More on the Ecological Age of fashion

In my last post I talked about an exhibition where a handful of Danish and other Northern European designers presented their take on sustainable design. I was especially crazy about Ivana Helsinki's print, the feathers you see right above. 

Some facts I read at the exhibit:

The fashion industry is the world's third largest industry with a yearly turnover of more than €370 billion. The global textile production has grown by 25% between 2002 and 2012, wih Asia as the main contributor. Cotton is concidered the world's most dirty crop due to it's heavy use of incesticides, the pesticide being the most hazardous to human and animal health. Production of a T-shirt can cost up to 2,000 Liters of water from field to shelves. Currently less than 1% of the world's cotton is grown organically. But from 2006 to 2010 sales of organic cotton has grown by more than 600% so things are changing. 

Entering The Ecological Age

I just got home from KEA Business Forum, an afternoon conference which is held every half year in Copenhagen. This time the theme was sustainable design. Since this is such an important issue to me, of course I needed to go. Networking and learning with free cake and coffee in the break just makes for a great afternoon. 

Five speakers with different approaches and different backgrounds were presenting to us their knowledge on the subject, hoping to inspire and make an army of contributors to a better world. 

As Nille Juul-Sørensen, CEO of Danish Design Center was saying, we are entering a new age: The Ecological Age. Humans are consuming three planets' worth of resources, so we obviously need to change the way we make and use things. Sustainability isn't  and must not be a trend. It marks a change in the culture of the world today; a change in the way we percieve our existence in the world. As Daniel Quinn writes in Story of B:

"If the world is saved, it will not be by old minds with new programs 

but with new minds with no programs at all." 

Nille Juul-Sørensen talks about how we design and develop by looking in the back mirror. Instead we need to look forward to be able to move in the right direction. It is also essential that scienctist and researchers, the industries and designers collaborate in order to find the solutions needed to make a sustainable world. 

One of the more fashion specific talks were from a KEA student, Maja Stabel, who studies sustainable fashion. She presented her Zero-Waste project and collection that she made for David Andersen Copenhagen. I realized that I had seen Maja's project when it was exhibited at Design Museum Denmark during the Copenhagen Fashion Week this August. As mentioned, she worked on Zero-Waste which is a technique where no fabric is wasted. It is quite a complex method where you make clothing like a puzzle with pieces cut from the fabric. As she describes it it's a spontaneous method where risk taking is essential. 

All the presentations were really great and gave food for thought and a lot of inspiration and hope. I feel hope is the most important since we have to believe that we can make a change.

Below are some pictures from the exhibit in Design Museum Denmark taken with my phone since I came there unprepared. A post about the other designers showing their sustainable proposals at this exhibit will follow soon.  

Fleas are hoppin'

I went to a flea market today in great need of something new for my wardrobe since I always wear the same few outfits. Found a few good things as you can see.

Summer is over

Summer is surely over and the fall is biting our tale. The flea market went really well. It was the first time I did this but even being rookies we sold a lot of the things. Soon it's time for a party for all the people working at Kihoskh though my partying will be interrupted since I also have to work there tonight. 

Watch : Earrings

Here are the pictures of my new watch and the earrings. I got both second hand for a bargain and love them! 
Tomorrow I am going to a flea market with my boyfriend to sell a lot of the stuff we decided we don't need anymore. Feels so great to clean up in your life. Christianshavns Torv is where it will take place and we hope the Universe will give us nice weather.

Hunting and Scavenging

After being absent from the blog for a looong time I want to get back on it.
I just moved in to a gorgeous apartment with my boyfriend, a big 3 room place with a great courtyard and right by the busy street Istedgade. We love it! But moving into your own place also means you need lots of things. I have been scavenging the second hand shop around Copenhagen for bargains on kitchenware, plates, glasses and all other cool stuff to put in our new home. Here's what I wore. Well actually I found the earrings in one of the shops I went to. I'll give you a close up of those along with the watch I also bought.