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Buy Nothing, Borrow Almost Anything

The peer-to-peer economy has become big business with great examples from companies like Airbnb where users rent their homes and Uber where users share their cars. For fashion lovers it has become increasingly more popular to rent than own the latest fashion items with Rent the Runway a great example of how to do this conveniently. As consumers begin to embrace a circular economy there are more peer-to-peer services becoming available.

I was recently introduced to one of the leading platforms in the rental marketplace Fat Llama. The marketplace facilitates lending items that you own, but don't necessarily use very often. Think of that GoPro camera that you got for Christmas or the time you were going to be the next Mario Testino and invested in some expensive photography equipment. Well, now you can make money from these items by sharing them with others. This is the simple concept behind Fat Llama.

The Founders

Fat Llama was founded in 2005 by Chaz Englander, Rosie Dallas and Owen Turner Major, after a frustrating experience trying to renovate a warehouse conversion and struggling to hire the equipment needed. The idea to make borrowing safe, reliable and convenient seemed like the answer. Why the name Fat Llama you may ask? It was inspired by the advice in Seth Godin's book Purple Cow, which is all about how to be a remarkable business. It also happens to be a memorable name so chances are you won't forget it! There was no backup plan for the founders and with over $10 million in investment funding I'm glad it all worked out.

Why use the platform?

It does take some trust that the items that you share will be returned in the same condition, but if this is the only thing stopping you from using the platform, Fat Llama's insurance policy will take care of this. The insurance backed policy will cover items up to the value of $30,000, which encourages users to at least try the service as you have nothing to lose! It will also give you a chance to:

Make money by lending out your items

Save time by borrowing instead of buying

Borrow quality items

Reduce your impact on the environment by renting instead of buying

The service is currently only available in the US and UK. The founders will focus on expanding into more US cities and work slowly to build the vision where items can be borrowed all over the world in minutes.

So the next time you are thinking to buy something, why not borrow it instead. I like to live by the saying that "having experiences is more important than owning stuff".

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Why do you wear pink?

The colour pink may have been brought back to life by selfie loving millennials, but it's not the reason why I am wearing pink!

I am wearing pink to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness month, like many others I have friends and family who have been touched by cancer. What better way to celebrate raising awareness then through my favourite suit.

This suit brings me back to my British roots and growing up with the fashion institution that is Marks and Spencer. Marks and Spencer have taken great strides to improve their sustainable practices over the years and have made an impactful difference.

I've paired this suit with a red bodysuit from Reformation, one of my favourite sustainble brands. If you haven't heard of them, I guarantee you will, especially because Meghan, Duchess of Sussex was spotted in one of their dresses on her recent trip to Sydney.

Both Marks and Spencer and Reformation are rated as Good on the Good On You app. The app tracks a companies labour, environment and animal rating. This is one of the most used apps on my mobile at the moment and helps me make sustainable choices if I choose to buy something new.

Why do you wear pink?

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It's #FashionRevolution week to mark 5 years since the Rana Plaza factory disaster killed over 1,000 people working in sweatshop conditions making clothes for many fast fashion brands. . This week I will be sharing some interesting facts about fashion that you might not know. The first is via the @thredup 2018 Resale report with staggering stats to encourage us to change our shopping habits and buy secondhand. . Get involved this week and ask your favourite brands #whomademyclothes ? Let's continue the fashion revolution 🙌🏽 . . . . #sustainablefashionblogger #sustainablefashion #techstylista #fashion #ethicalfashion #slowfashion #style #secondhand

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How To Be Sustainably On-trend With Yellow

I’ve always been a fan of yellow, it is one of my favourite colours and just so happens to be one of the colours on-trend for the SS18 season. Regardless of the time of year, you can always add a pop of colour to your wardrobe and brighten up your day.

These are my top picks to keep you sustainably on-trend with yellow.

Dresses

If you are ever stuck with what to wear to a wedding or special event, Reformation is your go to online destination. They have the best selection of dresses that will leave everyone envious when you walk into a room.

My pick is the Sloan Dress , an ankle length v-neck dress in a goldish yellow colour.

Reformation are a sustainable fashion brand based in Los Angeles California with the motto "being naked is the #1 most sustainable option. We’re #2". They have developed their own RefScale to track the environmental footprint of their clothes on the environment, by measuring the carbon dioxide emitted, water used and waste generated.

Reformation ship worldwide and speaking from my experience even the packaging that your clothing arrives in is well thought through, with a cardboard hanger to compliment.

If your aiming for a more smart casual look, the Iris Dress from Aussie brand Ginger & Smart will be a perfect addition to your wardrobe. It is made from organic cotton with a drawstring waist.

