Issue Nine April 2018
TakingCare CareOf OfYourself, Yourself,Your Your Tribe Taking And Our Our World... World... And
REVOLUTION Five Years On From Rana Plaza...
Talking Fast Fashion Safia Minney Of People Tree & Po-Zu Talking Fast Fashion
Behind The Scenes At The Museum Fashioned From Nature At The V&A
Signs Of The Times Ethical Labelling Explained
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Issue Eight March 2018
Yourr Tribe lf,You rself, Yourse OfYou reOf Care ingCa Taking Tak ... rld World... Ourr Wo Andd Ou An
SPRING! Getting Ready For The New Season
Never Miss A Thing... For all the best in: · ethical fashion · natural skincare and beauty · health and wellbeing · parenting and motherhood · healthy living and good eating · ecology and conservation · conscious lifestyle choices
Sowing Organic Digging Deep For Pesticide Free Produce
Frock Flower Of The 1 Spring Floral Fashion For
NMM March 2018
all back issues available at Issuu Natural Mumma
Issue Seven February 2018
Issue Five December 2017
TakingCare CareOf OfYourself, Yourself,Your Your Tribe Taking And Our Our World... World... And
Taking Care Of Yourself, Your Tribe And Our World
PASSION!
DRESS TO
IMPRESS
Gifts Of Love, Made With Feeling
Under Cover Expert
Chic & Sustainable Partywear
Luxurious Lingerie Laid Bare
Winter Holidays Unwrapped
Ethically Engaged
Exploring Ethical Tourism & Travel
The True Cost Of Gold
Not Just A Pretty Face Season’s Best Eco Makeup
The Mane Event
Toxin Free Hairstyling
NMM December 2017
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www.naturalmumma.com 2
April 2018 NMM
NMM February 2018
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Welcome to Natural Mumma Magazine Contents 6
Fashioned From Nature Behind the scenes at the V&A’s latest fashion exhibit
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Bag It! Our pick of natural essentials for your handbag
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Fast Talk We chat to Safia Minney founder of People Tree
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Natural Mumma Makes... Lamb Kofta, Halloumi & Aubergine Burger Bites
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The Right Label Ethical labelling explained
T
o Commemorate the 5th anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse, we devoted this edition to a need for greater transparency in the fashion supply chain. We met with Safia Minney from People Tree to discover the truth behind fast fashion and we explored ethical labelling. The V&A’s ‘Fashioned From Nature’ exhibit is just one of the many inspirational events for Fashion Revolution
Week on 23rd-29th April. Our product review focuses on handbag beauty essentials, featuring a stunning bag from Will’s Vegan Shoes. We concocted a Greek feast with our bitesized burgers which are the perfect party food with options for carnivores, vegetarians and vegans. We’ve collaborated with some amazing brands this month - giving us hope that things are changing.
Contact: holly@ naturalmumma.com Photo by Gerard Hughes Holly wears makeup by bareMinerals and PHB Ethical Beauty. Shirt by Visible Clothing
With more people choosing to consider the history of each garment they buy, together we are slowly but surely making important and profound changes. NMM April 2018
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Natural Mumma Loves... Xo Kiddo XOKiddo is an organic children’s clothing label for boys and girls showcasing minimalistic design with a bold use of contrasting colours across predominantly unisex products. The company are passionate about the benefits of organic cotton whilst showing it can still be on trend and look cool on your kids. www.xokiddo.co.uk
Miina Laitsaari Miina Laitsaari is a London based fashion brand creating clean cut, minimalistic women’s wear with an avant garde twist. The products are hand made to order in East London and every piece is composed individually using high quality reclaimed materials giving them a unique feel. You can also customise your order by choosing colours and materials. www.miinalaitsaari.com
Yours Sustainably
This ethically made three strand cotton necklace is perfect summer jewellery. Each pretty necklace has a mixture of daisy shaped flowers, interspersed with delicate leaves along its length and is finished with a loop and coconut shell button fastening. Made exclusively for Yours Sustainably by a women’s craft group in Sri Lanka. www.yourssustainably.com
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Ethical Brands for Fashion Revolution Shopping Event - Museum Of Brands 28th April 2018 On Saturday 28th April, independent ethical clothing brands from around the UK will come together at London’s Brand Museum to support the Fashion Revolution message and show consumers that there is a viable, ethical alternative to high street, fast fashion brands. Fashion Revolution marks the anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh and has become a global movement campaigning for systematic change in the fashion industry and calling for greater supply chain transparency. They will have a showcase throughout the day where you will be able to discover, browse and buy from a full range of independent ethical fashion brands – including clothing, footwear, accessories and jewellery. The busy schedule also includes an ethical fashion show, a screening of our 2017 Ethical Brands for Fashion Revolution film, as well as expert panels and Q&A sessions. Attend this event to discover beautiful new brands, vote with your wallet and help change the face of the fashion industry for the better! The event is free to attend, you can register here. About the organisers This is a collaborative event organised by #EthicalHour and Where Does It Come From? to bring together members of the #Ethicalhour tribe and online ethical fashion community. Ethical Hour is the world’s first support network for conscious businesses, brands, social enterprises and bloggers. Providing resources, advice, opportunities and support that help ethically-minded businesses and bloggers connect, learn and grow. Their Twitter chat puts ethical brands in front of millions of conscious consumers every week. Where Does It Come From? Is a UK based clothing brand offering high quality basics for adults and children. Their beautiful clothes are created in partnership with social enterprises and artisans always according to fair trade standards and using sustainable production methods. They believe that building a deeper relationship with their clothes will inspire customers to love their clothes. The event is sponsored by Pebble Magazine and Natural Mumma Magazine NMM April 2018
