The rich, red lustrous coils of London hose that Kresse fell in love with
Fire-hoses were first invented in Holland in the late 1600s. They were made from hundreds of strips of leather stitched together into long tubes. These were heavy and unwieldy, but better than the bucket brigades that preceded them. Leather hoses, in various forms, were used up until the 1890’s when they started to be replaced by woven linen hoses. The linen weave would swell just enough, when the hose was soaked through, to keep most of the water moving forward. These linen hoses were light, but they could rot and they leaked.
Fire-Hoses in use during The Blitz (London Fire Brigade archive)
Modern hoses are all composites. Most have a woven structural core or outer, with a rubber jacket or a rubber inner. They have different designs for different situations and activities. The hose that is used by the London Fire Brigade today, the hose that we collect, consists of a woven nylon core with a nitrile rubber jacket extruded through and around that core. 95% of the hose we collect is red, just under 5% is yellow and occasionally we will bring home a black or blue hose. The black and blue are so rare that we only ever make cufflinks from them. Most of our red hoses are a 10cm diameter layflat hose. Being ‘layflat’ means that although the hose looks round when it is full of water, it flattens out to a 10cm width when it is empty, which makes it easier to roll, store and carry.
The reason why hose has these two layers, the nylon and the rubber, is to ensure that it can do its job. The nylon is woven into a tube, it has no seams or joins, and is as long as the hose itself. It is this nylon element that ensures structural integrity, keeping the hose from bulging or bursting or kinking when under intense pressure from the water. The vulcanised nitrile rubber is heat resistant and waterproof. It has ridges on its outside face to protect the hose when it is being dragged through glass or other dangerous situations and it has a dimpled inner surface, a lot like that of a golf ball, which helps water to move swiftly through the hose.
At each end of a hose you find a reusable coupling - and these are something that we rarely collect as they are reusable. The metal ends of our hoses are made from cast aluminium and even when a hose dies, they can be refitted to new hoses. We only collect them when they are damaged beyond repair. Unlike hoses these couplings could readily be recycled, into new aluminium items, but we can achieve two great things by carefully cleaning, polishing and cherishing each set. Firstly, we can give them a second life (and reuse should always be your first choice before recycling) and secondly, we can generate much more than their straight scrap metal value for our partners in the fire service and the Fire Fighters Charity by lovingly transforming them into candlestick holders. We are told they make fantastic wedding gifts too...
Fire-hoses are decommissioned for one of two reasons. The first reason is life-span. Hoses have an approved health and safety life of 25 years. When they reach this age, they are taken out of service.
The second reason is damage. Each fire-hose that we collect is on average 22 meters long. Fire-hoses have to be long, they have to travel from their water source (either a fire truck or a fire hydrant) to the site of the fire. Certain punctures can be patched and repaired, just like you would repair a bike tyre. But no two punctures are the same. If the puncture is small and in the middle of one of the ‘layflat’ faces of the hose, this can be patched. However, if there is a catastrophic tear somewhere near the eleventh meter, which goes over or around one of the curved edges of the hose, then that is it. Game over. If it is too damaged to repair it is no longer a fire-hose.
It was five days before Christmas, 2016, and we got a frantic phone call. ‘Please help!’ begged the male caller. He had just taken a sneak peak at the purse he was planning to give his fiancée for Christmas. This particular piece had the name "Angus" in bold black capitals on one of the panels. The problem? Our caller was not called Angus, but what do you think was the name of his fiancée’s ex? Yep, Angus. We immediately sent out a replacement, just in time for the holiday.
Angus Duraline is a brand name for the best fire-hoses in the world, the Angus comes from the founder George Angus, who first registered his company in 1888. We get emails almost weekly, from every country you can name, asking if they can buy the damaged hoses that we collect from the fire service. It is that good.
The traditional design process starts with a concept. There is very likely a sketch, whether this be of a dress, a plane, a house or an interior. The materials are then acquired to achieve that particular design. Elvis & Kresse like to work backward. We start with a problem. When we first brought the hose home we were looking at it as nitrile rubber and nylon. It couldn’t be fire-hose anymore, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t have an incredible second life. We analysed the entire problem too, not just the material. Where was the hose waste? How much of it gets decommissioned each year? What kind of industry should we target? What kind of product could we make that could potentially solve the whole fire-hose problem? How could we have the biggest positive impact?
