The Philippines Joins a Sustainable Fashion Future on World Circular Textile Day 2023

Did you miss some of the events that we got involved in this month? Not to worry, here is what we did early this October.
Fashion Revolution Philippines (FashRevPH) marked the World Circular Textile Day with a series of events. World Circular Textile Day is celebrated each year on October 8 but one day was not enough for this year 2023.

 

Exhibit and Bazaar at Eastwood Plaza

FashRevPH joins an exhibit and bazaar at Eastwood Plaza in Quezon City with WearForward and Restore. The event featured a well-curated selection of sustainable fashion brands, a clothing swap party with free consultation on sustainable fashion practices, and a showcase of upcycled pieces from Jan Paul Martinez, a local fashion designer. This activity ran from October 6 to October 10.

The Challenges and Opportunities in Textile Waste

Tere Arigo, FashRevPH Country Coordinator, facilitated the virtual panel discussion titled “Closing the Loop: Navigating the Challenges and Opportunities in Textile Waste.” Top industry figures from diverse backgrounds joins the panel discussion. The panel started off with FashRevPH spokesperson Prince Jimdel Ventura of WearForward followed by Noreen Baustista the co-founder of Panublix, joined with her is a fashion educator and sustainable designer Irene Subang, with a professional wardrobe stylist and author of Always Be Chic Miss KC Leyco and lastly Lester Dellosa an environment activist who is also the founder and creative director of CICCADA.

The time for discussion of environmental and economic challenges posed by textile wastes in the Philippines was not enough. It included the innovative solutions that can transform these issues into opportunities for circular fashion materials, processes, business models, products, services, and consumption were too broad to talk about in just an hour.

 

Capacity Building Workshop on Textile Circularity

FashRevPH collaborated with MakeSense Philippines in a Capacity Building Workshop on Textile Circularity on October 13, 2023. The workshop was held at BSA Twin Towers in Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City.
FashRevPH participated in the workshop to talk about local textiles and sustainable fashion with Mr Ventura as part of the panel in the first part of the program. The organization guided the design of one of MakeSense’s capacity-building workshops in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

MakeSense, Fashion Revolution Philippines and participant in Capacity Building Workshop

FasRevPH’s Commitment to Sustainability

FashRevPH is committed to promoting sustainable fashion in the Philippines. The organization works to educate consumers about the impact of their fashion choices and to encourage them to support a more sustainable approach.

Lessons we learned from Fashion Open Studio 2020

Covid-19 was not going to come in the way of Fashion Open Studio 2020 and its audience. If anything, the pandemic gave this year’s designers a greater audience than ever.  The studio tours, workshops and conversations were pivoted to a digital format, allowing us to #StayHome while also staying connected with the creative community making use of this time to rethink systems, supply chains and resources.


Sustainability means many things 

We celebrated the work of 53 designers across 14 countries including Iran, New Zealand, Vietnam, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Switzerland and Germany. There was so much to learn from the designers who took part, each one with solutions to the challenges most pressing to them. At Fashion Open Studio we understand that sustainability means many things (and sometimes, nothing at all). Every designer taking part in this programme is finding solutions that will help to move their own business forward without over stretching the planet’s resources and with respect for artisans and garment workers who craft and stitch their collections. The purpose of Fashion Open Studio is to share these stories and help them to reach the audiences they deserve.

Julian Tamuka founder of Guyllelujah uses limited resources to create staple pieces of clothing and accessories.
Julian Tamuka, founder of Guyllelujah, uses limited resources to create staple pieces of clothing and accessories.

From Fashion Revolution’s incredible global network there were so many eloquent voices, with as many different perspectives on how clothing should be made and valued. From Zimbabwe, Fashion Revolution’s country coordinator Rudo Nondo talked to Julian Tamuka about his brand Guyllelujah.  Julian had previously not considered ideas about sustainability until he was introduced to Fashion Revolution through Fashion Open Studio and realised his use of limited resources – deadstock materials and off cuts – and his philosophy of making staple items of clothing because as he says “it’s a staple for a reason, it’s more likely to be of value and stick around longer,” is the way he works out of necessity.

I recommend everyone watches his short video, The New Philosophy of Fashion as there is so much to learn from his approach.

Likewise, from Harare, Haus of Stone presented Therapy of Fashion, which combined mediation and making one session of mindfulness and creativity. The brand’s founder, Danayi, led us through a fusion of yoga; traditional mbira music and hand sewing. Participants are invited to send the roses they make in the workshop to become part of a collective scarf called ‘Hope’.