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FASHIONED FROM
NATURE
T
he V&A’s next eagerly awaited fashion exhibition opens later this month, and claims to be the first UK show to explore the complex relationship between fashion and nature. Examining the period from 1600 to the present day, Fashioned From Nature will focus on sustainability and a growing ethical awareness both among consumers and makers. The natural world has always provided rich inspiration for beautiful fashion. This will be shown in displays of exquisite garments from the historic to the contemporary. Around 300 objects will be on display, including sustainably-produced outfits by Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood, and the much-reported Calvin Klein red carpet dress made from recycled plastic bottles worn by actress Emma Watson at the 2016 Met Gala. Also included is a 1780s man’s waistcoat, expertly embroidered with a pattern of playful Macaque monkeys, through to Gucci’s contemporary bag decorated with stag beetle motifs. One of the earliest pieces in the exhibition, a women’s jacket from the early 1600s, is intricately embroidered with designs of pea-shoots and flowers. A 2016 Giles Deacon hautecouture dress features a pattern of delicate bird’s eggs, whilst gowns from Jean Paul Gaultier
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Cape of curled cockerel feathers, Auguste Champot, France, circa 1895 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
V&A 21 April 2018 – 27 Jan 2019
vam.ac.uk/FashionedFromNature | #FashionedFromNature NMM April 2018
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(1997) and Busvine (1933-4) both feature leopard print. It celebrates fashion’s innovation and creativity, and the inspiration it finds in nature, but also draws attention to its heavy footprint on the planet. The fashion industry’s processes and insatiable demand for raw materials come at a considerable environmental cost, not only contributing to air and water pollution but also the loss of flora and fauna across the globe. Fashioned from Nature shows how and why this has happened, and the ways in which today’s fashion designers are rising to the challenge to help create a better industry. They recognise the need to respect and protect the earth and all of its inhabitants. The exhibition will also focus closely on the raw materials used in the production of fashion. Arranged chronologically, it will introduce the main fibres used in the 17th and 18th centuries – silk, flax, wool and cotton – as well as now controversial materials like whalebone, demonstrated by an x-ray by Nick Veasey of a pair of 1780s stays, and turtle shell, used in a fan from 1700. It goes on to chart the expansion
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in international trade, import of precious materials, and later introduction of manmade materials, which brought fashionable dress to the masses but also contributed to the air and water pollution to which the textile industry is such a significant contributor. A bold display of posters, slogan clothes and artworks will show how protest movements have helped draw attention to the harmful side of fashion. Figures like Vivienne Westwood have popularised these issues and a mannequin will pay homage to an outfit worn by her whilst protesting against climate change. A man’s outfit from Katharine Hamnett’s 1989 ‘Clean Up or Die’ collection will be on show alongside posters from Fashion Revolution, a collective aiming to change the way clothes are sourced, produced and consumed. Customising and re-wearing clothes will be highlighted through a vintage outfit and a jacket customised by London designer Katie Jones for fashion writer and editor Susie Lau to wear during Fashion Revolution Week 2015. A section of the exhibit, the
V&A says, will be dedicated to showcasing innovation, with regenerated materials made from everything from household waste to pineapple fibres. A leather-substitute produced by Vegea using grape waste from the wine industry will be on display, alongside an outfit designed by
Italian luxury house Ferragamo, made from an orange fibre derived from waste from the Italian citrus industry. At a time when environmental protection and the use and disposal of precious resources are hotly debated topics, the exhibition provides a forum for discussion. Fashioned from Nature asks what we can learn from the past in order to design a better fashion industry for the future. It not only challenges designers to create clothes that are both beautiful and responsible, but also encourages us all to consider more carefully our own clothes. The exhibition will present a range of solutions to reducing fashion’s impact on the environment from low water denim and using wild rubber to more conceptual and collaborative projects. These include a dress grown from plant roots by the artist Diana Scherer, who uses seed, soil and water to train root systems into textile-like material, a bio-luminescent geneticallyengineered silk dress created by Sputniko!, the MIT Lab and the National Institute of Agricultural Science (NIAS), South Korea, and a tunic and trousers made from synthetic spider silk from Bolt Threads x Stella McCartney. The Centre for Sustainable Fashion (CSF) at London College of Fashion, UAL, will present two interactive installations which explore ‘Fashion Now’ and ‘Fashion Future.’ ‘Fashion Now’ will take five iconic contemporary fashion pieces and using sensors, visitors will be able to explore the unseen impact on nature of the construction, making, wearing and discarding of each item. ‘Fashion Future’ will immerse viewers into the fashion world of the future, inviting us to question what fashion means and show us a future we are yet to imagine.