Elvis, carrying our Messenger Bag, at Tonge Mill, the home of Elvis & Kresse
We spent a lot of time working out what fire-hose was before we made our first belt. But after that belt we never looked back. Since then, our only goal for the hose has been to cherish it. We know that the best way to ensure it has a long and healthy second life is to love it, embed highly skilled craftsmanship into every piece, and focus on classic, utilitarian shapes that won’t pigeon hole any of our products into a particular season. The only way for you to love it, is if we present it at its incredible, beautiful best.
Fire-hoses start off as a life-saving tool of a tremendously heroic trade. We rescue them, transform them into heritage classics and then donate 50% of the profits to the Fire Fighters Charity (FFC). The hose saves us, we save the hose, and the FFC helps to save fire service personnel. We couldn’t imagine a better way to honour the fire-hoses and the firefighters.
I'm originally a country girl who grew up in Australia with parents who aimed to live the sustainable 'grass-roots' hobby-farm life. My love of art and design led me to study fashion production systems because I assumed that fashion would allow me to infuse a useful product, like clothing, with my love for art and design.
The employment gods were kind and I had a whirlwind career in all kinds of covetable positions in the fashion industry. However, it fell short of my creative expectations (which was particularly apparent in one role where I sat at a computer illustrating exact copies of garments purchased on overseas buying trips). It was wasteful in regards to both rubbish and creativity and as I was in the industry on the edge of the fast-fashion boom, I could see that this would only get worse.
The breaking point for me was when I was a lingerie buyer for a department store and unpacked sports bras with lovely purpose-built hangers that were removed and sent to landfill before they even got to shop floor because the poor hangers didn't 'match the decor'. The next move for me was a sustainable tourism degree, which I moved interstate for and they sadly closed down the year I enrolled!
So, by default (they had similar first year subjects), I ended up becoming an environmental scientist and majored in sustainability. I've worked as a plant science researcher for over seven years now while running my sustainability education website Sustainability in Style, working as a freelance writer for print magazines, and also studying my Master of Environment with a major in Sustainability education. I'm at the pointy end of my Masters research where I'm looking at the way that sustainability messages can be transmitted through social media and how they can influence real-world sustainable action.
My ultimate luxury is time, space, and quiet. I am disorientated for the whole day if I don't have my quiet time in the morning to meditate, make a smoothie, journal, stretch, and plan for the day. It's that little bit of luxury that can change the way the whole day pans out. I've noticed the days or times where I haven't been able to carve that little bit out can be very stressful and unproductive.
Last year my hubby was injured and couldn't work for a while so I was (not very successfully) juggling three jobs along with the website and freelance work. I think the only thing that kept me going was the meditation! I don't recommend doing that much work at any one time but it's handy to know that in-a-pinch meditation can actually make up for lost sleep and lack of real rest for the short term.
Ooh this is a tricky one because all my plant science projects fit under this category - as well as my research and Sustainability in Style. To be honest though, despite focusing my career on Sustainability and environment, probably the most positive experience I have had to date was raising money for OXFAM and getting to participate in their Oxfam Challenge- riding a bike through Vietnam and Cambodia and getting to visit an Oxfam-funded weaving venture in a rural village. It was so incredible to be able to do something like that in memory of a dear friend who lost her life far too young. One of my favourite memories from that trip was riding down a rural road and stopping for lunch on the roadside and playing soccer with a whole field of children. The Cambodian people had experienced such tragedy so recently, and landmines are a constant reminder and a real threat of loss. For an Aussie who grew up in a safe and happy (pre-social-media-networking-always-on-stressed-out) time I felt so in awe of the Cambodian spirit to share their happiness with us through the universal language of smiles (and football).
It's a tricky subject because the fundamental flaw of life as we know it is that we have an economic system based on growth at any cost on a planet of finite resources and space. Sustainable businesses need people to buy from them to be able to make money. Unfortunately, most of us are trapped in the idea that value means 'low cost' and that we need to have lifetime ownership of something, which means that many businesses who want to pay the full cost don't get the patronage they require to stay in business. Also fashion is fundamentally based on the idea of change, while sustainability in regards to fashion requires us to want to change less.
If there is a whole of industry push to closed loop production systems where we can own an item until we tire of it and send it back to be made in full into a new garment without losing quality or creating waste (in a zero-waste, renewable energy powered production system), and/or to be used in its current context by someone else. Then yes, changing your closet contents could be as close to natural ecosystem models as possible. However, people still have to be employed in this model and this extends all the way up the supply chain. Human ethics would dictate that changes in the fashion production system would also require the long term consideration of the millions of people who are employed by the global garment production system.
I think that with the right economic, systematic, and capital planning the apparel industry could be sustainable. However, I don't know if 'fashion' is sustainable in the current definition of it being always changeable (outside of growing your own T-shirt in the morning and composting it at the end of the week to find a new one spouting from the soil the next day). Finding a signature personal style and using apparel to enhance and adorn it seems (to me) more sustainable than always changing how you look to suit trends.