Ginger & Smart was founded by sisters  Alexandra and Genevieve Smart in 2002 to create designs for spirited women. 

Shoes

There are lots of shoes, boots and sandals that will make you stand out from the crowd. The Sunrise Kaya Boot is one of them. Inspired by the Chelsea boot but made more feminine with a tapered toebox and higher heel.

Brother Vellies are a footwear brand with a focus on creating African inspired designs that maintain the spirit and durability of their ancestral counterparts. All the shoes are handmade in South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya and Morocco, with a focus on sustaining artisan jobs.

Bag

The Fiona Bag is a crossbody bag with adjustable straps made by JW Pei. 

JW Pei are a luxury brand producing vegan handbags made from recycled plastic bottles. Their mission is to make the future of fashion cruelty-free and waste-free. JW Pei provide free shipping worldwide.

Photos courtesy of: Reformation, Ginger & Smart, Brother Vellies, JW Pei

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Working it @lautemaustralia style ❣️ #fashion #bags #lautemaustralia #luxury #sustainable #squadgoals

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The Met Gala had it's hit and misses, but Model Amber Valletta got it right wearing a dress made from sustainable materials. This deep blue taffeta dress was adorned with over 1,000 hand-cut and sewn organic silk petals and recycled plastic sequins. Photo Credits: Courtesy of H&M

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On the 24th April 2013 1,134 people were killed and over 2,500 injured when the Rana Plaza complex collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The 18th-24th April marks Fashion Revolution Week, more than just remembering, it is about changing lives.

Over 80 countries worldwide participate in Fashion Revolution Week to turn their clothes inside out, showing their labels and asking their favourite brands Who Made My Clothes? The #WhoMadeMyClothes hashtag will trend throughout the week on social media, aiming to put pressure on brands to increase supply chain transparency and working conditions for the thousands of garment workers that make our clothes.

We can all make a difference by choosing to buy clothes that have a conscious footprint and provide safe working conditions and a fair living wage for garment workers. Fashion revolutionaries like myself will take up this challenge for more than just a week, it will become a lifestyle choice to be fashion conscious and take comfort in knowing who made my clothes. The aim is simple, that there will be no more Rana Plaza disasters in the name of fashion.

To learn more about being a fashion revolutionary head to the Fashion Revolution website or tweet me @TechStylista

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The fifth H&M conscious exclusive collection is due to hit stores soon, promising the use of more sustainable materials and a modern collection full of historic charm. The launch coincides with the opening of exhibition Fashion Forward – 300 years of fashion at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, to which it pays homage.

H&M have used the museums collection of archival fashions over the last three centuries of haute couture, to deliver a contemporary and artistic collection. Fluid silhouettes, arty kaftans and paint like prints add an eclectic mix of past and present.

The collection includes a range of materials including organic silk, hemp, recycled linen, in addition to innovative materials such as beads made from recycled glass and Denimite. H&M are the first company to use Denimite a material made out of recycled worn-out denim. The new season of Conscious Exclusive also includes three wedding dresses, specifically tailored to the conscious bride.

The H&M conscious exclusive collection will be available in approximately 180 stores worldwide and online from April 7th.

Photos: Courtesy of H&M.com

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Great YouTube campaign for International Women’s Day

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Wearable Solar - The Solar Shirt

Wearable technology is becoming more prevalent in everyday life, from SmartWatches to SmartBra's it is everywhere. As fashion and technology blend, we see the industry continue to evolve, with one designer continuing to push the boundaries of what can be achieved in wearable technology.

Pauline Van Dongen graduated from ArtEZ, Academy of the Arts in Arnhem, the Netherlands and started her own Womenswear label in 2010. Her research of high-tech materials to combine new and traditional techniques, aims to breath life into her designs and enable interaction with the wearer.

In 2013 Pauline Van Dongen's first experiment with wearable solar technology began, by creating a dress and coat prototype comprising of solar cells which could be revealed when the sun shines or folded away when they were not needed. The coat incorporated 48 rigid solar cells and the dress 72 flexible solar cells, enough to charge a smartphone to around 50%. The Solar Shirt is the latest project in Pauline Van Dongen's Wearable Solar collection and shows how far she has come in developing this technology further.

The Solar Shirt debuted at this years FashionTech Berlin conference, the perfect place for niche designers in the FashionTech field to showcase their ideas. In collaboration with Holst Centre, the shirt has been developed and designed to fully charge a smartphone or any other USB compatible device. It incorporates 120 thin film solar cells using Holst Centre’s stretchable interconnect technology for integrating electronics into fabrics.