 

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In Switzerland in collaboration with Mode Suisse, Rafael Kouto asked “What is Upcycling? And what is waste?” Rafael showed how to ‘pimp’ your garments with an introduction on his upcycling practice and so much information and advice on rethinking and valuing the contents of your own wardrobe. It’s a really wonderful and informative session.

Rafael Kouto
Rafael Kouto’s workshop focused on upcycling

From Pune in India, Karishma Shahani Khan invited small groups into a virtual studio each day to learn quilting, embroidery and hand sewing techniques in a series of sewing circles with the team from Ka Sha and the artisans they work with. They wanted to share the inherent social setting of storytelling and conversations that they witness within their everyday working environment with guests.

 

Ka Sha's workshop in full swing via Zoom
Ka Sha’s workshop in full swing via Zoo

Also in India, in Jaipura in Rajasthan, Iro-Iro showed their practice around implementing zero-waste for their MoonWash collection, focusing on New Heroes with illustrations and readings celebrating women throughout history who have been independent thinkers and doers.

If you missed these remarkable stories, they are still available as a series of readings of letters to women from Cleopatra to the spy princess Noor Inayat Khan, and there is a collection of clothes inspired by each of them.

 

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Inspired by Nur Jahan, we wanted to design a look that is elegance and grace in itself. She appreciated the finer things and developed so many new ways of expressing creativity. We thought she would appreciate something that is more fuss-free and simple yet very detailed. We designed a zero-waste Kurti which is an Indian everyday garment. It is traditionally a very functional garment with high slits on the sides. We placed silk waste in the centre while weaving, to make it more regal. On the armholes we have the lighter yarns, offering mobility and colour blocking. The rise dress has become one of our popular pieces. It is a fuss-free garment that dictates poise, much like Nur Jahan. . in collaboration with @fashionopenstudio @fashionrevolutionindia @fash_rev @orsoladecastro #FashionOpenStudio #fashionrevolution #whomademyclothes #imadeyourclothes #whatsinmyclothes . Photography: @whoisthatphotographer Art direction: @namratasehgal_ Featuring: @dewanshi_v Hair & make up: @anuradha.tewari.mua #wovenfromwaste . #conscious #zerowaste #handmade #upcycle #sustainablefashion #ethical #designcollective #tokyo #makefashiongood #circulardesign #makefashioncircular #ethicalfashion #unfashion #womenswave #circulardesign #lovedclotheslast #unfashion #ethicalstyle #iroirozerowaste . . #india #indigenous #knowyourroots #indigenousdesign

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Vietnamese brand Tamay & Me introduced Mien artisan and co-founder Tamay from Ta Phin village in Sapa,

Tamay & Me
Tamay & Me

with a special film screening followed by a Q&A with her co-founder Hannah Cowie to explain how they work together and the heritage of the unique craftsmanship that goes into every garment.

Creativity in lockdown thrived

While the world was in lockdown, many designers still had access to their studios, either because they live in the same space, or because they were using them to continue working at a safe social distance in the essential work of making PPE and hospital scrubs as many of the Fashion Open Studio network were doing. Phoebe English talked to us from her Deptford Creek studio in south London, explaining how to quilt with waste using her paper templates.

Phoebe English shows viewers how to make a paper template for quilting with waste
Phoebe English shows viewers how to make a paper template for quilting with waste

As she spoke, the scrubs she had been making were being counted and packed up ready to be delivered to hospitals in need as part of the Emergency Designer Network with fellow FOS designer Bethany Williams. Elliss Solomon, founder of Elliss, took time out from her work for Scrub Up for the NHS to talk us through her workshop on collage ­– a key part of her creative development when she is designing a collection. Many others taking part in the week were playing their part in making masks, scrubs and PPE and of course, the week’s events were a great way for people to spread the word, stay connected, and share the challenges of trying to keep business going.

Collaboration makes sense

While there are designers who are still fledgling brands, this is a particularly difficult time for those newly graduated. Among the thousands of fashion graduates unable to even show their final collections as part of a degree show, we showcased the work of two emerging talents who had shown their collections as part of the Central Saint Martins MA show in March, just a week before the lockdown. The portfolio visits traditionally held for industry experts to head hunt talent, were cancelled, with future job prospects on hold for many. Matthew Needham, who temporarily joined the Fashion Revolution team for the week to help on production and Zoom management, talked us through his final collection ØYEBLIKK / 2020 ‘IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE’.

 

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While Needham is an advocate of waste management – a master of using trash as a precious resource in his collections – he is also becoming expert in collaboration, and is sure that this is the way forward. For his session, he brought together his co-collaborators Sneaker artist Helen Kirkum, Biotech materials researcher Alice Potts and experimental milliner Jo Miller. Together they explained some of their processes and how working collectively is a great way to consolidate sustainable thinking, encourage innovation and help lift each other’s practice and find new audiences.

