Green This Season MAGAZINE July 2013; Issue No. 3

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EDITOR’S letter

How easy is it to just throw away products and stuff. We often do it without even thinking about the potential of our waste. And wow… does that waste have potential with. We dedicate this entire issue on recycle and up-cycle hoping it’ll inspire you to look at waste a bit different. Maybe make a little time and recycle something, you’ll see it’s actually a lot of fun. You’ll tap into a whole new creative side of yourself.

Read Naomi Maaravi’s story. Her story is so inspirational, it covers her journey from Holland to Israel and tells you where she got the inspiration for her recycle collection. And yes, of course some of her cool and edgy unique story-telling-styles are available here at greenthisseason.com

If you live in the Netherlands and if you are a conscious fashionista for sure you must know Lynsey Dubbeld. Lynsey is a Dutch trend analyst and writer who specializes in sustainable fashion. She possesses a wealth of knowledge about green fashion, so much so that she’s even written a book about it. In case you haven’t read it, you should really give it a go

It’s a no-nonsense book about various green fashion topics. Order a copy here and get the inside scoop. The book itself is a unique piece of work made from stone paper. Read our blog for more info about that. Personally I consider the book a work of art, it’s genius! Happy to say that Lynsey shared some great inspirational quotes with us from some very very trendy ladies, check it here.

Again, working on this issue was just magical and truly inspirational. We hope you’ll enjoy this edition as much as we all did making it for you.

DonnaIT MADE ME REALIZE ONE THING, RECYCLING IS JUST COOL

Working on this issue can best be described as fabulous! Really, the minute you mention the words recycle and upcycle everybody seems to come up with some seriously fab examples, one more impressive than the other. I actually ended on a recycle-high one of those days. I received an overload of websites to visit, and believe me one even better than the other. Recycled bike made from cars, recycled furniture, recycled kitchens, plastic objects, you name it, it seems to be recycled. The list is almost endless.

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GREEN THIS SEASON TEAM

EDITOR IN CHIEF Donna Darthuizen

CREATIVE DIRECTION

Polona Javornik Ž

GRAPHICSPikapokadesign.com

PR & Press inquiries for greenthisseason.com via

CreamPR.nl

CONTENTstyle

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5interview

Naomi Maaravi

Adding color to green fashion; Eva and Ecoology

It’s not the end of the line for your clothes

SLEEK+PROUD

a new generation of FASHION

SUPERHEROES18

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GET INSPIRED!

Recycle around the globe

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CONTENT4444

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I believe my abode is in my body, and I live life wherever it takes me. To begin with, I am a Dutch designer. Having studied fashion and textile in the Netherlands, I consider it to be my fatherland. Israel, on the other hand, is my motherland. I have flourished as a designer and grown as a human being here. My journey spans from Holland to Israel via Milan and Paris. Truly speaking, my passion has guided me through all aspects of work and life.

FROM HOLLAND TO ISRAEL - TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY?

Naomi Maaravi believes nothing can go to waste, not even a story. While recycled materials form the warp and woof of her garments, her personal stories and memories add the finishing touch. Following her father’s footsteps, who reused every article in the house to create something new, Naomi recycles materials to weave new ensembles, weave new stories. Naomi is presently based in Israel, I had the rare opportunity to interview her online and get some insights into the eco fashion industry. It’s an overstated word, but Naomi’s story is truly unique.She shares it here with us.

By Sahana Prakash

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Hmmm…interesting! Well Natalie, who works with me, says that the designs speak for themselves. Also, I think the look and feel of the studio adds to the appeal. Customers sometimes don’t understand what they buy, but they surely want to be a part of the designs, part of the eco culture. They are drawn towards our concept and connect with our belief: garments telling unique stories made with recycled materials. The exciting part is, that sometimes, my clients bring their own materials, and I redesign their story. This is a different experience altogether.

YOUR GARMENTS HAVE A STORY BEHIND THEM -HOW

HAVE YOU EVOLVED THROUGH THE YEARS AS A

DESIGNER?

YOUR GARMENTS ARE FILLED WITH

MEMORIES AND STORIES - HOW DO YOU

GET YOUR CUSTOMERS TO RELATE TO YOUR PERSONAL

STORY?

