We’re more than used to hearing about celebrities designing clothes and accessories for different stores, but we get really excited when they’re doing it for charity.
Stepping in to this category is Scarlett Johansson who has designed a bag for Mango and all profits raised will go directly to Oxfam to help victims of the Haiti earthquake.
Of her collaboration with the store she currently models for, Scarlett said: ‘I’m thrilled to be collaborating with Mango to promote conscious consumerism and to benefit Oxfam’s Haiti Earthquake Response Fund. By purchasing this bag, you are helping to provide life saving assistance like clean water to the people of Haiti.’
The bag, which will be sold in Mango stores for £16.90, has the message ‘Helping the people of Haiti’, plus the actress’s signature beside a print depicting an ancient map of the country.
We’ll be bagging ourselves one of these as soon as they hit the shelves in March.
t’s February, and that means only one thing; the shops and the internet are gearing up for the biggest love event of the year. If like us, you have no idea what to get your other half then why not go for something that you can both enjoy as well as easing your conscious at the same time?
“Life is Not Fair but my Knickers Are” is the latest range of Fairtrade nightwear and underwear by By Nature and each piece in the range has been designed by and made from certified Fairtrade cotton.
Not only is the collection gorgeous and reasonably priced but it’s also doing a lot to help saves lives in developing countries.
According to By Nature, two billion people – a third of humanity – survive on less than $2 a day. Unfair trade rules keep them in poverty, but they face the global challenges of food shortages and climate change too. Fairtrade certification gives developing world producers more control of their own lives, by getting a better deal for the work that they do.
We know we’ll feel a warmth in our hearts at helping someone this Valentines day and if you want to keep this feeling for that little bit longer than why not visit our eco friendly website Hippy Shopper, to get more ideas for valentine’s ethical gifts this year.
Buy the underwear now from Fashion-Conscienceor By Nature. Prices range from £10 to £25.
We love it when charity and fashion comes together and today we haven’t been short of these stories.
First off was the annual Fashion for Relief event, to help victims of the Haiti earthquake followed by bears created by designers to help blind teenagers get a feel of fashion. And now we’ve just caught wind of Radley’s collaboration with the British Heart Foundation.
The bag company and charity are launching the Handbag Amnesty meaning that from the 1st February you can donate an unwanted bag at any of Radley’s stores or via the website.
Bags collected by Radley will be sent to the British Heart Foundation’s shops around the UK – all of which are crying out for quality donated stock.
And not only will you be easing your conscious but your credit card bill too. With every bag donated you’ll get £30 off any new Radley bag of your choice over £150.
While we’re all becoming more eco-conscious when it comes to our clothing it seems H&M is taking one step forward and two steps back.
The highstreet store, which in the past has been criticised for it’s lack of ethical values, has found itself back in the firing line with claims that it’s certified-organic cotton clothing has been contaminated with genetically modified cotton from India.
According to German independent lab Impetus, roughly a third of cotton samples tested contained genetically modified cotton. This was traced back to India, which is responsible for more than half of the global supply of organic cotton which is used by H&M.
Although we can’t blame H&M entirely for this as the chain hasn’t actually commissioned this cotton, Monika Buening of the Federal ConSumer Affairs Agency, has said H&M should have monitored their supply carefully.
“The fashion chains were not vigilant enough,” she told the German edition of the Financial Times.
A spokeswoman from H&M agreed that GM cotton could have slipped into the label’s organic collections. She said the high street store was investigating the matter.
Does this stop you from wanting to buy the company’s organic range? Let us know by leaving your comments below.
Valentines day is looming in the background and many of us will be out buying a range of lingerie to impress our other halves on the official day of romance.
Although we’ll be bringing you lingerie galleries and reviews next week in the lead up to the day we couldn’t wait to tell you about Rigby and Peller’s new range.
The company has just announced that it is now stocking its first organic cotton line by Huit with the Biotiful Range.
This cotton is grown according to organic farming principles respecting the environment and does not involve any processes harmful to humans and the planet. Natural, breathable, softer and more comfortable, this material is naturally hypoallergenic, making it perfect for sensitive skins.
To respect both the skin and the environment, the ecological dye used is entirely biodegradable and is guaranteed non-toxic.
And the packaging is also consistent with the line as it includes recycled paper tags and huit hangers made of recyclable plastic.