Images Opposite, top: Speckled Crimson Ruff by Michelle Lowe-Holder, ‘Flock & Fold’ Collection AW11 Photography by Polly Penrose ‘Grape’ dress made with Vegea, a leather alternative made from grape waste. © Vegea Opposite, bottom: Calvin Klein Green Carpet Challenge dress worn by Emma Watson to the MET Gala 2016. © Matt Baron/REX/ Shutterstock Above: Greenpeace printed cotton t-shirt, Britain, 1990s © Victoria and Albert Museum Right: Earrings made from heads of Red Legged Honeycreeper birds, circa 1875 © Victoria and Albert Museum
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Natural Mumma Loves... La Juniper
Bee Necklaces
Simple enough to wear everyday, but full of character, these charming bee necklaces are perfect to bring that something special to an outfit. Available gold plated and in sterling silver. Made by a small team in Cornwall and 10 per cent of sale goes to the Home of Juniper charity partners, The Bumblebee Conservation Trust. www.homeofjuniper.co.uk
Fern Necklace Fern necklace designed by award winning author and illustrator Coralie Pickford-Smith. The necklace arrives on a presentation card explaining its provenance, and carefully packaged in a grey gift box. Handmade by Patty, Naty, Lizet, Diana and Lucie from the Hope Jewellery fair trade project in Lima, Peru. By working with Just Trade, these women are able to educate their children and secure a better future for their families. www.homeofjuniper.co.uk
Mint Himalaya Purse
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Large mint Himalaya purse. Large cotton zip purse with waterproof lining, to store toiletries, gadgets or other items. Hand screen-printed with our geometric Himalayan Vista design. Each pouch is individually handcrafted in a Nepalese factory that employs local people, some affected by disabilities, providing an income for themselves and their families according to fair trade principles. www.homeofjuniper.co.uk
Next Month In
Natural Mumma
THE GREAT OUTDOORS SHAPING UP
Ethical Active Wear
ON THE BEACH Alfresco Dining
Cherry Necklace Fair trade Tagua Cherry Necklace. Handmade fair trade in Ecuador. Cherry pendant skillfully hand carved from a tagua nut, by Ronald and his friends in Ecuador. Tagua is a nut from a type of palm that grows in the South American jungle. Often known as vegetable ivory, it is a sustainable and environmentally sound alternative to animal ivory. Chain length 90cm. www.homeofjuniper.co.uk
GOOD SCENTS
Chemical Free Fragrances NATURAL MUMMA MAGAZINE ISSUE 10 AVAILABLE FROM 4 MAY 2018
Natural Mumma Magazine April 2018
NMM Team Editor: Holly Daffurn
holly@naturalmumma.com
Creative: Gerard Hughes mail@gerardhughes.co.uk
Cover Image by Gerard Hughes featuring small Kips Cross Body Bag by made www.made.uk.com www.naturalmumma.com Natural Mumma Magazine
is produced by T5 Publications. Contents may not be reproduced, stored or distributed in any form without prior written permission. All reasonable efforts have been made to ensure all information contained in this magazine is accurate but the publishers can accept no responsibiilty for effects arising therefrom. All rights reserved.
Š T5 Publications 2018 NMM April 2018
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Bag it!
