Fashion Tradeshows: A Brief History

A couple of weeks ago I was in the privileged position to be the holder of a press pass at the Bread & Butter fashion tradeshow here in bcn. See that beautiful view in the picture above? That is the view from the press lounge. I managed to find a brief second between scoffing free sandwiches and cava to take the shot. Tough times!

Now, this wasn’t the first fashion tradeshow I have attended. Previously I have attended some in Paris and London, but not for a number of years, and certainly not with the amount of access that the press pass, company cards and my nearly-thirty-years-old increased confidence gave me. In fact, the last clothing tradeshow I attended was actually through being part of the catering, from which I was able to ditch my BBQ company uniform, and stalk the stalls with my mate pretending to be buyers! What I was attempting, aside from eating as many free sweets from the stands as possible and generally having a nose around, was to get lots of contact info from which to apply for jobs. This, in hindsight, was actually pretty stupid, as I wanted to work in production, and the people there were from sales departments. But anyway.

This time I wasn’t after a job. I have a job now. I was at Bread & Butter to report on up and coming brands and to take photos of the freshest products. I got my work done, then got to have a good look around, even, between you and me, using my company cards to secure a few extra interviews for my own ends (eg, see the previous post). The tradeshows I went to in the past were before I actually properly worked in the clothing industry, and had knowledge of what it was like from the inside. I remember walking around, having ditched the catering uniform, aching to be part of these brands. It is so nice to be able to say that I no longer want to be part of any of them. The role I desire is on the outside, using the industry for inspiration and ammunition in equal measure.

The future of bags! Who knew?! (working title)

If you got a sec or two, check out this article I wrote that I'm hoping will be published. It's an attempt to make some money from my obsession with sustainable fashion:

Sadly, for many years, the phrases ‘recycled materials’, and ‘deeply desirable accessory’ had rarely been comfortable conceptual bed-fellows. Arguably, most accessories, in particular bags, developed from recycled raw materials tended to have achieved an emphasis on ethics, with aesthetics taking a back foot. It seems times are a’ changing. A new generation of bags and accessories are available, and rapidly growing in popularity and desirability that are so damn good, that many consumers are even snapping them up based on looks and functionality alone, unawares of their do-goodly ways! So what is it about their concept and products that seem so relevant and why are they currently being embraced with such fervour?

The irony is that, within two very prominent European players at least, the solution to this previous apparent anathema of appealing design versus ethical sourcing was actually solved outside of the fashion industry within which they now enjoy well-earned success.

Fifteen years ago Swiss brothers Markus and Daniel Freitag, both graphic designers, struggling to find a durable, water resistant and cycling proof bag in which to carry their work, took matters into their own hands. The resulting creation was a messenger bag fashioned from an old truck tarp, seat belts for straps and used a spare bicycle inner tube to keep the edges from fraying. Unintentionally landing a hit, this basic formula has proved the basis for most of their subsequent forty plus products that are now sold globally.

In a similar vein, eight years ago a group consisting of two graphic designers and two industrial designers started the brand Vaho Works in Barcelona, Spain, utilising the ubiquitous PVC advertising banners that line the streets in this city and it’s metropolitan area (and later from Madrid and Seville). Often beautiful and vibrant advertising banners for music, sporting and cultural events and art exhibitions are given a second life, through securing relations with institutions, museums, municipalities and private companies. They have also developed another range of messenger bags reusing old tires. They currently have two stores in Barcelona and one in Osaka, and sell through many other retailers.

Vaho Works and Freitag have inspired a proliferation of copies, some of which sadly adopt only the design aesthetic and not the reuse of otherwise landfill-bound materials. One positive message that can be drawn from this is: if these ethical products are worth copying, it is because their success and relevance is on the rise. Cynics could argue that products produced from reused material is merely a trend, and that their success, as opposed to previous attempts, is due to the fact that finally some people have come up with appealing and wearable designs. But the facts that the ages of these companies are now into or nearing double figures, and that their sales continue to grow, show that this is not a flash-in-the-pan trend that appeals solely to a design clique.

Matters of depleting global resources, unsustainable levels of rubbish dumping into land and sea as well as irrevocable environmental damage and pollution created by production are not issues that are going away. They will continue to be at the forefront of much social and political discourse from here on in. Increasingly the world is waking up to the fact that such problems need to be addressed on many levels, from the actions of global corporations, government and inter-governmental policies at the top of the food chain, to the everyday choices made by all citizens of the globe. To put it bluntly, is these companies are merely cashing in on a trend, then maybe buying shares in these companies wouldn’t be such a crazy idea!

