Do you know WhoMadeYourPants? Probably not!It was this thought that led Becky John to form the Southampton based co-operative WhoMadeYourPants? when she failed to track down pretty, ethical knickers for herself.Becky has been involved with human rights campaigning for many years as a member of Amnesty International, and she wanted to do something positive for others.WhoMadeYourPants? employs local Southampton women, marginalised through no fault of their own.About 80% of them are refugees who held good jobs in their home country, but have struggled to find work and settle into life in the UK, mainly due to a lack of English skills.WhoMadeYourPants? gives them a supportive, women-only environment to learn English, gain qualifications in sewing, hold down a part time job, and most importantly gain confidence.
So that’s the background info out of the way!I was prompted to blog about WhoMadeYourPants? because an article has just appeared in the Guardian.Press coverage has been steady, when the Observer mentioned them a few months ago they soon sold out of stock!I’ve been working with WhoMadeYourPants? as a press volunteer since October 09 and have met many of the workers.It’s really great to hear them speak about the opportunity they have been given, as many of the women barely left the house before.Becky hopes to expand the model across the country, and branch out to WhoMadeYourBra? but this will of course take time.I think the model is fantastic though, to use materials left over from the lingerie industry and manufacture something beautiful using local labour, here in the UK.Criticisms have focused on the cost of the knickers, £10 a pair, which compared to some High Street prices, yes may seem step.But compared to a lot of quality and designer lingerie it’s cheap!I hope this co-op gets the support it deserves, go on, get your guilt free undies!
I happen to know that a new range will be coming out soon, to replace the ‘Jasmine’ collection.
Arcadia have overhauled all of their brand websites, that's Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Burton and Wallis! Arcadia have aimed to create 'fashion destinations' with these newly updated sites with improved navigation, extra features and added shine. Alongside the online shop sits increased editorial and social media sections with style advice, blogs and video.
Check out Topshop for a first look at A/W and sneak a peak at the stunning dresses in Kate Moss's latest limited edition collection, her 12th for Topshop. Miss Selfridge have a fab video showcasing their A/W range too, with comments from creative director, Yasmin Yusuf. These extra features are certainly needed to keep up with the likes of ASOS who have the winning formula of mixing the magazine and ecommerce styles into one interactive site.
So we all know what will be THE dress of next season now.When I found out that Vogue and Elle had both put the same dress on their front cover for August, I ran straight down to Smiths to check for myself.American magazine W, also chose the same Miu Miu dress from the fashion house’s A/W 10 collection.This is pretty much unheard of, and has caused quite a media frenzy.The thing is, the dresses aren’t exactly the same, Vogue chose the orange version, Elle plumped for the lilac lace style, and well, the dress is insignificant for W’s cover as it fights for attention against Eva Mendes’ cleavage.I find it hard to believe that Miu Miu’s press team were oblivious to the clash, they should know where their samples are at all times.Although it was said that Elle had planned to use the cover for the September issue but moved it forward (better than scurrying behind in Vogue’s footsteps).
Although the magazine editors were obviously quite annoyed, like when you turn up to a party and someone is wearing the same dress as you, I don’t think it’s a bad thing at all.It shows that trends do actually mean something, that the magazines which influence our shopping choices are on the same wave length as each other, it sets the mood for the season.And WH Smiths did ok out of it too, I spent over £12 on magazines that day.
Carbon footprinting is hot news right now. As the threat of global warming looms, everyone is becoming more aware of their carbon footprint and any company that is trying to reduce its footprint gets brownie points. Continental Clothing were the first company to carbon footprint a t-shirt for their Earth Positive range, and because they have a vertical supply chain, use organic cotton and renewable wind powered energy, their t-shirts have a footprint of around 90% less than standard t-shirts.
Calculating a carbon footprint isn't as difficult as you might think, and for the fashion industry at least it will soon be easier. This is because with two other academics at University we have won research funding to dig out the details from this case! We are going to use Continental's data to analyse the biggest contributors to carbon emissions in cotton production and publish the results. First team meeting is schedules for September so expect an update then!
