Push Pull Cambodia's accessories will set you apart from the crowd

Based on the traditional art of Ikat weaving which originated in Cambodia, a man by the name of Daniel Flickinger decided to create Push Pull – a fun and luxury accessories brand that brings together a unique combination of historical handmade techniques and modern design. If you’re a fan if brights, spots and stripes, then you’re going to LOVE the designs this brand has to offer.

The idea for the company arose back in 2008 when Dan visited Takeo Province (Cambodia) for the first time, where Ikat weaving is a way of life for people – in every home you are guaranteed to find at least one wooden handloom. Takeo boasts a high number of very skilled artisans which impressed Dan and left him pondering. Deeply saddened by the sheer poverty of the region, and wanting to celebrate this amazingly rich weaving culture, he decided to put the locals’ skills to good use.

Cheu Teal Village in Takeo Province is now home to a PushPull Cambodia weaving centre where approximately 46 artisans are employed, who each specialise in different phases of Ikat. Tying, dyeing, spinning, and weaving – you name it, they do it; and all of these traditional techniques are carried out by hand creating pieces that are truly one of a kind. Push Pull’s goal is to stimulate a renaissance of Cambodian Ikat, and thus provide long-term employment and an improved quality of life for its artisans and their families.

And just a little bit more info for you: Cambodian Ikat patterns are actually commonly passed down verbally from generation to generation, so when you purchase an item from Push Pull you’re purchasing something with a whole lot of cultural value and meaning, and you’re helping to keep a beautiful age old tradition alive. 

When has shopping on the high street ever offered you that?

Take a look at a few of the gems that Push Pull Cambodia have to offer (I can feel what’s left of my overdraft slipping away already):

Now you can CHANGE A LIFE & look SHARP while doing so with BORA WEAR

What if your clothes stood for something?

What if your clothes made a difference?

New men’s apparel fashion label Bora Wear, founded by James Muna, is a socially conscious brand for more reasons than one. Not only are traditional African textiles used to make all of the HOT DAMN-SHAZAAAM pieces, but Bora Wear also gives a significant portion of its profits to an orphanage (TheToto Love Children’s Home) for HIV-positive children in James’s mother’s hometown - "Shuttling back and forth between Kenya and the United States made me increasingly aware of the inequities that existed in Kenya, placing a drive in me to make a change. Bora Wear is my way of making Kenya—and eventually Africa—a better place" he says.

Just in case you were wondering – ‘bora’ means best or ultimate in Kishwahili; and it is their sole mission to be just that.

All of Bora Wear’s vibrant statement-making printed shirts (they remind me very much of Will Smith as a young Fresh Prince) are stitched by HIV-positive women in Embu (where James’s mother grew up). “We focus on employing women because it has very positive impacts not only on the employee but on her family, as well,” James explains. ”The goal here is to empower the entire community while also solving social and economic issues in a sustainable manner: employment.” 

Bora Wear hopes to strongly empower through apparel.

The samples that are currently being showcased on the website are FIT. The shirts are really bright and quirky – for the guy who likes to own something a bit different, and doesn’t give a shit what anybody else thinks. I’m expecting great things from this little label. Nothing is available to buy just yet, but Bora Wear has promised they will be taking orders very very soon, so you can sign up on their website to stay in the loop via email! You can also check out more about the label on their Facebook Page

'In the end, nothing we do or say in this lifetime will matter as much as the way we have loved one another.' Daphne Rose Kingma

LIVE A LIFE WORTH IMITATING.

‘I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.’ Mother Teresa

The BARNABAS t-shirt label embodies this thought, with its logo depicting two straight lines with one making a ripple effect – symbolising how just ONE life can, and does, make an impact. Founder Alexander Aquino hopes that when you wear his logo, you take on the challenge – ‘to be a BARNABAS’ – and become a part of this vast community out there that is sending ripples of change and hope out into our world; in the journey for a better one. 

BARNABAS – meaning ‘Son of Encouragement’ – is more than just a brand; it’s an identity. Its purpose is to encourage others to be bold, courageous, and fearless in making choices that make a difference in their life as well as those around them who are often forgotten. What we say, what we do, and even the clothes that we choose to wear – it all matters, and it all makes a difference. We can choose to live our lives with purpose and positive action, and to ‘LIVE A LIFE WORTH IMITATING’.

Leading the charge of change, BARNABAS donates 10% of all their sales to The Living Room International – a non-profit organisation in Kenya that provides comprehensive care to those men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS or other life threatening illnesses. Their vision is to be a community that honours life and offers hope, and they do this by becoming family to those that are dying. Their hospice facility allows them to provide compassionate medical, emotional and spiritual support for patients in their final days of life, in a homely atmosphere and environment, where everyone is welcome, everyone is loved, and everyone belongs.