Our pick of the best natural beauty essentials for a cruelty free
MooGoo Natural Sunscreen SPF 30
Lush Solid Perfumes
Don’t get caught out as the warmer weather arrives. Suitable for the whole family this chemical free zinc based sunscreen contains olive oil and jojoba to feed the skin as it protects it.
These little perfume pots are ideal to pop in your bag to keep your fresh and fragrant throughout the day. We love the sweet femininity of Amelie Mae and the spiced comfort of Cardamom Coffee.
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Fresh Therapies Nail File & Polish Remover This nail file is an ecological hero but it also the more hygienic option and leaves nails stronger and less likely to chip and split. Portable natural polish remover wipes are ideal for on the go touch ups.
Africology Vetiver Natural Spring Water Mist
The Body Shop Vitamin E Hydrating Face Mist
With vetiver and rooibos to calm and nourish the skin as well as soothing the mind. This delicate spray refreshes, rejuvenates and is the perfect travelling companion to combat dehydration.
This classic from the Body Shop’s Vitamin E range is enriched with rosewater and wheatgerm oil for an instant pick me up and moisture boost. Leaves a delicate feminine fragrance as it hydrates.
Will’s Vegan Shoes & Accessories Co City Bag
Green People Volumising Mascara and Matte Lipstick
Tabitha James Kraan On The Go Set (Dark Hair)
This pebble grain faux leather bag was ethically made in Portugal. The timeless style and high quality workmanship make this versatile piece truly sustainable. We love how the pockets add functionality to this chic accessory.
For hydrated lips with a subtle touch of colour, the Damask Rose lipstick from Green People is a beautifully understated neutral. This mascara gives soft flirty full lashes without any nasties. Pop them in your bag for instant glamour.
This powerful little trio keeps your hair looking fantastic throughout the day and is ideal for day to evening transformations. With organic dry shampoo to refresh and add volume, perfume and conditioner for a flawless finish.
Nourish Essential Renew Collection
Neom Mist, Hand Balm & Pulse Point
MIA Cosmetics Paris Lipsticks
e handbag...
The perfect portable skincare triptych. Ideal for refreshing your look before a night out. Featuring Rose of Jericho, hyaluronic acid and Argan Oil for beautifully hydrated and smooth skin.
The mood lifting mist with mandarin and mint smells divine, the hand balm offers an uplifting scent and rich moisturisation and the pulse point energises. A truly holistic approach to beauty.
Offering intense hydration, a flawless finish and long lasting colour. Fresh Freesia gives a pop of colour for bright daytime looks while Berry Bloom offers sultry sophistication for the evening.
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Natural Mumma Loves... Tiyö
Tiyö is a new ethical luxury fashion and lifestyle brand that believes in using their designs to spread kindness and support a journey of wellbeing in those who make them and those who wear them. At Tiyö they believe in slow fashion. They produce timeless designs built on a canvas of luxurious fabrics with intricate tailoring. Their holistic approach is celebrated through the names given to each collection and individual piece, every customer is made to look and feel complete. With classic style and uncompromising quality in every garment, you will cherish your investment in a Tiyö piece for years to come. Ethical fashion is all about story, but the designers at Tiyö have taken this further by steeping each garment in an expressive and inspiring reflection of modern life. www.tiyoshop.com
The Lively Top The ‘lively’ top was designed to be bold and fun while representing an unrelenting sense of individuality. This design represents transformation. It’s flattering cut and feminine details are inspired by the times in life when we may not be feeling quite ourselves. This top symbolises the new found confidence that we emerge with and the lessons that we have learnt that we confront the world with.
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The V-Suit This highly versatile two-piece set features flattering cut-outs just between the waist and hips to emphasise the female shape. The satin ties bring a beautiful touch of luxury as they add texture and interest. Wear your V-suit as daywear with chic sneakers or flats for a shopping trip or casual lunch, or team it with heels, your favorite clutch bag and a long tailored coat for a stylish night out. This design is an ode to self-acceptance. It reflects the notion of spending far too long trying to be someone we’re not in order to fit someone else’s perception of perfection. Inevitably we finally realise that we are already perfect in our own distinctive way. This combination of shape-hugging pants with daring cut-outs and the sporty relaxed top and is all about giving ourselves the respect and appreciation that we deserve.
Their first lookbook photos were taken in Bologna, Italy to portray their worldwide vision for the brand. With free international shipping, they sell exclusively online - making them accessible from pretty much anywhere and giving them the chance to connect with ethically conscious women throughout the world.