Eeep! Boots! My shoes are literally worn to death and it can be really hard to get ones that last the distance. I've got a few really 'well-loved' pairs of shoes that I could share (including a pair of Dr. Marten boots that are now 18 years old) but these guys are on their last kilometres. I've had them repaired so many times over but sadly they have nearly walked their green mile as the insides of them have now fallen apart and my cobbler said there isn't anything he can do for them. I'm thinking they will become succulent planters when they finally do disintegrate while I'm wearing them.
True story: I was walking through the shopping centre on my way home from the bus stop and actually walked out of the sole of another pair of (thrifted) shoes. I walked back to it, took my shoes off, walked home, and stuck them back on! They are still going!
I love thrifting. It's a talent of mine! Sadly (and I say sadly because people should love their clothing selections more than they do) you can find anything you like secondhand. Which means that many small sustainable brands struggle to capture enough market share as their target market of eco shoppers tend to not shop at all, or buy secondhand first. I actually had a secondhand shopping score at an amazing secondhand market event here on the Sunshine Coast where I recently scored two lightweight Isabel Marant tops. They are divine and I chose them for the natural lightweight fabric, baggy boho designs and full-coverage sleeves and necklines. It gets SO humid here in summer and our winters are sunny and warm so all my clothes are based on being protected from the sun and avoiding the dreaded sweaty-pits-and-back look that happens if you wear tight clothes.
I'm not sure what industry to talk about - I have too many (it's exhausting and I hope to change that soon).
Plant science? I would make it more sustainability focused. Sadly, many science research projects have waste outputs. Especially when you have to work in a laboratory environment where quarantine conditions require specific disposal of waste.
Sustainability education? I would get people thinking about the dollar value of education. Education is often taken for granted in regards to monetary value. It's priceless in the way that it is marketed as the solution to all our sustainability issues, however no one wants to put the money into making sustainability education a reality outside of traditional schooling methods and - occasionally - for community groups and not for profits. If we were really serious about sharing sustainability messages with the adults who are making the decisions now that affect the future of the planet, we would be funding sustainability education ventures and research. I'm hoping that all the hard work I'm investing into setting up my Eco Style Insiders members site, workshops, books, and shop over the next few months will give me the income I need to be able to do ongoing sustainability education PhD research. However, if I can't get the funding I need to support myself through these studies, I won't be able to do them. Many of the solutions to our health and sustainability issues are sitting in the brains or computer files of researchers without funds!
In a series of pieces, covering almost half of the June 17th Issue, Sunday Times Style highlighted an incredible breadth of issues, innovations, initiatives and good businesses that at some point in the (hopefully) not too distant future will become what all fashion and luxury brands simply are.
Journalist Fleur Britten first introduces the idea of the mega trend... sustainability isn't a fad, it's a global movement. Started by (among others) academics, activist brands and innovators - the values that underpin a sustainable business are now impacting the long term strategy of the largest brands in the world.
Key concepts like transparency, slow fashion, closing the loop and the minefield of different certification regimes are all covered and I have never seen so many genuine hero brands, where substance has always been way ahead of story, given this much attention.
We were really pleased to be mentioned along side our fellow fashion B Corps: Eileen Fisher, Patagonia, Reformation, Mud Jeans and Finisterre. We are all businesses that (every 2 years) have passed a very stringent set of tests covering everything from governance, workers, community, environment and products / consumers. No supply chain stone is left unturned and more importantly, in order to stay a B Corp each certified company has to change its constitution - it must "not be beholden to shareholders' short term interests, but the needs of people and the planet."
The piece starts with a question, Does Fashion Have a Heart? And although it gives no explicit answer, it is clear that from a small start of brands that do, things are really looking up!
Whether we are aware of it or not, every purchase choice we make has real value attached to it. It is a conscious (or subconscious) vote for how we want our world to be. What we choose to buy has an immense impact on how businesses treat people, materials, the planet and animals.
This week we caught up with Sandra Capponi and Gordon Renouf, the founders of Good On You. An app on a mission to create a world where people’s shopping choices drive businesses to be sustainable and fair.
Gordon: Sandra and I started Good On You because we believe that every consumer choice makes a difference. Our vision is a world where consumer choices drive businesses to be sustainable and fair. That’s only possible if consumers have comprehensive, easy to use information that helps them find products they love from brands they feel good buying from.
