Wellbeing, fashion and protection of your little tots, this is their leitmotiv! They designed and developed a whole coloured and full of life collection, for babies and children, from 0 to 4 years. Because much more than one simple fashion accessory, playful and coloured, it acts above all of a true health product!

Do you know that before 12 years, the crystalline lens of the children eyes isn’t definitively formed and filters only little UV rays, which can strongly damage the retina? The fact to protect the child as of the youth – before 1 year – decreases the risks by 40%. Thus in summer or in winter it seems essential to protect them well, to say it and shout it too, because we are only 27% of the French to think of equipping our small kids out in solar glasses between 0 and 5 years….

Having said that in order to make you feel a little guilty….It is necessary to combine the useful one for pleasant all together and with Ki ET LA, we are very trendy, colors flashy, funky or acidulated such as candies! Three models, according to ages, are declined in 9 colours: Diabola (2 sizes in 1 from 0 to 18 months), Jokaki (from 1 to 2,5 years) or Jokala (2 to 4 years).

In short there is for all tastes, for sweet babies to break-necks kids, because it is unbreakable, can be recycled and insures a lot!

Hey, when will you do your next purchase for yours, it his, theirs? They have just arrived on the on line shop Ethical Trade Shop. Hurry up, because it appears that good weather arrives finally! Yes indeed!

We discovered there with delight, young people and pretty labels which show that even more each day ethical fashion means finally just and only Fashion!

Some designers focused on made in France and know-how such as Ï.de.M brand and its pretty creative Maïna which presents a nice high range collection of ethical jewels, made with old silver cutleries clouded and diverted in collars, bracelets, rings or earrings. Top-of-range recycling items, full with charm and refinement!

We loves My Biotiful Bag accessories where the always smiling Colette welcomes us to introduce her hit colors bags from the smart or sport small pocket, while passing by to the PC or IPad bag. My very favorite ones will be a mini satchel for kids which become a trendy small hand bag so practical for the Moms at this time.

Kaska Hass, couture label of a German creative young designer, surprises us with her innovative materials to reinterpret the smart garment woman in grey and turquoise blue gradations.

Some other brands give good and main place to natural materials, such as cashmere (Lola Bon’Heure, Saranguerel or Haveli Fashion), alpaca (Andes Made and Killa, made in Peru or the Andes), silk (Linda Mai Phung between France and Vietnam, Lina LHU France or Paglia very beautiful ready-to-wear Italian brand), organic cotton of course! (African brand Baffs with Ade its designer) or Tagua (Nodova the brand, its coloured jewels to crunch or fall in love with and Elodie its creative designer, whom we can’t stop when she talks about her women’s’ meetings, love and sharing which make her always run, run!).

With Doreen and her mark Doreen Mashika Zanzibar Africa and Couture are both revisited! There is a great class out of dresses, jewels and accessories which not only tell each one its own history but which adapt itself also to the market and the Western consumers.

In short terms it is really difficult to speak about this entire attractive creative world, even if this last Ethical Fashion Show Paris edition was not so big and the display rather intimist like in a creators’ showroom.

But all the fashion hearts were there: those which create with, those which speak about tell with and those which share, exchange with. To my point of view, Ethical New Fashion was here really what I was expected for.

Non la où les choses se passent, où il faut aller pour voir toute la créativité de Berlin, ce sont les petits salons, les showrooms et les after Shows! La, on fait dans le green, l’ éco-friendly mais aussi le “made in” qui semble également toucher la population Allemande comme les autres pays, en ces temps de crise économique et de pessimisme ambiant.

Le salon Ethical Fashion Show inaugurait pour sa seconde édition un nouveau lieu, le Ewerk,  ancienne usine désaffectée mais complètement réhabilitée, en plein centre ville, comme on peut en trouver si facilement à Berlin.

