Flatpack: one little word that inspires anxiety and frustration in even the most experienced of allen-key wielders. But for some, the future of flatpacking promises far more than a new side table or sofa. In fact, it could mean a whole new home and a new chance at life. Swedish furniture giant and uncontested king of the flatpack…
We are only two days into Berlin Fashion Week and already eco design is taking centre stage. The SHOWFLOOR BERLIN initiative is showing 16 collections this year and has so far seen local sustainable labels ANSOHO and Clara Kaesdorf grace its catwalk. The Green Showroom, another feature of the week, presents high-end fashion trends against…
With quirky illustrations and colourful designs, Beau Est Mien‘s handpainted stationery is the perfect place to jot down your sweet nothings. Locally printed in WA and using recycled paper wherever possible, the studio’s new range of greeting cards, invitation sets, prints and calendars are lovingly designed to commemorate every happy occasion. And thanks to designer and artist…
Most of us have heard of Dry July, but our biggest state is also throwing down an environmental challenge for the month. Earth Carers have joined with the Western Metropolitan Regional Council in Perth to create Plastic Free July, challenging businesses, school groups, communities and individuals not to use any ‘single use’ plastic throughout the…
As if you needed any more reason to visit Berlin, here’s just one more: from 2-4 July 2013, a huge parley to raise awareness of what we can to protect our oceans will take place in the courtyard of the city’s PREMIUM International Fashion Trade Show, which coincides with Berlin Fashion Week. Parley – For the Oceans is…
There are many differences between Australia and Germany, but after living in Berlin for a year, I found the biggest one was recycling. Germans rock at recycling. Everything is separated. Food scraps go into a compost bin, ‘containers’ – such as aluminium and plastics – go into a yellow bin. There’s a black general waste…
Let’s admit it: online shopping can be fun. And addictive. Seeing all those glorious things you didn’t know you needed, realising you definitely need them, filling and editing your cart, then paying for it all with those deliciously immaterial credit card dollars that seem to never run out. Problem is, once the transaction is complete,…
It’s now easier than ever to find eco-friendly beauty products thanks to a new Australian labelling system. Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) has produced a new system for beauty brands that covers a whole range of personal care products like soap, shampoo and skincare. In order to qualify to display the label, brands must satisfy…
Last week, Melbourne enjoyed a taste of conscious fashion when the Red Cross teamed up with the Whitehouse School of Design to deliver Cross Conscious: an event to raise awareness of their 140 Red Thread stores nationwide. Third year design students, along with local designers, exhibited everything from street style to high end fashion, including…
Thursday June 20 is World Refugee Day and New Zealand label Kowtow are marking the occasion by donating $25 from the sale of every Immolate Tee bought online for the next fortnight to the NZ Red Cross and Refugee Services. Bearing an image of the Tibetan monk who set herself alight in November 2011 in…
Sydney womenswear label karmatique makes whimsical, timeless garments for the conscientious consumer – think jumpsuits, lace dresses and blazers fashioned from natural fibres and recycled fabrics. Designers Kimberly Quintal and Anita Tamati started the label in 2010 and their fourth collection for AW’13, Stolen Hearts, fuses the old with new in ruffled shirts, silk blouses…
Milan is already regarded as one of the world’s fashion capitals, but last week it hosted a catwalk event with a sustainable spin. European Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard, hosted a meeting of leading figures of Europe’s fashion industry along with producers of detergents and household appliances, which culminated in a fashion show. The…