The shirt is made out of a double-knit fabric constructed from one piece of fabric, allowing the solar panels to be laminated before the shirt is constructed. The design of the solar modules has been carefully considered, turning the circuitry into a feature of the design. On a typical sunny day the shirt can produce around 1W of electricity, more than enough to charge a smartphone. The shirt's battery pack is inconspicuously located in the front pocket and can store electricity for later use.

Now you can look good and reduce your energy consumption, simply by putting on a shirt and harnessing the power of nature.

To learn more about the Wearable Solar project please visit Pauline Van Dongen.

Photo Credit: Liselotte Fleur 

TechStylista is a contributing writer for Trusted Clothes where this article was first published.

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Loving this new season Brandy Becks Weaved shoulder bag by Stella McCartney. It is made from Eco Alter Nappa, an innovative material created from vegetable oil.

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Fashion In Africa Spotlight: José Hendo

Fashion in Africa spotlight series continues with a look at José Hendo, an award winning British, Ugandan born designer going against fast fashion to conceptualise her sustainable by design approach, using natural tree bark.

José Hendo uses nature to create stunning and innovative designs, that are not only fashionable, but also sustainable and eco-friendly. Through her years of research José  found a renewable sustainable cloth in the form of tree bark. This ancient fabric is traditionally being made in Uganda for over 600 years and José hopes this will continue through her Back to The Roots project.

The Back to The Roots project aims to assist the Ugandan community of barkcloth makers to adopt, harvest and plant Mutuba trees to encourage the continuation of this heritage. The aim is to plant one million Mutuba trees in the planting campaign. The bark of the Mutuba tree is manually processed to create a fabric that is centuries old. Barkcloth is considered the oldest manmade cloth and was declared World Heritage Material by UNESCO in 2005.

In her latest collection Identity My Way José asks the questions, Who are we? What makes us who we are? How do we show our personality? and What are the different layers that make us who we are?

Inspired by nature and the world around us, José has designed a collection using a sustainable approach and the concept that no two things are identical in nature.  Barkcloth on barkcloth has been mixed with organic cotton, up-cycled silk satin and organza. Swollen forms, simple and bold fixed elements result in a unique completely different collection. José hopes that this will be a collection that will let you define your identity.

I had the pleasure in meeting José in 2011 at EcoLuxe London and it was wonderful to catch up with her again to learn more about her work and passion for barkcloth.

How would you describe your personal style? My personal style is very asymmetric, unusually flattering and varied. I'm always myself.

What's the one clothing item you couldn't live without? The item of clothing I wouldn't do without, especially in winter are my coatigans I have them in all lengths and colours. Check out www.Josehendo.com e-shop. They are versatile and there are so many ways to wear the same thing.

What does a typical day involve for you? Church 1st , school run and then onto my design studio to do all sorts of designing, consultations with clients, all elements of design realisation fittings you name it. Before I finally head home to family duties.

Best and worst part of your job? Deadlines are the most stressful part of my job. The best part is viewing a garment on successful completion, that's when you know it was worth it all.

Why did you decide to incorporate tree bark into your clothing? During my research in 'sustainable by design' I used nature's seven wonders of the world and all my results pointed to a rustic, earthy, wholesome fabric and barkcloth was the best and is the best ambassador for sustainability. It's qualities are renewable, as harvesting can be done from the same tree more than 40 times. It is organic, the process of making it involves no chemicals; just manual manipulation. Plus it is a good challenge to bring it into the forefront of fashion. After years of research I found out UNESCO had recognised it.

I am honoured to be working with an amazing cloth that has such history and transcends time. I will continue as long as I am able to include it in my collections and carry on innovating.

To learn more about José Hendo visit www.josehendo.com

Photo Credit: Giulio Molfese

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Fashion in Africa Spotlight: AAKS

African fashion has been in the spotlight in recent months and is becoming increasingly popular with brands like Brother Vellies continuing to shine a light on this continent. In the first part of the Fashion in Africa Spotlight series, I take a look at brand AAKS and how one woman's dream is bringing ancient weaving techniques to the mass market.

AAKS was founded by Akosua Afriyie-Kumi in 2014 and has since been shortlisted as an emerging designer by Vogue Italia and featured in numerous publications, including Forbes Woman Africa, Guardian UK and WGSN. Akousa graduated from Kingston University London with a BA (Hons) Fashion degree and gained a wide variety of experience in the fashion industry, before deciding to set-up AAKS in her native country of Ghana.

AAKS produces handcrafted bags utilising the art of weaving skills and techniques, that are unique to this part of Ghana. Using ecologically harvested raffia from farmers in Ghana, bags are weaved together with leather to produce a unique bag bearing the signature of the artisan weaver. Each bag takes approximately one week to produce and highlights the commitment to quality 'slow' sustainable fashion and the creation of jobs that support the women of Ghana. A natural dyeing process creates seasonal colours, enabling every collection to be different and reveal it's own story through the design, colours and shapes.

