Simple was established in 1991. They wanted to be the antithesis of the over hyped, over produced and wasteful shoe manufacturers out there. Recognising that the shoe industry was, on the whole, damaging to the planet they rejected the status quo and began with the ‘Green Toe’ shoe collection made from natural fibres. Later they added recycled car and bike tyres and plastic bottles to their shoe-making materials as well as certified organic cotton, hemp, bamboo and eco-certified leathers and suede. The packaging is stripped right back to just shoe forms and boxes made from recycled post consumer card and biodegradable bags too.

Simple’s manifesto is:

“How we make our shoe is just as important as why we make them. we’re committed to making our products 100% sustainable”

The thing I like about Simple is their recognition that creating an innovative and sustainable product doesn’t happen overnight and there is always something new to learn on the journey. They know that they still have lots to do in achieving their 100% sustainable product and have been insightful enough to experiment, assess and change where necessary. To me that looks like a company who is committed to what they do and have the creativity to achieve it. Their plans for the future includes their latest campaign ‘less > more’ which you can find out about on their website as well as details of their ethical supply chain and restricted substances policies.

So, what about the shoes? Well I went for the ‘Pinwheel’ shoe because its vegan and made from hemp. Hemp is a fantastic plant, with its own built-in pesticides and needing much, much less water than cotton to grow. It’s really tough but soft and comfortable at the same time. Hemp production used to leave us with a nasty, scratchy fabric but those days are long gone and its just lovely now.

The Simple shoe designs are cool and could rival the other well known brands any day of the week. They come in lots of different styles (sneakers, boots, sandals, slippers) for guys, girls and kids and the prices are pretty good too.

www.simpleshoes.com

The Green Girls and Guys talk about living sustainably in many ways and so the themes of the tees reflect those broad ideas and hopes for our planet, including sourcing locally, energy efficiency and conservation.

The tees are designed and printed by Lee Tracy, artist and GGG editor. Lee has other tee projects including Kitten in the Engine and Look for Fiddleheads. She is committed to using low impact ways of printing and producing her organic tees. The printing process uses non-toxic, water-based, textile ink with no hazardous binders, produces little waste and does not require any solvent cleanup. The ink is set into the fibers of the tee with a safe mechanical heat press that keep the fabric soft and washable.

The range of beautiful hand-dyed colours and designs can be bought at the Green Girls Global Etsy shop. Orders of multiple girls or guys tees come with a shipping refund, GGG tote, and a page from Lee’s sketchbook.

Of course I have a GGG tee or two myself and I can vouch for their loveliness. The fabric is extremely soft and the printed images are clear and colourful. But don’t take my word for it here’s what others have to say. There’s a whole lotta love for GGG tees out there…

• Our Etsy shop feedback
• We’re included in I Love Etsy
• Handmade Moon’s top organic t-shirt picksGGG tees are in Dolan Geiman’s ‘Handmade items we love’
• In the Berry Patch says our ‘Learn How we Can’ tee is “So Fabulous!”
• Well Hello Chicago knows a talented designer when they see one – They’re loving Lee’s organic tees
• Life Goggles says they’re the perfect eco-t-shirt
• Kelly Loves Whales fell in love with our sweet sustainable wearables
• The Q at Fashion, Evolved knows a good organic tee when she sees one
• Ethical Junction tells the community about GGG tees
• Catch us on page 75 of Just Cause magazine

Have you got yours yet? Visit our Etsy shop

The Mission

The ethos behind the Project Green Search competition is to inspire people to think about how to align their careers with the environmental, social and humanitarian ethics, serving as a platform to connect mission driven people with sustainable businesses and organizations in the modeling, spokesperson, design, fashion, talent, entertainment and arts arenas.

A whole range of green living experts, environmental activists, celebrities and eco-fashion industry leaders are supporting this project including Lu Magazine, friend of Green Girls Global Eco Chick and the green model queen herself Summer Rayne Oakes.

