NEWS REPORT / CNN

A Ray of Hope for Women in Liberia

As Liberia recovers from the aftermath of the civil war, a few women find a ray of hope in a fair-trade clothing factory owned by a businessman called Chid Liberty.

Chid's family business was turned into a site of conflict, mass graves and executions during Liberia's fourteen-year civil war. The building was totally destroyed with even the metal electric wiring from the building stolen.

"There was talk that if you crossed the street and looked over, they would pull you in and execute you," Chid explained of his family building's role in the war to CNN.

Now that the war is over, and the country is struggling with poverty, Chid is on a mission to rebuild. He has started the Liberian Women's Sewing Project promoting women’s rights and helping them earn a livelihood i.e. a fair trade initiative. The factory is in the basement of the same building. These women are working in good conditions (the basement is air-conditioned) and are exporting t-shirts for major retailers in the United States.

The California-based organization Transfair USA has certified the factory as fair-trade, meaning it complies with 90 regulations, including child labor, forced labor, health and safety, working hours, wages.

Chid believes that the ethics are actually what make the factory stand out. He said to The World, a few months back "That’s actually our competitive advantage over a factory in China or a factory specifically that uses sweatshop labor, is that we say, listen, we have a supply chain you can actually boast about."

Chid is aware that he needs to make profit too. "It is 100 percent undoubtedly a business and I think our investors and clients will tell you the same thing," he told CNN.

"There isn't a time when we can say to our clients, we didn't get your t-shirts shipped on time, but hey, we're doing great work in Liberia so we want you to continue to give us your business - it won't happen.

"We're very much committed to our financial returns, meeting deadlines and operating under the same conditions that any other trading company or factory in any other part of the world would have to commit themselves to," he further said.

To read the full story: Bullet-ridden building in Liberia turns into fair-trade haven

PRESS RELEASE / VERTBAUDET

Vertbaudet Unveils Organic Cotton Collection

Children's fashion brand Vertbaudet has launched its ‘Organic Cotton Collection’ (featuring in its Autumn/Winter 2010-2011 catalogue). The new collection offers a range of fashionable but practical clothes for boys, girls, babies as well as maternity - all made from organic cotton and perfect for everyday wear, says a Press Release.

Considering the benefits of sustainable organic cotton production for the environment, the consumer and the cotton farmer, Vertbaudet have begun to expand their entire clothing range. The range now includes fashinable and comfortable clothes for infants and children of all ages.

 Founded over 40 years ago in France, Vertbaudet has garnered a reputation for putting “children first” and offering stylish, practical and innovative children's clothing collections. As specialists in their field, Vertbaudet are now recognised as a leading award-winning childrenswear and maternity wear brand, with high streets stores throughout Europe, as well as a prestigious home shopping network.

Read Full Press Release:

Photo Courtesy: Vertbaudet

NEWS REPORT / JUST-STYLE

Anvil: From Sustainable Cotton to Sustainable Business

Sustainability is a defining element of the future of the apparel industry, says Anthony Corsano, CEO of Anvil Knitwear in a report in Just-Style. Firms must find new ways to do business, and new ways to bring products to market that use recycled and sustainable materials, "because you can't possibly believe that the world can continue to consume...and that we'll have the ability to feed and clothe all these people with the resources on this planet."

"That's what takes this whole thing to the next level. While many companies say they're doing it because it's the right thing, they're doing it because they have to. It's the only way they'll be able to be in business ten, 20, 30, 50 years from now."

Anvil Knitwear has been ranked as the world’s sixth largest user of organic cotton and the largest domestic purchaser of US grown organic cotton by Organic Exchange. It is also going to be honoured as a 'top leader in sustainability' by the Foundation for Social Change and United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP). On November 18 in New York, The Foundation for Social Change and United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP) will recognize Anvil Knitwear as a Top Leader of Change in the sustainability category at the Global Conference for Social Change: Turning Social Responsibility Into Social Action, according to an Anvil press release.

Today, Anvil produces around 2m to 2.5m units a week - around 100m units a year - across both its own Anvil brand (which accounts for around 75% of volume) and private label goods made for major apparel names including Billabong and Disney Stores, reports Just-Style.

More than 20m units, or around one-fifth of output across both Anvil and private label lines, go out with some sustainability component, such as organic cotton, a percentage of organic cotton, recycled polyester, or transitional cotton, which is grown on farms making the switch to organic processes. And of the 25% of business that is private label, 66% or two out of every three shirts features a sustainability element.

Working more closely with suppliers has also been key to Anvil Knitwear's sustainability efforts. Not just yarn suppliers and thread suppliers, but "reaching up and down the chain."

Not only has this allowed changes to be introduced that are affordable, but it also ensures the business only works with suppliers "that we are aligned with philosophically. We have to be stringent about who we do business with."

