People Tree sample sale this weekend!

By Lorna

See the sale here

See you there Eco Goddesses... x

People Tree - Ethical Christmas Gifts made easy! - 40%

By Lorna

It's that time of year again and I'm slightly panicking that all my good intentions of making ethical Christmas Gifts aren't going quite as well as I had hoped! But once again, the lovely people at People Tree have come to the rescue!! Wooop! Sale ends Friday at midnight so get shopping!! xx

Once you've got everyone else sorted, head down to the People Tree Sample Sale next weekend and pick up some last minute presents for yourself! xx

Facts: People Tree, Ethical, Sustainable, Recycled, Fair Trade, Organic and Beautiful. Sample Sale. 16th-17th December 2011, Friday 6-8pm and Sat 11-6pm, Ethical Christmas!! 

Inspired - A very exciting event this Sat!!

By Lorna

Saturday, 15th of October 2011@ The Kensington Roof Gardens

EVENT STARTS AT 7.00PM AT THE KENSINGTON ROOF GARDENS, 99 KENSINGTON HIGH STREET, LONDON W8 5SA

What are your plans for this Saturday eve? No plans yet, or too many to actually commit? Well, here at Ecogoddess HQ, we think we have found you the perfect night out!! At one of the most beautiful venues London has to offer, Kensington Roof Gardens, Mayamiko Trust are hosting a charity night like no other...'Inspired'. In collaboration with Slaves of the Extraordinary, there will be emerging fashion, music, ground breaking performance and dancers. Sounds good to me!

The following ethical designers will be featured: Lauren Solomon for SLAVES OF THE EXTRAORDINARY, MIA by Mia Nisbet, Fair+TRUE, Bestow Elan and Christi Sanders. There will also be music and performances from the following: Listen, feel and taste the wonderful cocktail of emerging musicians, DJs and dancers including E.I.C Dance Theatre, Michelle Cade and Catwalk music by Jakub Gaudasinski.

The event sounds fab but.... what is this REALLY about? The mission statement of the Mayamiko Trust charity is ''Empowering local communities through skills and fairer trade. To help people lift themselves out of poverty and end injustice.'' Malawi is one of the world's poorest countries with well over half the population in extreme poverty and 175 out of 1000 children die before they reach the age of 5 (World Health Statistics). Unsurprisingly then, a charity aiming to lift people out of poverty has started here - The Malawi Cotton project outlines plans to set up a factory (plans below) to produce clothing to sell to both the local and international markets. There will be education, training and childcare available to the local women who work here to allow them to generate a sustainable reliable income. They will have the life changing ability to support themselves and their family and free themselves of extreme poverty.

''We watch, we listen, we learn, we act. Through skills training, education, nutrition, sanitation and fairer trade practices. Mayamiko works to support creative talents and turn them into sustainable activities. Mayamiko loves everyone, but has a special soft spot for the most vulnerable - women and children.'' Mayamito Trust 2011

I will be going to this great event and I would love to meet you so drop us a comment below if you are going. If you know of any other exciting Ethical Fashion event happening in your area - get in touch, we love hearing from you!

To buy tickets and support this inspirational charity click here

To read more about the Malawi Cotton Project click here

DIY printing... a new project!

By Lorna

I bought a really cool book last month on ''hand printing techniques and truly original projects.'' Its name alone intrigued me! Finally a book which could help me slowly and confidently get into the messy delights of hand printing. The author, Christine Schmidt, neither treats you as a child nor an artist but instead delivers beautifully concise direction and wonderful illustrations to allow full clarity.  She has been printing for years and offers genuine well practiced advice. The book is a joy to read even if you have not yet put ink to paper (which I guiltily haven't)!

As inspiration to get my printing hobby to get started - I have found the perfect aids. Wandering around Camden in the sun this monday I saw a shop full of ecclectic treasures from India. What attracted my interest immediatly was a bowl of hand carved indian printing blocks. There were £4 each and I imagine most people would buy them as an orniment or decoration. Perfect tools for a first time hand-printer. The timing couldn't be better... 3 months until (dare I say it....) Christmas!! I'm completely ashamed to mention it so early but if you are intending to DIY any lovely presents then now is a good time to start thinking up some projects!

Printing is a brilliantly simple way to re-use charity shop/ vintage fabrics, upcycle old clothing and give long forgotten treasures some new life. I'm going to 'attempt' to make some little make-up bags using vintage fabrics and my new print blocks. If successful I will post full instructions and patterns here so you can make some too!! watch this space for Ecogoddess DIY projects....

Facts: Print Workshop by Christine Schmidt, Upcycled presents, Handmade, DIY, Indian hand carved blocks.

Scribbling some more!

by Naomi

You know how I said I love to scribble? Well only a couple of days after posting I discovered another eco notebook that I think is pretty rad (yes I am totally bringing that word back into fashion!).

These simply elegant notepads and address books are made by Betty & Betts, who work closely with artisans in India. All the books are acid free, biodegradable or made from post-consummer waste, and the fabric is 100% organic. We like!




Betty & Betts books

I think they would make lovely gifts, wrapped in a vintage scarf or even just with a pen and a little ribbon! Single books start at £10 and these gift sets are £22.

Scribble, scribble, scribble!

Pucker up Eco Goddesses!

by Naomi


No-one wants to spend a season kiss-free so if the onset of Autumn/Winter means cracked and chapped lips then it's time to invest in a good eco lip balm! I've compiled a selection with something for every pocket.


