EcoChic Magazine

Modern Slavery?

Deborah Miarkowska — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 20:22:07 +0000

18th October of each year is Anti-Slavery Day in the UK and Anti-Trafficking Day in…

Source - Jewellery’s Fairtrade Journey - now published

Deborah Miarkowska — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 07:00:22 +0000

2011 is an inspirational year for the fairtrade jewellery sector. With the launch of the fairtrade and fairmined gold mark, we have a landmark that is truly worth celebrating. At EcoChic we're bringing together the work of companies that we admire in this sector - and we'd like to invite your brand to be part of this exceptional story in our forthcoming printed publication, Source - Jewellery's Fairtrade Journey, putting ethics & the environment at the heart of fashion. Please view our Sample Pages of Source via our Source-Sampler. Over the coming weeks, myself and our EcoChic Features Writer & Graphic Designer, Jo Swannell Owen will be putting together our first fully published and beautifully illustrated book: "Source - Jewellery's Fairtrade Journey, putting ethics & environment at the heart of fashion". Within this stylish coffee-table publication we will tell the inspirational stories behind the pioneers within the fairtrade jewellery movement, share their brand stories and vibrantly illustrate each brands' fairtrade jewellery collections, exploring the life story behind every piece. From Fashion dilema, what's wrong with a bit of bling? to our Ore Inspiring Industry Narratives, this publication digs deep and examines the jewellery industry in detail to demonstate how the industry is changing, with both cutting-edge designers and independents trying to clean up fashion's dirty image. Inclusion in this exciting fairtrade jewellery publication includes a copy of the book, which will be a high quality promotional tool for you to use with your customers. If you work as a Fairtrade Jewellery Designer and are interested in being part of Source please email hello@ecochiccollection.co.uk for further details.

Swimming for Syrian refugees appeal

Deborah Miarkowska — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 22:34:05 +0000

Over the last few months the news from Syria has escalated into all out conflict and the effects of this are devastating for the population. Leo Santos- Shaw, Textiles Senior Lecturer, University of Brighton has been moved enough to swim to raise much needed funds for Syrian refugees, not once, not twice but three times this August and September 2012. Leo says: "I will be attempting (and hopefully completing) three sea swims: Newhaven to Brighton (8 miles); Dover to France (an official Channel relay swim) and Worthing Pier to Brighton Pier (11 miles). Sea swimming this year has been particularly challenging, due to below average sea temperatures, rough seas and high winds, huge amounts of seaweed and floating debris! These three swims together with many hours of training amount to a lot of swimming - and, wearing only trunks, goggles and a cap! So click on this link for more information concerning the Syrian refugee crisis and donating - it would be great if a donation or two could be made for such a worthy cause. Regular email updates regarding progress, dates of swims (depends on weather and currents), and completion/evidence of swims to follow! Many thanks for your kind support - Leo Leo Santos-Shaw Textiles Senior Lecturer Department of Fashion & Textiles University of Brighton Grand Parade Brighton BN2 OJY Tel: 01273 643211

The Ethical Fashion Forum presents The SOURCE Awards 2012

Hadiza Aboubacar — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 17:18:49 +0000

This year the Ethical Fashion Forum is expanding on its annual INNOVATION competition to launch the SOURCE Awards, now open for applications. The awards recognise excellence in fashion and sustainability in 12 categories across the entire supply chain, and winners benefit from widespread promotion and recognition as sector leaders. The SOURCE Awards are free to enter and open to all, from individuals to businesses, in every country in the world. For the first time, this year the EFF is giving the opportunity to everyone to nominate a business or individual for an award in any of the 12 categories. The awards recognise excellence in 12 different categories, from design innovation to brand leadership across women's, men's, accessories, and children's wear, sustainable supply / manufacture, retail, and individual contribution. The Awards are a part of the SOURCE, a groundbreaking social enterprise and resource for fashion professionals, including SOURCE Intelligence Magazine, SOURCE Database and SOURCE Network. www.ethicalfashionforum.com/source Application is through a simple online form available on the SOURCE website. Candidates can apply for an award in up to 3 categories with a single application process. The final deadline for nominations and applications is Tuesday 31st July 2012 6pm GMT. The SOURCE Awards put the spotlight on the most innovative and inspirational businesses, individuals, and initiatives in the fashion industry, globally. The EFF's INNOVATION Awards, now a part of the SOURCE Awards, have been running for seven seasons, acting as a launch pad for emerging talent in fashion and sustainability. Previous winners include brands such as: Christopher Raeburn, Ada Zanditon, and LaLesso, all of which have gone on to achieve profile and success in the mainstream fashion sector. "Invaluable experience and a great opportunity to further my career" - Christopher Raeburn The SOURCE platform is the definitive resource for fashion businesses, professionals, buyers, press and consumers for information and to connect with sustainable fashion businesses. Reaching tens of thousands of fashion professionals in 127 countries every week, the SOURCE is set to become the premier online fashion business intelligence and sourcing platform. SOURCE Award winners benefit from promotion on SOURCE Intelligence, through SOURCE Bulletins, on SOURCE Network, and directly to buyers, partner promotional platforms and press, online, through events and through direct recommendations, for which the EFF gets regular requests. Winners are also authorised to display their Award Winners Logo that can be used on their websites and emails alongside Award Certificate to prove their industry-recognised dedication and achievements in sustainable fashion. About the Ethical Fashion Forum and the SOURCE The Ethical Fashion Forum (EFF) is the industry body for sustainable fashion, representing over 6000 members in 127 countries: two thirds of whom are entrepreneurs and small businesses, many pioneering innovators in sustainability, in every part of the fashion supply chain. A not for profit organisation, EFF aims to make it easy for fashion professionals to integrate sustainability at the heart of what they do, to further the success of fashion businesses with responsible practices, and to put the businesses which excel in ethical practices in the spotlight. SOURCE recognises that sustainable practices are not an optional add on but a fundamental requirement for any business to compete in commercial and resource terms in the fashion industry today. Already, the businesses at the cutting edge in product design, innovation, and brand leadership, are the businesses that are also pioneering when it comes to sustainability. The foremost sector leaders are transforming livelihoods for the workers in their supply chains, driving forward the environmental agenda, and proving that best practice means integrating the triple bottom line. The SOURCE Awards recognise, celebrate and showcase the best of best-practice in the sector. The SOURCE Awards expand upon seven seasons of showcasing excellence by the Ethical Fashion Forum (EFF), through its INNOVATION Awards, which have acted as a launch pad for an emerging generation of inspirational design talent. In 2011, the Ethical Fashion Forum launched the SOURCE, a ground breaking social enterprise set to transform livelihoods for 2.5 million people in the developing world and significantly reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry. The SOURCE site was developed in collaboration with the Fairtrade Foundation, World Fair Trade Organisation, Textiles Exchange, and several other organisations. The result of 5 years of research and development by the Ethical Fashion Forum, it aims to facilitate sustainable business practices, showcase and share best practice, and open doors to market for ethical and fair trade suppliers all over the world. For more information or any queries please contact press@ethicalfashionforum.com.