Corsano says that unlike conventional cotton, which is secured through yarn spinners, he's in direct contact with the organic cotton farmers who supply Anvil, with whom he has established "long-term relationships, real partnerships."

This part of the business is not seeing the wild price swings currently enfolding the conventional cotton trade.

"We have an understanding [with the growers] that organic cotton should trade higher than conventional," he explains, "but we've taken out the ridiculous highs and lows, so we set prices for the year that kind-of track conventional."

"So there's tremendous stability today in comparison to the conventional, and we're able to use that to secure some programs and convince people that the organic aspect can bring more stability to the market."

Read the Full Story: Speaking with style: Anthony Corsano, CEO, Anvil Knitwear
Read the Press Release: Global Conference for Social Change Recognizes Anvil Knitwear as a Top Leader in Sustainability
Photo Credit: Anvil Knitwear

NEWS REPORT / WILLS LIFESTYLE INDIA FASHION WEEK

WIFW Ramp Stories Of An Organic Turn

The recently concluded Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) in New Delhi, India, had a fair spread of organic couture on the ramp. With the international market for eco fashion growing, Indian designers are also coming up with their green collections.

Each label carries a story that connects to a real change at the farmer level. While Samanth Chauhan's work has contributed to the revival of the Bhagalpur handloom silk industry, Joyjit of the label Ela (or goddess earth) made his debut at the WIFW exhibiting his organic line at the exhibition area. He told IANS that the idea of displaying his line at this business-to-business platform was to promote organic cotton so that farmers benefited out of it.

Designer Anita Dongre furthered her ongoing effort to support sustainable fashion with her 'Fair Trade organic cotton' collection. Her collection called 'Grassroot' included beautiful summer dresses which were comfortable and stylish at the same time, reports the Times of India.

Designer Wendell Rodericks’ collection ‘The Kunbi Tribe’ used cotton and silk dyed with colours indigenous to the eponymous Goan community. According to PTI, Rodericks says "Kunbi salaries are about fashion with compassion. The production of kunbi saris showcased in my collection are reviving a lost weaving technique and the clothes have not been made at the expense of nature."

Read stories on WIFW
Photo Courtesy: Anita Dongre Website
It’s time for ethical fashion:PTI/Hindustan Times
A lovely 'Grassroot' collection by Anita: Times of India
Organic cotton and silks get rave reviews: IANS/Times of India

NEWS REPORT / THE ECONOMIC TIMES

Indian Sustainable Farmers Go For Certification

Global certification agencies monitoring and certifying sustainable value chains are now focussing on Indian farmers, including cotton cultivators, as consumers become more conscious of the need for sourcing and supply chain integrity. A report in the Indian newspaper, The Economic Times, notes that global agencies involved in sustainable agriculture value chains such as Rainforest Alliance and Utzcertified are increasingly targetting growers in India.

Apart from a slew of textile brands, now FMCG brands such as Unilever and Nestle are looking at increasing procurement of sustainable plantation crops. Certification typically enables farmers get better prices since there is greater assurance on the integrity of the product

Mr Shatadru Chattopadhayay, MD of Utzcertified was quoted by the Economic Times stating, “The sustainable agriculture movement was earlier focussed more on customers but today we are equally concerned about the producers (farmers), notably in markets like China, India and Brazil.” Utzcertified is focussing on tea, sugarcane, cotton and textiles, besides coffee. It has certified as many as 2,000 soyabean farmers in Madhya Pradesh besides associating with sugarcane farmers who supply cane to EID Parry. Rainforest Alliance so far has certified 7,655 hectares.

PRESS RELEASE /FAIR TRADE MONTH

US Fair Trade celebrates National Fair Trade Awareness Month

Fair Trade USA, the leading third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States, celebrated National Fair Trade Awareness Month in October with a multitude of news announcements.

Themed "Every Purchase Matters," Fair Trade Month unites Fair Trade USA's diverse corporate, nonprofit and individual supporters in hundreds of events, promotions and fund-raising activities across the United States, according to a Fair Trade USA Press Release. The goal is to generate awareness of Fair Trade and to empower consumers to use their day-to-day purchases to improve the lives of farming families and protect the environment. Additionally, Fair Trade USA's Board of Directors match every contribution made to the non-profit organization during October, up to $10,000.

"Once limited to coffee, U.S. consumers can now choose from more than 6,000 Fair Trade Certified products that span cosmetics, chocolate, spices, produce, grains, flowers, wine, spirits, and even fashion," said Paul Rice, President and CEO of Fair Trade USA. "The Fair Trade Certified label empowers consumers to make every purchase matter. It gives you the confidence that the high-quality products you love were sustainably produced and can have a positive impact on your own well being, on the people who produced them, and on the environment."