Somerset House x Young Creatives 

Fellow CSM MA graduate Paolo Carzana moved back to his hometown in Cardiff, Wales, the week he was supposed to be showing his final collection to the world. Paolo was chosen as the finale to the degree show, with The Boy Who Came Back to Life, a collection packed with details, extraordinary materials, botanical dyes, Pinatex textiles, and layers of story-telling, autobiographical notes, and months’ worth of research.

sketch from Paolo Carzana's collection The Boy Who Came Back to Life
Sketch from Paolo Carzana’s collection The Boy Who Came Back to Life

For his session which was part of the afternoon of events in partnership with Somerset House and its Young Creatives programme, Carzana talked from the balcony of his flat overlooking the Cardiff stadium which was at the time, being turned into a Nightingale hospital. He had made a special film, A Self Isolation Waltz for the event showing his collection against the backdrop of the building site below, and talked through his sketches, fabric swatches and references. He also talked about his plans to make a capsule collection for the planned digital London Fashion Week in June, re-using pieces from his previous work. The pandemic has forced him to rethink how he is going to work and sell – and be even more resourceful creative and sustainable as a business going forward.

Also taking part in the Somerset House programme were Bethany Williams, Katie Jones and Congregation Design. Bethany was part of a week-long series of events to celebrate the anniversary of Earth Day, planned with Somerset House long before the pandemic took hold. You can watch highlights of the day here.

There is so much to learn from the 2020 Fashion Open Studio designers. We are still absorbing and catching up with so many incredible and diverse sessions. The digital programme allowed these small, intimate studio conversations and workshops to be viewed by a global audience creating conversations that reverberated between designers and communities that hadn’t previously connected.


We are starting to plan for Fashion Open Studio 2021 and will be announcing how to apply to take part in the coming months. Until then, do spend some time watching the videos on our YouTube playlist and share the knowledge and the work of these change maker designers far and wide.

 

To stay up to date with Fashion Open Studio, subscribe to the Fashion Revolution youtube channel and follow Fashion Open Studio on instagram, twitter and facebook.

 

 

 

 

 

From a Special Needs School to an Empowering Sustainable Fashion Brand

When Ubuntu Made first came to Maai Mahiu, we found a community of children with special needs and their mothers being mistreated and secluded. The stigma and lack of understanding surrounding special needs in Kenya means extremely limited access to essential services such as education, affordable healthcare, physical rehabilitation, and vocational training. This leads to limited opportunities for social inclusion, many social and economic issues for their families, and ultimately limits their ability to live the life of dignity that they deserve. Ubuntu first created the Ubuntu Special Needs Centre (SNC) to combat this stigma and injustice by providing therapy, education, and vocational training to youth with special needs in Maai Mahiu. Caring for these children had been a full-time job for their mothers, so soon after enrolling their children in the SNC their Mums started a new conversation with the founders: “Now that our kids are out of the house, can you help us do something productive with our time?”

The answer was a fashion line, initially imagined to create jobs for these Mums. Today, those same women have formed into a sisterhood revered in the community: women who provide for their families, purchase land, and venture into their own successful entrepreneurial efforts. Which is why it’s not simply about creating jobs.

“Plenty of people have been given opportunity, but they don’t feel empowered,” explains Zane Wilemon. “There’s something magical about our culture and creating a job within that; it then empowers the whole community.”

This conviction is what led Ubuntu Made to design and launch the Afridrille. At the intersection of customization and sustainability, the Afridrille merges customer experience with genuine connection. Based on the popular espadrille style shoe, their version marries modern on-demand manufacturing technology to an artisanal production process. Customers can choose from an incredible array of styles, choosing from a range of canvas colors, printed patterns, pattern colors, and African kanga linings. There are over 23,000 different design options, so each pair represents the personality of the individual customer. That means that each pair must be made to order, not produced in bulk in advance.

The key to making this process work is technology and expertise provided by Zazzle, a Silicon Valley company that makes customizing anything a possibility. They’ve applied their cutting-edge technology to enhance the customer design process and have dedicated hundreds of hours of senior staff time to help Ubuntu develop the new product, in a collaboration that re-defines what true “corporate social responsibility” represents today.

