METTLE LOVE

 

Since I first laid my eyes on these gorgeous Mettle Fair Trade accessories I knew I was in love. Not only are they Fair Trade but are on trend and fashion forward and are also made from recycled materials including brass from old landmines left over from the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. I just had to have these gorgeous eco luxe accessories available for all you conscious fashionista's so you too could enjoy them as much as I do. Portions of the profits go back into an income genrating skills project for it's workers, how wonderful is that! Whenever I wear Mettle pieces I always get compliments and not only that but each piece tells a story and gives us a connection and a sense of giving back to those whom create our wonderful fashion pieces. And with Spring coming up I was excited to start pairing these adorable accessories with my favourite Spring outfits pictured below. Mettle available exclusively at EKOLUV

Outfit post: Mettle Fair Trade Accessories - Mettle Curb Chain Necklace and Bracelet, Mettle Stacking ring set, Mettle Eco leather and Brass cardholder wallet, top - Zara, Harem pants - Camilla. All accessories available at EKOLUV

ECO MAKEUP

 Pic Copyright of NVEY ECO

I've been thinking about doing a post on Eco makeup since I get quite a few questions from people wanting to learn more about the Eco or Sustainable products I use, in particular makeup and skincare products. I will be doing a follow up post on my top picks of Eco makeup and beauty brands. I'm happy to announce that I have recently joined forces and now collaborate with Undress Brisbane 'A Sustainable Fashion' event promoting and encouraging Sustainability in fashion. Lauren is a writer for Undress Brisbane and is my guest post on the hot topic 'Eco Makeup'. Here find Lauren's very informative post on all things 'eco' and the hidden nasties that can be found in many of our beauty products on the market.

What is ‘eco-friendly' makeup?

I recently decided it was time to restock my makeup arsenal. I’d finally scraped out the dregs of my mascara and tapped/shook/squeezed out the last of my oxygen… I mean *foundation. However, what I thought would be a routine in-and-out job at the shops last Saturday quickly escalated into a world of hurt. I found myself utterly ill-equipped to filter through the choice in makeup products available these days.

It took a good chunk of my morning to sift through the aisles. I was seduced by the promises of one beauty “staple” after another, charmed by the coquettish smiles of the glamazons working the counters and tempted by the world of “gifts with purchase”. I took one thing away from that experience. “Eco-friendly” is as much a buzz-word amongst the titans of the cosmetic industry as it is with the hippies who brew their own balms from pawpaw and berries. What is exactly is ‘eco-friendly’ though? And why should it matter?

A Google search will tell you, eco-friendly makeup comprises of all-natural ingredients - such as naturally occurring minerals and oils (e.g. iron oxides, talcs, mica, titanium oxides, rosehip oil, jojoba oil etc). These ingredients used to be foundations of the finest cosmetics. However, as with most mined natural resources, depleting stocks and the higher costs of extraction soon made it necessary to find easier and cheaper ways to manufacture the same products. They discovered synthetic polymers, artificial additives and chemical compounds so long they need to be abbreviated. Close inspection of most beauty products sourced from your local pharmacy produces a scary list of synthetically derived chemicals. I don’t know about you, but I only have one face, so I want to do as little damage as possible to my skin and to the environment (‘cos we only have one of those too).

Truly natural mineral makeup [uses ….] and has been around for a few years now. Due to the growing movement away from synthetic god-only-knows-what-that-is chemicals, there is a decent variety of natural mineral products available. I’ve gone completely natural with my beauty kit and whilst I can’t honestly claim to “look” any better (eco-friendly makeup sadly, has not made me look like Miranda Kerr), I definitely feel better. I find natural makeup to be just as, if not more, longwearing and less irritating to my sensitive skin. Make the switch and give these brands a go – Aveda, Bare Minerals, Kora. There’ll be a substitute for even the most discerning beauty critic out there.

Remember, just because your skin is your first barrier does not mean you should subject it to an onslaught.

Lauren is a writer for Undress Brisbane, sustainable fashion show. For more articles by Undress Brisbane writers, visit blog: www.undressbrisbane.com/blog

What a well written and an interesting topic for us to all learn more about what we are putting onto our skin and ultimately our bodies. Thanks for the wonderful post Lauren and I look forward to more collaborations with you and the Undress Brisbane team.  X Emily

AN ECO LIFESTYLE WITH DECKLE AND HIDE

I've always loved hand crafted goods that are of beautiful quality and the Deckle & Hide leather goods and Candles are no exception. I first met the lovely Anne while being a model shooting for her artwork and I must say she is one talented lady. Not only is she such a beautiful person she is a well established artist with her work shown in places such as New York, she also takes amazing pictures and makes her own organic candles, her partner Luke is the creator of the leather goods and combined they are the matsermind duo behind the amazing Eco label Deckle & Hide. I find these two so interesting and inspiring that I just had to do an interview with them.

5 minutes with Deckle and Hide...

What was the main inspiration behind starting Deckle and Hide Leather Accessories and Organic Candles? 
In both instances the inspiration came from our own need for specific items that were not available on the market. 

For me (Anne), the creation of my own range of candles began as there was a lack of healthy candle products on the market. I was very concerned about breathing in the toxins emitted from the candles I had bought (the black smoke was a dead giveaway that something was not good). I was concerned for our health and especially the teeny tiny lungs of my beloved pet parrot, Vonnegut. So I decided to make my own candles where I could ensure every ingredient was 100% plant based. I then began a quest to source the best ingredients from around the world. (please note the candles are not 100% organic, but they are 100% plant based. Some oils I cannot get as organic). 

This article has some good comments about the toxins in candles http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2012/04/toxins-in-candles-sad-but-true.html It is also not widely known that "fragrant oils" fall into a category called a "trade secret" law which means that the manufacturer of the fragrance does not have to disclose the ingredients used to make the fragrance - nor how harmful the ingredients may be!

For the leather, Luke was on the hunt for a simple, minimalist iphone case and wallet etc. His quest returned no results so he decided to embark on designing and making his own products. Every piece is designed by Luke with the minimalist philosophy of "one purpose, one product" and each piece is designed for use - ie. the iphone case to fit slim in a jeans pocket and to protect the iphone, without detracting from the iphone's already slim design (a lot of the iphone cases on the market just bulk out the iphone itself). The clutch was the result of a design brief from me (Anne) to fit all my essentials (my wallet, phone, keys, lipstick and pencil) whilst being as small as possible...with the ability to expand should I need to fit a few more items. He uses the finest full grain hides to suit each item he makes and each piece is hand stitched (as opposed to manufactured off-shore).

What is the vision behind Deckle and Hide? 

According to Luke "It's a party all the time" but I would say "quality design and quality ingredients for quality people"

Why did you decide to start your own brand and what do you hope to achieve?

We didn't intend on starting our own brand. We simply wanted well designed and well made pieces for ourselves. But then the word got out and people started requesting orders. We started off making items to order and now we stock in selected boutiques. It is our every intention to keep our range small and our order numbers small so that every item remains handmade by us and quality assured by us. There is something so nice about knowing the two people who have handled and created the product you buy. We never want to resort to getting our designs mass-produced off-shore under conditions that may be unethical.

Do you find starting your own business challenging? If so, what are some of these challenges you face in being an artist and entrepreneur?

For two creative, right-brained people, playing the role of business-person and sales-person is not our strong point. But that's okay. We like to let our product do the talking.

What advice do you give to other artists whom may be interested in starting their own business?

If you are passionate about your product, you will be successful. If you are going into business for the sake of making money, don't bother.

Where do you see Deckle and Hide in the next 5 years and what are your other dreams and aspirations as an artist and or entrepreneur

Again, we want to keep our range small and our order numbers and number of stockists small so that every item remains handmade by us and quality assured by us. As an artist and a designer couple, we hope to continually expand our practice and continue making and creating the things we love, until we don't love it any more or we die, whichever comes first.

Thanks Anne and Luke, what a great interview. I love their products and so I am delighted to have some available for you all through EKOLUV here

Enjoy! X Emily

THE REAL PRICE OF FASHION

To follow up on my previous post regarding Fair Trade in relation to the recent garment factory collapse in Bangladesh, I'm sharing this link of a documentary for those of you who haven't yet seen it or want to watch it again. I felt a responsibility to share this documentary via the ABC's Four Corner's show - Fashion Victims. If It's one main point I can take from watching this documentary is that we all have a responsibility to these workers, from consumer, to factory owners, to the media, to these buyers and brands sourcing their goods in Bangladesh. There are still so many brands not accepting any sort of responsibility and also denying they played any part in this tragedy but the evidence speaks for itself. In reality we are all part of the problem but also part of the solution. By simply accepting and being aware of these issues is a great start and there are many things we can all do to work together to help support our workers whom make our fashion in Bangladesh and also worldwide. How do you feel after watching this? What do you do to support Fair Trade? Would love to know all your thoughts...

You can watch it here

X Em

LOVE FAIR TRADE

 All items are Mettle Fair Trade feat the Hinged Neckpiece, Hinged Handpiece, 

White Eco leather Ipad Clutch, Etched double band cuff & Stacking Rings.

I've always loved Fair Trade products and It seems that we now have more choice than ever before, with many designers moving into Fair Trade practices in their business and their products being produced. In the food market - like coffee, chocolate and other produce readily available in our grocery stores, It's even easier to make the choice to buy Fair Trade. With the recent collapse of a garment factory in Bangladesh, it is evident of the dangers of un safe working conditions and the importance of proper inspections of the factories, unions to protect the workers and provide a more fair work place for the employees. I recently watched a documentary highlighting the working conditions in Bangladesh and how people who work a 100 hour week (the equivalent of 3 full time jobs) and are earning as little as $40 AUD a month. In most cases they are being forced to work over time and are not getting a decent wage to reflect the number of hourse they work. There are also many cases of children under the legal age of 14 years old working in factories and factories usually having the upperhand when it comes to the rights of their employees. After watching this documentary I immediately felt a responsibility, a responsibility to those workers. As a consumer I play an important role in what the future of manufacturing will hold. I also realised that every person in the supply chain also holds this same responibility, the designers/brands/companies getting their products manufactured in Bangladesh and other developing countries, the factory owners and managers and the retail chains that sell them. To be honest we are all part of this problem, but we are also part of a solution. There are so many ways we can all make a difference to these people's lives and in turn our environment. Here are just some ways you can support Fair Trade working conditions for those who are making the clothes and other products we use.

• We can research companies whom are Fair Trade and organisations whom support Fair Trade.
• We can start being involved in these organisations and also buy Fair Trade products.
• We can change our attitudes and habits towards fashion by buying slow quality fashion over mass produced 'fast fashion'.
• We can pay a little extra for better quality products but that we know are Fair Trade, in turn more goes back to the workers for a better future.
• We can take better care of our belongings so they last longer and can be resused.

We have been stocking Mettle Fair Trade for some time now, and just love their eco-luxe accessories. They are all made from recycled bomshell brass from the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia and are all Fair Trade accredited, limited edition and help communities in the region. You can view all these lovely pieces and Mettle's collections available here at EKOLUV