A leap of faith for the A21 Campaign

Vanessa Platt — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 12:42:10 +0000

On the 19th May, I and two friends each embarked on and completed a sponsored skydive. And falling 13000 feet out of a light aircraft at 120 mph is not, incidentally, something I do for fun. Speaking for myself, only an exceptional cause would get me to consider doing such a thing. I first heard about the work of the A21 Campaign from my friend Sarah, whose idea it also was to skydive in support of them. She first directed me to the video on their website entitled ‘Natalia's Story'. I cannot recommend it highly enough - it is available to watch here: http://www.thea21campaign.org/videos.php. I learnt that slavery, said to have been abolishing in 1833 throughout the then British Empire, is now a modern-day industry which generates approximately 27.8 billion USD per year. By the end of the video, I had agreed to do the skydive. The Campaign, whose name stands for ‘Abolishing Injustice in the 21st Century', is combating the horrific crime of human trafficking from the ground - through, as they say, ‘rescuing one life at a time'. They deal primarily with the 1.39 million victims of commercial sexual servitude worldwide, 25% of which are trafficked from Eastern and Western Europe. The present situation in Europe has created conditions in which the trafficking of women for sex slaves is thriving: the fall of Communism left millions in the former Soviet Bloc in poverty, where shortage of jobs then unevenly affected women and EU immigration restrictions encouraged a rise in illegal immigration. Poor education and social morale also, crucially, encouraged a rise in male clients willing to pay for sex. For a trafficker, this situation is ripe for exploitation. With a keen awareness that every number represents one human life, A21 provides refuge for victims in their Crisis Care Shelter where they are helped to rebuild their lives and receive on-going legal counsel and protection in seeking real employment and a new life of freedom. Educative programmes in schools work to dissuade young people from paying for sexual services, and the A21 legal team fight for tougher sentences on traffickers. This year their focus is to expand their efforts from Greece and Ukraine into Bulgaria, where they have just successfully opened a new Home and recently convicted two traffickers, each sentenced to over 15 years in prison and a collective penalty fine of 200,000 euros. The A21 Campaign certainly finds an echo in the words of anthropologist Margaret Mead: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.' As a very smaller group of people, therefore, I and my friends were delighted to raise a total of £850 for the campaign through our dive. As I said, no other cause would have captured my heart quite so absolutely. We base our identity as a modern world, a nation and an individual upon our freedom. Let us restore that basic right to the identities of those who, right at this very moment, are in the clutch of traffickers. The amazing work of this small group is funded entirely by generous public donation. Please - continue to support them by donating whatever you can, however small the amount, at https://www.thea21campaign.org/donate.php. For more information please visit http://www.thea21campaign.org/.

Montessori Brighton in Action

Deborah Miarkowska — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 08:19:38 +0000

Brighton & Hove Montessori School for children aged 2 - 11 years old, is thriving…

Send my friend to school campaign

Deborah Miarkowska — Sat, 05 May 2012 06:32:39 +0000

Send My Friend to School is a campaign that has brought together hundreds of thousands…

Protected: EcoSmart Kids - Holiday Clubs in Sussex 2012

Deborah Miarkowska — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:57:16 +0000

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

Protected: EcoChic Consulting - tailored communications for ethical brands

Deborah Miarkowska — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:50:57 +0000

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

Editor Picks - Paper Themes - designer eco edge stationery

Deborah Miarkowska — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:43:24 +0000

Editor Picks- Paper Themes - wedding stationery with a designer eco edge