Tiyö believe that business should be as gentle as possible which is why they are committed to working with individual artisans in Turkey. These workers are always treated fairly and paid generously. Ten per cent of all profit is donated to charity. To follow the charities and to learn more about the stories behind their collections you may like to explore their blog.
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FAST
TALK
The term ethical fashion has filtered into common usage and People Tree were instrumental in this change. It is not only Fair Trade that the company’s founder Safia Minney is fighting for. She talks passionately about protecting the planet as well as taking care of its people.
L
ast month we were delighted to meet the inspirational Safia Minney; pioneer of the sustainable fashion movement, founder of People Tree, MD of Po-Zu and author. Here is a woman who didn’t simply identify the injustice in the fashion industry but she made it her mission to rebuild its landscape. The doyenne of ethical clothing - it is hard to talk about the fashion revolution without mentioning her name. Safia became a social entrepreneur after a stint in publishing. She first discovered Fair Trade while shopping at Oxfam, and this passion for green consumerism soon flourished into a business idea and People Tree was born. When Safia met some of the first organic cotton pickers in India she was struck by the sense of family and community in their work. They focused on crop rotation and were not cash dependent, this cotton was then sent on to handlooms in Bangladesh. She was fascinated by the production processes and the lives of the people who were so vital in the story of a garment. She saw a desperate need for change and responded to it.
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But it is not only Fair Trade that Safia is fighting for. The clothing industry is the second largest pollutant in the world. Safia talks passionately about protecting the planet as well as taking care of its people. The Fair Trade movement is built on ten principles of Fair Trade to promote developmental and environmental standards and these principles lie at the heart of People Tree and all of the great ethical fashion brands. “The concept around People Tree is that it is made by people for people who are not the professional elite – clothes that could be bought and worn by anybody.” Organic and Fair Trade cotton have helped to reduce water consumption by over 60 per cent in Gujarati (through the use of drip irrigation and the resulting increased water holding capacity of the soil). It has also helped to build local indigenous seed banks and protect against GMO. “The resulting soil is beautiful, fertile and full of nutrients.” It was shocking to learn from Safia that there are 250,000 microfibres in one inch of synthetic fleece. The plastic fibres
seep into tap water through the washing process. Plant filters are not strong enough to catch these fibres and they get consumed by fish. It then enters into the food chain through our oceans. “We strive for a holistic lifestyle, yet we wear synthetic fibres that are so damaging to the environment.” The term ethical fashion has filtered into common usage, but People Tree were instrumental in this change. They were the first brand to achieve certification (Global Organic Textile Standard) on a product (organic cotton) in the developing world. People Tree were also the first fashion company to achieve WFTO mark to guarantee Fair Trade throughout the supply chain. They also increased label transparency by designing their own labels such as Certified Organic Cotton, Hand Woven, Hand Block Print etc. Nowadays people understand the need for brands to be ethical and to take responsibility for sustainability. However, when People Tree started out this was unusual. Safia is excited about the opportunity around Fair Trade becoming mainstream. With an increasing number of celebrities
Left: Janine Corduroy Culottes Right, from top: Melia Jumpsuit, Nettie Dress and Stripe Nightdress NMM April 2018
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Above, from left: Bernice Shirt Dress, V&A Seed Print Frill Dress and Yoga Cross Back Top
using their status to promote the importance of conscious consumerism and more brands starting to consider the full story behind production, important changes are happening. When Emma Watson approached Safia about creating a range for her age group, Safia understood that the new generation is helping to shape the future of the fashion industry. Safia was the global CEO of People Tree for 24 years before she wrote her 8th book ‘Slave To Fashion.’ She was working as a sustainability consultant when she was approached by her friend Sven Segal to become MD of Po-Zu. The idea appealed to Safia who had struggled to style People Tree shoots because of a lack of decent ethical shoes. She relied on borrowed footwear and vintage shoes instead. Pinewood studios approached Po-Zu to feature their shoes in their films. This gave Po-Zu the chance to commercialise their
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shoes through the films. The shoes were produced in Portugal and Safia looked into ways to produce an ethical line alongside the standard line, by including organic cotton uppers etc. You have to really understand the structure of shoes in order to create proper ethical footwear. This involves the use of biodegradable materials such as Piñatex® - a natural leather substitute derived from pineapple leaf fibre. Safia has met many people caught in horrific exploitation and slavery over the years and has been able to take some of them out of it. Her understanding of the economic backdrop and power struggles of marginalised people has meant she has been able to change their lives. By constantly looking at freedom of association and genuine protection of human rights, she has created a fashion brand that has made a positive impact on the lives of thousands. The glimmers of hope are
growing stronger all the time. Women are using their mobile phones to report violations of human rights – giving the power back to the workers. There are labour unions that raise the alert and put pressure on brands until they improve. Through the years, the relationships have deepened as People Tree are collaborating on sustainable designs. With a partnership approach they strictly monitor the living conditions of artisans and farmers. Improvements three years down the road may not be exclusively down to a brand but there are strong stories there and the artisans reported better working conditions and improvements that could only have occurred due to the brand association. “It’s all about storytelling, transparency and meeting the people who make the clothes.” Safia always asks the workers firsthand how their lives could be
improved. One group of Sri Lankan farmers asked for free uniforms and transport to work, while others have asked for literacy training or microcredit schemes. What is clear is that the importance of ethical production methods and Fair Trade is increasing. More consumers are asking questions and more brands are listening to each story along the supply chain. “Ethical fashion can mean so many things from poverty elimination to upcycling or using up waste fabric. It can mean human rights or animal rights. The beauty of offering product
– it means going on a journey to understand how interconnected things are. It’s about taking a consumer on a journey.” As consumers we have the freedom to question each purchase and to learn the history behind our garments. We have the power to make vital changes that will have a positive impact on the future of our world. “It is so important that we continue to recognise Fair Trade as a grassroots movements – without consumers and that transparency and push we’ll lose the momentum and glimmer of hope.”
