surrender apparel

I recently came across a new range of sustainable yoga apparel - Surrender. Two of my passions, yoga and sustainability, already feel closely aligned, and it's wonderful when I can wear things to yoga that are environmentally sustainable.

photo c/o Surrender Apparel

One of the first things I noticed about the range were the large swing tags printed with lots of text. . .

 "In order to create clothing with a lighter footprint, this garment is dyed with natural dyes derived from leaves and roots. The natural pigment will fade over time. Please wash on a cool, gentle setting and dry in the shade to get the longest life out of your garment."

I love it - natural dyes, and perhaps more importantly, the label encourages cool washing and drying in the shade. There are varying figures depending on the material and how long you own a garment, but there is wide consensus that the 'use' phase of our clothing makes up the largest environmental impact of its life. For example, washing and drying a pair of Levi's 501s makes up almost 2/3 of the energy consumed throughout the life of the jeans and uses 1,600 litres of water - half of its water usage*.

I always turn my clothes inside out before making a purchase to see the care label, where something was made, and out of what fabrics. It's the first thing I do after spotting something I like. Again I was impressed by the size of the care label (though I may cut it out once I start wearing the clothing) encouraging cold washing, line drying, and the use of eco-friendly detergents.

The fabric of this soft and supple yoga apparel is made of Tencel and Modal, two environmentally sustainable fabrics known for their comfort and environmental credentials, plus 5-10% Spandex for stretch. Below Surrender explain why they made this choice:

photo c/o Surrender Apparel

Surrender Apparel designer Julie Belic has trained in sustainable fashion and international development, and it's no surprise that she hopes to pair with an NGO and have a social enterprise element to her business in the near future.

photo c/o Surrender Apparel

Until then, I'm thankful she created this beautiful, comfortable and sustainable line of yoga wear, and reminds us all to 'wash responsibly'.

"I don't think a design is fully resolved unless you have considered the the impact of both the manufacturing process and the user lifecycle." - Julie Belic

photo c/o Surrender Apparel

Well - better book myself into my next yoga session to try out my new gear in action!
xxLisa

Those of you living around Melbourne, there is currently a Surrender pop-up shop at Sea Yoga in Torquay where you can try on the pieces for yourself!

* * * *

*Statistics from Kate Fletcher's Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys Levi's CEO has also recently acknowledged the impact of washing denim and encourages people not to wash their jeans until it's absolutely necessary, primarily from the standpoint of how much water is used per wash. Read more here.

bombah point

Over the long Easter weekend my hubby and I treated ourselves to a little eco-luxury at the Bombah Point Eco Cottages on the edge of Myall Lakes National Park. It was heavenly.

This is my idea of camping. I can be out in the bush or at the beach all day,
but still come back to a solid building with a bed and running water.

I've known about these cottages for a couple of years and was thrilled to spend a long weekend amongst the trees. Winner of the 2012 Green Lifestyle Award for Travel-Hotel/Resort, these cottages are tucked between Seal Rocks and Hawks Nest/Tea Gardens, and close to countless activities. We spent a day hiking, a morning kayaking, and an afternoon exploring the nearby beaches.

The view from Dark Point

Looking out to Broughton Island - here's my #LoveToBreathe
token, check out the website for ways to help Cystic Fibrosis
research, started by my dear high school friend.

I wasn't too disappointed with the heavy rain on Saturday that had us 'stuck' in our eco cottage listening to the rain and the kookaburras, and also allowed us our afternoon 'adventure' over to the main cabin to play billiards (which took hours, we are both terrible).

Comfy chairs and sofa, and surrounding by greenery.

 

There is a garden and orchard at Bombah Point, and the kind hosts place handpicked herbs and veggies in the main cabin for guests to enjoy. There is also a chicken house - you give the chooks your food scraps, they'll give you fresh eggs, not a bad bargain.

 

When you drive into the resort the first thing you notice are the solar panels - 48 of them set up on four sun trackers - which accounts for 50% of the energy used by Bombah Point. There are also two giant rainwater tanks for each cabin - I took a decadent bath without feeling too guilty about the amount of water I used - and the cottages also use bore water for toilets and laundry. In our kitchen there was a bin for compost, for non-food waste, and for recyclables. And the cottages use a tertiary treatment of sewage, which incorporates worm composting and reed bed filtration - you can read more about the eco-features of the resort on their website.