Cette ville est complètement chaotique du point de vue architectural, avec ses quelques rares bâtiments d’avant guerre qui ont subsisté (90% de la ville a été détruite tout de même!), qui côtoient des bâtiments d’après guerre de style plutôt baroque, des vestiges de l’ex Allemagne de l’est très staliniens et un design verre et métal d’avant garde.
Il faut marcher dans cette ville pour la découvrir, la sentir, humer même! Les gens y sont sages ou carrément déjantés, la créativité bat son plein surtout dans la mode: on recycle, on vintage, on mixe le vieux avec l’ancien, le coton organique, la soie ou le lin avec les fibres écologique Tencel ou Modal. Tous les mélanges sont bons pour créer, innover mais beaucoup dans le respect de l’homme et de l’environnement!

Si l’on veut faire dans le chic et couture green on visite Greenshowroom, pour le casual wear c’est plutôt Ethical Fashion Show, le Urban wear c’est Seek, pour les jeunes marques créatives ce sera encore In Fashion par exemple….ça n’est pas la Samaritaine mais le choix est la et il existe bel et bien.

Studio Jux

De jeunes marques éthiques françaises comme Misericordia, l’Herbe Rouge ou néerlandaises comme Studio Jux ou Elementum by Daniela Pais font le plein de détaillants anciens ou nouveaux commençant même à devenir les valeurs sûres d’une autre mode, contemporaine, casual chic, accessible en prix, belle et…cerise sur le gâteau… Éthique! Que demander de plus?

For woman ethical fashion Linda May Phung designer is our first focus… An ethical and creative   ready-to-wear, like she defines herself. The famous and must-wear small black dress Lao Cai, for  evenings’ fests, which charmed us or the skirt , the silk blouse… That’s the beautiful and soft French products, inspired by travels through Vietnam, the origin country of this designer.

A&K Classics, Ute Auwarter or Masala Tee, bring us towards the male eco fashion universe. Traditional or coloured tee-shirts, cool trousers and relax, comfortable jackets or coats made of organic wool.

From Peru came to us Sil Joias Urbanas. Sil, it is a whole poem, full of life and imagination! Her creations of jewels correspond to her image, high colourful, literally as well as figuratively. Beautiful silver rings and dried roses flowers then rigidified or brooches and head-bands in blue red or pink coloured. Flowers associated with jewels are very trendy in this end of year, even fashion great names such as Dior, found source of inspiration there.

For Andes Made it is between France and Bolivia that its heart balances with soft scarves or mittens teases in quality alpaca and Lama. These products are soft, hot and light, ideal for winter times. But you can also choose more original mitten, at Deux Filles en Fil, with recovered materials from surpluses fashion industries and a social and environmental engagement made in France!

Lastly, Girls and Ladies, to get the most fashion accessory, the hit bag of the fests in order to make dribble all your friends…Choose Quartulli and her Lacre Bags collection! An Italian design made in Brazil you will adore it!

Find all these ethical and eco-designers even much more info on Ethical Trade Shop !

« Origami » can make you think about paper hens and cranes. But for a few years, this ancestral know-how made its entrance into the fashion world. Clothes, bags, jewellery : Origami is everywhere !

Foldings can be beautiful, ingenious, and even impressive. This is what you are going to discover today.

Let’s begin with the brand Origami Jewellery (http://www.origamijewellery.com) launched 3 years ago by two parisian designers : Claire and Arnaud. First these two friends began with paper origami jewels, but in view of the short-lived aspect of these accessoiries, they tried it with metal (silver and vermeil). They produce now more than 100 references : long necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and even cufflinks ! The moulds for cranes, mouses, elephants and other animals are made in France, and the foldings are made in Japan. These two designers created a sober, elegant and funny collection. We love it !

Let’s continue our trip in Colombia : Diana Gamboa (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xl4kpc_diana-gamboa_creation) is an exceptional talented artist which work looks like poetry.Her passion for origami                         makes her create wonderful and colourful dresses. A mini-collection was presented at the opening catwalk show of Ethical Fashion Show on 1st september 2011. The audience gave a standing ovation to this colombian artist who works more than 200 hours to create one single dress. Besides, she has been contacted by some museums in order to exhibit her creations.