Right, from top: Caroline Top Aina Abstract Trousers and Axelle Tunic Shirt
Safia appears in the eyeopening documentary ‘The True Cost’ where she gives a candid interview about the true cost of fast fashion and explains how slow fashion can be life changing. https://truecostmovie.com www.safia-minney.com www.peopletree.co.uk https://po-zu.com www.global-standard.org https://wfto.com We met Safia at the Oxford Fairtrade Coaltion AGM. To find out more about the great work they do, visit https://oxfairtrade. wordpress.com NMM April 2018
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Natural Mumma Loves... Bloomtown Bloomtown’s certified vegan & cruelty free products are also 100 per cent free from palm oil, parabens, sulphates, phthalates, synthetic colours and detergents. The company donates 10 per cent of its profits to environmental and social causes. Check out their award winning Sugar Scrubs, crafted with British grown sugar and available in five gorgeous scents, plus an unscented option. https://bloomtown.co.uk
Lalee Kids Lalee Kids is a fair trade children’s clothing company that celebrates the simple joys of childhood through handwoven textiles. Visit Lalee Kids to shop for clothing that is modern, functional and built to last. www.laleekids.com
Halia Rose
Halia Rose is a gorgeous award winning and ethical jewellery and accessories collection for adults, children and babies. Made of 100 per cent non-toxic, BPA free silicone they are baby safe, heat resistant and chewable. They are perfect for day-to-night wear, teething babies, beach life and outdoor adventures. (Also dishwasher proof and vegan friendly!) www.haliarose.co.uk
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SNACT SNACT makes delicious and wholesome snacks to create more taste and less waste! Their fruit jerky and banana bars are packed with all the nutrition of flawless fruit and help the UK fight food waste. All their snacks are vegan, gluten free, high in fibre, made in the UK and come in plastic free, home compostable packaging to fight waste plastic. https://snact.co.uk
Buzz Cloth
Buzzcloth is a reusable, all natural alternative to plastic which seals around food with the help of the warmth of your hands, keeping it fresher and intact. Perfect for cheese, sandwiches, fruit, vegetables, bread, snacks and more. It also seals around bowls which is handy for storing leftovers, rising dough and salad. Buzzcloth can be used over and over again for anything up to two years. Rinse, or wash it in cold water with mild soap, let it dry and reuse. At the end of its life, throw it on the compost. https://www.buzzcloth.com
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You Will Need: For the lamb koftas... 500g lamb mince A chilli A generous handful of fresh mint A lemon 1 tsp of ground cumin 1 tsp of ground coriander 1 tbsp of olive oil 3 cloves of garlic For the halloumi and aubergine burgers... 2 eggs 1 packet of sliced halloumi Flour and panko crumbs for dipping 1 aubergine For the tzatziki... A pinch of salt The juice of a lemon 2 cloves of garlic 2 cups of Greek yoghurt 1/3 of a cucumber A generous handful of mint And optional paprika to taste
“...these little burger bites are as delicious as they are playful...�
natural
mumma
makes
For the flatbreads... 450g full fat Greek yoghurt 450g self raising flour Paprika For the relish... 4 shallots 1 cup of white wine vinegar 1/4 of a cucumber And salad vegetables to garnish
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natural mumma makes
Lamb Kofta, Aubergine & Halloumi Burger Bites W
ith the focus on fashion in this month’s issue, we wanted to create something with strong visual appeal that would be ideal for parties and events. Fused with Greek flavours and with options for carnivores, vegetarians and vegans these little burger bites are as delicious as they are playful. The addition of panko crumb results in a crisp light finish. The cool tzatziki sits beautifully beside the gentle heat of the spices in the kebabs and the relish adds texture and a whole new level of flavour. For family meals, you may decide to create large scale burgers with bigger
flatbreads and lamb patties instead of kebabs. Whether you present these Greek treats as burgers (with tzatziki dip on the side) or let everyone construct their own burgers, adding tzatziki and relish to suit their tastes – they will certainly be a talking point. For a vegan option, dip your aubergine slices in almond milk instead of egg. There are a host of dairy free yoghurts on the market, almond based yoghurts work especially well for a vegan version of this recipe. The addition of the yoghurt results in a beautifully soft bread which works well with gluten free flour.