Bombah Point has also been recognised as a Wildlife Refuge thanks to the hard work of the owners, Jill and Peter, and their family and other staff members.

Hubby and I walking through the beautiful Bombah Point grounds.

You can bushwalk on site if you just can't be bothered driving anywhere.

We had an absolutely amazing time, have fallen even more in love with this beautiful country, and look forward to the next time we can visit Bombah Point. Definitely check it out if you're looking for an amazing holiday away from the bustle but still filled with life's little luxuries.

It was just chilly enough one night to have a fire - delight!

There are large cottages, they sleep at least 3 upstairs (we didn't use the loft).
And the artwork on the wall and throughout the cottages are by EggPicnic -
new faves of mine for sure!

Below is the video from the Bombah Point website. But fair warning, after watching this video it is really hard not to make a booking.

The Myall Lakes National Park - Bombah Point Eco Cottages.

good on you

Have you heard about the Aussie website Good On You?

It's a fashion website (with a great name - I love a good pun) that ranks a number of well known clothing brands on their ethical and environmental credentials. It can be quite hard to find a perfectly 'sustainable' fashion label these days, but I still prefer to reward those taking steps in the right direction - a big change to the garment industry has to start somewhere, right? And this site makes it easy to see which brands are taking steps toward more ethical and sustainable practices.

You can click through to buy all the pieces on their site, and if you're curious about how each garment receives a given ranking, the webpage includes information on which rating system (or systems) has given that garment a certification.

I was recently asked to pull together my favourite pieces from the site - you can read the entire article here, or see some of my picks below:

Ginger and Smart – Secret Vice sleeveless blouse

Style: This lovely peachy-pink goes perfectly with other items already in my wardrobe, and the interesting cut and tailoring makes this a standout, timeless piece.

Eco: Silk is considered a ‘natural’ fibre and typically has a long life, but is not acceptable to vegans and many vegetarians, so must be a personal choice.

Ethical: Certified by Ethical Clothing Australia

Shop all Ginger & Smart here.

Nobody Denim – Cult Skinny Jeans Addict

Style: Everyone needs a solid pair of jeans, and I find high waist skinny jeans provide a classic silhouette that can be paired with flats, heels, boots or thongs (flipflops for our northern hemisphere friends!)

Ethical: Made in Melbourne and certified by Ethical Clothing Australia, so I know the people who made these jeans were paid well and treated fairly.

Shop all Nobody Denim here.

Ginger & Smart G&S Incision Slouch Pant

Style: Perfect combination of tailored but comfortable, and can easily be dressed up with an amazing pair of shoes and blazer.

Ethical: Certified by Ethical Clothing Australia.

Shop all Ginger & Smart here.

Ginger & Smart Infinity Skirt

Style: The bold geometric shape paired with the high feminine waist make this a power-skirt with a twist.

Ethical: Certified by Ethical Clothing Australia.

Shop all Ginger & Smart here.

Ginger & Smart Arcadia Dress

Style: This dress is the ideal combination of femininity and structure, plus the interesting detailing makes me know I won’t get bored anytime soon.

Ethical: Certified by Ethical Clothing Australia.

Shop all Ginger & Smart here.

Collette Dinnigan Eclat Bra

Style: Such a stunning piece of lingerie, so feminine and pretty. And who doesn’t love a bit of black lace – like a secret when worn underneath a sensible shirt.

Ethical: Underwear should be as ethical as outerwear, don’t you think? This beauty is certified by Ethical Clothing Australia.

accessories review : oxfam

Did you know that Oxfam recently released its new Accessories Catalogue?

Oxfam asked me to review the catalogue (what a fun request!) and here I have pulled out some of my favourite pieces:

Layered Paper Geode Pendant

This incredible 'Geode' is actually made of layers
of waste magazine paper and crushed glass at a
fair trade workshop in Swaziland -
my absolute favourite piece of the collection.

Layered Paper Stone Ring

Made in the same workshop as the 'Geode'
pendant above.