Now, let’s go to Korea where the designer Sungmin Han proposes 9 bags in 1 (http://www.sungminhan.com). One unique bag delivered with its « instructions » of folding in order to wear it as a pouch, purse, backpack, clutch bag, shopping bag… A very ingenious idea that we particularly appreciate for its ethical side ! You won’t need any more to buy one bag for each outfit (casual, sophisticated, elegant…), moreover this 9 in 1 bag will allow you to rack your brains before choosing a common bag.

Let’s finish with the ukrainian artist Yuliya Kyrpo (http://www.ecouterre.com/extreme-origami-an-upcycled-gown-made-from-1000-newspaper-cranes/) who created this bustier dress by cuting and folding more than 1000 recycled newspaper sheets. Another beautiful ethical initiative ! Besides, this  piece of art has been noticed  by the London’s Science Museum where it is exhibited now. Yuliya has complete mastery of origami : if you look at the details of the dress train, you’ll see that it is composed of paper cranes.

In short, you have understood it, origami is trendy : wear it, exhibit it, admire it… There’s something to suit all tastes !

First of all, we noticed a revival of new designers with a bigger part for Asia : Tajikistan, Kirghiz Republic (Haft Paikar), Japan (Breezy Blue and Kimono clothes by Kazulo), Ceylon with the young Deneth who works flowery cotton by painting a funny eye on colourful and easy to wear clothes…

Our main discovery is Movana Chen : she transforms the favourite books of people that she meets by chance and she cuts them into strips then she knits the strips ! An amazing job so poetic…

Africa was also well represented : sharp cuts of François I who uses organic cotton produced in Burkina Faso for an urban and smart fashion, Ndomo and its beautiful fabrics with natural colours with stoles, blankets and cushions… and the remarkable brand Kondakis from Kenya with its couture dresses made made with light parachute fabrics.

The most faithful region to the exhibition is Latin America : for example Peru (Harumi Momota), Costa Rica (Va.de.nuevo with its recycled leather bags) or Colombia with the extraordinary origami dresses of Diana Gamboa.

Of course France was well represented with the highlight of the very French luxury : its know-how. We noticed Louise Dutertre, l’Ecole Supérieure des Arts Appliqués Dupérré (the students showed their talents on mood boards), the fantasy world of Hélène Barrier with La Reine Dagobert and her creations for decoration and furnishing..

This year the patron of the show was Gabriela Cortese the designer of Antik Batik : she did not wait to fashion becoming more ethical in order to launch her collection twenty years ago and respecting the local know-how…

See all the designers and more information on Ethical Fashion Show !

This phenomenon -namely Fast wear or Fast Fashion to describe a cheap fashion with disposable or ephemeral clothing and cluttered wardrobes- is in sharp contrast with a new one…the ‘Slow age’ and its Slow and ethical fashion.

This new-found infatuation for ethical and sustainable trends is more and more entrenched in our daily lives. So that everyone seems to take an ethical approach, in particular ‘traditional’ fashion show where are gathered the most major and famous brands. From the luxury brand to the latest trendy-designer, these fashion shows have turned into private and ultra-selected clubs whose main purpose is obviously to enforce their brand on a market already saturated.

To succeed in traditional or ethical fashion is a real challenge that often ends in failures. But brands know only too well how to use trends to increase their sales.

Obviously the ethical label makes products attractive to sell. Famous brands now benefit from this new trendy concept to adapt their marketing strategy and gradually change their image to the customers who are not well aware of this effort.

Indeed brand image has been broadly damaged for several years: chemical pollutions and releases from denim factories, child labor for footwear manufacture, cut-price and poor quality clothing made in relocated factories…this understanding that fashion was pollutant too and had a serious environmental and human impact has become a new source of concern.

We are far from a complete boycott of these fashion brands which are regularly under the spotlight of Greenpeace or WWF (see the Detox Campaign). But changes have gradually started. We even talk about ‘Green washing’ which consists in giving an eco-friendly image to the audience with the help of expensive advertising campaign and communication policies.