Alexander’s clothing line not only captures the fashion and spirit of youth culture, but also firmly speaks out against settling for the ‘normalcy’ that we are accustomed to within society. He encourages us to be better, to believe in the power of our voices and our passion, and to get on out there and stir things up. Those who choose to proudly sport BARNABAS, join a global effort, and take on the challenge to LIVE A LIFE WORTH IMITATING.

You can take a look at some of the latest collection below (the Look book was actually shot in the city that I have come to know and love over the past 3 years – Nottingham, UK – so it makes this label even more special to me. I have no idea why they chose Notts, but I’m very glad they did!)

On another note - I’ve been back home for summer now for around a month and school is officially out... FOREVER! And I’ve taken this time to catch up on all the important things I’ve neglected while at uni, including: stuffing my face on home-cooking, catching up on this month’s NYLON, and watching lots and lots of TV. One of the shows that I wasn’t able to watch (due to our lack of SkyOne + the black & white with a lovely green tinged screen that didn’t exactly equate prime viewing) was Touch, the new supernatural thriller series starring 24’s Kiefer Sutherland, in a very different role to how we have come to know and love him as super action warrior Jack Bauer. I’ve just finished watching season 1 with the bro, and if you haven’t seen it, SORT IT OUT because it’s simply GREAT. It centres on this 11 year old kid – Jake - who never speaks, and he sees everything in numbers. He LOVES numbers, and he is THE MAN with them, and uses them to make certain people ‘touch’ and saves lives in the process. He’s one cool kid. Anyway... in one of the episodes, Jake talks about an ancient Chinese legend called ‘The Red Thread of Fate’, which says that the Gods have a wire attached to the ankle of each of us, connecting all the people whose lives are destined to touch. The red thread may stretch or tangle along the way, but it never breaks.

I love the thought of that. Like there’s already a plan for all of us, we just don’t know it yet. And that every single person that we’ve encountered, befriended, or even loved so far was meant to happen, because someone out there decided it needed to... they decided that we needed each other. No one is sent to anyone by accident. Every single soul that you cross paths with from this point on is for a reason. Unbeknown to us, we have an impact on the lives of everyone that we touch, whether great or small. You might’ve changed someone’s world and not ever realise it. I like to believe in the Gods’ Red Thread and that if two people are destined to touch, the universe will always find a way to make the connection - even when all hope seems to be lost. Because there are certain ties that simply cannot be broken. They define who we are; and who we can become...

designer BAGS under my eyes...

Just a quick note to let all of you lovelies know that my printed eco bags are now available for you to purchase on eBay for just £12! And as you probably already know by now, all of the profits from every bag are going to charity (World Child Cancer & Orphans of Ghana), so it’s a guilt-free purchase all in aid of a great cause! 

There are 5 AWESOME designs for you to choose from - see the BAG IT OUT page for more details...

Love love love,

Pineapples & AFIA

I have to start by apologising for being awol the past couple of weeks – I just returned home from uni (for good) and have been trying to sort all the clutter/fabric/and my life out; I’ll keep you posted on how that’s going (my bedroom currently looks as though the past 3 years of my life have just exploded in it – who knew I had such ridiculous amounts of STUFF?)... but if you don’t hear from me for a good few months, then assume that I am STILL jobless and have been forced to sell all of my belongings, declare myself bankrupt, and have hitched a ride to the tropical islands of Hawaii where I will reside for 7 years until my student loans are completely written off. And let’s be honest, I probably wouldn’t ever come back. Fresh pineapples flow over there like rain flows here in England – that alone is reason enough for me to JET.

So today guys & dolls, I bring youuuuuu: AFIA. A women’s award-winning - and sustainable - clothing line, sourced and sewn entirely in Ghana (West Africa). 

The bold and quirky designs are all courtesy of Meghan Sebold’s creative mind (really sophisticated and wearable pieces with interesting prints that are nothing like the stereotypical ‘ethical’ clothing that most people think of - the clothes are a clear fusion of the vibrant African textiles with American trends). Meghan also handpicks the cotton wax fabric used in the garments from the markets in Accra (Ghana’s capital city), and fabric is printed in Ghana too in an effort to support the textile industry and showcase the traditional African fabrics that the markets have to offer. 

AFIA is a social business, and therefore believes in creating prosperity for ALL of the people involved in every aspect of the label. They stand firmly for transparency, mutual respect, and collaboration. And they also hope to eliminate all of those misconceptions that I was talking about regarding the aesthetics of sustainable fashion and production in Africa (it IS a business, not a ‘charity’ project).