Sandra and I come from different backgrounds - I’ve worked in consumer advocacy for 25 years, mostly in charities and non-government organisations; I wanted to combine my commitment to strengthening consumer’s rights with my passion for justice and sustainability. Creating tools to empower consumers to act on their right to live sustainably and ethically was the obvious answer.
Sandra: I spent many years working in the corporate sector, in supply chain management and CSR, trying to push the social responsibility of businesses from within. But a few years ago I started to think about the responsibility I have as an individual, and the role that each of us can play to change things for the better, just by the everyday choices we make — including the apparel we buy. There’s a huge opportunity to use the power of shoppers to transform the industry for good.
Gordon: For me right now luxury means creating more time to get things done! But that’s pretty much impossible right? So, when it comes to products, I’m looking for something that is incredibly functional - “it just works” - has an appealing aesthetic or user interface, and one that has been made in a way that is truly sustainable.
Sandra: Lots of people think of fashion when they think of luxury. And that’s a good thing. Fashion should be something we value and cherish, not consume and discard absentmindedly. That’s definitely how it is for me - luxury means something is really unique and precious. It’s treasured for a long time, so sustainability is at the core. I’d love to get to a point where it’s normal for sustainability to be an integral part of how we define luxury.
Gordon: I used to work at Australia’s leading consumer organisation, CHOICE. We partnered with Amnesty International to study how companies in the toy industry were doing on human rights issues including child labour. There wasn’t much good news at that time however. That was certainly one of the experiences that lead me to help create Good On You.
Sandra: I was lucky enough to work on projects supporting Indigenous community development in Australia, something that I’m very passionate about. For some time I was based in a remote Aboriginal community, in the Kimberley. I learnt so much about one of the world’s oldest cultures that has had to overcome lots of troubles, but respects people and the land like nothing else. It cemented that I wanted to do something to preserve what’s really important and made me think really deeply about how I could use my business skills to do that.
Gordon: Many of the important social and environmental problems of the world today are created by our shopping choices. The kinds of clothes that are made, what they are made of, who makes them, is ultimately determined by what we as consumers are willing to buy. By empowering shoppers to choose products and brands that match their values we can create change. As Anne Lappe says, “every time we spend money we vote for the kind of world we want.” For most shoppers the ideal is to buy the stuff they need, but for no harm to be caused to people, planet and animals. By making it easy for consumers to find and choose better brands, we can influence what gets bought and ultimately impact the way our clothes are made.
“every time we spend money we vote for the kind of world we want.”
Globally, one in six people work in the apparel sector - 80 per cent of them are women. Labour abuses and factory disasters are common. A $2.5 trillion industry, fashion is also one of the most polluting in the world. It’s responsible for 24 per cent of the world’s pesticide use and is a major contributor to climate change and water pollution. These are big problems, but there are many people and organisations working on them. We believe that Good On You can help consumers be an integral part of the solution.
Sandra: The fashion industry simply can’t keep going on the way that is it. Exploitation of people and resources is not only unjust, but simply can’t be sustained. And more and more people are stopping to take notice.
I imagine a future where people everywhere are using Good On You as second nature to make shopping decisions based on the things that matter most to them. From discovering the latest trends and finding a bargain-buy, to making sure no women or children were exploited in the making of their clothes. And ultimately, I imagine a future where fashion brands are totally transparent about how they make their products while living up to the ethical standards that each of us expect. So yes, I believe the future of fashion can be, and has to be, sustainable!
"imagine a future where fashion brands are totally transparent about how they make their products while living up to the ethical standards that each of us expect."
Gordon: I’m a pretty simple dresser. For the last few years my Nudie Jeans have been my go to staple, but I’m not sure I’d call them a classic (yet!). I’ve been using a canvas briefcase from In Jirushi - a tiny Japanese brand - for about ten years, it’s simplicity and style really appeals to me.
Sandra: For my 18th birthday my mother gave me a ring that she’d refashioned from her original wedding band and a diamond earring where she’d lost the other pair. I’ve worn it every day ever since and I hope to pass it on one day to somebody else dear to me. It symbolises many things I really value - family, creativity, preservation, continuity, beauty. It’s so unique and precious to me and will definitely stand the test of time. The epitome of luxury.
Sandra: I’m from Melbourne and I’ve recently discovered new local labels like A.BCH and Lois Hazel. I absolutely love them for their simple yet beautifully crafted and elegant designs, and that are super transparent about how they made their clothes.
