The White Male Blogger Apologises

There was an interesting piece from Ben Philips, campaigns and policy director at Oxfam, in the Guardian the other day, which resonated with me in all sorts of ways. His point was that as a posh white bloke, he could never really understand the privations and suffering that he was spending his career campaigning against. I recommend reading the whole piece, but here's the bit that jumped out at me...

"I've lived amongst people in poverty, too, in their houses and with their families, walking alongside them, literally and organisationally. But I could always leave. And in the toughest times I've been aware at my core that my British passport, my connections, the colour of my skin and being a man are insulators from the worst. I will never understand the tyranny of a hungry belly. I'll never fully understand exclusion."

I completely get this argument. I have all the benefits and powers that are part and parcel with being born into citizenship of one of the most powerful and richest countries on the planet. I want for nothing. I'm well-fed, clothed and sheltered, and my employer treats me with respect and pays me well. I'm not as well-off as Ben, perhaps, but on the global scale I'm absolutely one of the 5% richest people in the world.

How, then, can I write with any sort of authority about people who have next-to-nothing, who don't know where their next meal is coming from, who face abuse and worse at their workplace... if they're lucky enough to have a job in the first place?

The simple answer is that I can't. I will, fingers crossed, touch wood, spit and whistle, never know the suffering that the workers of Chinese and Bangladeshi clothes factories face on a daily basis. I pray that remains the case. I wouldn't wish that life on anyone.

And therein lies the point. I may not know how tough they have it, but I can empathise the hell out of the situation. I may not know how to lace a loom or run a sewing machine, but I understand that anyone that does has the right to be treated with the same level of respect that I have at work.

Yes, I am a very lucky man. I try not to take any of my advantages for granted. Because I have a little skill in stringing together words into sentences, and sentences into paragraphs, that's what I do to try and tilt the balance, however imperceptibly, back towards level. I donate where I can. I agitate when I can. I make noise, and bang a drum to bring attention to the abuses that are part of so many people's lives. It's not much, in the scheme of things. But it's a start.

As a lucky, healthy, well-off white male, I'm right at the top of the privilege tree. Being aware of that, like Ben, is the first step towards using the leverage you have in the interests of positive change. Doing nothing, or complaining about my lot in life? Now that would be a crime. And it's one that I have no intention of committing.

Blog Action Day Is Coming...

Every October, thousands of bloggers around the world join together for one day to highlight a cause and make some noise about it. It's called (logically enough) Blog Action Day, and this year the theme is Human Rights.

The View From The Pier is joining in. We're part of Ms. Wanda's Human Friendly Fashion Bloggers network, which is an affiliate of the greater, over-arching Blog Action structure. We're in good company too. The HFFB includes high-calibre writers like Ceri Heathcote and Kendall Benton of Kindness By Design. All of us will be talking about human rights and fashion on October 16th.

Let's face it, it's a rich subject. The fashion industry was indirectly responsible for one of the most serious urban disasters in modern times, the Rana Plaza collapse in April this year. Fashion is notorious for the shabby if not downright negligent way it treats third world workers. Along with environmental concerns, it's the major issue with which ethical writers constantly struggle to highlight. As Esther Freeman of Ms. Wanda's puts it:

For me, I really don’t care if my dress has been made with recycled polyester, if the person who made it is being sexually abused, not paid a living wage, or having to endure unbearable working conditions.

If you're a fashion blogger, it's not too late to make your voice heard! Join our merry band at the link below, where you'll also find a resource kit to help you make the most of the day.

If you're a reader, then please join us on October 16th, and let's talk about fashion, human rights and how we can make a difference.  

