Fashion
In the latest chapter of the elasticated and ever expanding Otesha UK Book, we’ve sewn together all our knowledge of fashion. Guilt-free clothes: they're the new black.
You can read our masterpiece here:
Otesha UK Handbook - Fashion Chapter
Click on this link to download the chapter (as a PDF) onto your desktop. We published this in February 2008, but it's not the final edit.
This is how it works:
If you have anything to say about the fashion industry- anything at all- stitch it up and send it over. We like to get emails.
We’ll parade your fashion fables on the catwalk of our website - right here on this very page, in fact. If you have DIY skills to share, know a friend who makes recycled paper scarves or want to share your own story about clothing, then we want to put it here.
What's more, we might even knit your ideas into the final book. In the Autumn of 2008, we'll gather up the best of your submissions and include them when we send this to a real life grown up publisher to turn into an actual physical book. High fashion, indeed.
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Your stories
Ally, Georgie's sister, shares her love of fashion:
Hi I'm Ally, and for as long as I can remember I've always been interested in fabrics and fashion. Now I have a little stall on Manchester fashion market every Saturday selling my handmade wears & tears and customized secondhand / vintage clothes. My idea is that the things I make will stick with you forever. They're not necessarily ‘of the now' but you'll want to look after them and keep them. I always use recycled fabrics or remnants, this adds to the excitement of making things as nothing is ever the same and you never know what you're going to get!! There is so much fabric and clothes in the world now that we don't need to make more, we can just use what we've got! I think it's important to feel involved with the things you purchase, to really like something and appreciate where is has come from or how it was made. This makes it much more precious and more sustainable.
To get fabrics I scour the charity shops and car boots, and have also written off to a local silk mill that gave me 6 bin bags (!!) of silk remnants. I also do craft fairs/ events. These are easy to find out about on the Internet and there will be some in everyone's local area, especially around Nov-Dec. There are loads of craft blogs and Internet help and there are also loads of community groups, evening college classes and knitting/ sewing circles to help find out how to start making stuff yourself too. Once you start making, you appreciate how long things take and feel how much effort goes in and you'll never be tempted to buy that £8 dress from Primark again! It's also a great feeling when you see somebody wearing something you made or give somebody a homemade present, and you know they will keep it for many years. I think everyone should get creating and start getting involved with the clothes on their body, customizing and creating individual styles!!
Our friend and ethical fashion guru, Jo, is off to set up SOKO in Kenya:
I thought you might be interested to hear a bit more about the Kenya project I have been talking about over the last year.
SOKO Kenya will be a production unit producing clothes for the European fashion industry. We will be providing an alternative and creative solution to Kenya's economic crisis by promoting community-driven, ethical and environmentally aware trade in fashion. It's going to be an eco-building, including solar panels, a rainwater catchment system and all the bricks will be sourced locally (the drug rehab centre train locals in brick making).
All employees will receive a living wage and receive a formal employment contract. Tailors in the area are paid an average of £23 per month - we will pay £62 a month. There will also be a creche facility - giving mothers the opportunity of employment.
30% of profits will be reinvested into the growth of the project while 70% will be distributed to various local charities.
The idea to set this up was born out of a conversation with the owners of Lalesso (an ethical clothing brand based in Kenya). They currently have a production unit with 5 tailors in Kenya producing all their garments but they were in urgent need to expand or move their production elsewhere. They were really keen to keep the production in the community that they have been working with for years... this is where I came in and the idea was conceived.
Lalesso have committed to allocating all it's production to SOKO and so they will be our guinea pigs while we iron out all the creases. We will then open production to other brands.
I'm moving to Kenya for a year or two to get SOKO up and running. Feels very exciting and a dream come true and I just wanted share it with you.