During the nascent stage of my fashion business, it was expensive and time consuming to make pieces with a personal identity. Today, it is different; weeven create ‘twins’. More and more pieces that look identical are designed with rolls of fabric, tablecloth, or even with readymade garments that can be upcycled. But, the key is to maintain the personal identity of each garment. Fortunately, we have been successful with that. We also stamp each piece with the personal information (the story behind the product), as proof. We not only sell clothes, but all kinds of home furnishings and accessories, of course all remade by us.

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I work with existing materials: fabric, knick-knacks, and natural materials that I can find around me. Sometimes, I even use jeans, leather, and readymade garments. Usually, I follow the trend and translate them to suit my ideas and taste.

TO RECYCLE - WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF MATERIALS YOU WORK WITH?

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE EXISTING STATE OF RECYCLE FASHION AND WHAT STEPS CAN BE TAKEN TO ENCOURAGE IT?From where it started, I can see a lot of progress in this area. A good idea would be to have an assigned trademark for recycle fashion, like the one for products made with pure wool. An open market, where left over stock from big companies can be exclusively used for recycling, instead of throwing it. Another option could be to reduce heavy taxes, to give eco fashion a chance to succeed. This is only the beginning, I am positive about the world’s response to recycle / upcycle fashion.

“I am a fashIon desIgner, but I work lIke a sculptor - buIldIng every garment

pIece by pIece.” naomI maaravI

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ECO-FASHION IS FLOURISHING.

BUT HOW CAN WE EXPAND THIS

CONCEPT OF RECYCLE/UPCYCLE TO OTHER AREAS OF FASHION AND

LIFESTYLE?

Sure thing, it is flourishing. Nowadays, more and more people are aware of it. For example, Piet Heijn Eek, it has created a niche for itself.I think companies should make it an integral part of their philosophy and brand. Look at Nike, they are working towards it.

I believe it is similar to the food industry - junk food versus healthy food, which one to choose? People prefer junk food because it is cheap, like high-street fashion. What they don’t realize is the environmental hazard high street fashion can pose. Moreover, these clothes are stained by child labour. Similar to health foods, eco fashion is healthy for the planet. The options are available; you have to make a choice.

HOW DO YOU THINKPEOPLE CAN BE MADE

AWARE OF ECO FASHION, WHEN HIGH STREET FASHION IS SO

POPULAR AND AFFORDABLE?

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Life is a bundle of choices you make. So, if you have made the choice to pursue eco fashion, be honest to it and believe in it. It is hard to earn money, but the experience is enriching. After all, you are respecting yourself and the world you live in. Everything else will follow, keep up the faith. Who doesn’t have to cross a few hurdles in life?

Various countries like Canada, Germany, and New Zealand. Also, many countries are taking the initiative to organize eco fairs. A wave of change in eco fashion can be felt.

WHAT WOULD YOUR MESSAGE BE TO FASHION DESIGNERS STARTING OUT IN ECO FASHION?

IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHICH COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD ARE MORE EXPOSED TO RECYCLE FASHION?

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them to good use by recycling the fibres to make new material.

Just think; your old and holey knitted jumper could be recycled by a designer and gracing next season’s catwalks! And better yet, while some clothes will be resold in Oxfam charity shops and music festivals, a great deal of them are sent to those who need it most in the Third World. In short; not a single stitch is wasted; and every penny goes towards fighting poverty around the world. So far this fabulous scheme has allowed Oxfam to donate an amazing 3.6 million items of clothing to support those living in the poorest countries; so follow Joanna’s example and get Shwopping!

Not able to get to an M&S? Then don’t worry, there are hundreds of other opportunities to make the most out of your old clothes. Just one example is to donate to the KICI foundation, who will recycle your clothes into new products and use the money raised to benefit the Knitting Project. This scheme ensures that young disadvantaged adults in Kenya can be trained to produce clothing in order to earn their own income, improving their quality of live immeasurably. You can find out more about this fabulous project and how greenthisseason.com was involved with this on our blog.

So however you decide to breathe life into your old clothes, do so knowing that your small contribution will make a world of difference.

We’re all guilty of it. Amassing vast quantities of old clothes, abandoned in lost spaces of the wardrobe, cupboards and drawers. That old neon shell suit? That will surely will be back again next season. The spice-girls era platform trainers? They’d be great for a nineties costume party. However, in our heart of hearts we all know that those poor clothes will lay forgotten, never to be worn again.