The Human Friendly Fashion Bloggers Consortium

Blog Action Day 2013

London Cloth: A New Spin On An Old Yarn

Pamela Ravasio at Shirahime (one of the best ethical fashion bloggers out there, always worth your time) has pointed me in the direction of a story that shows how eco-fashion can frequently be all about the rediscovery of old techniques and methods, and melding them with a modern approach.
In 2011, sewing machinist Daniel Harris (no relation to the famous tweed makers, but you have to love the coincidence) found a rusty old loom in a shed in darkest, rural Wales. He fell in instant love with the heap of old tech, and brought it back to the studio space that he'd just bought in East London. He couldn't get it through the door.
In taking it apart and putting it together in order to house it, Daniel's admiration for the intricate machine grew. Over a period of a year, he taught himself how to use the machine, and how to weave cloth with it. Daniel found himself on a mission, and bought more machines, the oldest dating back to the 1850s. He bought them back to life, and realised that there was a deeper purpose shining through.
Is it coincidence that Daniel's name is what it is, or that he somehow set up shop in an area once famous for textile production? Perhaps, but the fact remains that in a warehouse space stuffed full of samples, bolts of cloth and antique and lovingly restored machinery, Daniel Harris is doing something wonderful.
The London Cloth Company specialises in cloth woven from British wool. As 97% of the wool we see in this country comes from Australia and New Zealand, this is a big deal. Daniel has built up relationships with a network of Welsh and English farmers, which means the wool he buys has impeccable provenance. You can trace his wool down to the flock from which it was sheared. Better yet, the wool is undyed, yet retains a great variety of shade and hue. From herringbone to dogtooth check, there's a whole lot of colour in London cloth.
Daniel is a one-man operation, yet the quality of his cloth is making a big reputation. He exports to markets as far-flung as Sweden and Japan, and has provided cloth for Ralph Lauren. His short-run custom tweeds are ideal for designers and private clients looking for something that bit different and special. He's small-time compared to the industrial yarns of Scotland, pumping out tweed by the kilometre. But London Cloth has little in common with the faux-nostalgia boom, despite attempts by some journalists to label him as some sort of hipster. Daniel Harris is working with machinery and methods that, despite the hard work, boredom and pain involved, produces material that has value beyond the surface. His cloth has enviable eco-credentials, and he's doing things in his own way... the right way.
We need more craftsmen with the grit, determination and vision of Daniel Harris. Half mad inventor, half evangelical missionary, he has created something with solid links to the past, and a firm eye to the future.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to talk to my tailor. Daddy needs a new suit for winter.

The London Cloth Company

How Your Old Socks Could Save The World

Reycling is one of the most important ways in which we can cut down on waste going to landfills, and drop energy emissions from manufacturing. But it's becoming clearer that we can do more to help out old Mother Earth, by simply going through our wardrobes a little more often.
A new report from the American Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) claims that recycling of old clothes and textiles is a highly significant way of reducing greenhouse gases. According to the study, it has the impact of taking a million cars from the roads, and more than four times the impact of glass recycling. And yet, only 15% of waste textile products find their way into reycling programmes.
Lou Baty, president of SMART, the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association says:

"Local governments need to capitalise on the positive environmental impact of clothing recycling programmes not only as it impacts greenhouse gases, but how it can also extend the lifecycles of landfills.

"The message the public needs to hear is 'Donate, recycle, don't throw away' when it comes to their clothing and household textiles."

The EPA would like to see textiles become a "top-of-mind" recyclable, in the same way that glass, plastic and paper are today. For that to happen, though, there will need to be infrastructure changes. Donating old, clean clothes is becoming easier, with clothes-bank hoppers outside many stores and supermarkets. But it still isn't as straightforward as dumping a washed can into the green bin.

And what about my old socks with the holes in them, or the t-shirt that I just can't get the red-wine stain out of? These are clearly not donatable items, and yet they can find new uses if broken down into their constituant fibres. Fabric recycling is a great idea, and I for one am fully behind it. But for it to take off, the process needs to be a no-brainer, something that can be rolled into your everyday routine without extra work. Once that happens, then we could all really start to see the benefits.

