You could put something really great here?

I’ve been fascinated with guerrilla craft and craftivism (craft used for activism) for a while now. I like the way it can make people think, how it can prompt conversation. But I also like how it can be used to reclaim the human environment, so full of adverts and the constant bombardment of corporate images, yet being softer than more common street art. A little bit more incongruous.

This was my first mini-protest banner, made from a kit bought from the Craftivist Collective. The area outside of Reading train station is full of empty offices and a poorly designed 1960s arcade and bus station. It is run down and deemed beyond repair. Recently development consultants, employed by the local council, have put together a master planning vision to redevelop the area – to demolish the existing buildings and build flats, offices and shops. Completely uninspiring and a development that appears to not respond to any community needs. This is a town full of empty offices, full of empty shops, full of housing that people can not afford. A problem that isn’t going to be resolved by building more market flats.

Frustrated with the planning processes for the town where I live, my protest banner is a message to ask people to think about what else can be done to regenerate towns. I also hoped it might make someone think about the space around them and what it could be, not just what property developers think it should be… You could put something really great here?

This was my first piece of craftivism/ guerrilla craft. But it probably won’t be my last. I love the way working on it focused my mind, I found it a bit of a release. And, just between you and me, I loved putting it up and reclaiming my little bit of my town.

(I originally published this on a new blog - but I have since decided to 'come home)

Inspiration

For your delectation (and, I have to admit, especially for my lovely Mum who particularly likes these posts *waves*) here are a couple of links to articles and blog posts that I thought were absolutely brilliant this week. Some stuff to provoke a little thought this weekend:

The amazing Craftivist Collective gagged one of Anthony Gormley's statues on Crosby Beach to raise awareness of social inequality

The Ecologist published a great guide to having a greener Christmas. I love love love the idea of radish carving (yes radish carving) too much.

The fantastic Sadie from Lost Boys and Lovers shows how to recreate looks from the Free People catalogue with sustainable, vintage pieces

and the incredibly talented Keri Smith (of Wreck This Journal fame) wrote about how we can all reduce our reliance on big corporations

I hope you enjoy them. Have a fabulous weekend whatever you are up to, I've got Saturday off so the Aussie and I are off to London and the Royal Academy of Art. Can't wait! x

The other side of LFW?

(image - Craftivist Collective)

A really inspirational evening spent in a vintage shop with the Craftivist Collective, which coincided with the start of London Fashion Week, has left me thinking long and hard about about ethical fashion. The Craftivists have been displaying (beautifully made) mini protest banners at LFW trying to expose, in a non-confrontational way, the true cost of many of the clothes we wear.

I love vintage clothes and I also love a charity shop bargain, I try and buy separates from more ethical clothing companies like People Tree and American Apparrel. But the High Street is so instant and accessible and often meets that 'need' feeling at a low impact on my wallet. However, I have resolved to try to stop and think hard about the wider impacts of my purchases.

An excellent article by Ruth Rosselson on the Ethics Girls website suggests the following principles of being fashionable 'ethically':

Putting ethics into practice – the future for ethical fashion

• Wash all your clothes at as low a temperature as possible. This will not only mean that they’ll last longer, but will also reduce the amount of energy that you use.
• Develop your own style, rather than following the fashion crowd.
• Dress for your shape and ignore impractical and unflattering trends.
• Choose timeless stylish garments that you’ll be able to wear (and look good in) whatever the current ‘fashion’.
• If you’ve got an occasion coming up and want to wear something special, instead of buying something that you’ll only wear once, consider renting or borrowing instead.
• Develop some basic sewing and mending skills to customise your clothes or make them last longer.
• Try vintage fashion stalls, second-hand shops and Ebay for good quality second-hand clothes.
• Use tailors and stylists to help you create stylish, timeless, personal garments. Search out ethical clothing companies that eschew virgin resources and instead customise clothes, remake or recycle fabrics.

There are also countless inspirational blogs out there, that I hope to provide me with the motivation to avoid the instant high street fix:

• The incredible Natalie made all her own clothes she wore for a year as part of her Makeshift project.
• The hilarious Marisa is making a new dress a day for a year out of 365 dresses bought with a budget of $365.
• Countless revamping inspiration on Wardrobe Refashion.
  
• Plus I will also be looking to vintage, carbooting and thrifting queens like Vix and Jem to learn to stop following the high street crowd.