Fashion, Evolved

Change.

President Obama ran a ground-breaking campaign based on it.  Taco Bell assures us that it is good.  The Buddha said that our reluctance to accept it is the cause of all suffering.  Most of us realize that some kind of change needs to happen in the world today if we hope to improve our individual and collective existence.  But change is simply a tool–without conscious thought and a plan of action, it can cause damage by bringing anarchy and confusion.

The question is:  What can we change in our own lives that will really make a difference?

The answer is:  Our clothes.

No, I’m not being glib.  We all have a multitude of daily worries and concerns:  work, school, family, cooking, cleaning, spirituality, health, fitness…few of us are in a position to drop everything and “change the world” in some dramatic way; rather, the changes we make must be a part of our lives, integrating seamlessly into our existing routines.

One very profound way we can do this is by consciously buying clothing that is ethically made and manufactured; and supporting small, independent businesses that are creating, marketing and selling it.  Our demand for this type of clothing will result in the necessary changes to an industry that has long been guilty of drastic wage disparity, sweat-shop labor, toxic farming practices and the mass exportation of local industry to other countries.

You don’t have to go out and buy something RIGHT NOW.  Just wait until you’re ready to buy a new dress or a new pair of shoes.  And then make your choice by weighing all the options (not just the price or the brand name).  Next time you’re ready to shop for shoes, clothes, handbags, accessories or cosmetics ask yourself:

1.  Was this product made by an adult earning a fair wage?

2.  Was this product made using materials that were grown or developed with unsafe chemicals and/or toxic processes?

3.  Was this product made in a country that supports human rights?

4.  Was this product sold by a company that takes care of its responsibilities to its employees and the communities that support it?

The fashion industry is changing from the inside out–but there is no greater catalyst, and no better way to speed up the process–than a robust consumer demand.  We are lucky enough to be at a point where we don’t have to sacrifice style for our ethics.  There are many sustainable designers and retailers devoting themselves to fashion with a conscience.  All we have to do is make the best choices we can when the time comes.

Are you ready to change your clothes?

Lisa Johnson is the owner of Modern Pilates Studio and a prolific blogger and [tweeter] on the subjects of health, wellness, and environmental topics.  She is a wonderful representation of the modern, stylish woman:  a combination of fashionable, intelligent, healthy, and ambitious.  I’m very pleased to have interviewed her for Fashion, Evolved.  To learn more about Lisa, visit her [Studio Website] and her [Blog].

1. What drives your passion for physical fitness?

My DNA! I’m programmed to move & help people and owning a Pilates studio has been a great combination of those two sides of my personality. Pilates is really well-suited to perfectionists and I definitely have a strong dose of that in my character too. My fitness blog is really just the conversations I have with my clients and instructors. What’s new in fitness? What’s a good solution to a certain health problem? How do we all eat healthy but with flavor? I keep my passion fresh by trying new things all the time, lately I’m into hooping. But I’ll try anything, yoga, kick-boxing, roller skating, golf, whatever looks like fun, I’ll give it a shot. Fitness should be play time, not a chore.

2. What are the biggest health and wellness challenges facing the modern woman?

Life! We are all the “everywoman” aren’t we? We’re Moms, professionals, wives, cooks, and handy-women. Rosie the Riveter has nothing on us. Women today can get way to overwhelmed with their to do lists and forget to schedule time for themselves. Being consistent with exercise and eating habits is the biggest obstacle women have to overcome to stay healthy. Without a consistent fitness routine & healthy diet we’re looking at all of the top health problems of obesity, diabetes, heart issues, etc. In my house we have a saying, “happy wife, happy life.” That’s what I say to my husband when I need to go for my run. He knows it’s his turn to pick up the slack.

3. What is it about pilates that you find so beneficial?

It’s the variety and the specificity in Pilates that is so awesome. There are over 650 exercises to choose from so every workout can be completely different. Getting into a fitness rut just doesn’t happen with Pilates, there are always 20+ exercises you can choose from for any given body part. It’s also very specific. I can isolate pretty much any muscle in the body. If you’re stronger on one side than another; I can fix that. If I need to strengthen a specific knee muscle; I can. Need to stabilize a shoulder; no problem. So structurally you wind up so much stronger and balanced. The fact that your muscles are toned and look amazing is really just a side benefit.

4. How would you describe the physical ideal for women?

Every woman has the “ideal” picture in their head of what they want to look like. It’s a blend of one of the happy points in their life and Hollywood standards. Try to ignore the Hollywood allure and focus on you as a healthy, thriving person. For me it’s the healthy place I was two years ago, my studio was thriving, my husband and son were happy and we had just hit a wonderful milestone of buying a new home. We’ve had some stress over the past couple of years and my weight crept up. I got frustrated with eating my stress this summer and finally chucked my bad habits. I’m almost back to where I was and I have to say my happiness levels have gone up quite a bit. The stress is still there but it’s much easier to deal with now that I’m feeling healthier.