Cana Flecha Bracelet

Made from cane that has been dyed with fruits,
vegetables and plants, and braided by Zenu
Indian artisans in Colombia.

Ceramic Shard Silver Necklace

Made with salvaged shards from a

Vietnamese ceramic factory.

Golden Brass Cuff

Created using traditional techniques in India,
and featuring a soft hammered detail.

Mosaic Bangle in Turquoise

Handcrafted, wooden bangle covered in traditional
Indian lac - tiny beads and mirror shards.

Scarf with Triangle Motif

This scarf is handwoven 100% linen,

and screenprinted using AZO-free dyes.

Triangle Design Clutch

Natural leather clutch that will gain patina and
age with grace, enhancing this bold pattern.

* * * *

All the accessories sold by Oxfam Australia are sourced to help Fair Trade producers reach new international markets, and help the artisans emerge out of poverty. Oxfam Australia is a Fair Trade organisation and works rigorously to ensure the artisans and products adhere to the principles put forth by the World Fair Trade Organization and the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation. You can read all the details on their website (I love transparency!), and you can also learn about the artisans who made all of the products on each product page.

The catalogue also marked Oxfam Australia's first ever photoshoot, and the catalogue features stunning models that celebrate the rich diversity of Australians - two of the models below are young Indigenous women from Darwin who are now studying in Melbourne, and the silver-haired maven is a fierce advocate for animal rights and works at Oxfam Australia.

 

 

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed flipping through this new catalogue, seeing the beautiful ethically-produced pieces, and daydreaming about my next accessories purchase.

The entire catalogue is now available online - happy shopping!

american optimism

Optimism is essential to achievement and it is also the foundation of courage and true progress
- Nicholas Murray Butler (Nobel Peace Prize recipient)

Flag by Jasper Johns, c/o Wikipedia

 One thing I have been accused of since moving to Sydney is that I can be too optimistic (as if there is such a thing). I mostly assumed it was a personality trait, and generally accept it as a compliment not a criticism (even if it was intended as the latter). Then last week I was attending a lecture by a visiting professor from the US, Richard Maxwell, who was discussing greening media technology, when a comment from the crowd teasingly referred to his 'California optimism'.

Aha! A fellow optimist in the room! And he's a fellow American - could this be a national trait?

Then Friday I attended an event organised by 350.org that featured another American, Bob Massie, a leading thinker in sustainable development. His speech was incredibly powerful and uplifting, and he ended by saying we must not allow ourselves to be defeated through the 'derision of people who thought they knew better'*. We must maintain a vision of a better future at all costs.

He was a gifted orator, and I was struck by how dramatically his speech differed to the activist speeches I have grown accustomed to, which can appear fueled by rage, not hope.

Hope is a powerful tool.

Hope has driven social change throughout history, ranging from the women's suffrage movement to the civil rights movement, and multitudes more before and after.

Hope enables me to see beyond despairing statistics and the anti-environmental denialist campaigns to envision a sustainable and just future.

Having hope does not mean that you don't see the challenges ahead, but that you've seen them and have decided to fight anyway.

So I thank these two American thinkers for coming to Australia and sharing their progressive and optimistic thoughts with us Sydneysiders. And I want to thank them personally for this reminder that, among all the incredible gifts I received through the chance of being born an American, optimism and hope are two of the most important.

So next time I get accused of being too optimistic, I'll just say thanks, I was born that way.

I had this poster on my wall in my first apartment.
Image c/o Wikimedia Commons

*Massie was quoting Albie Sachs, South African activist and former judge

film review : advanced style

Last week I finally sat down to watch the delightful documentary Advanced Style.

Ilona Royce Smithkin - she makes her own
eyelashes, among her other charms.

Based on the blog and book by the same name by Ari Seth Cohen, Advanced Style introduces us to a number of stylish, sassy, and unique New York women who are not only aging gracefully, they are aging with style. My only wish is that we'd been able to get to know these ladies a little bit more in depth, as I suspect there are a lot of great stories to be told beyond just their ability to dress. However, based on what I did see, I found myself falling in love with each of them as I watched the film; Zelda in particular stole my heart when she proclaimed:

I am a happy person.
I think I was born happy - I was a 10 pound baby!