But the last thing I bought was actually a backpack from Swedish label Sanqvist. I’m currently working in Amsterdam getting ready to launch Good On You in Europe and decided I needed to do as the locals do and get around on a bike with my gear on my back! I found this bag in a gorgeous little store in Haarlemmerbuurt, called Restored, which got my attention for its sturdy yet refined look. It ticked all the functional boxes too, it was black with a laptop slip, side pockets and good overall size. But the label is what really drew me in - 100% organic cotton canvas sourced directly from the farmers, vegetable tanned leather flap for water protection, made under good working conditions for all its workers and suppliers, and it was called the ‘Alva’.
The owner of the store caught me looking and chimed in with “they’re really great bags”. He went to the back of the store and pulled out another bag he owed by the same label, but purchased years ago to show me how well it aged and actually looked better over time. To me there’s nothing better than a quality piece with a good story to tell. I’m now a big fan of getting around on a bike and plan on continuing the trend when I get back home. With my new favourite accessory, of course.
Gordon: It’s not just about making existing ethical fashion more accessible; it’s about creating the conditions where all fashion brands and their suppliers understand that they need to be (more) sustainable and ethical to keep their customers.
The first step is to empower more and more shoppers to find the sustainable and ethical brands that work for them on style, on function and on price. This helps build up the scale of the ethical sector, and creates new opportunities for new brands and products to emerge.
Second, we want shoppers to know that in the absence of a perfect fit between their style and functional needs on one hand and their ethics on the other, they can at least identify the brand that is closest to matching their values. Again, this rewards existing brands that have taken steps in the right direction and creates incentives for them and their to competitors to do more.
Research shows that more than 50% of shoppers will act on their pro-sustainability values, but only if it’s easy enough and the options they need are readily available.
Beyond what consumers can do, there’s a lot of work for the fashion industry to do to get serious about labour rights and living wages. We’ve seen some good cooperation between brands and unions on the Bangladesh Fire and Safety Accord and the ACT project on living wages - but this is really only scratching the surface. To make real change much more needs to be done. There’s some great work being done cooperatively on environmental issues - for example on measuring and addressing water impacts and pushing on the circular economy, but we need some of the more forward thinking large brands to go much further much faster on pre-competitive cooperation on labour rights issues.
Sandra: I wish we could break the cycle of fashion fast and the constant pressure that people, especially young women, feel to update their wardrobe with the latest ‘in’ thing. This is obviously really complex as the fashion industry is under a huge amount of pressure to grow and return profits. And when it comes women’s desire to buy more clothes to look and feel good, this is a deep-seated mindset that is difficult to shift.
But the premise of Good On You is that we all have the power to change the industry for the better with the shopping decisions we make. We all influence fashion brands to produce in a certain way when we buy something - from a pastel jumpsuit to a classic trench coat, we’re sending a clear message to the market. We also influence each other every day - whether we’re a celebrity, YouTube sensation or simply someone’s friend or big sister, we represent our style and values with the clothes we wear and the things we buy. The way I tackle this is to start with myself, to buy less, to cherish old possessions, to buy only new things that will last and add value, and to set an example for others to do the same.
Elvis & I always say ‘do more, be better’ and ‘think twice, buy once’. This week was a real pleasure catching up with the co-founders from Good On You; People that are actively trying to bring these messages to global audiences and turn it into the new norm. Good On You is launching in Europe this month, and we can’t wait to see the further positive impact it will surely bring!
We have a truly wonderful client in Singapore who has become more than an ambassador, she is now a co-creator.
Just before Christmas Stella purchased one of our Fire & Hide Post Bags, it is made from our signature yellow fire-hose and limited leather off-cuts rescued from the production of Burberry leather goods. We collected very little of this specific yellow, which meant the piece is a one of a kind.
In the ensuing months Stella sent us several lovely photos of her travels with this sunny yellow handbag while she was saving for something unique for her home. She chose to design an original Elvis & Kresse leather rug, using our customisation tool. This allowed her to choose both the perfect size and colour and also embed her own design.
The idea for the piece came to her from a meditation session. Two subtle hearts, weaving themselves together, overlapping and intertwined.
She wanted to use all of the colours we currently work with for the leather rug collection, and to ensure that they worked well together. From a practical perspective, she also wanted a multi-purpose piece that could achieve many objectives in her Singapore flat, it needed to be a hallway runner, a yoga mat and also a rug to fit in front of a two meter long sofa.
We were so pleased to meet Stella in May, when she came to Tonge Mill to see first hand how her custom leather rug was assembled and to meditate in our space. We eagerly await the results of her next inspiration.
A few weeks ago I was at the Women’s Forum in Canada and got to speak with a fantastic group of panelists. Our topic? Is Green the New Gold?
