Think Global, Act Local

That is a pull quote from the early days of sustainability. Maybe it's still batting about, in which case I'm giving it a vicey-versey plus.

I was invited to take part in the Fashioning the Future Summit 2008 (10/27 & 28) at the London College of Fashion (GB) to consider the question; can fashion bring about a long term lifecycle change to move us towards a more sustainable economy and better lives? Key industry informers and decision makers are attending and will lead seminar groups. At the end of the day we will meet together and pool outcomes. This is the collective information I am eager to bring back home and share, so we can get out from under this "olde think" pall.

In sharing infomation we expand our capacity to act for the better good, as no one person, group or culture has 360 degree vision. Which is why fashionRIP is becoming a product of its own collaborative process. Explaination later! I have learned to edit my interconnetive rambles.

P.S. The fast fashion ads quoted in the Hall of Shame entry on Fashion Ethos are indicators of the "olde" market we are in.

Blog Lag and Synopsis

I promised a synopsis and its only right to deliver on promises.

Mourning Glories for Species on the Verge of Extinction
This is a story about a funeral. The recyCouture dresses worn in this video are inspired by the Victorian penchant for full scale mourning. There are 7 dresses representing 7 species that are on the brink of extinction or are only "alive" in zoos because their habitats are destroyed.

The fashion runway strut becomes somber as the recyCouture model is handed the portrait of a doomed one which is carried to the coffin. A blurb of that species will go to the screen as in silent films.
This is repeated for all 7. A name and date scroll at the side of the coffin reiterates the poignancy and the rate of current era die offs -as opposed to natural evolution.

A couple models will illustrate how this impacts human life.

The end is a beginning, as the coffin opens and a phoenix arises. The symbol of transformation starts the death scroll rewinding and it becomes apparent that we are still in time to be intelligent designers of our own evolution.

reHopeTee

The original stencil only refashion of the hope Tee was too ...boring. See for yourself -it's a few entries down. I wore it for the shoot because when a photographer is around I try to max the experience. (Thank you Donna Marie for the great photos.)
As in a lot of design the first take isn't the last. Modifiers, edits, changes keep the process fun and at times -frustrating.
This is the latest version and I think it sticks.
Like the storyline of the Verge it has been altered and modified.
Synopsis soon.

RecyCouture 30s mix

Old lace dress from the 30s in a ripping (literal) condition. Took out the slip which became the evolve dress, then cut the top from the bottom. Added a wide stretchy band to the top of the flounced skirt so can just pull it on. Added tulle to the bottom of the top.
Worn with a middy made from the top of a pair of pantyhose, which keeps the skin tones from peeping through in a vulgar manner.

RecyCouture RAG

When wearing a gown that starts with a 1920s era chemise, that runs into a weird stretch remnant then bottoms out with a glitzy flocked floral of the 90s...one must pull attitude. The flapper rebel in me surfaced.
I used to wear vintage 20s clubbing ln Belltown 's premiere punk rock venue. This worked; as flappers bobbed their hair, raised hemlines, rouged their lips and merrily shocked the old guard.
Defiance for the old order never goes out of style, yet the real changes move so slow, unlike the fashions that personify them.

Stripey Tee and Skirt

The recyCouture Mourning Casual look is from the 2 Tees and a pair of really big pants, The big pants were given to me as I passed out class flyers in Ballard. I thought the Ryther Thrift Shop might post one as an inspiration to shoppers The shop volunteer at the cash register agreed, liked what I was doing and gave me the pants.

It's fun to cut and play with clothes that cost little as you have to come out ahead. (Experience if naught else!)

The big pants were cut apart, pleated to hip width and modified with inserts and reverse applique. The great thing is I didn't have to put a zipper in as I used the pants zipper and fly as is. This leaves time for the fun embellishing part.

Hope

The modified witch hat keeps the sun off. We need the vitamin D , but don't need the bad rays-it isn't easy being aware. I read awhile back that 10 minutes of sun should get the D need covered but will check it out and report back later. Like all (?) human derived truths, this one has a lifespan based on current technology.

What to Wear

Have you seen the Bluefly print ads.."closet full of nothing to wear" ? It does a good job of pushing fast fashion along with the little girl that doesn't have to choose, but can buy all the looks she wants from Kmart. How about the tv ad with the back seat, shoe box, pile up that extols the mother/daughter shopping experience? My aren't we pathetic!

I think labels should run below products that point out the persistent organic compounds, the toxic travelers that end up in human tissues (doing what mayhem?) and the natural but not organic fibers grown with pesticides and fertilizers that are running off and killing water life. Why keep pushing madness when we know better now?

Okay, I like a new pair of boots once in awhile. But please, the shoppers rush is short lived and then what?

Get a better creative outlet...you'll be happier.... I promise.

The San Francisco Garter Snake

This is the reptilian representative of my endangered fauna. Since it is the 7th species and was drawn on the 7th day and 7 is my lucky number, well it amuses me. What with all the mythical lore surrounding snakes, the whole Eve thing, snake in the grass, Cleopatra- the critter has a bad rep. Okay, some of it still seems deserved and I am not going to hike the back trails of Arizona in hopes of meeting rattlers.

When my mother was around 7 years old her father showed her a nest of baby garter snakes. She was unnerved by the wriggling mass but grandpa told her they were good to have around because they kept the bugs out of the garden

These providers of natural services haven't been well acknowledged until recently. The techno/chemical replacements are a bad trade in value and side effects. However, they are good for the bottom lines of some giant corporations as new opportunities arise with new problems.

That is the conundrum of capitalist economics, my dears. The old and big have the economic power to thwart and stall some very good ideas.

We'll Miss You When You're Gone

..or we can all do something. The problems that may pop up when these critters die off are unknown....that is the problem! We don't know the extent of their food and services webs. (formerly called food chains we now know that linear simplicity is bunk)

Do the research, learn and then incorporate the knowledge. There is a lot of good info out there. Sign up for the A Fresh Squeeze e-letter, visit the Sustainable Style Foundation or the Green for Good websites, or do a search for sustainable living, etc. Real world information has grown by scads since the early days of 2000 and now; well it is almost too much. Then again, since we are a stubborn lot when it comes to making changes...(like the foreign oil crisis of the 70"s got the USA off foreign oil...right?) ......perhaps it's necessary.
So please don't shut off just because it's so noisy with green. However, unplugging all those lcd, nonsense clocked appliances is quite satisfying.
The Monarch Butterfly and the Poison Dart Frog are 2 of the featured endangered. The rest of the pastel illustrations are on the Posers and Pictures site.

Recycouture Mourning Dress 4

This is the latest Mourning Glory for FashionRIP. This recyCouture garment started life as a blouse. The skirt is from the leftovers of the first dress and the panne velvet bottom is from a gifted" to slash" robe. Tell your friends what you do, so when birthdays come around they bring you yard sale and thrift store desirables.
The whole gifting biz is a weird spin on consumerism now isn't it?....resin cat or dust catching thing a ma jig ...not to mention the bag or paper.....all needs a rethink, methinks; and then we can design it! (ps know your copyrights and retain control)

You Can Sew 2

I cannot possibly reFashion enough clothes on my own to make a mark in the industry. Pick up a ripper, a needle and a spool of thread and join the style parade. If you are in Seattle join one of my classes and see how satisfying recyCouture can be... go to fashion ethos for more info. Thanks!