So who are these products appealing to, and in conjunction, what of their future? Freitag and Vaho Works, though similar in concept, do not represent significant threats to one another. For one thing, their price points are very different. Also the comparatively subtler and more mature products of Freitag contrast somewhat with the bright youth-friendly ‘Trashion’ from Vaho Work’s factory. Interestingly, both ranges include items specifically aimed at either men or women, but the majority of styles are relatively androgynous. I recently heard of a gentleman, through a Freitag-fan friend of mine, that bought a Freitag bag some ten years ago, and due to it’s durability is still sporting it around town. Until my friend began to open a discussion on the company, he had been completely unaware of Freitag’s ethical background and his subsequent involvement in such affairs. So these items do not only appeal to the ethically minded, although, for reasons previously noted, this group is set to grow in number.

So with consumer profiles ever expanding, the companies themselves must do so. A whole fifteen years after the initial messenger bag, Freitag’s range now includes laptop holders, luggage and footballs. Vaho Works’ includes mobile phone holders, wallets and seating. Both companies spheres’ of influence are on the rise, from collaborating with different creative disciplines to involvement in further community based recycling projects. Both companies also encourage consumer participation in the designing of items. Inevitably, the number of such companies and brands will grow. This will reflect the growing uses of existing recyclable materials, as well as an increase in the number of materials able to be reused, and the altered manufacturing methods that maybe needed to rework these materials. Exciting and innovative times lay ahead for the fashion industry and others, all we need to do is have another look around us.

I've Contracted Comsumption

My total consumption of new garments in 2008 equals the following:

One pair of Lee jeans from Urban Outfitters in the sale (I actually put a lower priced sale sticker on the tag that I peeled off from another sale garment, not expecting to get away with it, BUT TOTALLY DID)

One pair of skinny ‘investment’ jeans from Zara

One stripey ¾ length sleeve top bought predominantly for its layering properties from Zara

Plus one kind of cheat where I facilitated the purchasing of a new garment for me as a birthday gift, resulting in one cute-as-a-button coat from Bershka via Lee and Isi.

Now in my opinion gifts are a bit of a grey area in the rules of my Wardrobe Refashion pledge, but even if the coat does have to be counted, I still came in within my allotted ‘new garment’ allowance. Another loophole in the pledge is the allowing new socks and underwear purchases, which starved of normal garment consumption, has for me taken on something of a guilty pleasure, resulting in the acquisition of more socks and pants than I’d like to admit.

Now, whilst the three new garment purchases I made last year were not manufactured in China, the coat and many of the pants were. One day I will go into my personally boycotting of Chinese goods as I fear I will lose your attention if I go into this here. But, even though the particular garments were not manufactured in China, Zara (I cannot comment on Lee without research that I am too lazy to undertake) does produce some of its garments China. Is that ok? Am I still condoning manufacture in China? I’m confused! Too many grey areas! These are my rules that I have chosen to implement, but they are opening up so many sub-questions. What are my exact standpoints on these? I am at risk of breaking my brain trying to figure them out.

So I have decided: Enough! I have embraced 2009 as the year in which I purchase NO NEW GARMS! Even pants and socks.

I have been trying to implement this more responsible approach into other sections of my life. My aim was to rely on street finds to furnish my new bedroom for example. But the street failed to provide me with certain items, and I was fed up with hunting through plastic bin bags to access my clothes, so I reluctantly accepted that I needed a trip to Ikea. So what do I go and do? I take my Christmas money and immediately go and purchase a clothing ‘storage system’ that turned out to be made in China! AGHHHHH! (See above image for proof of guilt.)

Dear Shannon...

Dear Shannon Sossamon,

Hi, how are you? I guess I should introduce myself, my name is Zoe. You may have heard of me, but I say now, the rumours that I've been cyber-stalking you are just that, rumours. Although the fact that I'm writing this may undermine my last statement.

I'd like to begin this letter by congratulating you. Well done on being (argueably unnecessarily) super-beautiful and 'physically successful'. Also, I hear your career is going well, although I can't pass comment as I fear I haven't witnessed enough of your work, and '40 days and 40 nights' probably wasn't your fault. (However, if pressed, I'll admit I found 'The Rules of Attraction' overly, even negligently, editted to the point of gross inbalance where the basic premise no longer made sense, thus undermining the work of you and your fellow actors to adhere purpose to the susbsequently warped and improbable plot.)

There are a few things, however, that I need to bring to your attention Shannon. Although if I woke up one day having somehow metamorphasised into your body, initially I'd probably not waste my time sobbing, as the (albeit unlikely) scenerio wore on however, I'd probably find it freaked my family and friends out, and I reckon I'd quickly get fed up of people just staring at me and forgetting to concentrate on what I was actually saying.

