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Thursday 25 August 2011

The Women of Ban Dong Yang

In my search for reliable wholesalers of high quality silk, I found the most awesome community business and project going on in a small village in Thailand.

Thai Silk Magic, a company that is not just a capitalist body making all the profit it can from silk produced with cheap labour; but rather a company run more like a community project by a woman with the needs of her people close to her heart.

The founder of this company, fondly known as Dao approached the silk weavers in the village of Ban Dong Yang and suggested marketing and selling their exquisite silk weaving skills and products globally through her company - Thai Silk Magic.
Dao now wholesales Mulberry silk (which is one of the most expensive types of silk) as produced by the amazing hardworking women of the Thai village of Ban Dong Yang.

What I find most amazing about this community business is that all profits... everything goes into providing sustenance for the women in this village and education for their children.
Schools are been built, school uniforms are been made, durable comfortable houses are been built – its fair trade at its best and Esteri is right in the midst of it.

I am so proud to be associated with the women of the village of Ban Dong Yang, to contribute to their empowerment, the education of their children... to produce our captivating, unique collection from their eco-friendly, dyed with natural dyes mulberry silk.

I heart the women of Ban Dong Yang and the amazing work they are doing! 

The women of Ban Dong Yang...

The silk weaving...
 

Initially...
 

And then after...



The Children who benefit from this wonderful project...





For more details visit on the life of the women of Ban Dong Yang visit the links below

Tuesday 23 August 2011

The Colours of the Collection

There are quite a number of colours that have caught my fancy for the upcoming capsule collection and in my mind these colours are in two groups - the Atomic colours that are in shades of grey and pink and blue; and four colours I have dubbed "Voices of the earth" because they speak to me of growth, renewal and healing on earth.

The Atomic Colours

Honeysuckle pink - Pantone colour of the year 2011/2012 and still going strong!




 Lush dark ominous grey! dear Black, its time to take a backseat.... for me grey is the new black







This is the amazing blue colour smalt! I wont say more - watch out for this colour and the unique way I am going to be introducing this colour to the collection.
You are going to join me to say Smalt rocks!







And the gloriously warm Voices of Earth colours  - I love the chillis so much! they are so insistent and strong and alive

 And the dark yellows with their hint of summers and warm weathers... good enough to light you up anyday


Lemon leaves - the perfect smell.... the waxy smoothness of these leaves, their vibrant green.... I love I love I love


Terracotta - these reminds me home... of wet clay after heavy rain... of West Africa... of my colour.... of me...
 and I am in love with this mix of terracotta and Chocolate

So get ready to step out in these colours in 2012!

All images copyright of google Images.

Wednesday 3 August 2011

Retro looks, circle skirts and I

I am presently working on a new collection of 10 outfits - dresses skirts and so on... and so far it has been an endless process of sketching, discarding, pattern making and sewing.

There has been one underlying obsession though and its with the retro, 50s look, the full circle skirts, prim blouses, dresses with flair skirts... honestly I cant seem to get this look out of my head and last week I made a skirt that will totally find its way into the upcoming collection...

I have taken pictures of myself in this skirt and you can look forward to seeing this skirt in the collection as a skirt, part of a dress... dont you just love the shade of yellow? There's a bit of colour blocking going on here too... but I dont think that will make it into the collection - finger's crossed!

I'm going to try and not wear this skirt everyday.....