PVC in Raingear

rainshedder applique remixed in photoshop

"Phenols, phthalates and phytoestrogens are among chemicals known as endocrine disruptors, which interfere with the body’s endocrine, or hormone, system.....Some are used to increase the flexibility and durability of plastics such as PVC, or are included as coatings on medications or nutritional supplements to make them timed-release."

According to a report from the SWHR "....phenols, phthalates and phytoestrogens, —in young girls may disrupt the timing of pubertal development, and put girls at risk for health complications later in life. The study, the first to examine the effects of these chemicals on pubertal development, is currently published online in the journal of the Center for Health, Environment and Justice

According to PVC. org
"The functional qualities of PVC make it a great material for protective clothing outdoors. It has long been the material of choice for children's rainwear, but is also put through more demanding tests through its use in protective work-wear. At the other end of the clothing industry, PVC has played an important role in fashion design for many years. From its early applications in the 1960s, PVC has grown into one of the most fashionable materials to make a regular appearance at major fashion shows around the world."

PVC eventually breaks down and the phthalates are ending up all over the place; so even though your child isn't chewing on raincoats ...phthalate exposure is a big risk.

This is a problem we can do a lot about. Stop buying it and tell your retailer why.

Spread information daily...word of mouth is the new/old media!

sustainable seattle

rain gypsy

Clean Water going going gone...skirt

Rainshedder skirt

Took that leap over the draining "argument to limit" that attempts to confine me to inertia and safety...that comfort zone of simulated death(?) hmmm.....

Point is, i sent photos of the Waterline chapter of fashionRIP Project to the Seamless Contest at Seattle Magazine.

i never had the mass market concept and sold only a few garments in stores- boutiques under the Pike Place Market and on Capital Hill. Custom clothing appeared safer- it was sold before it was started. All this means that i'm way under the 5000 garments sold to qualify me as an Emerging Designer.

Is Seattle open to recycouture in the mainline? stay tuned.

the Waterline chapter

Springing ahead despite the weather. Water color blues and light fabrics are pulling me.

Water is a huge issue but don't just trust me, listen to Sandra Postel -a Post Carbon Institue Fellow and think for yourself.

The waterline skirts will be featured in an afternoon event at the NW Center. I will be leading a discussion that starts with the skirts former lives on April 23. I hope for an inter-generational, multi sexual mix to gather for a this focused conversation all around fashion and refashion. It will be a great way to learn a lot about each other and the recent history of "dressing" The how and why we wear what we do intrigues me Its a fascinating way to undress (address) sociology, anthropology, cultural mores etc.

Please check with the NW Center for more info.

how to dress for success

against the elusive, systemic, archaic infrastructure of Jabberwocky (see prior post)

Alice in Armor

Alice in Wonderland retold by the Tim Burton team might be the myth of the feminine odyssey i was waiting for. Depp's beautiful Mad Hatter plays the heroic second that stands by Alice as she chooses to believe in the better possibility and accepts her mission to free Wonderland from its domination of fear by the Red Queen (ironically of Hearts). Notice Depp's eyes when Alice is finally the right size, i have seen that look before but it was denied. Too sad! But bravo JD for having the courage to reveal a broad spectrum of the male psyche.

Maybe being off synch is what challenged their growth. Maybe E-harmony type relationships are brain numbing, comfortable affairs that squash the full potential of everyone. Maybe there is a balance that will be achieved in Alice part 2. Maybe its just a fairy tale and i am thinking too much.

The Jabberwocky could be the manifestation of old fear/power/greed activated cultures and if so, the sooner it is beheaded the better. Now its time to raise a critical mass into the co-creative mindset that will nurture the evolution.

we can all be heroes.

Tee Shirts Wanted

Well i decided to try to do a reFashion line.

Tons of tees are made, shipped, sold, donated or recycled and sometimes shipped back from whence they came. All transport and production processes add to carbon atmospheric od, dyes are often chemically odious and disrupting some of this for secondary local use makes good sense.

If you have any tee shirts that are ready to go away, please send them my way.
debbarnesusa@hotmail.com

Fashion Week Food Xtra

Seattle is making me sick! Well its subtle but i felt better in London even though i was stressed out. How could this be?

I had the book Death by Supermarket in the house for a class project research on obesity. I read it after the London trip.

On PBS 5-6 are doctors pitching corrective, yet contradictory diets. What is that about? Wouldn't good nutrition stave off the need for corrections? Are the cumulative effects of factory foods and pharma company symptom relievers colliding and forming unhealthy storms in our bodies?

Adding it up and stirring in some common sense; I think we are being poisoned by bad food and chemical additives mixed up with tunnel visioned science and economic interests. What a stupid agenda! I am frightened by the disregard and mad at the disrespect, corporations and their government sidekicks have for life -yours, mine, other species -all of it! It is not only disgusting but eventually suicidal.....

Fluoride (toxic multi mini doses add up) in Seattle water - even though we now know it only provides a minimal offset in tooth decay is another possible suspect.

More details at fashion ethos.

Rapa Nui

Tube Stop

one way to Somerset House -the hub of London FashionWeek and

the other way to lessons fout of the past. But because they are written in relics

we don't get it or something!!!

Overexploitation of resources or Euro trade and disease....what ever devastated the population of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) is debated but we do know it crashed. Meeting up with this statue by chance was not a coincidence. As to the why and what i do not know yet but will when i need to. It is definitiely a script -i just don't know how to tell the story without being boring obvious.

Just noticed the cartoon sign....hmmm

tees reDux

early spring in Seattle is lovely despite its climatic consequences

fashion graffiti.....
i am not big on Tees with the graphic smack on center front ...but love how this skirt worked up.

Choosing Death

Steve McQueen suicide....London
please see the tribute on his website..... what was he trying to say and why was this the way he chose to say it?

we are a messed up culture.........

consumer porn

Harrods escalator

outside Somerset House

inside Somerset House

....fashion week London, day 3 and despite the sustainable designers it is still pecking order nonsense with a serious pretension that had me in giggles...people please.... it's just clothes!

Swollen by the great volume of goods, topped off by a trip to Harrods, past blocks of preening "buy me, buy me" was just too much ....

i was full, stuffed, ill-
exploding from all the
pretties no one
needs.

... must be Consumer Porn

city bird

Finished the skirt i will wear in London..Crows are similar to ravens and the ravens are big in Brit lore. so it fits. The image is from from a photo a friend snapped while he was in town. He flew, the crow flew and its my turn soon.

The skirt is from a suit . Red Light bought the jacket so the skirt was a loner. i used several ready made scrap cuts that were on the sewing table and cut the crows from felted (as in washed to shrink) wool.