they are shipped off to Africa and Pakistan, where traders sell the clothing to local people. I could wax on about the social and economic impacts of this imported second hand clothing trade, but let us simply imagine the carbon footprint of our old Zara blouse as it travels from the local charity shop, plus the carbon footprint of Zara using cotton to make another new blouse in Bangladesh, before it is flown back to stores in the UK. So actually the most effective thing you can do to improve the environment is to extend the life of your existing clothing – for every three extra months you can reduce the But there is far less buzz and transparency carbon, water and waste footprint or an item surrounding the back end – we don’t really by up to 10%. hear much about the fate of clothes once we are done wearing them. We know that a huge This was the foundation of how we deamount of these cheap items must end up in signed Clotho, our sustainable fashion landfill at some point (350 000 tonnes a year business. Today, we sell vintage and in the UK!), but that is not caused by you or second clothes sourced in the UK, encourme personally, since we take all our clothes to aging customers to donate clothes to us for a charity shop or to textiles recycling. We im- a discount. But at the beginning we simply agine our old Topshop jeans are either being thought that the easiest way to extend the sold to raise money for blind dogs, or that they lifetime of our wardrobes was to just swap
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