5. What are the most important factors for women to consider regarding nutritional choices?

Calories and nutrients. How can you get the most bang for your buck with the fewest calories? Focus on fruits & veggies, keep the starches in the whole grain range and consider protein to be a side dish, not a main event on your plate. The formula I always use is 50% fruits & veggies, 25% starch and 25% protein. If you fill up your plate accordingly you shouldn’t have a weight problem at all. Anything more sophisticated than that and I recommend you talk with a doctor or nutritionist about your specific needs.

6. What advice do you have for women who want to lose weight?

You have to think about in minutes of movement. If you want to lose weight at a moderate weight you need to move 150 to 250 minutes per week. If you want to lose weight a little faster, then you’ve gotta commit to over 250 minutes per week. This is cardio. This is sweating, huffing, puffing, need to take a shower cardio. You can not count a stroll around the mall into your total.

You also have to think about what you’re eating, of course. If you need structure then I recommend a diet plan like the Sonoma Diet or Weight Watchers, otherwise go with the plate formula above and you’ll see the weight start to come off. In general to maintain your weight, figure 11 calories per pound per day. Once you figure that out subtract 500 calories from the total and the weight will start to slide away.

7. How do you think the fashion industry influences the way women regard physical fitness?

Two words, skinny jeans! That sent everyone to the treadmills and the arc trainers didn’t it? The fashion industry has definitely moved towards a more fitted look in general and if you want to stay stylish that means your fat has no where to hide. I also think some designers have had a real impact in how women treat their bodies. Donna Karan has set a fabulous example of healthy living through yoga and Stella McCartney has influenced untold fashionistas with her vegan lifestyle.

8. Describe your personal style.

Clean cut and simple. I love a fabulous black dress with some vintage jewelry. I’m actually a pretty dedicated greenie and I’m always looking for great green pieces to put into my wardrobe. I’d say I buy about 50% eco-friendly and 50% other. I’d like to get to the point that I buy all organic but I think that might be a few years away. I like Matter Yoga for organic workout gear and I like Doie Designs and Stewart Brown for casual clothes.

9. Tell me about one outfit that you own that makes you feel spectacular when you wear it.

My Doie Design black bamboo shirt with peace silk trim with my Paige jeans in a dark wash (more eco-friendly). Some vintage drop earrings from my grandma and a great pair of black flats I picked up in Paris. I’d wear it to an artist opening at the ICA Boston, a great modern art museum on Boston’s waterfront.

10. What are you most proud of about starting up your own studio?

By far the sense of community that’s been created, it has been so rewarding to watch people become friends. All of us, instructors and clients, have gotten to know each other over the years. Three of my closest friends started out as clients. We look forward to seeing each other and celebrating our little victories. You just can’t beat that. I think that’s the coolest thing ever.

Original Article from Ethical Style

Last Valentine’s Day, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Rayburn office building was the venue for an unusual hearing. Famous designers, fashion executives, and well-styled attorneys talked among themselves while waiting for legislators to return from a vote. Someone described the room as “a strange cocktail party without drinks.”

Capitol Hill isn’t known as a place for fashion-related affairs. Slowly but surely, though, times have changed. Once considered too frivolous a problem for the United States Congress, fashion design theft has finally been brought to the table in the form of the Design Piracy Prohibition Act, or DPPA.

The intellectual property issue has been a pressing one in the fashion industry for many years. However, the lack of legal rights for designers has left them to rely on their own means — and the minimal protection of trademark and patent law — to defend their work against fashion copycats.

Many garment vendors and journalists have credited these loose laws with continued creative innovation and the success of the American mass market. Some have even theorized that the nature of fashion and trends is inconsistent with the notion of a truly “original” clothing design. As one uncompromising San Francisco Chronicle editorial put it, “Is it really realistic to believe that there are really, truly, no designs being invented now that haven’t been created before?”

The answer is a resounding “yes” if you ask ready-to-wear designers Diane Von Furstenberg, Nicole Miller, Zac Posen, and Narciso Rodriguez. They, with a gaggle of other industry supporters, have been pushing hard for the DPPA through the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), a trade association.

The granting of more intellectual property rights to films, television, and music in the digital age has left CFDA supporters — such as Harper’s Bazaar, which runs the “Fakes Are Never In Fashion” campaign — demanding equal treatment for designers. Just as those industries have suffered as idea thieves have become more tech-saavy, they argue, so has fashion.

While historically, catwalk copycats sent spies and sketch artists to Fashion Weeks, today design thieves can easily access breakthrough designs on the internet within hours of a runway show. As a result, say fashion designers like Mr. Rodriguez and Ms. Von Furstenburg, the original creators are unable to collect a return on their investments.

Mr. Rodriguez has essentially become the poster child for the pro-DPPA lobby. Back in February, he testified before the subcommittee members as the CFDA’s star witness. For himself, he explained, the defining moment came in 1996, when the gown he designed for Carolyn Bessette’s wedding to John F. Kennedy Jr. became an international hit. But his design was replicated and sold long before he could get his own gowns in the stores. Copycats, claims the designer, sold between 7 and 8 million knockoffs that season; Mr. Rodriguez sold 40.