Also, I'm not entirely convinced by the authenticity of your drummer-in-a-band and DJing credentials. I mean when in popular culture have these ever gone hand in hand, not natural bed fellows are they?

Now, I know this might hurt, but I have to say I may have lucked out. Your whole 'being born in Hawaii, growing up in Reno, then moving to LA' may have somewhat bitten you in the arse (sorry, ass, I don't want to confuse you). I know on paper being born and raised in Essex, and continuing to live in Europe with easy access to budget airline flights into Stansted may not be the stuff that inspires great novels, but this scenerio helped me discover one epicly valueable nugget of information (my hairdressers phone number) and the viability to utilise it. In short what I'm saying is, now I hope your sitting down Shannon (sorry, Shannyn, I forgot you changed the spelling when you were 15), I have just had my hair cut and it is BETTER THAN YOURS!

Many apologies
Zoe Edwards

P.S. Enough of the self-consciously contrived lip-biting, we get it, you're cute.

P.P.S Bad luck on Devour. What do critics or ticket-buying audiences know anyway?

Base Camp

I'm leaving for the airport in, like, less than an hour so what better time than to start a new post?! Well, I wanted to draw a line under this crazy-arsed year by sharing some pics of my new flat, the venue from which, for at least the first part, I will attack 2009.

I didn't bother to tidy up before papping. Nor did I choose arty or visually exciting angles from which to represent my home. I just wanted to show you how it is.

After viewing eleven flats, I knew this is the one I should live in when my new-flatmate-to-be offered me this:

(The mannequin, not the scarf!). But, as I'm sure you can imagine, one of the very best things about having a place to (kind of) call my own again, is that I once again have a recepticle for all my street finds!:

Hair/brain Schemes

Dunno about you, but in a similar vein as actors altering their hair and makeup to portray a different character, I’m pretty convinced that in real life how you wear your hair makes a real impact on how you feel , as well as how you are perceived. Let me tell you a little story...

Once upon a time, several lives ago, I had dreads. As I have no pictorial evidence to hand, you’ll just have to believe me that, for the most part, I believe they looked pretty cute. And no, they didn’t smell. So when I’d had enough (about 10 months in) I ended up hacking them out with a knitting needle (!), then getting what I could salvage cut into an elfin ‘do. That was six or seven years ago, and from then on I have been growing my hair. For the last couple of those years my hair idols all resembled this:

Having dabbled with growing it out, I am committed to The Fringe. Got that part covered. However it turns out that the rest of my hair just isn’t playing the game when it comes to texture. I have to accept that. Tough times. So these days I can be found rocking a cute fringe/topknot combo:

And I ain’t the only one:

However, I am increasingly aware that this is a pretty identi-kit Barcelona look. A month or so ago, my mate trimmed my barnet. Now I kind of feel a spell has been broken and I am on the verge new hair dynasty. Whilst hanging around down by the beach I saw (ok, stalked) this girl whom unwittingly provided a light bulb moment:

Now I think my aim is a haircut so cute, that it makes total strangers weep! Having undertaken further research I am considering something along the lines of this:

A hair appointment has been procured with, in my opinion, the best hairdresser in Christendom (who happens to live in Essex, who knew?!) for when I return to the UK. Any thoughts or comments to help make this a 'happy ever after' would be gratefully received...

Nice piece of skirts

Umm, maybe I was a little hasty to declare that it’s all about dresses. Ok, largely it IS all about dresses, but not ALL about dresses, if you get what I mean. Occasionally, and those occasions seem to be coming thick and fast recently, it's quite a lot about skirts.

I have long been a convert and creator of the A-line and pencil varieties; however there may be a third way! I don’t know what the fash-on term for this style, which I feel I should, but it kind of goes a little something like this:

The above was created by the uber-talented Christine, she of the potentially-nicest-dress-on burdastyle-or-even-in-living-history fame. THAT Christine. This type of skirt has a waistband, something I haven't tried since my ill-advised dabbling with full '50's styles the year before last. Well, I had pretty much written it off as a style that wouldn't suit my 'womanly' curves, and then POW!! This happened:

I know. Honestly, I know. Who knew ''70's house wife on holiday' chic was so now?! Another Burdastyle triumph, click on the image for credits and info. Now I'm pretty much determined to make some interpretation of this skirt style work, no matter what.

Well, I'm thinking of cheating and going for an inbetweeny, less full and subsequently less scary variation akin to this Built By Wendy interpretation:

Still waistbandy, but not so high, with some fullness but not so potentially 'tenth birthday party' (something that, I'm quick to point out, the top two examples have well fallen the correct side of).

But as Christine in the top image has quite correctly pointed out, reality requires tights: