New on THE KINDCRAFT
NEW STORY: The Designer Transforming Wool Waste into Colorful Carpet
Laura Lin interviews designer Lara Wernert about 13RUGS, a German design label that's using an innovative process to make fresh, stylish products from unused textile scraps.
Events â North America
âClothes Minded"
Eco-friendly designer Isabel Varela hosts a three-day exhibit on the malpractices of the fashion industry: mistreatment of employees, the probability of psychological damage, the insurmountable waste that occurs and more. This exhibit also features artist and National Geographic explorer Asher Jayâs installation, âMessage in a Bottleâ. (New York, USA â October 10âOctober 13)
Events â Europe + MENA
Anni Albers â Exhibition at Tate Modern | Tate
Opening soon at the Tate Modern:
"Anni Albers combined the ancient craft of hand-weaving with the language of modern art A long overdue recognition of Albersâs pivotal contribution to modern art and design, this is the first major exhibition of her work in the UK." (London, UK â October 11, 2018âJanuary 27, 2019)
Fashion For Good Tour
The worldâs first interactive museum for sustainable fashion innovation opened this week and is offering a free, behind-the-scenes tour to coincide with Dutch Sustainable Fashion Week.
(Amsterdam â October 11 + 12)
Product Spotlight
#FallTheFeels with our Indigo-Dyed Japanese Washi Paper Notebooks
Crisp air, changing leaves, and decorative gourd seasonâAutumn is the perfect time of year for journaling and, really, what could be better than having one of these beautiful, indigo-dyed Japanese washi paper notebooks for all your innermost thoughts? đ
Style
Arbor: Embracing Craft and the Environment
A quick look at Arbor's lovely, handcrafted wood products via WGSN Insider's Alexei Cowan:
"Craft and hand-making practices have seen a resurgence over the past couple of years, in part due to their association with wellness and sustainability â credentials that are becoming increasingly important to consumers."
In Marrakesh, One Designerâs Adobe House Is as Colorful as Her Ceramics
We love the look of LRNCE, a Marrakesh-based artisan interior decoration and accessories brand and enjoyed Tom Delavan's profile of the label's 28-year-old Belgian designer, Laurence Leenaert, for T Magazine.
Recommended Documentary
Fashion's Dirty Secrets
If you're in the UK (or are VPN-savvy), check out Stacey Dooley's new documentary for BBC One. Much of the subject matter won't be a surprise to regular readers of the BRIEF, but it's definitely worth a watch â and the story of one of the largest bodies of fresh water reduced almost entirely to dust by the fashion industry is a powerful reminder of the stakes we're all playing for in reforming our fashion supply chain.
Recommended Newsletter
If You Pleats
Journalist Melvin Backman still finds time to put out a weekly newsletter with his thoughts on clothes when he's not doing his thing for The New Yorker. It's always a thoughtful, eclectic round-up... and often quite funny. A great addition to any fashion lover's inbox! đ
Culture
The World Is Witnessing Nigeria's Creative Golden Age
A fascinating look at Nigeria's burgeoning creative scene by Siddhartha Mitter for W Magazine:
"For all its difficulties, Nigeria is going through a creative blossoming and sharing the results with the rest of the world, at a time when many societies seem to be looking inward."
A Tiny, In-Demand Restaurant in Maine Asked for Reservations by Notecard â And Got 20,000 of Them
A great example of "going analog" in a digital world: I loved this story about restauranteur Erin French. Overwhelmed by reservation requests for her acclaimed eatery, she decided to take a radical step to slow things down... with amazing results.
So You Put a Plus-Size Model on the Runway, Now What?
Fashion houses have begun hiring women with different body types to model in their shows... but are they backing it up on the store shelves? InStyle's Amanda Mull takes a closer look.
Design
African Fashion Brands Bring Sustainability to the Runway, But Can They Scale Up and Stay Green?
Quartz Africa's Lynsey Chutel takes a long look at the state of sustainability among Africa's sustainable brands:
"Niche local brands already have the bespoke quality international buyers are looking for, now a few African entrepreneurs are trying to find out what it takes to produce clothes that are African, sustainable, and can be sold at scale internationally."
Why Materials Matter: Responsible Design for a Better World
A new book by research design studio Ma-tt-er tries to challenge ideas about what materials are and can be â and Crafts Magazine has this enjoyable Q&A with its author, Seetal Solanki.
Why Does So Much Ethical Fashion Look the Same?
A thoughtful take by Fashionista's Whitney Bauck on the lack of colorâand people of colorârepresented in products made by many ethical brands.
Traditional Arts
Deeper Than Indigo
Our good friend, Dr. Jenny Balfour-Paul, was recently in Malaysia and interviewed about her book, "Deeper Than Indigo", for the Live & Learn Podcast. She's a great storyteller, so give yourself a treat and have a listen here. (Bonus Link: Watch the video of her full "Deeper Than Indigo" talk at Kuala Lumpur's ILHAM Gallery)
Turkish Ceramics, Collected by a Textile Designer
If the headline above doesn't make you want to click through to the article immediately, you might be subscribed to the wrong newsletter. đ¤Ł
Unofficial Capital of Ceramics: Helena's Archie Bray Attracts International Artists
Montana probably isn't the first place that comes to mind when you think of a burgeoning ceramics scene, but this profile of Helena's Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts just might put the state on your clay-dar.
Business + Entrepreneurship
Items We Noticed...
- We've all heard stories of exploited workers hiding notes inside productâbut is anyone following the supply chain back to validate their claims? Tremendous journalism by Rossalyn Warren and Channing Huang for Vox;
An eye-opening look inside Italyâs shadow economy of low-paid home workers who create luxury garments without contracts or insurance;
Wonderful profile about how Bangladesh's Aarong puts the artisan first in their business model of sustainability and inclusiveness. I had a chance to visit the company's headquarters in Dhaka a few years ago and came away very impressed by their comprehensive approach;
The NY Times examines how Trumpâs Tariffs are driving the garment industry to move more factories out of China to places like Cambodia;
Sustainability + Labor
A Slew of New Sustainability Stories
- Environmental campaigner and The One Show reporter Lucy Siegle has come up with a five point plan to tackle plastic pollution;
- Highsnobiety's 'From the Ground Up' explores how sustainability Is impacting the sneaker design world;
- Burberry says it wonât destroy unsold merch anymore (but plenty of other fashion brands still do...);
- Swiss Bid for Sustainable Food May Run It Into Trade Trouble;
- George Monbiot on why we wonât save the Earth with a better kind of disposable coffee cup. Good stuff;
- Is a Luxury Object Made in a Lab More Desirable One Made by Hand?;
- Finallyâwhat better headline for a story about post-apocalyptic weaving could there be than "The E-Waste Apocalypse Looms"? (Answer: None).
Wrapping Up / Looking Ahead
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