The lost profits, as Rodriguez explained to the subcommittee, were immense. Taking into account the costs of producing runway shows, purchasing fabric for samples, pattern and development costs, travel, and marketing, Rodriguez says it can cost nearly $6-million to produce a 250-piece fall and spring collection. With advancements in garment production (”fast fashion”) and communication, those costs aren’t getting any easier for designers to recover.

As the law currently stands, only counterfeit goods that replicate a trademarked logo or original print or other artwork are protected by the current U.S. regulations. Because of this loophole, a design’s silhouette, color, and other details may be copied and sold legally so long as they are sans logo. If passed, the DPPA would enable designers to register their creations for three years of legal copyright protection. Similar laws already exist in Europe, India, and Japan.

But at least until the next Congress convenes, the DPPA remains in subcommittee limbo. Its death in committee has been attributed to an impasse in negotiations between the CFDA and the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA). But the bill has generated plenty of opposition from industry outsiders as well.

Today is Blog Action Day!  About 10,000+ bloggers from all over the world have committed to blogging on a single, globally pertinent subject:  POVERTY.

So, what does a fashion blog have to say about poverty?  Plenty!  Remember, you’re reading Fashion, EVOLVED.  It’s not just about wearing organics, people.  It’s about being a conscious consumer.

That means looking at a product and evaluating its real worth–not just buying it because it’s sparkly and cool-looking or some idiot TV star is wearing it.  Nor is it about buying based on advertising, or trends.  It is about buying quality merchandise that is made without a negative impact on people or the environment.

Those posh clothes you see in high end boutiques?  Many of them came from sweltering, dirty factories that employ thousands of people working for a few cents an hour.  Some of them employ children who should be at school learning and developing the ability to reason, think, and make positive change in the world.  Sweatshop workers are forced to work 12-14 hours with minimal breaks.  They are worked over time without compensation.  If people are hurt, or even killed on the job there is no compensation for them or their families.  They are tossed away and a replacement is found.

Why do people work like this?  Isn’t it their own fault for taking such a shitty job in the first place?  Not really.  You see, they are working in these miserable, oppressive conditions because they are poor.  Not poor like “food stamps” poor.  I’m talking about being SO poor that they lack the water, food, and shelter that they need to survive.  I’m talking about being poor without any way to improve themselves.  If you’re poor in the U.S. you have options.  Welfare, social assistance programs, church soup kitchens.  We live in a society that is so rich, beggars make more than minimum wage.

And yet, in other countries, people are born into virtual slavery because their poverty leaves them no other choice.

While this is sad, there is something even sadder:

Executives and designers make millions and millions of dollars every year by exploiting these people.  While they are sipping champagne and sitting in the front row along the catwalk, people are sacrificing their health, education, and futures to make it possible.  These “Fashion” houses specifically stopped making things in this country and in other countries where there are wage and safety laws and took their business to places where people are so desperate to make any money they can, they will work under inhumane conditions.  Nice, huh?

Take a look at this disturbing analysis from the Sweat Shop Watch website:

Salaries for Apparel Executives

Average Hourly Wages in Apparel Industry

The wage disparity between CEOs and garment workers demonstrates the
need for corporate accountability. If apparel companies were willing to
cut their salaries, profits or even advertising budgets by a tiny
fraction, they could pay their workers a living wage.

When it comes down to it, this is about greed, pure and simple.  Continuing to take more and more, even when a slight modification of your standards can make a difference in the lives of millions of people is not just selfish–it’s kind of evil, don’t you think?

So, what does this have to do with you?  I’ll tell ya!

Stop buying this shit.  Just stop.  You don’t even have to DO anything, really.  Just STOP supporting the industries and individuals who have proven they don’t care about the people they are using to get rich.  There are so many other options for buying clothes now, and the future of fashion IS sustainable, ethical manufacturing.  Start looking at labels.  Start asking questions.  Buy things that are made by unions, fair trade organizations or cooperatives.  Buy things made locally by independent designers.  Sure they cost more.  You know why?  Because people need to eat.  Stop thinking that you should be able to buy a shirt for $3.99.  Save your money for a couple weeks and buy beautiful clothes that are made by ethical designers–and then take good care of them so you don’t have to replace your whole wardrobe every year.

THINK about what you’re buying and try to understand that you will look much prettier when your clothes aren’t made from someone else’s misery.

—————————————————
Photo Credit: henri ismail

Bandung. Indonesia. 2007.

Posed for a picture during break time. This boy and girl are brother and sister. They asked me to take their picture.  Many children landed on working condition because of their economic situation. They are forced to quit schooling and work to earn money to help their families. By selling these cooking tools, they could earn 30.000 to 50.0000 Rupiah (3-5 US dollar) per day.