In 2009 alone, consumer purchases generated more than $14 million dollars for education, health care, clean water and other vital social services to support the more than 1.2 million farming families in the Fair Trade network around the world.
Fair Trade has generated significant momentum during 2010 in the United States. According to SPINS, sales of Fair Trade Certified™ products at grocery stores have grown by 30 percent this year i.e. to $140 million.

This was further proof that even in tough economic times, consumers care. In 2009, the BBMG Conscious Consumer Report stated that three-fourths of consumers (77 percent) believe they can make a difference by buying products from socially and environmentally responsible companies. The Report also says that two-thirds agreed that even in tough economic times it's important to buy products with social and environmental benefits (4 point scale). And over half (51 percent) agreed that they are willing to pay more.

PRESS RELEASE / TEXTILE EXCHANGE

‘Organic Exchange’ Becomes ‘Textile Exchange’ at 2010 Sustainable Textiles Conference

Organic Exchange (OE) will announce its expanded role as the organization driving development of the global sustainable textile industry under the new name, ‘Textile Exchange,’ at its annual conference in New York City on October 27-29, according to a press release. The 2010 Sustainable Textiles Conference will introduce the new Textile Exchange and will be once again an opportunity for companies to understand the trends in the textile industry.

The non-profit organization has helped drive global sales of organic cotton apparel and home textile products to an estimated $4.3 billion in 2009. The broadened focus positions the organization to serve as the non-profit convener, catalyst, and market-maker for the sustainable textile industry worldwide.

Textile Exchange (TE) will work to increase the global market for sustainable fibers, focusing initially on those that are bio-based, organic, and recycled while retaining a core focus on organic cotton, according to the release. It will also tackle pressing textile industry production concerns such as water and air emissions, energy use and its impact on climate change, waste production, and the widespread use of toxic inputs.

According to the Textile Exchange, "Change is vital given the huge and unsustainable economic, environmental, and social costs of current textile production methods and a projected global population of over nine billion by 2050, all needing clothing and other textiles. A focus on textile sustainability enables the entire value chain to find cost savings and production efficiencies and pass those savings on to customers while reducing the impact of textile production on people and the environment."

The change will be announced at Textile Exchange’s Global Sustainable Textiles Conference, with approximately 300 textile industry-related representatives from 29 countries already registered to attend. TE’s global conference includes representatives from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, adidas, Anvil Knitwear, C&A, Disney, Eileen Fisher, Gap, H&M, Lenzing, LL Bean, Nike, Nordstrom, Patagonia, Puma, REI, Target, Walmart, and Williams-Sonoma. Topics to be covered include sustainable textile processing, eco-indexing, traceability and transparency, organic fiber production, and environmental footprinting.

A one day seminar ‘Organic in a Day’ will also be held for newcomers as well as brands and retailers looking to include organic cotton in their supply chain, covering everything from fiber sourcing to online tracking, processing, certification, and consumer messaging.

The conference will cover discussions on natural textiles (cotton, silk, wool, hemp and linen), basics of dyeing, ensuring the integrity of product claims etc. as well as environmental impact of textile manufacturing and issues with organic cotton.

It will also throw light on the influence of latest technological developments on sustainability and textile industry. According to the Organic Exchange newsletter, "With over seven billion people projected on the planet by 2011 and over nine billion predicted by 2050, our dependency on textiles and its current production methods comes at a huge and unsustainable economic, environmental, and social cost. Attending the 2010 OE Sustainable Textiles Conference not only provides the opportunity for an education about what is happening in the sustainable textile industry, it also offers the opportunity to connect with people committed to creating material change."

PRESS RELEASE / GREEN SEWN

From Saris To Scarves That Help Plant Trees

Sustainability and eco-friendly fashion is taking many routes to the market, all the way from changing practices in fields to raising consumer awareness. A second, and increasingly vibrant, trend is the emergence of recycling apparel and making them fashionably trend.

One such imaginative enterprise that is both recycling and creating green spaces is GreenSewn, a Ft. Lauderdale company that recycles old vintage saris into one-of-a-kind and limited-edition scarves and wraps. The company recently announced that they have planted over 12,000 trees as a result of sales to date.

GreenSewn plants 10 trees with the purchase of every scarf or wrap, in partnership with Trees for the Future, a non-profit group dedicated to restoring degraded lands in communities around the world through agroforestry education and the planting of beneficial trees.

Dan Shir, GreenSewn president and founder said, "we are proud and deeply grateful to all our customers and colleagues who supported us from startup to this point. Our customers are thoughtful, conscious consumers, and it is rewarding to to produce and sell a beautiful, sustainably made product that is not only recycled, but gives something back to the planet via our "buy one plant 10" tree program."