Travelling throughout Europe and Africa helps Akousa to discover new inspirations for her brand. I spoke with Akousa to learn more about her and the AAKS dream.

How would you describe your personal style? Casual with lots of whites

What's the one clothing item you couldn't live without? Shorts and flip-flops

What does a typical day involve for AAKS? My day starts with a a good healthy breakfast, usually oat porridge around 8am whilst checking email. I then speak to my production team who are 12 hours away to check on progress of bags and if we are on schedule to meet deadlines etc. I also have a chat with my assistant who work with me in my studio about tasks for the day. Mostly, I like to research new seasonal shapes and ideas through drawing and I take my design sheets with specification measurements, colour ways and finishes to my weavers every 2 months. I fly to the Northern Region of Ghana where I brief weavers about my inspirations and ideas for the season. Since my work is all handmade there are bound to be a lot of mistakes so everyday I am rectifying delays and checking quality control problems. My studio which is located in Kumasi is where I do all the finishing touches to the bags, which is then finalised and presented to stores and clients around the world.

Best and worst part of your job? The freedom to dream and think of colours everyday is a dream, but not having enough sleep is tough.

AAKS woven bag collections is stocked with Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. To learn more about AAKS visit http://www.aaksonline.com

Photo Credits: Courtesy of AAKS Online

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Shaco Couture - Art Hearts Fashion NYFW Fall/Winter 2016

Rising stars featured on Day Two of Art Hearts Fashion

Shaco Couture opened the show with "You Are Worth It"-"YAWI" 2016 collection featuring crochet pieces, linens and silks alongside elegant capes.

ART HEARTS FASHION presentations feature collections from the worlds freshest and artistically inspired designers in support of a great cause. This years sponsors and partners included AIDS Healthcare Foundation and Make A Wish.

Getty Images: Photo Credit Photographer Arun Nevader for Art Hearts Fashion

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Willfredo Gerardo - ART HEARTS FASHION NYFW Fall/Winter 2016

Designer Willfredo Gerardo closed the Latin designer showcase with a collection of glistening gowns.

ART HEARTS FASHION presentations feature collections from the worlds freshest and artistically inspired designers in support of a great cause. This years sponsors and partners included AIDS Healthcare Foundation and Make A Wish.

Photo Credit: Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion

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Pineda Covalin - Art Hearts Fashion NYFW Fall/Winter 2016

Designer Pineda Covalin showcased an expressive collection of wraps and dresses bursting with geometric shapes and vibrant colours.

ART HEARTS FASHION presentations feature collections from the worlds freshest and artistically inspired designers in support of a great cause. This years sponsors and partners included AIDS Healthcare Foundation and Make A Wish.

Photo Credit: Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion 

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Artisan Spotlight: 9th Cycle Craftworks

I love to focus on small businesses who are passionate about making a difference through the work that they do. Social media has made it easier to connect to artisans around the world and find unique items. This is how I stumbled across this next business 9th Cycle Craftworks.

9th Cycle Craftworks is an Etsy shop showcasing handmade, one of a kind, eco-friendly accessories. Everything in the shop is made from fabric scraps and upcycled, turning trash into something that is functional and loved. I took some time to talk to founder Christine Wiemers about her Etsy shop and personal style.

How would you describe your personal style? My personal style is very simple, and my wardrobe rather small. When I was younger, you'd find me wearing 6 inch heals, corsets and plenty of accessories to coordinate. These days, I dress for comfort, so a good pair of jeans, a t-shirt and definitely flat shoes. On an evening out I also take a minimal approach. I'm a solid colours type of lady, and prefer clean, tailored lines with little jewellery.

What's the one clothing item you couldn't live without? I couldn't live without a good pair of jeans. They can be dressed up or down, and have a very long life. I try to buy clothing that lasts, and jeans are my dependable friend.

What does a typical day for your Etsy shop involve? I work a full time job and have two Etsy shops, so I have lots to squeeze into a small time frame. I try to limit the amount of accessories I make so that my work space isn't overrun with product. Once I get down to a certain amount, I start sewing again and in the meantime I network on various social media sites.

The best and worst parts of running your own Etsy shop? I love the freedom Etsy offers. I can work at my own pace and determine my own hours. But, it can be tiring when you put so much effort into a marketplace that has so many competing shops. You often feel lost in the mix.

9th Cycle Craftworks currently have 20% off using code TWITTER20 for a limited time. Please support your local artisans.