But to be honest, where is the eco-friendly and ethical streak when brands only create a small range of ‘green products’ beside their main collections made from pollutant materials (synthetic fibers, artificial and toxic dyes, usage of pesticides for cotton growing, sanding denim, water for dyes -10 liters of water per 1 kg of textile-…)? If the European countries have made considerable efforts, this is not the case for the textile industries in the developing countries (China, India, Korea, Brazil,  Cambodia, Mexico etc.) where the famous brands have mainly relocated their manufacturing process for lower production costs.

Hypocrisy? Publicity stunt or true will to swing to another fashion? There is no time left for doubt…or choice.

Urbanization, pollution, illegal deforestation or great woodlands converted into fields dedicated to intensive farming –oil palm for instance which is particularly lucrative…- are some of the most serious threats to the protection of our global ecosystem.

Let’s see the facts: Forests cover 31% of total land area (4 billion hectares) while at the same time supporting 80% of terrestrial biodiversity (living plants and animals) that live in them -50% of the global biodiversity-, they capture CO2 and directly help 1.8 billion people to survive through the different activities that rely on them (wood for power supply, construction materials, paper industry…).

But forest area has been greatly reduced:

- Forests only represent 64% of the total surface they covered thousand years ago;

- According to the Unesco, almost 78% of the primary forests have been destroyed during the last eight thousand years and 13 million hectares are lost each year due to deforestation and human activity.

According to scientists there are reasons to be concerned and to enforce strict regulations or improve existing legislations as well as drastic protective measures in agreement with the international community.

Promoting the protection and sustainable forest management is more than ever a burning issue and should lead to wide-ranging public awareness campaigns to remind that forests are of primary importance, from an economic but also socio-cultural point of view as forests still shelter indigenous populations that must be protected too.

For the occasion there will be original exhibitions dedicated to forests during the Ethical Fashion Show – next 1st to 4^th September 2011-. Nature is still an endless source of inspiration for ethical and sustainable fashion. Indeed, wood as well as plant species (for natural dye and paint) are now used from decoration (mainly furniture) to textile and accessories (jewelry, shoes…). As Kondakis who recycles used woods in jewelry and who will present her collection during the 8^th edition of the show, imagination of eco-designers as well as the possibilities offered by our forests will never cease to amaze.

You can follow the actions all along this year in your town – Actions with the partnership of 2011 International year of forests.

First of all, we should note that the brand act in total respect with his artisans in India :  Zen Ethic did not wait the fashion to become equal and responsible. Since 1997, it makes produce in India a whole set of fashion accessories, of woman and children ready-to-wear clothing, and also decoration items and fabric coupons.

India and its enchantments of colours are here : bags, plain or colourful printed matters tunics and dresses, pillows, and a large line of fabric coupons if you feel like a dressmaker.

Zen Ethic, it’s also its production approach : the respect of working conditions with a right remuneration, the promotion of local know-how as well as the constant concern of the ecological footprint.

Our selection on the Shop is full of freshness and colours : everything to illuminate your wardrobe and your home !

The Berlin Fashion Week has just begun (5th to 10th July). Twice a year Berlin gives the opportunity to international fashion to gather buyers and professional visitors, and also journalists, to fairs and exhibitions in the city.  

- Let’s start with the fair Bread & Butter for street-wear and urban wear – it exists since 2001.

- For fair fashion, Premium and its exhibitions show sustainable fashion, the very last trends and the actual stakes.

- For the first time during the Berlin Fashion Week : Ethical Fashion Show on GreenShowroom. We take the opportunity to remind that Ethical Fashion Show will be at Carrousel du Louvre during the Fashion Week of Paris.

It is worth saying that ethical fashion and local know-how are the hobby-horses of Ethical Fashion Show, also very concerned by education and influence on public. GreenShowroom is on a more luxury side. Both of them will present their approach and action in a beautiful hotel in Berlin.

Once more, ethical and sustainable fashion has to be first of all a matter of design…

Among our favourite brands, l’Herbe Rouge is on Premium (referenced on Ethical Trade Place !), Sakina M’Sa that we like very much and also Ethos another pretty fashion brand…