Hands On Design
- Words by Peppermint
New Zealand fashion designer Karen Walker has been an Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI) partner since 2012, and her latest range for the organisation has bags of style. The EFI aimsΒ to shape a more ethically and socially responsible fashion industry byΒ partnering leading brands with marginalisedΒ artisans and supporting Africa’s growing number of talented designers. Karen Walker’s third collection for EFI, ‘Made in Kenya’, comprisesΒ two vibrant beach totes and a clutch purse, all featuring the brand’s iconic bright colours and quirkyΒ designs. The bags have been handcrafted in Kenya and decoratedΒ with traditional beadwork by women from the Samburu and Maasai tribes; creating the collection engaged 11 communities and 216 artisans, and their efforts have produced 700 pieces. Bag one for yourself before they’re all sold out!
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Itβs all a lot, isnβt it?
We werenβt designed to carry this much emotional grief and world-wide trauma on an ongoing basis. Just know youβre not alone. Itβs ok to not be ok. π«Άπ»
Image from @PeopleIveLoved: βI am not sure my tiny brain was meant to understand this enormous grief.β
βWe love that we can bring a hint of imagination and whimsy into everyday life by making ordinary objects fun. Weβve learned to appreciate the little wins and to take a moment for each step we achieve.ββ
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Disillusioned by the realities of fast fashion, design grads Emily May and Sidonie Moore ditched clothing for a business that finds fun in the everyday. Enter @TheNonsenseMaker: a collection of unique homewares, fun wall art, greeting cards and more that breathe life into Emilyβs illustrations: βI love the idea of taking real-world objects and changing your perspective in a way that brings magic and whimsy into everyday life!ββ
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In issue 64βs feature βIt all makes senseβ, we chat to the Naarm/Melbourne-based duo about their sustainability philosophy, TV re-runs and their commitment to local makers. At stockists now!β
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Photos: @MeAndMyGirlβ
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#PeppermintMagazine #TheNonsenseMaker #LocalMakers #SustainableCraft
Any New Yearβs resolutions on your list? We love this from @OtterBeeStitching - βbe brave enough to suck at something newβ.
Thereβs no points for perfection, but youβll get a trophy for trying. If nothing else this year, take the leap and try something new.
#OtterBeeStitching #Embroidery #BeBrave #TrySomethingNew #EmbroideryArt
Sunday serving suggestion βοΈ
Gorgeous photos from @JolieFemmeStore - who make sweet garments from vintage bedsheets.
#PeppermintMagazine #SlowSunday #SwitchOff #Unplug #ReadAMagazine
A toast to the old you π₯
We wholeheartedly love this post from the brilliant @EmilyOnLife:
β2026: Reinvent, burn it down, let it go (whatever it is). Year of the Snake it up. Exercise your boundaries, exercise your body, take one teeny step every day towards a life that feels better to be in.
But donβt you dare shit on your old self while you do it.
Hold yourself with reverence and tenderness and respect, because you got you this far. You did your very best with the information and tools you had at the time. You scraped yourself together, you made it work, you survived what felt impossible to survive: again and again and again.
You are perpetually in the process of becoming, whether you can feel it or not, whether or not you add it to your 2026 to-do list.β
Some very wise words from @Damon.Gameau to take us into 2026 ππΌ