How refreshing to discover, in our brief 30 minutes before going on stage, that all of us wanted to debate the title of our session. Why are we still questioning the obvious supremacy of Green? Without a planet, there are no people. I am confused by the idea that we ever, post Silent Spring, pursued anything other than how to live in harmony with our home, and of course, each other.
The discussion, however, was definitely on the track that we all should be. We were all agreed. Green is the only Gold we’ve got. As a chief goal of the Women’s Forum is to inform and ‘infect’ the G7 meetings that follow in the same locations, I really hope that this message cuts through the noise. This is the only planet we’ve got.
My fantastic co-panelists included Danielle Azoulay, Head of CSR & Sustainability, L'Oreal USA, Carmina Mancenon, founder of Stitch Tomorrow, Karla Martinez, Editor in Chief, Vogue Mexico and Kendra Pierre-Louis from the New York Times.
We covered a lot of ground, the need for systemic change, how important it is to work through all of the issues from inception right through the supply chain to consumer and end-of-life (or hopefully next life), the role of the media as educator and invigorator. It was a celebration of initiatives that are working, strategies for change, and revolutionary environmental ideas. We don’t need more proof that the right ideas, technologies, and strategies exist… we just need them to spread and scale much more quickly.
I’m a fashion journalist and lecturer and two years ago I founded The Fashion Debates, a series of talks around ethical issues affecting the fashion industry. Our past topics have included the environmental impact of fashion, vegan fashion, race discrimination in the industry, and the prevalence of unpaid work and internships.
I think the definition of luxury is changing all the time as what we place value on changes and I’m excited to see the shift that is happening in sustainability going from ‘dowdy’ to ‘desirable’. For me, objects that have a meaningful story behind them are the things that get my heart racing. Whether that’s a very personal story like a dress I own that was my grandma’s from the 60s, or if that’s the story of a group of women refugees making something beautiful out of their pain. The items themselves could be easily replicated, but the story adds something beyond aesthetics.
I’m much happier spreading the word about other people’s environmentally and socially positive projects! I’m very jealous of creative people. That’s why I work in fashion, because I think the people who work in it are just incredible. If you want to do something with a positive impact, you have to look at what skills you have and what your role can feasibly be. I’m a communicator so I write about the amazing sustainable fashion brands I love, I give them a platform to speak about it through The Fashion Debates, and I encourage my students to engage with sustainability. For me, it’s not so much ‘projects’ but a continuous thread through all of my work.
Absolutely. Quite simply because it has to be or there is no future at all. There’s still a really long way to go but when you think about the rise in consumer awareness of the issue, the conversation being addressed in major fashion brands and in governments around the world, the depletion of resources, the growth of sustainably run brands, the media hype around the urgency to save our planet, the investment in technology that could make the industry more sustainable, how could the future not be sustainable?
I adore vintage clothing so actually quite a large percentage of my wardrobe is older than me! However, one particular item of clothing that springs to mind is a pair of high street jeans that I bought from a second-hand clothing store when I was 14. They have this crazy turquoise beading pattern and cut-out shapes up the entire length of the leg. Many would argue that isn’t exactly what you’d call a ‘classic’ but I have worn them at every age and, actually, they’ve never been particularly ‘fashionable’, but they always get compliments every time I wear them.
Probably the last socially sustainable thing I bought would be fairtrade tea! Clipper is my favourite brand, it’s great quality and fits with my personal values as well as personal tastes (earl grey!).
Oh boy, big question! I think I would like to see a shift in focus on brands existing just to make money, to considering what else brands can do. I think that would resolve an awful lot of issues. Of course, they still need to make money, that’s essential to survival, but I’d like to see brands measured by investors in how many people they give good quality jobs to, what their designs contribute to culture and the global conversation, what innovations they’ve spearheaded, what causes they use their influence to champion, and what they do to better their industry and move it forward. I can’t think of anything more boring than the aim after turning over £10m being to turn over £50m!
*Photo of Olivia by JC Candanedo, Photo of Fashion Debates by Jordan Wharf Young.
This past weekend BLOX opened in Copenhagen and it was a real pleasure to be invited for the launch. It is an ambitious building, with a prominent position on the harbour front, and will be the home of Danish design, architecture and urban development.
I arrived in time to hear acclaimed artist, Olafur Eliasson, discuss his contribution. I met Olafur in 2009, at a Hopenhagen event at the Louisiana Museum. His piece then, a car made of ice that melted if a lot of people (and their heat) shared its space, had similarities with this current installation, blank screens that depend on visitors to pass in front of lights, populating the screens and creating the work. He explained it simply, ‘You have to trust that people will show up’. I loved listening to his thoughts; he scoffed at celebrating planting 2000 trees when we need to plant billions, lamented the McKinseyfication of civic society and pleaded that we nurture our ownership of the commons. What we don’t collectively value we will surely lose. We have to show up. Love it.