“At Zazzle we’re thrilled to extend our platform and technologies to Makers who craft products with soul, made from the heart. And there’s perhaps no better example of this than the Ubuntu Mums,” explains Jeff Beaver, Zazzle co-founder and Chief Product Officer. “Through our partnership with Ubuntu we’ve learned that providing economic opportunity is exponentially more impactful, and sustainable, than handouts or charity. These Afridrilles are more than just awesome shoes, they are a celebration of the human spirit, and every single pair empowers these Mums, their special needs kids, and their larger community. What’s better than that?” 

Crowdfunding the product launch via Kickstarter allows Ubuntu to build up production capabilities, expand the skillset of their ‘Maker Mums’, and perfect a complex operating process with the support of the Kickstarter community.

“Never underestimate the power of the entrepreneurial spirit and what can happen when people collaborate on something bigger than ourselves,” says Wilemon. “With the support of Zazzle and an eager crowdfunding audience, together we will scale up production and empower thousands of women and families in Kenya.”

At Ubuntu, empowerment means more than providing handouts or even a sustainable job. It means offering people a chance to create their own lives and livelihood. Ubuntu Made pays above-market wages to all of our employees – up to 4 times as much as they would have been able to find elsewhere in the community. We also provide health insurance to all our employees and their families, a rarity in Kenya where less than 20% have access.

The job skills our Mums learn and the money they earn empower them to buy homes – more than half of Ubuntu employees are homeowners compared to 1% nationwide. They are able to provide for their families, and sometimes start their own enterprises. They earn more than money; they earn respect in their community. Together, by providing disabled children with the healthcare and education they need, we empower them to realize their fullest potential.

That’s empowerment. That’s Ubuntu in action.

#MeetYourMaker – This is Nisha Begum

In her own words Nisha is honest, hard working and devoted. Nisha is a 28 year old mother of one. She is also a sewing machine operator at the Echotex manufacturing facility in Dhaka, Bangladesh. 6 months in into her role, the biggest challenge she’s faced is picking up the necessary skills to meet the quality standards required to produce the first NINETY PERCENT collection of premium basics. Every working morning, she says goodbye to her 5 year old son and leaves her home in Shafipur, Gazipur district to catch the rikshaw to Dhaka and make your clothes.

Greatest Achievement:

Being a kind mother to my five year old son is my greatest achievement. It’s hard to find the words to express my love for my boy but I feel heaven’s peace when he runs into my arms for a hug. It makes me so proud to see my tiny boy keep himself neat and tidy and behave well around friends and neighbours.

Work highlight so far:

Completing NINETY PERCENT collection 1 is my greatest career achievement. It was a big challenge for me to make sure the finish was first class. NINETY PERCENT is exclusive product so I had to work hard to assure the quality. I learned a lot making collection 1 and I hope these skills will serve me well in future.

Best memory:

Catching fish as a child. I fished a pond near home in my native village of Bishnupur in the Gaibandha District. The best time to fish was late autumn when the water level was down and it was easier. All the boys and girls fished together then our mothers’ cooked the fresh fish for us.

Favorite place:

Cox’s Bazar – it’s the world’s largest natural sea beach. It’s an amazing feeling by the sea with the breeze and the sand. I’ve never seen any other beaches but I’m sure Cox’s Bazar is the best. Last winter the whole family went there, all the hotels and motels there are world class for all types of foreign and local tourists.

Best life advice?

My parents advised me to always be truthful. I’ve followed this advice at every stage of my life. Wherever I have been or done I have always been truthful. Actually, I think that’s my greatest achievement. It’s advice I passed on to my child – I think that’s why he is so well behaved.

The one thing you can’t live without?

My husband is my life partner – our marriage was arranged by our families. His name is Ashraful Alam and we’ve been living for 10 years. He feels my happiness and pain and tries to help me solve problems. We have a deep understanding of each other – our eyes can read each other’s hearts. My man is wonderful. He always takes care of me and shares what he thinks.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In five years time I wish to be a team-leader. First of all I want to be the best most efficient employee I can – this will see me rise. My supervisor Mr. Azizul’s motivates me and boosts my self confidence. My first day in the job was a mixture of sadness, fear and happiness. I was sad because I thought I would be busy with no more free time to do what I wish. I felt fear because I didn’t know the job or the environment. I felt happy thinking about the money I would earn. Now I wake up in the early morning to complete my family tasks then say bye to my boy and leave for work. When I’m there, I complete my tasks, then return home at 5.30 pm to focus on my family again.

When are you happiest?

I become happiest outside of work when I’m with my family. We spend our time laughing, gossiping and doing lots of things. I love to play chess with my husband and cook – especially mutton curry. Before we go to sleep we always have cup of tea together at the end of the day. Making the tea for everyone is a special moment for me.   

