fashionRIP

fashionRIP is a multidiscipline, transmedia installation of chapters, an exploration of perceptions and beliefs. It’s a platform that explores ecosystems health, generative economics, social justice, cultural and creative diversity. Starting with recycouture garments, the story became the Project. It is now an evolving experiment, designed to explore meaningful relationship based constructs that put human potential and whole systems health over the abstract ideas of faux "the real world."

Friday, October 29, 2010

Halloween Showtime

the Welcome Griffin

at Costume and Display, Northgate.

Madder Hatter

Scott is sporting a fine set of tails. I saw him last week at Costume and Display "lookin' good" and wanted a picture for the blog but didn't know how to justify the flash as so often it turns quickly to trash.
Well, maybe in the right place a person can wear a costume every work day in October and that means re-use. Scott said this little number is on its 5th or 6th appearance and is going back to the closet after Halloween and will make many more appearances down the line.

It is good to work in a place that values more than bottom lines.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Lara Presber

More, Vancouver Eco Fashion Show..........

Monday, October 18, 2010

Eco Fashion

Elena Garcia is featured in the new Eco Fashion book by Sass Brown. Moving on out of the mud flats into chic street. Ethical Cool!

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Blke Stunt Mystery

who are you?

I was on UW campus for a book and saw these two bike masters, walking their rides up stairs and the like. I snapped a few photos that do not do them justice, sorry. I thought too late, about inviting them to work at the fashion show next summer, to open the catwalk for the Alleycatz.

The Sophistcatz show would then be all of that with top hats, just imagine.

Eco fashion, bike stunts and one act plays about technology -great and gasp, or water -fresh and foul. This will be something unlike whatever you think it is now, for me too!! Process is organic and part of the fun.

Ideas, partners, helpers and talent are wanted.

Showing up counts. We can be that change that gets talked about.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Nicole Bridger

Vancouver Eco Fashion Week 9/2010

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Red Jade

Vancouver Eco Fashion Week

Thursday, October 7, 2010

More Elena Garcia

enjoy!

Monday, October 4, 2010

Vancouver Eco fashion

Elena Garcia Eco-couture

Elena always delivers style and innovation. I found charming to apply this time, there was a romantic softness to the collection. It looked very wearer friendly and flowed nicely on the body. Loved the hand dyed quality.

This was a really good event, informative and full of talent. My personal esthetique was pleased many times though sometimes i was wanting to ask a designer to push it further or to lose the .....

I wondered about a few details as "is it a useful addition (pocket) or is it just to draw attention," what? I suspect these were young designers and they will grow into their style.

Catty not intended, but i wear clothes and dislike it when they wear me.

Personal style draws from experience and how one wants to show up in the world. I opt for function over fashion a bit too often these days. Alas!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

final warning ../.sign

if you would like to post this sign in your local hospital gift shop or anyhere baby clothing is sold, please email me @ debbarnesusa at hotmail dot com, for a pdf copy to print.

(put sign as the subject, thanx)

Why it Matters

What's the matter with more and more fashion choices?

It sounds good; we love to be able to pick the perfect outfit. You wear it once or twice and then ....what was the real cost here?

Your time to shop and the money spent, not so much ....go a little deeper and consider the fiber source, the dyes and chemicals used, the health toll on the workers, the energy to run the machines, the transporting carbons...and now it just takes up closet space. But so what? It's been going on for-almost-ever and you didn't make the rules.

In fact we are told this is what a "healthy" economy looks like.

You will recycle it after all, give it to charity or your sister. This is more transportation and more release of those greenhouse gases. We are using a lot of our personal energy and the resources of this planet to make, use and dump "trash" Some rags, remnants and tawdry bits will molder for eons in landfills, as nature's microbial actions are hampered by our normalized, everyday toxic lifestyles.

This goes beyond dumps as the breakdown cycle that nourishes the life of this planet has been sorely challenged by GMO crops, fertilizers, pesticides, antimicrobials..RIGHT!!. All the "living better through chemistry" propaganda after WWI and II- AKA how to sell your "garbage," is our legacy. Well no more, not on my (our) watch, we are seeing things quite differently.

As we now carry 298 toxins in our bods that weren't there in the 1930s the toxic residues of normal are haunting us more and more. Ironic, no? Advanced is merely a word.

Go to the So Whats the Point blog in February for the numbers.

fashionRIP posts are copr at time of posting thank you

Extinctions ...So What?

Life evolves, some species survive some don't. We like to allude to Darwin's "natural selection" or Herbert Spencer's "survival of the fittest" because we are so good at reproducing and taking over this planet and justifying that side of our natures. The fact that we are wiping out the food chain by destroying habitat, fouling air and water and generally behaving like arrogant, tinkering idiots, is called business as usual. .....Well I and others are no longer buying that "sell."

We are wising up to the idea that we too, are dependent on these resources. We too, are physically an organic species and we really don't know what little extinction will be the start of the chain reaction that collapses the structure that we too, are dependent on.

Is this the price we are willing to pay for a pair of plastic shoes?

I say no, that despite the focus on the physical, we are more. We are heart and soul, mind, body, spirit. We are born of stars and we can and will leap over this world view based in old, untrue beliefs led by a science of isolation and religions of patriarchal, hierarchical constructs (your basic dominating Dad- with self reflective rights to rule). It is time to come together and heal. To transition into our fuller expectations and open the new possibilities. We are born with genius...let us help each other get to where we all can shine.