GreenSewn rescues beautiful old vintage silk saris that would otherwise be discarded and "reincarnates" them into authentic, gloriously colorful, limited edition eco-chic fashion statements. Each scarf or wrap contains elements from as many as 7 different saris, giving each piece has it's own genuine, special history and charm.

Production is done in small batches entirely by hand, hand twisted and sun dried after an all natural eco friendly cleansing bath in soap nuts. The end result is a vibrant "masala" blend of colors, pleasing to the eye and nourishing to the soul.

GreenSewn is an eco fashion design company that creates unique eco-chic one of a kind scarves by recycling old vintage saris. A sari is a long (usually 15 feet or more) garment worn by women in India. The recycled vintage sari scarves are colorful, intricately patterned, and sometimes have intricate gold "zari" work hand woven into the borders. GreenSewn says it collects the softest and prettiest old saris and lovingly recycles them into luxurious, authentic, ultra limited edition and gloriously colorful green fashion creations that are both sexy and sustainable.

GreenSewn was started by Dan Shir, a 25 year shoe industry veteran based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Wanting to produce something more green and meaningful, Dan and his longtime agent in India started GreenSewn. Production is done at our workshop near New Delhi, using locally sourced hand-selected vintage saris.

According to the website of GreenSewn, "Widespread destruction of our forests worldwide destroys habitats and is a major cause of global warming. We believe that sustainable agriculture and re-forestation of degraded lands are essential to the long term health of our planet. Trees For the Future is a non profit organization that since 1989 has promoted the practice of agro-forestry through their tree planting and education programs worldwide."

Press Release: "Born Again" Sari Eco-Fashion Helps Plant 12,000 Trees
Website: http://greensewn.com
Photo Courtesy: http://greensewn.com

BOOK  / ECO FASHION BY SASS BROWN

Eco Fashion At The Tipping Point

‘As with other social and political statements through commercial art, eco fashion is a reaction to social and ecological conditions’, writes Sass Brown in her new book “Eco Fashion”. Eco Fashion has got mixed responses so far. There are people who go gaga over it and those who do not. However, as the earth becomes hotter, people ought to do all they can. Brown also says “Very few products, let alone garments, fulfill the concept of sustainability in its entirety. But we all have to start somewhere.”

According to Brown, Eco-fashion has reached a tipping point, where the best of the best are simply the best in the industry. No matter how you slice it, something is obviously working—it has to. In the end, green design is good design, and fashion is just another product to be viewed through that lens.

The book talks about companies that are making the world realize that eco fashion is not boring. Gone are the days when eco fashion was all about organic cotton t-shirts or bohemian pants or plain clothes. However, people still think that eco friendly clothes are not fashionable. Now companies are producing desirable and well-designed apparel and accessories with a conscience. The book demonstrates the range of products available around the globe. It also explains the stories behind them and the communities they support, as well as showing how and where they make a difference.

Says Brown, "One of the strongest trends in fashion is the expression of ecological, social and community consciousness through for-profit fashion design corporations, which most recently have moved upscale from organic cotton T-shirts and hippy-ish drawstring pants to high fashion. There is now a wide range of companies offering well designed merchandise, from one-off art, recycled and redesigned clothing, organic and sustainable textiles and garment production, to a range of community and indigenous support cooperatives bridging the gap between traditional craft and high fashion."

Originally from London, England, Sass Brown is a full-time professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. She has worked with women's cooperatives in Latin America, most notably COOPA-ROCA in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

NEWS REPORT / EFW

Eco-Innovation Walks The Ramp At Vancouver

 Sustainable fashion seems to be running high on innovation as became evident at the Vancouver fashion show when designers showcased creative use of waste, eco shoes and sustainable harvesting practices in the Amazon forest.

The Vancouver Eco Fashion Week seeks to promote environmentally conscious trends in fashion. At the fashion week, loudest were the voices amplifying various aspects of sustainable fashion. WGSN’s Carly Stojsic explained how denim scraps can be used for housing insulation and made the point that the whole process of the life cycle needs to be considered when evaluating a product, reports eco fashion world.  Mark Trotzuk from Boardroom Eco Apparel echoed the point that sustainable textiles must look at all factors including raw material choice, impact of the process it was created by (water, energy), travel, after care, packaging, print paper usage, disposal, etc.

The discussions around the fashion week made a couple of telling points. Speakers such as Paul Raybin made the point that public commitments by large brands towards sustainability imposes a pressure on them to follow up while at the same time creating a precedent for other people and brands to follow. On the other hand, speakers such as Trotzuk highlighted the difference between the entire lifecycle of polyester (ideally recycled) and organic cotton discussing how in beginning stages cotton appears better, but in later stages the poly shows to be more sustainable as the fabric last longer and the garment care does not require hot water, dryer, or iron.

Read the full Story: Success For Eco Fashion Week Vancouver