 

Fashion Open Studio: BE CURIOUS, FIND OUT, DO SOMETHING

Fashion Open Studio 2018 – “the only fashion week worth caring about” – expands as a powerful platform for designers and brands to discuss who made your clothes during Fashion Revolution Week. Building on the initiative which started last year, designers from London to LA will be taking part, sharing their processes, ideas and best practice. This is a platform that celebrates transparency in the industry.

The aim of the week-long series of events is to engage the consumer further in the conversation about who makes our clothes – and to involve them in some of the processes along the way.

Christopher Raeburn Studio

A diverse range of designers including Stella McCartney, Phoebe English, Christopher Raeburn, Community Clothing, John Alexander Skelton, Roberts|Wood, OneByMe, Katie Jones, Kepler London, Elvis & Kresse x Burberry Foundation, and Vivienne Westwood will each be adding their own voice to a Fashion Open Studio 2018, a week of talks, workshops, picnics and radical quilting.

Elvis and Kresse

A highlight of the week will be the Burberry Foundation will be talking about their five-year partnership with Elvis & Kresse to re-engineer waste material through innovative craftsmanship in an open conversation at sustainable luxury visionaries Elvis & Kresse’s Kent HQ.

To kick off Fashion Open Studio 2018, Patrick Grant, founder of Community Clothing and CEO Lucy Clayton will be talking about why – and how – they are trying to revive the British manufacturing and textile industry. Their state of the art Cookson & Clegg factory in Blackburn now has the facility to produce 2,000 garments a month.

They will be joined by fellow industry veteran (ex Topshop, Asos and Finery London) Caren Downie, who recently launched her own Made in Britain glasses brand ByOcular. The opening event is supported by CELC – Master Of Linen, who will launch the I Love Linen campaign collaboration with Chelsea College.

MEET AND MAKE

Fashion Open Studio is a rare chance to meet and make with some of London’s most exciting young designers and their teams including Kepler London who will be opening up their Ridley Road studio to talk about how thy work and show some of their innovative knit pieces in production.

The designer cooperative Congregation who will be hosting a 3-day workshop to engage the public and create new work. They will be creating new pieces from the previously discarded. The pieces will be passed from designer to designer, each adding their own thoughts and expertise along the way and allowing them to develop into an unpredictable outcome.

All are finding new ways of producing their collections so they can take greater environmental and social responsibility for their fabric choices, supply chains and production processes.

Phoebe English

Fashion Open Studio is a great way to learn new skills from some of the industry’s most exciting talent. There will be a rare opportunity to join Phoebe English at her Deptford Creek studio in her Quilting From Waste workshop, using her waste fabric from the past year. She is looking forward to having time to join the stitching, to discuss waste, recycling, and how to combat mass consumption. The activist artist and poet Wilson Oryema will be on hand to read from his recently published book, Wait.

The acclaimed accessories designer Michelle Lowe-Holder will be hosting a ribbon reclaim jewellery making workshop.

And to end the week, one of the most innovative design duos, OneByMe will be hosting the launch of their ONELAB, a social enterprise which will encourage people to create their own garments like the OneByMe One Piece T-shirt. HOW WILL YOU MAKEIT will be an opportunity to try our hand at making your own piece of ONEBYME. This radical new brand is finding a new way of making fashion based around circularity. Any waste fabric is fed to their wormery. Cocktails using herbs grown from the resulting compost will be served.

In partnership with Sarabande: The Lee Alexander McQueen Foundation, there will be two talks. Fashion Open Studio curator Tamsin Blanchard will be discussing the merits of slow fashion with Sarabande designers John Alexander Skelton and Roberts|Wood.

DISRUPTING THE RETAIL INDUSTRY

Fashion Open Studio is excited to announce a partnership with the social online clothing marketplace Depop, to promote the Nothing New open studio event, focusing on why vintage classics are all you need. 40 % of 18-24 year-olds bought second hand clothing last year. Second hand clothing sites like Depop and The RealREal are changing the retail landscape, giving clothes a longer life and slowing the sale of new clothes. The Depop event at Protein Studios will be a chance to meet some of Depop’s own community of sellers and will feature an exhibition of iconic items and their story throughout the years. There will also be a workshop by the extraordinary footwear artist Helen Kirkum.

Remade Reduced Recycled is the Christopher Raeburn mantra. For Fashion Open Studio, Raeburn will be hosting Raeburn Repairs, an open day of free repairs. Guests will be welcome to bring along their favourite items that are in need of a little TLC to be repaired and remade as good as new (if not better). “In a world of overconsumption and fast fashion, one of the most radical thing we can do as consumers is to keep our clothes in use for as long as possible,” says Raeburn. We couldn’t agree more.

