Di Wu :: Van Cliburn Competition 2009

Absolute Vintage

Located right off of Brick Lane on Hanbury is Absolute Vintage, voted one of the “top 100 stores you must visit in the world” by Retail Week and The Evening Standard (July 06). Take the e-tour and see how spacious the place is inside! Check out all those vintage boots!

BurdaStyle :: Design Submissions

Every time I check into BurdaStyle I find something new and inspiring. Now I see they are accepting new designs.

You can email the following to submissions(at)BurdaStyle(dot)com: Sketch from the front and back,-Technical drawing, Short explanation of design’s value to the community, Category and recommended fabrics

If the folks at Burda find that your design is valuable to the catalog and the community here’s what happens.

BurdaStyle will will produce the pattern and you will get a grant of $160 dollars. A sample of your design will be made up and shot in a professional photo shoot. You will receive pictures in high resolution that you can use to for your portfolio. You will also be proudly presented as the Designer of the pattern and eternal gratitude of the community is yours.

A tip I found on the site:  Start sending in stuff soon! They’re gearing up to design their Spring Collection 2010!

Richard Nicoll :: stripe ruffle

This striped ruffled shirt is made of my favorite colored pin-striped cotton material. (Second only to the horizontal stripes in the style of the French Sailor tee).

The striped ruffle shirt is by Richard Nicoll for People Tree and is made by Artisan Hut in Bangladesh.

Here’s how People Tree explains their Fair Trade business model:

When you look at business like this – as a tool to support people – great things can be achieved. We actively support 50 Fair Trade producer groups, in 15 developing countries.

For example, we provide training to artisans and their organisations so they can improve their skills, and strengthen their businesses and social impact. And we regularly make 50% advance payments on orders, to help farmers and producer groups to finance Fair Trade. We often put money into local communities too, like in Kumbeshwar Technical School, Kathmandu, where we help fund education for children who would not otherwise have access to education.

We also allow enough time for production by hand, which is very rare in this world dominated by fast fashion.

Each group that we work with is unique. Many are founded specifically to deal with a crisis or social issues in a particular area or community.

So, one group promotes livelihoods, agricultural development and seed banks for indigenous Peruvians, another empowers physically disabled people in Kenya, and yet another provides vital income to hand-weavers in rural Bangladesh. Incomes are doubled on average, key changes put place help develop these communities – and their pride. And after all, we all like to be treated with respect.

Inspirational groups like these are transforming lives through Fair Trade partnerships. The fact that they provide us with beautiful alpaca knits, intricately-crafted jewellery, and delicate silks is incidental. (Well, almost! It’s what makes it sustainable and not just an intellectual pursuit.)

From WWJ.90 Newsradio Detroit:

Mr. Song Millinery on Woodward Avenue in Detroit has struck a sour note with Aretha Franklin.  It was her inaugural hat that caused a flood of orders from around the world.  And now, the Queen of Soul wants royal treatment from store owner Luke Song for wearing it.

“I think that I should be getting big time royalties from him.  That’s what I think,” said Franklin in an interview with WWJ’s Vickie Thomas at Sunday’s NAACP Fight For Freedom Fund Dinner.

I happen to agree with her. At least she should be getting free hats from Mr. Song. What do you think? Read the article here.