Recycling my old clothes has always been something I have aspired to do, but have never actually done, blaming time and a hectic schedule. But upon learning that over 114,000 items of clothing end up in landfill every hour (equating to 1 billion items per year), I decided that now was the time to de-clutter my wardrobe and help planet Earth a little at the same time. Armed with multiple plastic bags (all recyclable of course!) I set to work, and just a few short hours later, I had a reasonable amount of clothes to donate as well as new space in my wardrobe.

I decided to take my ready-to-be-rediscovered treasures to M&S, who have partnered up with charity Oxfam to run a Shwopping campaign . Shwopping is simply bringing an item of old clothing to a participating M&S store each time you purchase something new. What really appealed to me about this particular scheme was that even if the clothes weren’t in resalable condition, they will still put

By Jo-Ann Worthington

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All Light All Shadow

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All Light All Shadow

Eva Garcia is the silhouette behind the online eco fashion store – Ecoology. A reflection of her personality and convictions, Ecoology is an amalgamation of chic and sustainable fashion.She uses a dynamic combination of natural materials like Tencel, organic cotton, bamboo, organic wool, linen, milk woven fabric, and seaweed; as well as recycled materials to dress women from all walks of life.

In a Mediterranean enclave, in Barcelona, Eva tailors couture fashion at an affordable price. A staunch believer in sustainable fashion, this eco-fashionista thinks ‘Eco fashion is here to stay - it is no longer a trend, but a global need.’

By Sahana Prakash

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by Donna Darthuizen

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It all makes sense of course, they too want to be able to enjoy our planet and all the beauty it has to offer. And fashion is a part

of that. But there is a realization that we can’t let fashion be detrimental to our planet.

Yes, the new generation of fashionistas has had enough of dirty fast fashion. The same movement we’ve seen in food, we’re now seeing in fashion. And they are re-inventing fashion in very creative ways. One of the things we do at Green This Season.com, is we follow green fashion trends. And more and more designers are finding ways to re-use, recycle and upcycle items and materials. A trend that’s allowing Mother Nature a bit of rest as we don’t have to tap into precious natural resources.

As such we wanted to share with you the story of Oldies onto Newies. A recycle fashion project by Polona Javornik from Slovenia.

I first met Polona when she was doing an internship at our company, greenthisseason.com. During our first meeting I was instantly captured by her spirit, enthusiasm and creativity. The way she can bring an idea to life with her graphics is just amazing. She’s one of those creative people that just needs half a word to create graphics of what you have in mind.

When I first heard about Oldies onto Newies, I instantly loved the idea. How cool to recycle old jeans and turn them into something new. I like to think that we at greenthisseason.com stimulated and enhanced Polona’s love for Green Fashion. And when we saw it... well, we’re just thrilled... We asked Polona some questions, as we just needed to know more about this Cool idea.

In general, what is your idea and vision about sustainability?

My idea is quite simple. I want people to be aware of what are they buying. Like with food here in Slovenia. We became so aware of ‘bad’ food and now you can see a lot more healthy products around. This should be the same with clothes. I hope eventually people will buy “healthy” clothes, just as they do with food.

Where did you get the idea for 'Oldies onto Newies'?

When I opened my blog I started showing people how I used old clothes and refreshed them into new garments.The idea for Oldies Onto Newies happened later when I found a stack of old jeans in the attick. During that same time I noticed it’s the trend to wear old cut-offs, so I deciced to recycle them adding my own style and flair to it.

What do you think fashion should look like, meaning from a production point of view.

Basically straight from the field to the shop – not using pesticides or any unhealthy products contaminating the enviroment or the people. Also People working under good safety

conditions, fair-trade fair-pay, a healthy working environment

in well built and maintained buildings.

What is your favorite Oldies to Newies style and why?

My favourite style is old fashion »rock and roll« SPIKES cut-offs.

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What have you got lined up, design wise for Oldies onto Newies?

If you could put 1 celebrity, anyone in the world male or female, in one of your designs who would it be andwhy?

If you could change just 1 thing in the fashion industry, what would it be?

Any advice or tips for the fashionistas out there?

You are in your early 20s, you are actually in the target group of all the big brand/label fashion marketeers.

What do you think about the way “fast fashion” is advertised? For example, what do you think when you see the ads of H&M with celebri-ties like Beyonce or Gisele Bundchen wearing pretty but very cheap dresses?