Entries & Rules

Entries for the competition are being accepted until Friday 16th September. From 17th September the public will be able to view candidates online and vote for their favourite 10. The lucky final 10 will then be invited to Portland on 25th September where they will take part in a photo shoot, interview and runway walk. The finalist competition will take place during Portland Fashion Week 7th – 11th October 2009.

All Search contestants will be required to give 10 hours volunteer time to an environmental group.

Candidates must be at least 17 years of age (there is no upper age limit) and be a resident of the U.S. No previous modelling experience is required but you must be able to attend Portland Fashion Week.

Prizes

The prizes will include:

• If not yet represented, a contract with Option Model Management, an international model management agency for print, runway and television.
• A professional photography session with fashion photographer Courtney Dailey, complete with organic make-up and sustainable designer clothing.
• A 20 piece Eco-Fashion wardrobe.
• A natural and organic beauty shopping spree at Future Natural.
• Features, articles and covers in publications including Coco Eco Magazine, Organic Spa Magazine, Peppermint Magazine, Chenille Magazine, Electrifying Times, Route 66 Pulse, and more tear sheets to build a portfolio.
• Guidance and introductions by LOHAS to sustainable beauty, fashion and other companies.
• A one year stint as the face of Project Green Search.

So, if you think you can be America’s next green model, visit www.projectgreensearch.com to find out more and enter the competition.

Yep you read it right, the Swishing East event takes place on Saturday at the Old Spitalfield’s Market in London. The clothes won’t cost you a penny but you do need to bring one good item of clothing to take part in the swish. That’s what its all about swishing is sharing.

Here’s how the event goes:

12noon – 2pm clothes drop off:
Bring your clothes, shoes or accessories to the swishing area and drop them off, you will receive a stamp for each item (minimum 1, maximum 5), Make sure the items you bring are of a good quality that you’d be proud for a fellow swisher to wear.

2.30pm Browsing time:
Take time to browse the goodies on display. Here’s you time to eye up the goodies but no touching until the Swish begins

3.00pm Swishing officially opens:
There will be a brief introduction to the Swish and it will then swish away!

To find out more visit the East Festival website Swishing Event info page

Each tee has its own unique design and message for living a sustainable life. They also come in unisex styles and various sizes from XXS to XXL. Choose from a variety of great colours too.

Wait! There’s even more! Each GGG tee order is wrapped in tissue enclosed with a GGG sticker and include a gift patch applique. 2 or more tees come in a printed cotton tote!

These fantastic tees are designed by the very talented GGG editor and artist Lee Tracy.

Check them out at our GGG Etsy Shop here.

The same goes for your wardrobe, making items of clothing or accessories means you can have so much more control over the sourcing of the materials and production of the finished item. That’s one of the reasons I’m learning dress-making skills. Don’t get me wrong, I think we should leave the good stuff to the experts, the makers and designers who do this professionally, but a little self-sufficiency in the wardrobe can go a long way.

I love browsing websites like Modish and Indie Fixx, looking for independent designers. Especially those who use innovative techniques to create clothing and accessories in a responsible and ethical way. However, as much as I love them I can’t always afford them and it leaves my fingers twitching, wanting to make my own goodies.

The fashion industry is huge and resource hungry. The wikipedia entry on cotton tells us that the production of non-organic cotton uses “approximately 25% of the world’s insecticides and 10% of the world’s pesticides and according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 20,000 deaths occur each year from pesticide poisoning in developing countries, many of these from cotton farming”. Cotton is also a thirsty plant and when researching my ‘blue jeans‘ article I found that between 2000 and 6000 litres of water may be used to produce just one pair of jeans.

Now we’re only talking about cotton here, what about other natural and man-made fibres? When you buy a lovely winter jumper do you know where the wool came from and the treatment of the sheep? The source of Polyester is crude oil and do I really need to go into the issues around that one? Then there’s the actual production of the garments, if your gorgeous new jacket isn’t Fairtrade how do you know that the workers were paid a decent wage and given a safe environment in which to work? The issues are many and complex but they shouldn’t be ignored.

