Fair trade, handmade goods are not just beautiful, they’re vital. Why? Because at their core each one offers a sustainable and ethical solution for both people and our planet. As this global pandemic inexorably moves on through the nation of Bangladesh an...
Reflecting on these last weeks is hard and necessary work. Many of us who live with a just do the right thing philosophy are seeing that although it’s a healthy mindset to have, there are times our ethical choices need exercising, stretching, so we really do do...
Aaaaaand drum roll pllllease … For our grand finale I’m proud to introduce one wonderful sustainable fashion designer Emily Harris of Mrs Emily! Emily has taken our #zerowaste, near #zerocarbon fabric and played with it … making such beautiful...
Some sewists may hesitate to work with handwoven fabrics – but I never met a sewist yet without a love for experiments! And what do you have to loose? By meeting your own home and clothing needs with a sewing machine, scissors and thread you’re already a...
Today 24th April seven years ago in 2013, we woke to news of the worst factory accident in the fashion industry ever. Ultimately the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory claimed 1,134 lives and injured over 2,500 more. Fashion Revolution Week was born out of...
If you thought Steps 1-3 of an eco-friendly fabric involved a lot of people – just wait for this one! At this point the yarn for the weft is wound on the bobbin and ready to weave. BUT the warp is still on spools and has a long way to go before getting to the...
It’s a beautiful thing that Earth Day falls in Fashion Revolution Week. The worst excesses of the Industrial Revolution are seen in the fashion industry. Human rights abuses and environmental disasters were common then and now, 250 years later, how much has...
With the Fashion Revolution Week falling in the midst of a global lockdown many creative alternatives to public demonstrations and gatherings are emerging. See below for what we’re up to at Chicago Fair Trade. At Motif we’re keen to get you up to speed on...
On 24th April 2013 the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh collapsed killing over 1,100 people and leaving over 2,500 badly injured. Since then the reality of ‘fast-fashion’ has become headline news and movements the world over are pressing harder and...
My High School art teacher Mrs Crick – Bless her name! – gave me a project that literally changed my life. I remember the excitement as pages of research revealed to me the mind and heart of the amazing Mr. William Morris, a leading founder of The Arts...
Inspiring younger women to #beboldforchange was the charge given to a number of us at an International Women’s Day event in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Challenging cultural norms that disallow women a voice in family, educational and professional arenas were well...
What’s love got to do with it? Really? Tina? What were you thinking? Well, at least if we’re talking eco-conscious and sustainable life choices I’d say love has EVERYTHING to do with it – wouldn’t you? But when Tina Turner launched this 80s...
We’re all trying to get there … many of us anyway, each looking for ways to be more eco-friendly, make more sustainable choices and choose the smallest carbon footprint. It’s imperative that we consider these daily choices because as our...
In the last 3-5 years the environmental and social impact of our consumer choices is increasingly front and centre in the public space. We not only need to be informed, we want to be. We want good information so as to make more eco-friendly choices. We want to see...
I just pressed SEND to launch Motif’s application for World Fair Trade Federation Guaranteed Member Status – and WOW!!! – does that feel good! International third-party accreditation for eco-friendly, green companies; sustainable, circular businesses and...
Is Motif a Fair Trade business? Thankfully since we began in 1998 our fair trade customers running a wide variety of eco-friendly, green and socially aware businesses give us a resounding, YES! But is that enough? Well, in a perfect world it would be and for over 20...
How long have you been a Fair Trade supporter? Long enough I’m sure to know that Fair Trade and Sustainability are a match indeed! In fact the 10 fair trade principles every ethical business strives to uphold speak clearly: 1 Creating Opportunities for...
As an ethical business you’re promoting sustainable lifestyles, eco-friendly goods and you’re conscious about the use of resources, right? BUT, if you’re anything like me, social media marketing puts you in a tailspin of wasted time, money and...
In Bangladesh and elsewhere, sustainable design starts when artisans and designers work together on exciting solutions, often stretching the use of materials and skills into totally new products … even when both may sometimes wonder, “What is s/he...