If I’m very honest I’m really disapointed to see Beyonce in the add for H&M. I am a big fan of her. She introduced herself as caring for others and for this planet. Meanwhile she is doing this big ad for H&M and the building where the clothing is made collapses! But anyway, when I see celebrities in fast fashion advertisments like this it doesnt impact me much, because I know I am not going to buy it and I will share all my knowledge with others to make them more aware of »green fashion«. Get them to start thinking about recycling, buying eco clothes, swaping clothes, it’s all just important and makes sense.

I would make trends less important than quality.

I would reccomend not just to go to the first shop and buy any item. Why not check out your old stuff, or your mom’s clothes see if there is anything you can recycle. If you’re not good at sewing, there are always people who can help you out with your ideas. Instead of spending money on something cheap and unhealthy, pay someone and take pride in your own ideas, designs and recycled item(s).Of cours you should also check out the green fashion stores, like greenthisseason.com and you will see there are some amazing itmes available for you to enjoy!

Mila Kunis. Why? I think we could have a great time together. She is funny, young, smart, pretty.

Oh I haven’t really thought about that yet. I’m playing around with different ideas, items, and styles. In the end

I think I will just keep de-signing thinsgs that I like and would want to wear.

“I WOULD MAKE TRENDS LESS IMPORTANT THAN

QUALITY.”

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“Sleek” stands for beauty, chic and elegance, “Proud” for strength and survival. Visionary designer Constance Puyt is doing “something” special and unique and she’s doing it in sunny Greece. This something is Sleek + Proud.

SLEEK + PROUD

“it SEEmS that nOwaDayS faShiOn iS LiKE faSt fOOD, anD wE aLL KnOw hOw gOOD that iS fOR OUR hEaLth!”

what iS yOUR aDvicE tO US?

Her designs and styles are a reflection of her own unique and eclectic self. Her distinctive personal style and awareness form the basis of her unique and exclusive collection. Everything she makes is handmade, inspired by her countless interests. You can certainly recognize her love, her passion for architecture in her designs. But her passion is not just limited to that, it’s a stimulating blend of architectural design, the 30’s &40’s, Japanese art, Samurai

armor, butterflies, nature and all other wonders of life. Her unique design approach combined with the stories behind each garment is what makes her Sleek + Proud collection even more valuable and precious.The story behind the design is the main part

of Constance’s concept. If you look close at the apparel you can almost see the stories she’s telling. I look at her designs and see the signature of an engineer on each piece; a well thought through intricate design that is sculpted with the hand of an artist, and finished with the contemporary touch of a fashion designer. Useful multifunctional apparel, smart and timeless design that you wear not only to look fabulous but also to feel cozy and comfortable.

“Don’t buy things so easily and don’t throw your stuff away so easily”.The fact that you can take an old item and turn it into something new, something multifunctional with a brand new look, the possibilities are endless. It’s what makes recycling and up-cycling so special. “You can simply let go of what you know and think of something new. Not always easy, but challenging and good for the creative process. ”

By Polona Javornik

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By Polona Javornik

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Along with using organic cotton, tencel and other eco friendly fabrics, PERI uses reclaimed fabrics. Reclaimed fabrics, or up-cycled fabrics are fabrics left over from large manufactures bulk production, by using these fabrics we are keeping these fabrics from becoming landfill. Eventually, I would like to start a type of fabric “sample sale” where local designers trade unused fabric among each other and/or the public to use for smaller designs, such bags, appliqués or children’s clothing. I think it is important for designers and their production team to always seek ways to eliminate waste in all areas of the design process. This was definitely a catalyst to starting PERI, pure eco rag industry and I create within those parameters. If you are moving towards an eco-consciousness, you are not moving away from it.

I think what is most important when it comes to motivating people to shop more consciously is relaying information effectively. In the sustainability sector of the fashion industry, I think we’re seen as the optimists among colleagues and consumers, most of whom are superficial. Whether that is true or not, we won’t know that they don’t care unless they stay informed, constantly and honestly.

My best go at convincing consumers to support the green fashion movement is just to tell them the truth as conversationally and as often as possible. Not only is the planet suffering because of

overconsumption, it contributes to people having to go without clean water, not having safe working environments and with all of the garments that pile up in landfills, people who need clothing go without it. Simply buying less or buying used makes a huge

difference in our waste output & does a great service to many people. I think people genuinely do care about others and if you get them to understand the long term effects of over-buying, it can effect change.