Now, consider what would happen if you gained a few sewing skills here and fitting skills there. Perhaps you could treat yourself to some organic cotton and make your own unique summer top. Visit the charity and vintage shops in your town, see the potential of a once loved garment and give it a new lease of life. Compare the resources and energy put into your wardrobe now against the brand new non-organic, cotton skirt from the other side of the globe. There’s no contest.

There are lots of dress-making courses available these days and needless to say picking up these skills will take time but they are transferable, sustainable if you like!

Making and customising your own clothes could well save you money, leaving that bit extra to treat yourself to the beautiful garments and accessories made by professional, eco-friendly dress-makers.

I’m learning my dress-making skills at the Textile Workshop in Nottingham and have set up a blog to share my learning experiences, mistakes and hopefully some progress too. Pop by and say hello at www.victorialouise.co.uk

23rd February 2009 sees the beginning of Fairtrade Fortnight, a time to celebrate and shout about Fairtrade even more than usual. The Gedling Fairtrade Group has lots of plans for the fortnight, including a glamorous fashion show and we’re fortunate enough to have the support of 3 fashion marketing students from the famous Nottingham Trent University’s School of Art & Design.

These 3 motivated students are all specialising in ethical fashion for their final dissertations. This is their choice but when I met them I wondered whether there are whole courses dedicated to ethical fashion. If so, just imagine what education could do to the industry, producing designers, makers and marketers with a sound understanding of the social and environmental impacts of their trade and a drive to make it better.

So of course my next port of call was Google, I thought that if I found at least a little information about ethical fashion courses then I could share it here and it may be useful for potential students. I honestly had no idea what I would find but I was genuinely (and pleasantly) surprised…

University for the Creative Arts (UK)
MA Ethical Fashion (in Epsom, Surrey)
This was the first MA in the UK in ethical fashion. It focuses on the business side of fashion, including consumerism, the supply chain, recycling and marketing of ethics in fashion.

London College of Fashion (UK)
Developing an Ethical Fashion Brand and
Developing an Ethical Footwear or Accessories Brand
These are one day courses providing introductions to understanding sustainability, developing a green supply chain, impacts of legislation and the future of ethical fashion.

MA Fashion and the Environment
Aimed at recent graduates and industry professionals this course is about looking forward and considering sustainable fashion development.

The Ethical Fashion Forum
Fashion Business Workshops
The EFF organises a number of workshops for those interested in entering the business of ethical fashion

Chelsea College of Art & Design (UK)
Textiles Environment Design (TED)
This research project looks at the role designers can play in creating textiles which have a reduced impact on the environment.

Fashioning an Ethical Industry
Staff and Student Workshops
This ‘Labour Behind the Label Project’ provides tutor and student courses which focus on themes related to working conditions and workers’ rights in garment manufacture.

The Higher Education Academy (UK)
Teaching Ethical Fashion
This was a conference which took place in April and although it has passed I though it was still worth a mention, just in case it takes place again next year. This event was for tutors and educators teaching ethical issues on fashion related courses.

I’m sure there are many more courses, workshops and seminars in the UK and overseas. If you know of more ethical fashion courses get in touch and we can share them here on GGG.

I’ve dabbled here and there, making few things that I do actually use, including a couple of bags, a bit of jewellery and a summer top but now’s the time to get serious. Why? Well for two reasons really. The first being that I love the idea of creating exactly what I want, something that expresses how I feel and actually fits me. The second reason is because making things myself means I can decide where I source the materials, doing it as sustainably as I can.

The thought of trying to learn the many many techniques that go into transforming fabric, beads, threads, buttons, yarns and zips into something that I would be seen outdoors wearing is both daunting and thrilling. I’m excited by the idea of one day being able to picture an item of clothing and then make it a reality. I don’t know whether I’ll be any good at turning my hand to this skill but I will start as I mean to go on. I want to conserve energy, reduce waste, support ethical manufactuers, be more independent AND be inspired.

So here is my hand made statement.