Christopher Raeburn

DO SOMETHING

Fashion Open Studio is a global event and will include workshops, talks and studio tours around the world. Highlights include:

Melbourne, A.BCH will be sharing the transparency story behind their basics brand, with Cutpiece, a series of up-cycling workshops. Participants are invited into the studio to make a new item from old clothing, off-cuts or salvaged materials. Participants will be able to choose their own adventure and skill level by choosing one of three workshops to be held throughout Fashion Revolution Week.

And in Shanghai, LVMH-shortlisted designer Xu Zhi will be opening up his Chinese studio with a rare opportunity to see some of his production techniques and craft.

Daniel-Xu Zhi

In Buenos Aires, Manto Abrigos will be hosting daily events at their showroom to talk about the stories behind their brand, the sociology of fashion, and the close connections with the artisans who make the clothes.

In Jakarta, Manual Jakarta presents Fashion Revolution Open Studio: Wilsen Willim, supported by  British Council Indonesia and also Fashion Revolution Indonesia.

In New York and LA, Stella McCartney is celebrating her recent partnership with the consignment website The RealReal with in store events designed to inspire customers to care for, repair and prolong the life of their clothes so that they can have a second life as part of a circular economy.

Check out Fashion Revolution Open Studio events page for details of an event near you.

‘We want to celebrate the invisible process behind designers finished collections, the intimacy of a studio, the reality of the team, and see the people that make out clothes’ Orsola de Castro

‘This year’s Fashion Open Studio is such an exciting mix of creativity and new ideas. It is all about collaboration and making a different kind of fashion community. Open Studios is an opportunity to shine a light on a group of emerging designers – and some established trailblazers – who are finding alternative ways of producing fashion that is mindful of the makers, the planet, and its resources. They all work in very different ways and are at different stages in their journey but are united in their mission to make fashion better.’ Tamsin Blanchard, curator, Fashion Open Studio

Fashion Revolution Week, April 23-29  is a global campaign sparking a wider public conversation about the impacts of our clothes on the people who make them.

Who Made Your Bag? Meet the Artisans of Rags2Riches

Who Made Your Bags? Meet the Workshop Artisans of R2R

From the very beginning, our artisans have always been our partners in positive change and empowerment! The journey of R2R, after all, really started with them. It was through their amazing talent of weaving and this artistry’s capacity to transform lives for the better that R2R became what it is today.

Rags2Riches-R2R-Artisans-Fashion-Revolution-Fashrev

We’re pretty sure you’ve met some of our artisans in our Weaving with the Weavers events or even in our stores –– yes, some of our store ambassadors are artisans, too! But we have a wonderful (but very elusive!) group of artisans we’d love to introduce to you. You don’t get to see them often because these are our workshop artisans! They’re the ones running our humble workshop, assembling your bags to perfection before they land in our stores.

In honor of Fashion Revolution Week, we’re going to take you through our workshop and introduce to you the faces behind our production process!

1. NHING ESTABILLO, WORKSHOP SUPERVISOR

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Ate Nhing started as an urban artisan from our Payatas community back in 2008 and since 2012, she’s been in charge of our workshop’s overall production, monitoring targets and making sure her team of amazing artisans create high quality bags and home items for you, our dearest advocates.

Update: Ate Nhing is now our Sales Ambassador! You can meet her in our Trinoma or UP Town Center stores! 

2. BERNABE “BING” LOR, TEAM LEADER OF CUTTING

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Kuya Bing, as we call him, is the lead of our workshop’s cutting team. Cutting is the very first step in our workshop’s production process! He and his team lays out the foundation of the bags by cutting and preparing the raw materials needed to make R2R bags. Once they’re done, the materials then get passed onto the other steps of our production process!

3. RUFINO “JUN” GAYANILO, JR., TEAM LEADER OF ASSEMBLY

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Kuya Jun leads our workshop assembly. Once all the raw materials –– from the handwoven fabric to the bags’ hardware –– have been prepared, he and his team take all these different parts and put them together to build the R2R bags that you own and use today.

4. JIMBO ZIPAGAN, TEAM LEADER OF SEWING

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Kuya Jimbo is our workshop’s sewing team leader! He’s in charge of the major and minor sewing of all our bags and home items. Even with that big of a responsibility, he’s one of the people in the workshop who’s always wearing such a huge and happy smile! It’s SUPER contagious, we swear!