Pure eco rag industry, is an eco friendly clothing line, designed and manufactured in Los Angeles. PERI’s designs take into consideration the environment; through the fabrics used and the processes by which they choose to manufacture. Fabrics are eco friendly, the dye house is low impact and solar powered and in cutting we work towards reducing waste.

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The modern Fashion Superhero knows that capes and skin-tight latex are So Last Season. Pull on your eco-costume and let your smart, conscious and

fabulous alter-ego shine through!

Our

greenthisseason.com

community is leading the way

Join our Fashion Superheroes community

and share your super Eco attitude with your friends and invite them to join us

on facebook.

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heading to a shopping center. There are so many garments there that you could salvage and upcycle. There is a lot more work involved in finding something doesn’t quite fit, you can always get it tailored or transformed. I have been known to recreate dresses from existing dresses by altering the hemline, removing shoulder pads and even sleeves! Also in my experience, the joy of finding a treasured piece in a charity or thrift shop has always outweighed the feeling I get from purchasing something new. And more often than not, these are the garments that people usually ask “where did you get that from?”

Venette Waste is a cradle to cradle company. What does cradle to cradle mean? It means a company responsible for its product, not only at the start of the product life cycle, but also at the end: it means being a responsible company!

I understand that recycled and upcycled fashion is not a new concept and has been practiced for a long time before the term ‘upcycled’ was even coined and before it became trendy to wear. If you ask many fashion lovers, they have all at one point purchased a vintage or second hand item so recycling fashion is a common practice. Likewise, many of us have also attempted to transform an existing garment into something better so upcycling may be a fancy term for it, but is by all means not a foreign concept to many. For example, in my teens, before I even knew what upcycling was, I had transformed an old pair of denim jeans into a pair of denim shorts. I am certain that I am not the only woman to have attempted this. I have been an eco blogger,

predominantly focused on

fashion, for the last three years and when I first started out, there wasn’t very many of us at all in Australia. Fortunately, I have seen an increase in the number of sustainable fashion blogs and I am proud that the country is producing fashion bloggers that care about style as well as our environment. My blog, Eco Warrior

Princess, is a blog that aims to inspire people towards a greener life. As women, fashion usually plays a big part of our lives, and so I wanted to inspire women to turn away from ‘fast fashion’ and towards ‘slow fashion’ which includes embracing recycled clothing and upcycled clothing. I think nowadays, wearing vintage and second-hand clothing does not have the stigma it once did. My love affair with recycled garments started when I was very young and I began purchasing second hand and vintage clothing from charity shops in my early teens. My mum thought I was crazy to wear somebody else’s discarded goods. Now that vintage shopping is more common and sustainability I encourage people to venture into a charity, thrift or vintage shop first before

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“We go the extra mile, we think and go beyond recycling and beyond organic, granting a life cycle to goods that never had one. These goods, in Italy, mainly consist of textile stocks left in companies’ warehouses. These textile stocks have a negative influence on budgets, and their end is already defined; either burned with an environmental impact or sold at a token price to stockists who will place the product in a low market, creating further devaluation and negative linked activity.”

Venette Waste makes ‘Waste Couture’, a clothing collection aiming to construct the wardrobe 2.0 (woman & unisex) where garments are made with the best Italian textiles industry left-overs. Sustainability is the strategic lever of the collection, while proposing a Venette’s lifestyle (a comic about a fashion designer and her hawk Horus).

We take pride in making products by producing nothing. This is how our dresses are sold as for every single stage of production, presentation and even packaging we use already existing things.

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With all its innovations and luxury, fashion might not be the most obvious companion to recycling. But the sustainable fashion movement has shown that the reuse, reduce, recycle mantra is trendier than ever. Do you need some convincing?

Lynsey Dubbeld www.modevoormorgen.nla Dutch trend analyst and writer who specializes in sustainable fashion, presents three quotes that are bound to spur your love for all things recycled.

As an ambassador for sustainable fashion, Dutch top model Lonneke Engel has helped put the spotlights on a growing number of young ethical designers. And in her personal life, she loves her slow food just as much as her slow fashion, spending her sparse free time scouring vintage stores and thrift shops. For anyone who’s working towards a green wardrobe, investing in high class

second- hand items provides one of the simplest ways to take action. And there’s good news for all aspiring ecofashionistas without the lust to hunt for treasures. There are now plenty of designers and labels that will do the work

for you, creating one of a kind new items out of vintage clothes and fabrics. And forget the scruffiness that tends to be associated with second- hand: preloved clothes can be more luxurious and trendy than you’d ever imagine (and handmade and unique to boot).