I can’t pretend that this is my idea, actually I’ve shamelessly pilfered it from one of my favourite blogs, Crafting a Green World. The timing was so right when I read their ‘A Green Crafting Manifesto‘ post that I decided to apply it to my clothes making (and crafting) plans. So here goes:

• If I know how to make an item of clothing or accessory I will opt to do that before buying a similar brand new item.
• I will always aim to use vintage, second hand and recycled materials first. As an alternative or where these are not available I will seek organic or fair trade fabrics, yarns etc.
• Other than dowloading online patterns I will aim to use second hand paper patterns or books or loan these from the library or friends
• I will continue to learn new skills and techniques and share these new found skills with others.

OK, a teeny-tiny step in the self-sufficiency direction. Watch this space for updates on how it goes!

I would actually claim that the necklace already won my heart over by the packaging it came in, please see the enclosed picture.

You can see a larger picture here of the packaging

I have been wearing it for a couple of days and people thought it was really cool, especially when I told them the story of the glass and the idea behind the jewellery.

Bottled Up Designs is an idea of an avid bottle and glass collector called Laura Bergman from Pennsylvania, bothered by the fact that glass collectors take the “valuable” whole bottles of glass, but leave the broken glass on the ground. You can read more about her story on Bottled Up Designs.

I really encourage people to support stores that are making a difference by recycling stuff and actually make it into something MORE valuable than it were. It’s a turn-around of the whole concept of value – which is great.

We need to make value out of something that could be trash – I mean my great grandmother used to wash her plastic bags because she had lived through a couple of depressions and knew that you shouldn’t waste your money either! So this is a truly great initiative – putting value back into broken glass.

So go check their store out, they have a lot of great stories – and jewellery.

www.bottledupdesigns.com

See Laura Bergman from Bottled Up Designs Guest Editor article.

Actually I didn’t, I hadn’t really given it much thought to be honest. I had thought about the pesticides and fertilisers used for growing the cotton and the conditions for workers in maufacturers’ factories but I hadn’t considered the water. The number that Jez told me was absolutely astonishing – was that right? I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Doing a bit of research online I found that the figures quoted on different websites varied between 2000 and 6000 litres of water for just one pair of jeans. I also read that to stonewash a pair of jeans takes an additional 20 – 750 litres! Just to put this in perspective the UN recommends that people need a minimum of 50 litres of water per day for the most basic needs such as drinking, cooking and sanitation. Millions don’t even have that.

I don’t think I know anyone who hasn’t, at some point, owned at least one pair of jeans. So of course I’m thinking ‘by how many billions are we multiplying this water use to see the REAL figure?’. A gargantuan figure and growing of course.

Water conservation is an issue for every country in the world and with Climate Change this will only get worse. But for two of the main cotton producing countries, China and India and increasingly more countries in Africa, water shortage is a big problem. On top of this water supplies are poisoned by toxins from the cotton growing itself and, later, other chemical processes such as ‘distressing’ the jeans.

Aside from the obvious effects of drought, lack of water has also lead in some areas to conflict over this precious resource. Do we really need to make the problems worse?

So, what’s the solution?

As we all know by now, there are pros and cons in all your eco decision-making but first things first; Stop and think. Our Jeans are the staple of our wardrobe, I know, but consider your buying carefully. Jeans are great because they’re tough and long lasting so why rush this decision? Here are some things to consider:

• Organic cotton still needs a lot of water and so this is one of the times that organic isn’t necessarily the answer – although organic and Fairtrade cotton is definitely better than not!
• Check out where your cotton is grown and how the water is managed there. Some cotton farmers in Australia are not able to access water for the cotton crops until the needs of the local towns and environment have been met first.
• Hemp crops require much less water (as well as being higher yield and more pest resistant than cotton) so how about Hemp Jeans? It’s illegal to grow Hemp in the UK and US though so there may be air miles involved.
• Don’t shy away from pre-loved and recycled jeans. I’m a big fan of vintage and second hand though to some the thought of this is horrifying. But, really, think about the water! Jeeez!

References
Protected Water Fund, Fixing the Planet, The Panelist, Cotton Australia, All Africa, BBC,