Then came a panel hosted by my new friend, Mette Laursen - fantastic human, master net-worker and global ambassador of BLOX. It began with Philippe Benjamin Skow on the violin. I can’t describe something that awesome. Then we heard from Bruce Katz, about how we need to accelerate the flow of solutions in a global urban exchange. IBM Watson’s, Helle Valentin spoke of their AI charter, and how transparency might be the new security. Dr. Joseph Allen drew our attention to the public health issues associated with the environment where we spend 90% of our time - the buildings we live and work in. And finally Indy Johar, who I met in London just weeks ago. Indy’s comments focused the mind, a positive cohesive future depends on unlocking the full capacity of all human beings. We all need to release our full embodied potential and humanity in order to have a positive, sustainable future.
I loved the way this panel worked, with questions and replies from pre-engaged members of the audience. Point and counterpoint, ideas and leaps. An amazing multi-storey party ensued, and unfortunately an early departure for me, back to London.
What makes this space so interesting is what it has been designed to achieve. I hope that I have this right, but what I experienced was a place for dialogue. The open fluid spaces and creative and cultural inhabitants - like The Danish Design Centre, the BloxHub co-working space, the terraces, indoor amphitheatre and installation rooms - invite and will foster idea sharing and collaboration. The light and intention of the building made me believe that it will succeed. It is a wonderful place to debate and plan how to make the world better for everyone.
Looking forward to returning to such a joyful, inspiring place.
Last week we were happy to host Yvette Austin, BBC South East's environmental correspondent. As you can imagine, we spent most of the day explaining all our work while touring our Tonge Mill workshop.
Our fantastic discussion was distilled down to a three minute segment for the evening news and the one minute piece you can watch below.
We can't thank Yvette enough for including us in her wider War on Rubbish and are really enjoying all of the conversations that this has sparked with our local community, our stakeholders and whole new online audiences.
Last week was incredible. Why? I spent it in Singapore with a truly exceptional group of people, all committed to aiding and celebrating the efforts and successes of 18 impact driven entrepreneurs.
The 2018 Finalists
The Cartier Women's Initiative Awards (CWIA) are hard to sum up. On the surface it is an awards program that selects 6 Laureates each year from a final group of 18 candidates. All of the candidates are women, and all have been through several layers of selection before the final week in Singapore. This year there were close to 3000 initial contenders. Making it to the finals is a fantastic achievement; every finalist receives €30,000.00 and the Laureates win €100,000.00.
But what is truly unique about these awards? What makes the entrepreneurs stand out? They are all running businesses that focus on solving social or environmental problems. Impact is in their DNA. When these businesses succeed, the world gets better. You can read all about the 2018 cohort here.
But lets look below the surface. This is so much more than an Award. I was the Laureate for Europe in 2011, and this year returned to serve on the European jury. I can say I have a detailed knowledge of what the CWIA are from both sides of the equation.
Here is a flashback to 2011...
The CWIA have built a powerful network. The commitment from Cartier and its partners, INSEAD and McKinsey, is extensive. The finalists have access to mentoring from within this group and from the jury members (after the awards of course!). Following our win in 2011, we have been involved in CWIA related events each year, which means our network has grown with the competition.
By focusing on Impact driven businesses it follows that the network is itself focused. The finalists and Laureates share similar challenges and experiences. We are in a great position to empathise and support each other. The loneliness that can often accompany entrepreneurship is alleviated by this powerful, open, giving community.
This is also about scale. Beyond their individual mentoring, each finalist is offered a place on the INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship 6-Day Executive Programme (ISEP). Everyone involved wants to help these businesses thrive and thrive they have. Last year was the 10th anniversary of the awards, and Cartier commissioned a report to understand their impact. 80% of the Finalists' businesses are still running and together they have created over 6000 jobs. There is no question that the profile, the mentoring, the prize and the network have contributed significantly to the ongoing success of these businesses.
If I could enter again, I would, but for now I am truly honoured to serve on the jury. The jury are all volunteers, and all busy leaders in their own field. They all give over a week of their time to this initiative because they want to support female founders and problem solvers. The CWIA gives us, the Jury, an incredible opportunity to give back and to keep our fingers on the pulse of global social enterprise.
The 2018 European Finalists with their Jury
In establishing and growing this amazing program Cartier has made a generous and successful commitment to truly ground-breaking businesses and to cherishing the women who run them.