Zelda Kaplan, who sadly passed away during the filming of the documentary.

There is so much to love about this film - the fashion, the creativity, the personalities, the accents, the joie de vivre - but ultimately what I loved the most was the overarching message that age doesn't mean you lose your beauty, you become more beautiful because of it.

A number of the women featured in the documentary have been hired for fashion campaigns - ranging from Kmart to Lanvin - and I hope these campaigns are not merely a trend, but a sign of the fashion industry becoming more inclusive with the types of people used in advertising campaigns.

Jacquie Tajah Murdock

So what does this have to do with sustainability?

Well, what all these women know is that trends come and go, but good style is timeless - quality over quantity! Also, it's important to take care of your fashion pieces.

I loved seeing Joyce Carpati take out her beloved Chanel bags to show her granddaughter - the bags gently cared for over the decades and stored in protective cloth bags - and explaining that they will be hers one day. I also admired Joyce's overall elegance, her demeanor, and her hair is magnificent.

Joyce Carpati

Tziporah Salamon spoke of the care that she puts into her clothing - both in terms of planning outfits (which may take up to 7 years to get just right!) as well as mending and handwashing to care for the clothes properly.

Tziporah Salamon

And it's not surprising that a number of these style mavens own or work in vintage clothing shops, like the vivacious Lynn Dell, who owns the Off-Broadway Boutique.

Lynn Dell

Debra Rapoport - who featured in the Kmart advertisement - also creates many fashion and jewellery pieces form recycled materials, including paper towel and toilet paper rolls (read this great interview on Recycled Fashion). Debra also shares my love of yoga, and her outfits are even louder than mine!

Debra Rapoport

So overall, a lot of lessons to learn from our stylish elders - take care of your clothes, take time to dress and express yourself, and life really does keep getting better with age (except the aching bones, of course).

Have you seen Advanced Style? I'd love to know what you thought of it!

full circle

Well, I guess my transformation is complete. I now own a pair of Birkenstocks. I'm a real hippie* now.

When I attended high school in the late 1990s I was appalled by the number of my fellow students who unashamedly rocked their Birkenstocks with wool socks (you know who you are). In their defense, there was a certain 'outdoorsy' cohort of students who likely inspired this trend, but memories of this awkward  look turned me off Birksenstocks for the better part of two decades.

Ahh the memories . . . it certainly didn't stop me from dating
a couple fellas who wore this interesting combination.

I admit, I'm guilty of keeping the Birkenstocked-Hippie stereotype alive in my book; these sandals are referenced in the chapter when I visit the Manly Food Co-Op and see women in their Birkenstocks and feel there is no possible way I could fit in a place like that.

But my inner fashionista simply cannot ignore the growing trend for this quirky and comfortable sandal. And really, the writing was on the wall as soon as the stylist for the Clean Cut Designer Showcase sent our lovely models down the catwalk in - you guessed it - Birkenstocks and socks.

Can you also spot the white Birkenstocks
on the right, on one of our guests?

After much deliberation, including considering exactly which outfits I could wear these sandals with so as to not simply be a slave to fashion (or buy something that I really won't wear), I finally purchased my very first pair of Birkenstocks.

I opted for the patent leather black Arizona style, and can confirm they really do go with a large portion of my wardrobe, are extremely comfortable, and live up to the environmentalist credentials I always assumed they had.

They are perfectly paired with my Carlie Ballard hand-woven
Ikat traveller pants - and the ideal shoe for walking around
the cobblestone pathways on Sydney University campus.

And I even wore them to the Manly Food Co-op** on the weekend . . . but I don't think you'll catch me wearing them with socks anytime soon.

xxLisa

* * * *

*Dear self-identifying hippies, please do not take offense! I admire your dedication to your lifestyle, it is simply that I have never felt comfortable in the traditional 'hippie' attire. As my friend told me on the weekend, I am now a 'North Shore Hippie' (i.e., not a 'real' one like he is)

**The Manly Food Co-op is currently raising funds to help them move into a larger space - if you've been contemplating membership for awhile, now is an excellent time to join!