Making The Case for Biowool

Wool. There's not that much too it, really. Grows on sheep. You can make jumpers out of it. Nothing to get excited about, you'd think.
Of course, that's bunkum. Wool is amazing stuff. It's a sustainable resource with all sorts of uses. Woollen clothing can keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and can be woven into just about anything you'd care to imagine. Fine tailoring, fancy lingerie, suitcases...
That's not a mis-spelling. Industrial designer Daniel McLaughlin picked up an award from the James Dyson Foundation earlier this month for his innovative work on bio-wool. This is a new material, a combination of wool from old carpets and a resin sourced from rapeseed oil that forms a tough and biodegradable polymer. He's highlighted bio-wool in the Terracase, a hard-shell piece of luggage designed for business travellers. Light, durable and good-looking, bio-wool has many benefits. By using waste wool, it's adding another revenue stream to the accounts of wool farmers, who are often hard pressed to make ends meet.
At the Royal College of Art show where McLaughlin, a graduate in industrial design, showed off the Terracase, he explained how he had explored the properties of waste wool and bio-resin, and come up with a product that had a ton of potential. Using sustainable resources, keeping waste products out of the compost chain and helping a cash-strapped industry that's close to his heart (McLaughlin's family are wool farmers), he's might have just ushered in a new age of innovation in textiles. There are hundreds of potential applications for biowool. Steve Parsons of Wool of New Zealand, who has offered to assist Daniel in his work, says:

"By moving into new product categories where there are no preconcieved ideas about how wool is used and what its value might be, we can start imagining the customer experience and design far more exciting products."

Too right. We're deeply reliant on oil-based plastics, and any innovation that helps to move us away from that toxic spiral has to be celebrated. There are benefits to biowool far above and beyond the creation of a smart new line in wheely cases. Let's not be sheepish here, there's no baa-rrier to how far this could go.


Sorry.

Gift Your Gear And Make A Difference!

Just because it doesn't fit you any more, doesn't mean it won'y

 

There are a lot of charities and youth organisations out there that do fantastic work with underprivileged kids in the great outdoors. Expeditions and adventures in places like North Wales, the Lake District or any one of this green and pleasant land's many, many beauty spots can be the first time these kids have seen anything beyond an urban wasteland.

None of it comes cheaply, though, and one of the biggest financial buffers that these charities come across is gear. You can't send a bunch of inexperienced city kids up a mountain in cheap trainers and a trackie top. That's where a nationwide initiative called Gift Your Gear comes in. They take in unwanted outdoor gear and redistribute it to those that need it the most. From outdoor trousers, jackets, fleeces to waterproofs and children’s clothing, if it's in reasonable nick it can be reused.

If you have gear hanging in a wardrobe at home that hasn't seen the light of day for a while, then why not give it a new lease of life, and donate it to an organisation that can really use it? After all, it belongs outdoors!

Through September, you can drop your unwanted outdoor gear into any Rohan store. You'll get 15% off any purchase made on the same day. You'll be helping the next generation to find out just how good exercise in the UK's parks and forests can be.

For more info, visit Gift Your Gear's website.

 

A short film on fast fashion

It's sometimes tricky to make a point about fast fashion and its toxic effects without coming across as either a killjoy or a loony. The economy's shrinking, and cheap clothes help us to make ends meet, right?
You can talk through the points and pull apart the argument, but sometimes a short sharp dose of show and tell is the solution. I'm delighted to have been pointed in the direction of a sub-two minute clip from OnlineMBA, a site that provides education and industry insights to current and prospective MBA students. As part of their resources they've created a series of insightful, business-focused videos. This one lays out the key arguments for and against fast fashion in a light, fun way. And most importantly, it makes the case that fast fashion isn't just morally and environmentally objectionable--it's downright bad for business.
Check it out. I'll be intrigued to know what you think.

(with thanks to Zoe Gray at MinuteMBA for the link)

Would you? WeWood!

I've written in the past about Proof Eyewear, the brilliant range of designer sunglasses made from sustainable woods and plant resins. But wood can be used as an accessory in all sorts of surprising ways.
Guru Ian has pointed me towards an Italian company called WeWood, that are doing great things with wooden timepieces. Launching in the UK this October 1st with a range of six watches, they're the last word in eco-warrior chic.
Sophisticated, luxurious and durable, WeWood watches are made from surplus instrument-grade wood that has an airy lightness and remarkable tensile strength. They are designed to hug the wrist, as they're crafted with a gentle curve that makes them so comfortable to wear that you'll never want to take them off.
Matt Cromie, UK Director for WeWatch, tells us more:

“We believe it is important to use sustainable materials in fashion, creating pieces that look good and do good, and we echo this in every watch we design and make. We only use wood that would otherwise be thrown away, creating something functional and stylish that is designed to be worn, used and enjoyed rather than wasted. Our high-tech Miyota movement timepieces are made from natural wood and as well as using materials destined for the scrap heap, our designs actually help to replenish forests and woods around the world with a new tree being planted for every watch sold.”