5. FLORENCIA “FENCIA” FONTE, TEAM LEADER OF QUALITY CHECKING

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Ate Fencia leads the workshop’s quality checking team or QC, as we call it! They’re the ones making sure that each and every bag is up to par with our standards of excellence. We don’t just QC the pieces after it’s done; we also check per stage so we see if each part of the bags were prepared properly, from the handwoven fabric to the cut leather. It’s a very important step of our production process because we always want to deliver high quality pieces to you, our advocates.

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In R2R, we believe that fashion can be made in a safe, clean, and beautiful way and where creativity, quality, environment, and people are valued equally. That’s why we think it’s super important to ask the questions: #whomademyclothes, #whomademybags? Join the Fashion Revolution!

Header photo: Carry Somers, co-founder of Fashion Revolution, visits the Rags2Riches workshop in October 2016.

Este Natal ofereça prendas com história: workshops, mercados e feiras natalícias

O Natal está aí à porta. O mês de Dezembro já começou e com isso começam as idas às compras para conseguir os melhores presentes. Não é novidade nenhuma que a altura do Natal é uma das épocas do ano de maior consumo em todo o mundo, gerando milhões e milhões de euros. O Fashion Revolution Portugal vem novamente desafiá-lo, desta vez no espírito natalício, a encontrar uma alternativa às várias horas passadas às compras nas grandes superfícies comercias, optando por oferecer prendas com história. Para isso há inúmeras opções à sua escolha: a primeira será sem dúvida o faça você mesmo, ou DIY – Do It Yourself, seja com conhecimentos que já tem ou que adquira em workshops; pode também reparar ou reciclar objectos que já possuí, dê-lhes novas formas e novas vidas; pode ainda trocar, as peças de roupa ou outros bens que tem em casa e nos quais já não toca há meses ou anos, estes podem ganhar novos significados quando adquiridos por outras pessoas e quem sabe você não encontra também algum tesouro que nunca esperou encontrar; por último pode comprar mas em mercados e feiras de design, artesanato, gastronomia, …, de produtos nacionais, por todo o país. O Fashion Revolution deixa aqui as suas sugestões:

Para aqueles que querem fazer as suas prendas mas não sabem nem o quê nem como, aqui estão alguns workshops a decorrer em Dezembro:

Workshop de tricot, depois de ensinar a bordar, a fazer ponto cruz e a fazer crochet, A Avó vai trabalhar vai ensinar a tricotar já no próximo dia 10. O primeiro turno é das 10h às 13h30 e o segundo turno das 14h30 às 18h. Mais informações no facebook A Avó veio trabalhar.

Arm knitting workshop (tricotar com os braços) com o Frederico Cardoso da Knitted by Macho Men, dia 9 de Dezembro, entre as 15h e as 19h, no LXFactory. Mais informações no facebook Knitted by Macho Men.

 

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Oficina de Tecelagem com a Guida Fonseca, nos dias 10 e 11 de Dezembro, das 10h às 20h, no espaço da Chi Coração, na Rua da Prata, nº 274, em Lisboa. Mais informações no facebook Guida Fonseca Textile Art.

(Neste caso, para oferecer um workshop como prenda) Workshop de Iniciação à Tapeçaria em Tear, pela Retrosaria, com a Vânia Oliveira da TWO HANDS Textile Studio, no sábado dia 21 de Janeiro de 2017, das 10h às 14h – inscrição prévia. Mais informações sobre este e outros workshops da Vânia Oliveira no facebook TWO HANDS Textile Studio.

 

Para quem tem coisas que seria uma bela surpresa se aparecessem arranjadas ou re-inventadas:

Repair Café, dia 10 de Dezembro, das 15h às 18h no FabLab Lisboa, na Rua Maria da Fonte – Mercado do Forno Do Tijolo, sendo que esta edição natalícia tem um espaço dedicado a Toy Hacking: reparação e “re-invenção” de brinquedos. Mais informações no facebook Repair Café Lisboa.

 

Para quem tem livros lidos, parados na estante, tão mais valiosos para alguém que os queira ler ou o armário cheio de roupa em boas condições mas que já há imenso tempo que não usa, aqui ficam duas sugestões:

Para uma experiência mais intimista, uma prenda para você mesmo(a), não pode faltar à primeira sessão mensal do Lisboa BOOK CLUB a acontecer no Charivari Lab, na Graça, dia 9, sexta-feira, das 21h às 24h. Leve um livro à sua escolha e durante a sessão encontre alguém a quem o oferecer enquanto partilha conversas sobre literatura e arte, numa atmosfera descontraída. Mais informações na página do evento no facebook.