This weekend we were featured in the Financial Times How To Spend It feature magazine on interiors.
Flipping through the pages, it was impossible to miss the quality, history and craftsmanship behind some of the pieces. It is a real honour to be included. One interesting note, we were among three brands featured for being 'good', And we wondered, why are there only three?
This isn't fashion, people don't refresh sofas or rugs like they do their clothing, not yet, thank goodness, so why shouldn't there be more ethical, sustainable brands on show? These are 'keepers', these are the pieces that are literally 'part of the furniture', they last for decades, if not centuries... The home is one place where buying good should be a lot easier as it should be easier to consider the investment?
Our rugs are made from thousands of pieces of hand-cut, hand-woven leather. We do offer them in standard colours and sizes but try our 'customisation' app and design your own. Have some fun!
By their very nature and design, these rugs can be remade and repaired over time. They help us to employ apprentices in Kent, save thousands of kilos of leather and 50% of the profits will go to renewable energy projects.
Our rugs are not just amazing to have in your home, they create an amazing legacy of goodness. Thank you to Tim Auld for featuring us, and keep your eyes peeled in the future for this regular item called For Goodness' Sake.
Over the years we have met some incredible people who are all working to make the world better, in many different ways, and we wanted to find out their thoughts on our industry. Why? Fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world...
This week we took some time to talk to New York based Laura Baross, the founder of Design with Care. An interior design platform that prioritises sustainably sourced materials and finishes, that works exclusively with environmentally and socially conscious design brands.
1. Tell us a little about yourself and what you do?
I was born and raised surrounded by art. After architectural studies my path led to Interior Design. Before graduating I started to become more conscious about my next steps and understood the impact my work will have on the planet and future generations. Therefore I started an eco-friendly design platform called DESIGN with CARE. We put emphasis on sourcing exclusively from eco-friendly vendors and introduce only sustainable finishes to the spaces we design.
2. Everyone has an unexpected luxury - or a different way of defining luxury. What does luxury mean to you? What do you consider to be a luxury that others might not?
I always put functionality first. Even an object that is less aesthetically pleasing at first sight with an astonishing story behind it becomes beautiful to me. Same applies when it comes to luxury. Purposeful, sustainably made and great quality products that last long, is what defines luxury in my mind.
3. What is the most environmentally or socially positive project you have ever worked on?
One of the most conscious projects I worked on is definitely The Package Free Shop. It is the first Zero Waste lifestyle store in New York. The founder, Lauren Singer had an idea to bring everything that individuals need to transition to a low waste lifestyle under one roof. The initial pop-up was designed to educate customers about their everyday habits and offer them tools that can help them keep life less trashy. It functioned both as a market place and an informative gallery space with sketches on the walls, mimicking real life situations.
The space was designed within the same low waste guidelines. Everything was handmade, up-cycled and custom-built by Brooklyn artisans. We used certified wood, sourced certain elements from The Big Reuse and kept the aesthetics minimal and simple.
4. Do you think the future of interiors is sustainable? Why? Why not?
Let’s assume in all the production they use raw materials that come only from sustainable sources or reuse post-consumer recycled materials. Companies manage to lower the waste that comes with shipping and delivering and interior designers start incorporating only eco-friendly materials in projects. It doesn’t sound too futuristic or unmanageable right? This is exactly what we do at D\\’C We’re hoping to keep pushing the sustainability standards of the current market and motivate more companies to switch to greener manufacturing.
5. Do you have a piece of clothing, furniture, or an accessory that you have had forever - a completely indispensable classic?
When my Mom was my age she played in a band and had the coolest clothes in town. Over the years she went through minimizing her wardrobe multiple times, but luckily kept the best pieces for me. Her high rise jeans and a vintage biker jacket are definitely my favourite to wear.
6. Tell us about the last thing you bought which would be considered a socially or environmentally sustainable. Why did you choose it?
It was an outdoor bistro table that I purchased for one of my projects at a Brooklyn thrift shop. I love shopping vintage and second hand furniture in good conditions, because it is one of the most sustainable ways to find what we need without exhausting new resources.
7. If you could make one change in your own industry, to make it better, what would that be and how would you tackle it?
I would love to see biodegradable plastic wraps and compostable plastic bags in our industry. Renovations and furniture handling come with a lot of mess. We wrap products to protect them during shipping and cover up existing interior surfaces to avoid any damage. After the work is done all these non-recyclable plastic coverings are sent to landfills. If we had less harmful ways to keep the finishes clean without sacrificing our environment that would be very helpful.