Eco Beauty Bargain has to go to Filberts Lime & Coconut Natural Lip Balm (£3.70) which is made with Devonshire beeswax and oil and a free from synthetic perfumes and mineral oils.

Tempting Eco Beauty Treat is Burt's Bees' range of tinted lip balms (£5.99) perfect for keeping your lips super smooochable!

Eco Beauty Splurge would definitely be Andrea Garland's Lovely Lip Balms (£16 - £24)  - I have total eco envy over her creative use of vintage tins to store yummy balms.

Happy lip locking!

xxx

EDUN - CATWALK REPORT - New York Spring/Summer 2012

By Lorna

EXCITING TIMES!!!!!! New York fashion week is going on as I type and London Fashion Week starts on friday (16th). Most of my friends are frantically cutting patterns, sewing together final outfits, printing lookbooks and sending out invites. One of the New York shows I was most looking forward to was ethical label EDUN. Since Sharon Wauchob took the creative direction reins, this label has had a profound injection of style and craftsmanship. The SS12 show featured a skillful mash-up of iconic florals overprinted with african patterns, mesh sportswear references and a beautiful optomistic pallete of red and blue hues. Edun supports six factories accross Africa where 37 per cent of the women's line is made, the label's ethos being ''Trade not Aid''. I LOVE IT!!

TREND ALERT...Go wild with Navajo eco style!

By Lorna

Dressing 'eco' or 'ethically aware' can sometimes mean we miss key fashion trends - but with our new TREND ALERT posts we will be scouring the eco fashion world to make ECO GODDESS your one-stop site for fashion led product. The key is choosing products that looks cool, will support communities and will last. 
Global Traveller, Go Wild, Navajo Style... whatever the 'catchphrase' this trend is here to stay! It's a buzzword for both Spring/Summer 2012 and Autumn/Winter 2013 (which we are now designing at work) so buying into one of these lush Melie Bianco vegan duffle bags at £75 will see you through...
Enjoy! x


Available here
Facts: Melie Bianco bags at £75, Vegan Duffle Bag, Ethical, Navajo, Eco, WIld, Western

An all-white Monday Treat!

by Naomi

This one is short and sweet - a pretty dress that's perfect for the summer. The Pan Dress is fairly traded, with hand-knotted macrame straps a trade union in Gujarat, north east India. It's £69, available from Ascension.

Have a great week! x

Facts: fairly traded Pan Dress from Ascension.

Johari launches on ASOS

by Naomi

Beautiful limited edition summer clothes - sound good? It is!

Johari's philosophy is that fashion should be ethical, stylish and beautiful - we like! And even better, they have just opened an ASOS boutique.

Guest designer Julia Smith has come up with some great versatile designs that are perfect for any summer occasion. What's more, every piece is handmade in Kenya by the brand's very own social enterprise - feelgood fashion at its best!

Now I'm not generally a casual girl (permanently overdressed is my regular get-up) but I have a serious soft spot for these Masai designs.

Green Nzuri T-shirt £18

Johari Neema Dress - £30

 Got a summer of weddings, dinner dates, drinks with the girls and perhaps even a trip to the races? Then look no further - these dresses will help you rock them all! 




Johari Kilele Kimono Dress - £45

Johari Green Ra Ra Dress - £50

 

Check out the Johari ASOS boutique here and see the Johari website here. 

Facts: Johari ASOS Boutique. Pieces handmade in Kenya supporting social enterprise. Made from cotton and polyester.

Tribal Heaven!

By Lorna


Just a quickie to say I'm totally digging this Tribal print jersey dress from People Tree. £35 Lush!!

You can check it here
Facts: Certified Cotton, Tribal print, Fairtrade, £35, People Tree, Hot!

A 'the-wedding-bells-are-ringing' Monday treat!

by Naomi

It's only a few days until the wedding of the decade, and it is sure to be an occasion that kicks of the wedding season in style!

Finding engagement and wedding gifts with a personal touch and a stylish finish can be tricky, and even more so when you want to pick something with good eco and ethical credentials.
So here at Eco Goddess, we figured that whether you are nipping down to rub shoulders with the Royals, or celebrating the nuptials of some loved ones, some beautiful gift suggestions could come in handy.

NotOnTheHighStreet.com is one of my favourite go-to places for amazing gifts - they support small producers by acting as an online portal and have a huge array of ideas perfect for such occasions.

I think I may have fallen in love with the following:

These Love Pillowcases (£29.75) are perfect for the couple that love to make a bright and funky statement. They are made in Britain.

Love Pillowcases image courtesy of NotOnTheHighStreet.com

This Personalised Hanging Sign (£34) is just the right amount of kitsch and a great way to help a couple remember their special day. They are made in Britain from reclaimed wood.


Hanging Sign image courtesy of NotOnTheHighStreet.com



Continuing on the personalised theme, this I Love You Tile (£18) is one of my favourites as it is romantic yet rugged. You can choose the names, the colour of the heart, and even add a date at the bottom. Made by hand in Britain.

I Love You Tile image courtesy of NotOnTheHighStreet.com



Of course, photo frames are always a popular option, and with good cause - the right one will win its place in the heart of the lucky couple. This Personalised Wooden Heart Frame (£25) is so cute and you can choose the message yourself. Made in Britain.

There were so many other ideas that caught my eye - but not enough space or time to show you them all, so be sure to check out the website. We would really love to hear your ideas for eco and ethical wedding gifts - tweet us at EcoGoddess1!

Enjoy the Royal festivities! -x-

Facts: Eco and ethical wedding gift ideas, NotOnTheHightStreet.com, made in Britain.