Choclo.... Seeds of Inspiration

Its rare for me to come across a clothing brand that genuinely takes my breathe away. Choclo Project did just that.

Choclo came recommended to me via my tutor and like a dutiful student I checked out the website and goddamit I'm an enlightened person for doing so.

A beautiful amalgamation of tenderness,practicality and creativity jumps out from every piece in the collection and whats more, every time you purchase a Choclo product, 5% of the sale goes to support their sponsored orphanage: Nuevo Futuro, in Peru.

The original and eye catching graphic prints are created by established artists and the children Choclo sponsor; the colours and shapes inspired by trips to South America and Indonesia.

The obvious importance that the Choclo Project places upon helping these children unlock their creative potential and happiness through art is clear and it is this ethos that sets the company apart from the rest of the pack.

But Choclo goes beyond the average clothing brand; its all about the lifestyle you choose to lead. With some excellent interviews from Choclo ambassadors, Yoga video sessions and even recipes for delicious smoothies and much more, the Choclo Project has something to inspire your day.

I urge you to check out the Choclo Project website, it will make you feel that little bit better about the world you live in.

http://www.chocloproject.com/

If you like what you see then follow this link to Ispo BrandNew, just click the 'like' button.

A simple click could seriously help this company spread its message to a much wider audience.

http://www.ispo-brandnew.com/en/CompanyPortrait.aspx?ID=1735

SAS style.

Over the summer I spent a bit of time in the South west of France -namely Hossegor. Now it may of been the sun, the sangria and the incredibly buff surfer's but when i took this photo one beautiful afternoon I marvelled at just how clean and litter free the beaches were, then mourned at the terrible state some of the beaches are in around the Cornish coast.

As a proud member of Surfers Against Sewage I thought it was about time I checked out their clothing range so that I may (and please excuse the terrible pun, it just has to be said) wear my heart on my sleeve...sorry I did warn you.

The graphics are clean and fresh, the women's cut fits well and its all for a damn good cause...you can't ask more from a t-shirt really.

www.sas.org.uk/

Old timer for a new term

So after a rather long summer break, I felt I was well overdue to keep you up to date with whats going on in the realms of sustainable Art and Design.

I hereby bring your attention to Anna Garforth.

A long established practioner in the area of sustainable design she aims to intergrate creative practice with urban ecology and sustainability. Her love of typography and attention to detail is constant source of enjoyment for the unsuspecting passer by in London to behold.

Her public work is reminder to us all of the strength the natural world posseses; however much concrete we lay down or however many skyscrapers we put up, the flora and fauna will endevour to push its way through the cracks of the grey jungle we create to add some colour and essentially the true life force we need to sustain us in our urban lives.

Check out her website at:

http://www.crosshatchling.co.uk

Neozoon- New Animal

The street art crew Neozoon based in Berlin create these amazing dynamic pieces of work using second hand fur coats picked up in charity shops.

They 'upcycle' the old fur coats back into animals to highlight the urbanisation of areas where these animals used to roam free and unhindered by human activity.

http://www.neozoon.org/

Keeping it cool.....or possibly hot.

Whilst supping on your steaming hot Starbucks vanilla latte do you ever wonder just how dark your carbon foot print is? Even before we get embroiled in to the debate of the demon that is the Starbucks monster or indeed any other coffee house, just take a look at your innocent enough take away cup. Can you honestly say that you seperate the cardboard and plastic and put in the the recycling bin? Or are you just chuffed with yourself if you actually manage to put it in the nearest refuse point at all?

Well worry no more about your black footprint and take a look at the Keep Cup. The first barrista standard reusable coffe cup is here and $AUS12 (thats about £7) your bank balance and your eco conscience will both be feeling pretty smug.

The sleek design comes in a multitude of colour ways and the cup is made frome recyclable polypropylene with a personalized silcone grip band so that you can always identify your Keep Cup. Plus the sealed splashproof lid ensures that your bevereage will not spill even when you shove it in your bag on your mad dash 'I'm running late and it's 8:59am' get to work on time sprint.

With the average customer knocking back 8 starbucks a month (thats 96 cups a year) its about time we all took a closer look at the re useable options on the market and I've got to say the Keep Cup is at the top of my list.

http://www.keepcup.com.au/

The boy's done good

The somewhat legendary young man pictured here with his take on a traditional Alaia board is James Kamo; Surfer, skater, designer, photographer, animator... a general all round creative genius.

In his spare time in california James has been working on this beautifully crafted Alaia.

"...they're wooden boards coated with linseed oil. The hawaiians used to ride them 100s of years ago and they're starting to get popular again because of modern surfers, Tom and John Wegener. Typically they're very thin finless boards made out of paulownia wood. Paulownia's good since it's lighter, strong and already semi waterproof. The linseed oil coating is far better for the environment than resin and fiberglass which is used on conventional surfboards."

The board, as you can see is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship and truly pulls the essence of surfing back to its roots. Check out James developments and creative wonderments at:

http://www.scosurfing.com/

If you are interested in learning more about your surfboards carbon footprint visit T. C Schultz's 'Cradle to the Grave' project:

http://best.berkeley.edu/~schultz/documents/The%20Surfboard%20Cradle-to-Grave.pdf

Or if you're interested in investing in a squeaky green Alia check out Tom Wegener's sit at:

www.tomwegenersurfboards.com/html/home.html

More images of Jenny Welwert Gil's debut collection.

Jenny's website is now up and running. www.jennywelwert.com

Fashion Graduate lights the way for the Industry

Ethical Epiphany

This stunning collection from University College Falmouth Graduate Jenny Welwert Gil is the perfect opening for the blog. Beautifully crafted clothing from a designer who refuses to compromise on her ethical and sustainable ideals.

Jenny, who recently graduated with a first from the newly established BA(Hons) FasHion Design course at UCF took great pains to ensure all her materials and fabric were sourced locally, when her search for salmon skin in the UK returned a blank she turned to a small Amazonian village to provide her with this Fairtrade unique material which was then tailored to perfection in the form of trousers and jackets. Eco leather and beautiful organic, un-dyed wool all come together to create a modern luxe collection that screams the future of a fashion industry that is slowly becoming aware of how big a part it plays in the fight for the consumer to become ethically and sustainably aware.

As a beautiful and bright finishing touch Jenny leaves her labels blank so that each (and hopefully) every future owner of the garment can customize and personalize the garment for themselves.

For more info contact Jenny at: jennywelwert@gmail.com