Nicky Clayton, head of buying at Rigby & Peller, said: “This is a beautiful range with impeccable environment & ethical credentials. The cotton is incredibly soft on the skin and so is the perfect everyday range.”
We’re all shocked and saddened by the events taking place in Haiti at the moment, and like many have donated as much as we can to the relief efforts.
However, we know more can always be done so we’re thrilled that fashion companies are beginning to take the initiative and donate some profits to help the victims of the earthquakes.
One brand to do this is Tateossian who has said it will donate 10% of all the sales from its chunky and gold jewellery lines to Rapid UK who are currently helping the thousands of people who’s lives have been destroyed by the earthquake.
We think its a perfect excuse to get online and start buying now.
The Beckhams are rarely out of the media spotlight.
Victoria always makes a fashion story, and David, well lets be honest who wouldn’t want to hear about him at every opportunity?
However, this time we really think the couple deserve a spot on the fashion news pages.
The duo are designing a range of t-shirts for this years Sports Relief.
And it seems as though the whole family has got involved, not only will each t-shirt feature the Beckhams for Sport Relief logo it will also have a combination of the footprints of each family member, and one style features a picture of David showcasing his football skills.
At leat £5 from the T-shirts, which will be sold at Sainsbury’s and TK Maxx, for £9.99, will go to charity.
Do you want celebrity shoes at an ethical price? If the answers yes then you’ll love this new range by Beyond Skin.
The brand, which has been favoured by celebs such as Cheryl Cole and Natalie Portman, has just launched a new collection, which will be sold at the newly opened Anthropologie store in London’s Regent Street.
The new collection of ballet pumps are made from vintage fabric, sourced from the charity Traid Remade, they may be tad expensive at £68 a pair but with only around 10 versions of each design made, we think it’s definitely worth it.
And ladies who like their shoes with a bit of height are also in luck. The company will be launching a range of evening styles and a range made from recycled bottle tops in March.
However, this time she’s back on our pages for creative and modelling reasons. Sneak previews of her awaited ethical collection for People Tree have hit the online stands and at first look we can say these togs, modelled by Emma, are looking fashionable and comfortable.
The collection, which was announced back in September last year, is claimed to be 100% ethical with fair trade groups using organic cotton to make the clothes by hand. Apparently the work put into the range also helps improve the lives of disadvantaged workers in Bangladesh, India and Nepal.
And we also love the logos, which include quirky phrases such as “Don’t panic, I’m organic.”
We can’t wait to see the rest of the pictures but until then we want to hear from you. Is this just another celebrity designer trying to get onto the fashion bandwagon?
Take a look at the two pictures and let us know what you think by leaving your comments below.
The organisation has just launched its 3rd collection of eco friendly t-shirts created by a range of designers including Jenny Packham and Alice Temperley.
The t-shirts are produced on organic and fairly traded cotton and printed using organic certified inks. All proceeds raised by EJF from the sale of the t-shirts go to support the charity’s cause of finding lasting solutions to environmental and human rights crimes and defending our incredible planet.
The T-shirts will be available later on in the year.
Therefore we thought it only right to continue with news of Stella McCartney’s cute new charity tee to mark World Aids Day. The designer has teamed up with Gap to launch this gorgeous white t-shirt with a red printed necklace decoration, with 50% of proceeds going to Bono’s RED fund.
Stella said: “It’s an understatement to simply say I am happy to support World AIDS day with Bono and (Gap) RED. I hope by being part of this I can help in some way, since 1.5 million people still die every year of AIDS in Africa. I encourage people to buy it, they look great and help save lives in Africa.”
The t-shirt goes on sale on Saturday, which has put us in a bit of a queueing predicament, as we’re now not sure whether to wait in line patiently for this or for Sonia Rykiels lingerie range for H&M.
The Sugababes have teamed up with a range of designers to raise awareness about cervical cancer.
Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and newest member of the Sugababes, Jade Ewen, will front the Fight Cervical Cancer in Style campaign. They have also modelled a limited edition purple Fight Cervical Cancer in Style scarf designed by Amy Molyneaux and Percy Parker of British fashion emporium PPQ.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Heidi Range said: “Having performed at Jade Goody’s wedding, cervical cancer is a subject we feel passionately about. We are proud to be supporting the campaign as it is important that girls and women realise how they could catch the virus that causes cervical cancer, as well as the steps they could take to reduce their risk.”