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1
Make your flatbreads by sifting the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the yoghurt and stir until combined. Season with a pinch Tip!of salt and knead roughly into a firm dough.
2
Tip!
Flour a board and roll the flatbread
dough until Nam inum alia adicia Am it is around 5mm thick. Cut ipsapid mi,your eici Tem faccum out flatbreads using a 38mm pastry cutter. Gently score each flatbread.
3
Heat your griddle pan before laying out your first batch of flatbreads. Cook for a minute on each side until the bread is seared. Transfer your bread to a plate to cool before dusting with paprika.
4
Now for the tzatziki, first take your cucumber. Peel it and slice it. Remove the seeds using a metal spoon. Dice it finely before spreading out in a colander and sprinkling generously with salt. Allow your cucumber to rest so that the salt absorbs any excess water.
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Finely chop the garlic before adding it to the yoghurt. Shred your mint and add to the tzatziki bowl. Squeeze in your lemon juice, stir well to combine. Leave in the fridge for an hour before adding the cucumber.
6
Slice your aubergine into 5mm sections, use your cutter to create small discs, then repeat with your halloumi slices. Dip each disc into flour, beaten eggs and then panko crumbs before placing to one side.
7
Now to make the koftas. Add your mince, olive oil, mint, chilli, garlic and lemon juice to a large bowl. Season before stirring well to combine. Compress the meat into long sausage shapes using your hands.
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Roll the kebabs in flour before cooking in your griddle for 3-4 minutes each side. Once each side of the meat has been cooked leave it to rest while you cook the other burgers.
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In the meantime, shallow fry your breaded aubergine and halloumi discs in batches a little olive oil. Remove from the heat and rest on kitchen paper.
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Slice your kebab into 5mm slices using a sharp knife. Layer your burgers between the flatbreads and serve with tzatziki and relish.
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Nam inum alia adicia Am ipsapid mi, Tem faccum.
natural mumma makes
Quick And Easy Onion Relish As a beautiful, sharp contrast to the lamb and the halloumi, we made a quick onion relish. Don’t let the simple ingredients fool you - this is a delicious addition to the burger bites and the taste belies the time required to prepare it! - Finely slice four shallots. These should be as fine as possible, and ideally, could be prepared in a food processor on its finest setting. - Peel and seed a quarter of a cucumber. Chop to the same consistency as the shallots and then combine the two in a ceramic bowl. - Season and then pour over a cup of white wine vinegar. Stir, cover and then place in the fridge for at least a couple of hours - the longer the better.
These wonderful burger bites not only look great, but they taste wonderful too. Much of the prep could be done well in advance, but they definitely taste their best when freshly cooked and assembled. Experiment with your own relishes and salads to add an additional twist.
- Serve and enjoy!
Natural Mumma YouTube Channel You can find this recipe and plenty more on the Natural Mumma YouTube channel www.youtube.com/naturalmumma
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The Right Label Manufacturers and retailers are increasingly happy to attach the ‘ethical’ label to their products, but how do we know whan a product truly has the right to the name...?