This is sustainability writ large. Waste materials retasked into something useful and beautiful, with a new tree planted for every item sold. That sounds like a pretty good deal to me.
For more details, check out the WeWood website.

Nakate: Hope And Second Chances

In 2010, journalist Shanley Knox was reporting on AIDS projects in Uganda, when she came across a girl called Cossy, whose story would inspire her in ways she couldn't have imagined.

Cossy Nakate was 7. She was living with her aunt after both her parents had died, and was being shuffled around from relative to relative. She was frequently neglected and abused. But the thing that struck Shanley most about Cossy was her attitude; the sparkle in her eye, her refusal to give up. As she spent time with Cossy and the other girls and women of the village where they were staying, Shanley saw that they all had the same lively, forgiving nature and joy of life. 

She decided that she wanted to do something to help these women. When she returned to the States, she brought back a bag of locally-made necklaces that had been made from waste paper, bone and horn. The junk and litter of the African landscape had been transformed into something of beauty and value. It was a metaphor that Shanley embraced. From those seeds she started the Nakate Project. 

Nakate's jewellery contains a story and a kernel of hope. Shanley works with the women of Uganda to create beautiful pieces that are transforming lives. The women are given opportunities to start their own businesses, and become independent. Over 90% of the women working with the Nakate Project have opened bank accounts, and invested their funds back into buying livestock, building themselves homes or paying off loans. At the same time, Nakate promotes sustainability, using recycled materials in new and innovative ways to create jewellery with a design aesthetic that's downright high-end. This isn't junk. 

Shanley says: 

“When you wear Nakate, you are celebrating the core values of sustainability, respect and empowerment: We believe that profit is a mechanism for generosity. Profit is a tool. Most use profit for greed, their own gain, but that doesn’t need to be so. We believe profit makes generosity sustainable.”

Nakate are a prime example of a company that's taking sustainability to new levels. They're empowering women who would otherwise be victims, and creating desirable items out of trash tat would otherwise be in landfills. It's a remarkable and inspiring story that shows how girls like Cossy can make a difference in ways that you'd never expect. 

Check out the collection and read more about the women of the Nakate Project at their website. 

A Crafty Protest For London Fashion Week

London Fashion Week kicks off in a few days time. As ever, it's all about glamour, sheen, exquisite finishing and that cool British vibe. There are huge banners up and down Oxford Street, that I can't help but notice on my way into work.

Ms. Wanda's Wardrobe has tipped me off to another kind of banner that's being produced in the run-up to London Fashion Week--one that's a heck of a lot more ethical.

In association with War On Want's Love Fashion, Hate Sweatshops campaign, the Craftivist Collective are making a load of Mini-Protest Banners, that highlight the disparity between the pay of the models and designers flocking to London, and the workforce that make the clothes that they're promoting.

They're urging everyone to get involved. There are kits available, and events planned across the country. Make a banner, hang it in a public place, take a photo, and the Collective will collate them all into a huge image gallery that will be on display at the Knitting And Stitching Show this autumn.

The craftivists say:

“Our small, provocative Mini Protest Banners can help us reflect on this issue of sweatshops and what we can do as an individual (consumer, voter etc) to keep the spotlight on this ugly side of fashion we CAN change. Also by hanging your banner in public you can engage others in fighting for a world without sweatshops.”

I'm a complete fumble-knuckle when it comes to anything involving needle and thread, but I applaud the work that the Craftivist Collective are doing, and I admire their skill in knitting together activism, protest and stitchwork. The deadline for entries is October 1st.

For more info, check out the website, where there are already some fine examples of work on display!