Ethical Fashion Blog

OUR WALK TO WORK
OUR WALK TO WORK
Michelle is flying off to her honeymoon in Peru today.  In honor of that, I thought I’d share some pics from the last time I traveled abroad with Michelle.  It was our trip to India 2 summers ago to work with the cooperatives.  These photos were taken on the journey we took to work each morning.
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STYLE FILE
STYLE FILE
The colors in the ‘Jardin‘ dress are perfect for fall.  The crimson and chartreuse are vibrant, so I paired it with neutral accessories.  I couldn’t believe I had this fedora that just so happened to be the perfect color….match made in fashion heaven.
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PROJECT RUNWAY FOR A CAUSE
PROJECT RUNWAY FOR A CAUSE
Aid to Artisans is one of my favorite organizations – they connect talented artisan groups around the world with skilled designers and then market the lines here in the U.S.  It’s the fusion of the traditional craft sector with high end design that’s so darn awesome to me.
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SPRING/SUMMER LOVE
SPRING/SUMMER LOVE
About a month ago I had the pleasure of posing for Mata’s Spring/Summer 2012 catalog shoot.  It was on location in New Buffalo, MI which I had never visited before, and it was absolutely perfect.  The sun shining, the sand between my toes, and the clothes…the clothes!  Mata is showing bright colors for the spring and summer, and it makes me happy.
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285 INDIAN GIRLS SHED ‘UNWANTED’ NAMES
285 INDIAN GIRLS SHED ‘UNWANTED’ NAMES
When we first traveled to India in 2003/2004, there were several books we read that gave us insight into the status of women in Indian society.  One book in particular still stands out – May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons:  A Journey Among the Women of India by Elisabeth Bumiller.  The book really provides a thorough investigation of the diversity – and commonality – of the Indian woman’s experience, and it became a big influence in why we do what we do here at Mata. After I read it, I thought I knew pretty much all there was to know about the hardships and downright horrible treatment women in India face, from arranged marriage and female infanticide to bride burning and the expectation to throw themselves on their husbands’ funeral pyre.  Well, I didn’t know about this…
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WANDERLUST SHOPPING AND THE QUEST FOR COOL STUFF
WANDERLUST SHOPPING AND THE QUEST FOR COOL STUFF

It wasn’t long ago that I was visiting India for the first time and falling in love with the sheer wonder of the MARKET….so much gorgeous, colorful, kitschy, one of a kind stuff can be found on travel adventures.  This website, Latitude, is pure shoppers’ zen in my book: the founder spent a lot of time traveling Asia and collecting one-of-a-kind items and then turned her passion into a web business.

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AIRING HER DIRTY LAUNDRY
AIRING HER DIRTY LAUNDRY
Congratulations to Human Rights Watch for their successful campaign to have New York Fashion Week cancel Gulnara Karimova’s show, daughter of Uzbekistan’s long-standing dictator.  She was scheduled to present her spring line on the prestigious runway, but HRW and other rights organizations intervened to voice their concerns about her role in her father’s tyrannical government.
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WE WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW.
WE WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW.
There is a kidney disease epidemic happening in western Nicaragua.  In one town, called La Isla, 70% of the men and 30% of the women have it.   People in the area refer to the town, where 30% of the households are headed by widows, as La Isla de las Viudas — The Island of Widows.
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GLOBALFEST – BE THERE AND BE FAIR
GLOBALFEST – BE THERE AND BE FAIR
Join the celebration at Chicago Fair Trade’s annual gala featuring fair trade wine and cocktails, appetizers, and special Day of the Dead brew.  Find elegant fair trade treasures in the silent auction.  Global fest will celebrate the growing consumer support for products that guarantee a fair wage and social benefits to workers.
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