Buy and wear AFIA because you love it. And feel good about your informed purchase, because you’re helping to support a bundle of goodness on our planet. AFIA can also be purchased from FashioningChange – an online fashion retailer that only stocks ethical/fair-trade/sustainable labels that are making positive waves in the fashion industry.

I think there’s something really special about owning an item that represents someone’s story somewhere... maybe on the other side of the world. You’ll probably never meet them, but you’ve touched their life in a way that you’ll never quite fully grasp. You’ve helped them to build a livelihood for themselves and their families. You’ve made a difference; and although they don’t know you, they’ll never forget you. 

P.S I know this isn’t fashion related in any shape or form, but I just have to share it with you because it’s BANANAWESOME. Tunes for Change is a non-profit aimed at using the passion of music to create positive social change.

How it works: Artists donate a song, the songs are then compiled to form an exclusive quarterly album, you then donate what you want for the album, and finally, all proceeds go to charity…

It’s such a great idea, and hasn’t been going for very long, and always showcases up-coming artists that are definitely worth checking out. So go take a look, and download the current album today before it disappears into a black world-wide-web-shaped hole forever.

BucketFeet

BucketFeet began with a college student, some cool artsy customised trainers, and the power of our old friend Facebook. Aaron Firestein began drawing on canvas trainers in his spare time at Uni back in 2007, and posted pictures of his wearable art online, which immediately gained a lot of positive comments from friends, friends of friends, and even total strangers. So, being out of pocket like me and most other students out there, he decided to start designing and selling the quirky shoes to put a bit of extra money in his pocket on the side. 

Then, in 2008, Aaron jetted off to Buenos Aires to embark on a career in photography, but decided to take his unique wearable art with him. While volunteering with young kids out there in one of the slums, fate worked its magic as it always does, and he crossed paths with another volunteer – Raaja – who quickly became a close friend. He even bought himself a pair of Aaron’s custom trainers; a true friend right there. The pair stayed in touch; meanwhile Aaron’s shoes began to take off big-time in South America. 

Just a few years later, the guys decided that what they truly wanted to do was to create a platform that would connect artists to people around the world. Realising that this was their hearts calling, Aaron and Raaja both quit their day-jobs, and embraced footwear as a way to spread art in a creative way, support various artists, and give back. So in Spring 2011, the goodness that is now BucketFeet was born.

The shoes are great for a bucket-full of reasons: they are very original, comfortable, light, versatile, and affordable too. Artists are hand-selected by the guys to create exciting and innovative designs to decorate the shoes, and they are paid royalties for every pair that you guys & dolls decide to purchase. But the goodness doesn’t stop there – BucketFeet also donates a percentage of its sales to its non-profit partners (including MAGIC, love futbol, and Children Mending Hearts) where kids are supported through various creative programs in art, music and sports – centred on teaching skills and instilling confidence, rather than being based upon handouts. Some might ask why, but Aaron and Raaja always knew that giving back was the right thing to do.

These shoes are simply AMAZING. Having discovered these, my overdraft looks set to take another beating, because I simply MUST have at least one pair of BucketFeet in my life (let’s be honest, I will probably end up buying 3 pairs minimum). Here are a few of my favourites...

The ones I have my little eyes on....

 all images from www.bucketfeet.com

BucketFeet is such a simple, yet awesome idea for incorporating a life passion into a business model, that has the added bonus of contributing to society in an extremely positive way, and changing the lives of young people around the world. I love that our generation seem to be much more socially orientated when it comes to the world of business. We are choosing to use our good fortune and spread it around in places that really could do with it far more than any of us could, and receive a little less profit in exchange for this good deed.

I have officially finished university now (*choking back the tears... no I’m simply not ready to be an adult just yet and am still about 12 years old in my head*) but this week I have enrolled in a extra one week crash-business course, where I am learning the basics of how to go about starting a business, and whether I’m suited to this career. And the more I think about it, and the more I plan and develop it, I really do see The Girl With The White Balloon being a great addition to the fashion world. I really want to make it happen, and continue to build on my label (and this blog) and design & produce fashion that people enjoy, but that also has a really positive effect on someone somewhere else in the world. And the more that I continue to give this deep thought, the more I get scared. Scared, because the world is full of people and their broken dreams. All the things they dreamed of doing, but never did. I’m scared that I’ll end up being one of those people.

Isn’t it strange how the majority of us spend our lives endlessly planning for someday? The people we’re going to be, and what we’re going to do. Lists upon lists of things we hope to accomplish and achieve within our lifetimes: get out there and see the world, write books, quit our jobs and pursue our true passion, get in touch with an estranged friend, start a family... and before you know it, life has slowly been ticking away, and you wake up and realise that someday is today.

And then someday is yesterday.

And this is your life.

So don’t waste a single moment. You know all those things you’ve always wanted to do? 

You should go do them.