And now for the medical bit.
Many women believe that cervical cancer is hereditary, however, almost all cases are caused by a common virus called HPV (human papillomavirus). The virus can be passed on through sexual contact, therefore girls and women are at risk as soon as they start having intimate relationships. The virus is usually cleared naturally by the immune system but sometimes it persists and could lead to cervical cancer.
Currently, eight women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and nearly three women die of the disease every day in the UK. It’s the most common cancer in women aged 20-29 and the second most common cancer in women under 35 years old. It is therefore important that girls and women are made aware of the risks of cervical cancer and the best ways to reduce their risk, including a healthy lifestyle, cervical screening and vaccination against HPV (human papillomavirus).
We think this is a fantastic cause and will definitely be buying one of the scarves to show our support.
Ever feel eco-guilt over marching out of Primark, arms weighed down by thirty quid’s worth of tops and dresses you might only wear a few times? Us too. But there is a way to feel better: if we all cut down on disposable fashion and chose eco-friendly clothes every now and again, the world would probably heave a little sigh of relief (and so would we).
Not that we’re trying to guilt-trip you. Ethical shopping can be just as enjoyable as a trip down the high street – the only difference is you’ll have to do most of the shopping online instead. Everyone’s aware that there’s loads of choice on offer these days, but you might not know where to look, so we’ve compiled a gallery of some of our favourite ethical clothes on sale now, to suit most budgets. Some are fair trade, while others use sustainable or organic fabrics, and all of our picks make a lesser impact on the planet.
It’s a good idea to go for more classic designs when picking eco-friendly fashion, since the point of it is to invest rather than buy something you won’t wear in a year’s time. Our picks are the sort of items of clothing that have timeless cool.
Hopefully it will inspire you to look slightly more further afield for your next fashion fix. Make sure you check out the online stores we’ve featured. (And don’t forget second hand is just as good, so hit up the charity or vintage shops too this winter.)
Click the picture below to start the gallery.
A host of top models, musicians and actors have teamed up with Global Cool to show UK fashionistas how wrapping up warm this winter can stop us from wasting money on home heating bills, benefit our health and save the planet.
According to the organisation, heating within the home accounts for 30 per cent of the average Brit’s carbon footprint, which is even more than cars produce at 26.1 per cent.
Figures show that for every one degree you turn your heating down, you could save up to £40 a year and go from burning 20 calories an hour to 80 calories an hour – all while you’re sleeping (well that’s a good enough reason for us).
’18 Degrees of Inspiration’ is the latest campaign launched by forward-thinking climate change charity Global Cool.
Its aim is to inspire the UK’s fash-pack to go easy on the heating this winter and keep thermostat temperatures below 18 degrees Celsius, by showing you how to wear this season’s latest knitwear trends at home in a range of different videos including designers such as Dolce and Gabanna, McQueen, Reiss, Jaeger, Arman Bassi One, Antipodium and Diesel. They give us an exclusive look inside each celebrity’s home as a stylist helps them create an outfit to suit their lives.
We love the video below featuring supermodel Laura Bailey who gets some winter warming tips from stylist Grace Woodward.
Global Cool’s Facebook fans can also win a new winter wardrobe in association with ASOS.com – simply upload a picture of yourself wearing your most stylish winter knits, get your friends to vote for you, and you could win £500 worth of vouchers! Go to www.facebook.com/globalcool
Can you carry love in a handbag? We didn’t think so until we came across this amazing initiative.
The Tabitha bag, has been created especially to help children in Bulgaria who have been abandoned and left in horrific institutions.
All proceeds (100%) are said to go towards supporting vulnerable children in Bulgarian care homes and fund the Baba Programme, which matches a mature woman with a young abandoned child in need of a loving, caring and safe relationship.
With the purchase of the Tabitha, it’s claimed you will be ensuring a child gets another six weeks with his or her Baba.
The bag was designed by Emma Ganderton who has held creative roles at Alice Temperley and Alberta Ferretti and is currently head of design for bags & accessories at leading UK retailer Jigsaw.
The bags cost £155 each and you can buy them here. We think it’s definitely a gift worth giving this Christmas.
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