Fast fashion tends to make us buy more than we need, and throw away more easily than we would with more expensive purchases, writes Sandy Black in her book ‘Eco‐Chic’. As a result, fast fashion is an ever- growing contributor to the worldwide landfill. The obvious antidote to the environmental issues posed by fast fashion is: consuming less. But as easy as this may sound, steering clear of Saturday shopping sprees will pose a considerable challenge – if not mission impossible – for the average fashion lover. Upcycling provides the perfect answer. Creative designers rescue clothes from the landfill, transforming them into exquisite new must ‐haves that will make you feel better about yourself as well as the environment. Sandy Black

Getty Jouk

e Bos

showstudio.com

Ilya van Marle

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The Living Furniture Project creates beautiful bespoke furniture, handcrafted to your specifications by experienced and talented designers and furniture makers. Amazing, but not necessarily unique you ask? Well, the bespoke furniture produced by the Living Furniture Project is made by homeless Apprentices in their fully equipped workshop. Dedicated to sustainability- upcycling old unwanted furniture or working with waste materials reclaimed from the local area, ensuring that every piece is unique. This innovative way of working ensures that homeless people in London can receive an income while learning a valuable trade and the customer receives a beautifully crafted and socially positive end-product.

Greenthisseason.com asked Alistair Sloan (founder) about The Living Furniture Project.

We instantly

fell in love

when we heard about

this London

based company, and

their mission

statement says

it all;

WE EXIST TO PROVIDE PAID JOBS

AND TRAINING TO THE HOMELESS

WE EXIST TO PRODUCE BEAUTIFUL,

UNIQUE FURNITUREWe exist to reduce landfill Waste

By Jo-Ann Worthington

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Thank you! I came up with the idea. I’d spent a few years working in consumer goods marketing, and was looking for a new challenge with a bit more social purpose. There’s so much furniture and waste being thrown out in London, and I’ve always been interested in sustainable design. So I started exploring setting up a workshop to re-use some of this waste in interesting ways. And then seeing the numbers of homeless people in London

rise and rise, the housing market freeze up and in general a great deal of inequality across British society, I decided to also make it an employment and training opportunity for those who aren’t lucky enough to have a roof over their heads. That

was nine months ago - it’s been tremendously hard work but very rewarding. I’m very proud of my first trainees, they’ve been through a lot and shown great personal resilience and a desire to get back on their feet.

We think the idea behind your business is fabulous. Who came up with the idea for The Living Project and how easy was it to get this going?

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When it comes to furniture making, surely not all homeless people that apply are automatically qualified. How do you turn someone down that applies but isn’t suitable for the job?

InformatIon

Has one of the Apprentices you work with, ever surprised you with some fabulous creative input?

What is the one statement you would want to make about recycling furniture?

I think we’re creating an environment where even if you don’t have experience, you can learn. Our trainees get one-on-one tuition from some of the best in the business. So for that reason, I really try and hire as many as possible, and it’s my job to create that environment where they can flourish. At furniture trade shows, we don’t advertise the homeless angle, we watch to see if people come over of their own accord and check out the furniture. Then I quietly explain how it was made and who made it, and jaws often drop. That’s a good feeling! Given the right opportunities anyone can make beautiful furniture.

If you are homeless and in London, there are a wide range of paid Apprenticeships and internships available. Please visit the following link to learn more about joining

the furnIture project.

Alternatively, if you know anyone that is based in London and is homeless and looking for work, then please direct him or her to this fabulous scheme.

You can also help by donating your unwanted furniture. Simply click here to request further information.If you wish to volunteer for

The Furniture Project there are several positions available to enable you to donate your time and valuable skills for a truly innovative charity. Please click here to find out more.

Every day. Painting the pallet-wood rocking chair the way we did was an idea from one of the trainees. And there’s a big focus on trainee’s problem-solving on their own, to help build their independence. I’m not surprised, they’re people who’ve lived and worked in the past, there’s not much reason for them not to have their own ideas just because they spent some time living on the streets. If anything, those experiences make them unique and that’s a creativity we can tap into.

Connecting the dots between the amount of furniture being thrown out by households, the amount of timber being thrown out by the construction industry and our seemingly natural curiosity for using things twice, is a no-brainer for me. There’s something innately satisfying about re-use, everyone loves a story about an object like “this used to be a...” Designers can tap into that.

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