O SWAP Market Natal do Fashion Revolution Portugal, a acontecer no dia 10 de Dezembro, das 18h às 22h, no espaço do Com Calma, em Benfica, onde foi a última edição. Mais uma vez, basta trazeres as tuas peças de roupa ou acessórios em boas condições e trocá-las por outros disponíveis. Mais informações no nosso facebook.

 

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Para quem prefere comprar aqui ficam alguns dos muitos mercados pelo país:

Também o Mercado Crafts & Design, no Jardim da Estrela, em Lisboa, que costuma realizar-se no 1º fim-de-semana de cada mês, vai prolongar-se neste mês de Dezembro em edição dedicada ao Natal. Assim, nos dias 3 e 4, 10 e 11 e 17 e 18, das 10h às 18h, o mercado vai estar no Jardim da Estrela com bancas de design, vestuário, acessórios, decoração,… Mais informações no facebook do Mercado Crafts & Design.

O Mercado de Natal na Praça da República, no Montijo, conta com artesanato e doces para todos os gostos, de 7 a 11 de Dezembro. Mais informações na página do evento no facebook.

O Mercado de Natal de Alvalade, a acontecer de 8 a 18, de Domingos a Quintas das 10h às 20h e de Sextas a Sábados das 10h às 21h, estará na Avenida da Igreja com inúmeras bancas a se juntarem ao comercio local, contando com produtos de vestuário, decoração, acessórios, produtos regionais e muitos outros. Mais informações na página do evento no facebook.

O Intendências, Mercado Animado, no dia 11, das 15h às 22h, no espaço “Crew Hassan”, no Intendente, terá música, mercado, workshops de Yoga, Jiu-Jitsu, Capoeira e outros e ainda uma área infantil. Mais informações no facebook do Intendências, Mercado Animado.

O Christmas Market do Ateneu, no Ateneu Comercial do Porto, oferece uma variada gama de produtos de vestuário a acessórios, calçado, decoração, gastronomia e artesanato, entre 16 e 18 de Dezembro. Mais informações na página do evento no facebook.

O FleaMarket, ou mercado da pulga, acontece no 6º e 7º andar do parque de estacionamento Silo Auto, no Porto, no sábado, 17 de Dezembro, das 14h às 19h. Lá pode encontrar desde livros a acessórios, roupa e calçado, discos e cd’s, entre outros, tudo em 2ª mão. Mais informações no facebook do FleaMarket Porto.

O Hype Market, com mais de 50 marcas de acessórios, vestuário, decoração,…, presentes, estará na Avenida da Igreja, 37 E, em Lisboa, no dia 17, das 11h às 19h. Mais informações no facebook do Hype Market.

A Feira das Almas *Xmas!* vem em dose dupla neste mês de Dezembro, a feira que se costuma realizar no 1º fim-de-semana de cada mês, realiza-se este mês também a 17 e 18, no Regueirão dos Anjos como de costume, das 11h às 19h. Mais informações no facebook da Feira das Almas.

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(Cartaz da edição de Natal da Feira das Almas, desenhado por Mosi)

O Rehabbed Market Pure Christmas, edição de Natal do Rehabbed Market, estará das 11h às 19h, nos dias 17 e 18 de Dezembro, no TimeOut Market – Mercado da Ribeira. Mais informações no facebook do Rehabbed Market.

A última edição das Feiras Francas deste ano dedica-se à época natalícia. No Palácio da Artes – Fábrica de Talentos, no Largo de São Domingos no Porto, nos dias 17 e 18 de Dezembro, das 12h às 19h, pode encontrar criações de mais de 30 jovens talentos nacionais, nas áreas da ourivesaria, artesanato, moda e outras.

Além de todos estes mercados, muitas freguesias e municípios organizam festas de Natal com feiras e venda de produtos artesanais, gastronomia e música ao vivo. São exemplo a Aldeia de Natal do Seixal, a realizar-se nos dias 11, 12 e 13 de Dezembro, no Jardim do Fogueteiro, e o Mercado de Natal de Benfica, de 12 a 15, a acontecer no Jardim do Mercado, entre muitos outros por todo o país.

 

Seja qual for a opção que escolha para as suas prendas neste Natal tente sempre saber a história daquilo que está a adquirir, quando comprar faça-o de forma consciente. É possível um Natal sustentável e há muitas opções por onde escolher!!

Boas Festas, são os desejos de toda a equipa do Fashion Revolution Portugal!!

E não se esqueça de nos vir visitar ao nosso SWAP Market de Natal, no Com Calma, em Benfica, dia 10, das 18h às 22h.

(Imagens: Retiradas da página do Facebook das respectivas marcas)