E
thical has become a major buzzword, attached to everything from vegetables to electronics. But where fashion and clothing is concerned, the ability to be sure that every stage of supply and manufacture conforms to a set standard becomes far more difficult. For conscious consumers, reassurance that the products they want to buy have been manufactured in a way that’s consistent with their own values on protecting people and the planet is paramount. So how do you know that what you are being sold as an ethical garment actually is? How easily can we identify truly ethical clothing? Thanks to the hard work of a number of organisations, making an informed choice is getting easier. The 2013 Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh reignited the conversation around harmful
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practices in the clothing industry, and fashion houses and clothing manufacturers seem increasingly keen to move away from the dubious practices that have long been commonplace. There continues to be a ready market for fast fashion. High street retailers may make claims that their collections contain ethical goods, but they rarely qualify under closer scrutiny. If you want to be sure that clothing has been produced ethically, seek out a brand you can trust and who are happily transparent about every aspect of their supply and manufacturing chain. Some of these are now well established household names - such as People Tree, Thought Clothing and Mayamiko. And always look for the certification logos from the established fair trade bodies.
Global Organic Textile Standard The Soil Association certifies clothing to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), an international standard. This label can mean the garment is made from organic materials, ‘organic materials in-conversion’ which means that a producer is switching to organic production methods, or contains a percentage of organic or in-conversion fibres. This label guarantees that the garment
isn’t made with any genetically modified products. Although not strictly a guarantee of high ethical standards, environmental management and the social responsibility of producers are also incorporated into the GOTS for all textile processing and manufacturing stages. To achieve certification, workers are paid a living wage and no forced or child labour is used. NMM April 2018
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Fairtrade Mark
The Fairtrade mark is issued by the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation (FLO), and its inclusion on a garment label means that the cotton has been sourced from a Fairtrade certified producer organisation. It will also have been produced in a registered supply chain where there’s full traceability of the cotton at every stage of a garment’s production from the spinning of the cotton to the assembly of the finished item.
Fairtrade Cotton Program Mark
The Cotton Program mark was introduced by the FLO in 2014. The label can be used by companies on textile products or garments which contain an agreed per cent of Fairtrade certified cotton. This might range from 10 to 100 per cent of the cotton used in their supply chains. This is different from the Fairtrade mark because it applies to the practices of a company, not a product.
WFTO Fair Trade Organisation Mark
Country Of Origin
There is still no legal requirement within the EU for a garment to be labelled with its country of origin. In April 2014, The European Parliament voted that manufacturers should be required to label all non-food goods with their country of origin. For goods produced in more than one country, the country of origin will be defined as the one where it underwent “the last substantial, economically justified processing” resulting in a new product or representing “an important stage of manufacture”.
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The World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) is another fair trade labelling organisation, separate from FLO. A garment carrying the WFTO Fair Trade Organisation Mark (FTO) shows that the company which makes the garment has successfully passed the WFTO Guarantee System process. This is an audit of the company’s entire supply chain according to the WFTO Fair Trade Standard, with criteria based on the ten Fair Trade Principles and International Labour Organisation conventions. The WFTO label doesn’t guarantee a certified product, but signifies that a company is making efforts to improve working conditions in its supply chain. In 2013 People Tree became the world’s first clothing company to carry the WFTO company mark.
FairWear
Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) is an independent, non-profit organisation that works with companies and factories to verify and improve workplace conditions for garment workers in 11 production countries in Asia, Europe and Africa. FWF members have to agree to work towards implementation of the FWF Code of Labour Practices and to having all their factories independently monitored. The FWF code comprises eight labour standards based on ILO Conventions and the UN’s Declaration on Human Rights. The FWF label doesn’t certify products, but signifies that a company is making efforts to improve working conditions and has at least 90 per cent of its factories under monitoring.
The Argument Against Fairtrade You will sometimes hear the argument voiced, that we shouldn’t boycott sweat shop produced goods as the only people this will ultimately hurt is those who we are seeking to help and protect, the workers. Big corporations and major high street stores will always try to produce their goods in the most favourable way for them, which translates to the lowest cost possible to ensure the highest profit at the point of sale. If the consumer puts pressure on them by refusing to buy the goods, they will simply move production elsewhere. This is a simplistic and naïve point of view. Big business can be brutal in many ways but at the same time is highly sensitive to its market, and pays great attention to movements in its sales reports. If its market share is stable, or even better increasing, it takes this as confirmation that it is doing things right, it is rewarded with continued sales and its belief in its economic policies is reinforced. If sales and market share falls, it will question its behaviour. It knows that to stay in business, it will have to examine and if necessary, change its economic behaviour. Long before it gets to the point of closing down supply chains and factories, it will conduct research and focus groups, it will try to understand why their customers are no longer their customers. And it is at this point that the message from the consumer should come through loud and clear. And the more people who send the boycott message, the quicker it will get through and practices will change. But we always need to remember that the only reason big business can continue to exploit workers is that we, as consumers in wealthy developed countries, are willing to continue to buy its goods. NMM April 2018
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