New on THE KINDCRAFT
The Sari Series: An Anthology of Drape
NEW: 'The Sari Series' documents—and reimagines—India / South Asia's most iconic garment. We interviewed the project's creative director, Malika Verma Kashyap of Border&Fall, about her goals for the initiative and how she was able to find backing from Kickstarter and prominent Indian brands like Good Earth and Raw Mango to bring it to life.
Events — North America
Artists in Conversation: Thread Heads
Part of Berkeley Art Center's Thread Heads exhibition, a panel moderated by Marion Coleman will explore the latest trends in Bay Area fiber art. (11 Nov., 1275 Walnut Street Berkeley, CA*)
Indigo Re-purposing Event with Textile Lab
Textile Lab, the Hudson River Valley ethical design and production research group behind the Urban Dyers Almanac, is hosting an indigo dyeing event in Beacon, NY at COLORANT Shop. Bring your old clothing (made of natural fibers, cotton, linen, silk, wool, etc) and they'll supply the indigo, tools and instruction. $20 for up to 3 dips, Walk-ins are welcome! (11 Nov., 146 Main Street, Beacon, NY)
Events — Asia + Australia
INDIGO SUTRA
INDIGO SUTRA brings together the world's top scholars, academics and practitioners of indigo (and THE KINDCRAFT will be there as well). On-deck for the event: Seminars, exhibitions, demonstrations, workshops, discussion forums, documentary film shows, sale of indigo based textile and other products, and optional excursions to weaving and dyeing centers. (9-12 Nov., Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Kolkata, India)
Events — Europe + MENA
HANDMADE IN BRITAIN — Contemporary Craft & Design Fair
Over 100 highly skilled, UK-based designer-makers will appear at HANDMADE IN BRITAIN's annual Christmas shopping event. (10-12 Nov., Chelsea Old Town Hall, London)
Product Spotlight
Back In Stock — 'YEAR OF INDIGO' BANDANA
The super-cool design on this 100% cotton, hand-dyed bandana depicts the one-year sukumo process of farming and dyeing with indigo plants. Created by BUAISOU's indigo farmers and dyers in Tokushima, Japan.(...and to go deeper, read our Maker Profile about them).
Recommended Book
Deeper Than Indigo
Jenny Balfour-Paul, author of Indigo: Egyptian Mummies to Blue Jeans, is back with a new book about Victorian explorer Thomas Machell. After finding Machell's illustrated journals in the collection of the British Library, Balfour-Paul discovers parallels between his passions and travels and her own.
Culture
7 Great Things I Saw at Frieze and Frieze Masters
We love these brightly-colored and metal ceramic vessels by artist Takuro Kuwata.
From the New York Times:
"Kuwata turns conventional pottery into sculpture, playing with graphic forms and Japanese aesthetics including the use of silver and gold, as in the traditional kintsugi."
Design
The Myanmar Artisan Toolkit
This is a practical guide to building a business, designed for makers. Originally authored by Far + Wide Collective, it's been adapted by Turquoise Mountain and Hla Day specifically for the Myanmar craft sector — but it might be useful to you, too!
The New Craftsmen — Introspective Magazine
“I began to feel that the products I was developing were meaningless and disposable,” she explains. “It felt like the whole high street was homogenized, with no soul or individuality behind the items. In fact, even the luxury market felt homogenized.” - Catherine Lock on why she started The New Craftsmen
A Textile Designer’s Calming, Sunlit Life - The New York Times
Belgian designer/creative director Valerie Barkowski as profiled by Nancy Hass for T Magazine
Sustainability + Labor
The 2017 Kering Talk: Gucci goes fur-free, shaping a sustainable future
Everyone is talking about Gucci's pleadge to go fur-free, but is that really enough? We challenge the industry to take bolder steps towards sustainability. Read more about Gucci's plans to bring more production in-house and some highlights from the 2017 Kering Talk.
36 Major Brands Pledge To Achieve Sustainable Cotton By 2025
'The brands that have committed to the 100% by 2025 pledge are: ASOS, EILEEN FISHER, Greenfibres, H&M, IKEA, Kering, Levi's, Lindex, M&S, Nike, Sainsbury's, F&F at Tesco, Woolworths, Adidas, A-Z, BikBOk, Burberry, Burton Snowboards, Carlings, Coyuchi, Cubus, Days like This, Dressmann, Hanky Panky, House of Fraser, Indigenous Designs, KappAhl, Kathmandu, Mantis World, Otto Group, prAna, SkunkFunk, Timberland, Urban, Volt and Wow.'
How Tom Ford Is Redefining Sustainable Luxury, One Suit at a Time
An excerpt from Vogue's interview:
'For me, sustainability and the ethical production of fashion and accessories go hand in hand. When something is beautifully and consciously made and is of the highest quality, it is not meant to be thrown away and will not be destined to end up in a landfill. It is destined to be used by its current owner and then become vintage fashion that is reused for as long as possible. In this way, creating well-made things contributes to the concept of sustainability. '
Instagram Spotlight
Tessa Bunney
Our friend Tessa Bunney did an Instagram takeover for Blink this week, featuring her photo essay documenting daily lives of people affected by a major hydropower project on the Nam Ou river in Laos.
Wrapping Up / Looking Ahead
What's coming in November...
We just posted an update for our Patreon community—and a preview of what's happening in November. Have a look and, if you can, please add your name to the list of wonderful people who support our coverage of independent makers. ❤️