Category: label love

Faire Child: Outdoor Play, No Matter the Weather

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Faire Child Hippie in Disguise Sustainable Weather Rain Wear Canadian Ottawa CanadaWe love to be outside year round, snow, rain or shine, but to be honest enjoying rain has been hard. Rain is often cold in Canada and can feel harsher than a snow storm. That being said, playing outside, exploring and living in the elements is really important developmentally, and for engendering an ecological consciousness in children. That’s why I’ve always tried to suit my children in clothing that would make weather fun, so that exploring and learning would not be encumbered by distracting clothing. But good quality, comfortable rain gear has been an elusive thing. Fully waterproof clothing for children is generally plastic or coated, which makes the clothing heavy, rigid, and often noisy. The lighter gear is prohibitively expensive or simply unavailable in small sizes.

Sen is a sensitive child and has never been able to find a way to enjoy himself in typical heavy children’s rain gear, he is upset by the noise it makes when the fabric rubs against itself, he dislikes the weight of the fabric and the rigid nature of it, and how hot it makes him due to lack of breathability. Until recently, clothing discomfort was truly getting in the way of Sen enjoying playing in the rain and strong winds.

Faire Child Hippie in Disguise Ottawa Canada

Faire Child Hippie in Disguise Ottawa Canada

Enter Faire Child: a small Canadian sustainable weather wear company. If I tell you everything I love about them you will think they pay me! (They don’t). I TRULY cannot praise this company enough. Their clothing is beautiful, highly durable, functional, sustainable beyond compare (for example, their clothing is recyclable and they innovated compostable packaging just to name two awesome things they do!). Beyond this: Sen can now enjoy himself for endless hours in rain or windy weather. Their clothing is unbelievable light and soft, which you can only fully understand by touching it yourself. Happily, Sen can now play to his heart’s content in the weather and focus on doing what he loves: to play, explore and imagine.

Please read on below for an interview I did with Faire Child designer and founder, Tabitha, where she talks about her passions, being a creative mother, and her dreams for children. Make sure you check out the end of this post where you’ll find a giveaway to enter for $100 shop credit with Faire Child. You’ll also find a beautiful colouring sheet to download for your children (or yourself!). Enjoy!

Tell me a little bit about yourself, the person behind Faire Child. What is your background?

My name is Tabitha Osler and I am the designer and director of Faire Child. I was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia and have recently returned after my daughter was born. I studied fashion design at Antwerp Royal Fashion Academy and then worked in the fashion industry in both Canada and Europe. I have also taught sustainable fashion at the University of Edinburgh and Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.

What are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about making positive change in the fashion industry. The way we have been doing things isn’t working anymore, and hasn’t worked for quite a while now. I feel that designers and tastemakers have the power to dictate trends and encourage the industry to make responsible choices. I am empowered by that and it motivates me to be a change maker. I want to be part of the solution when it comes to the social and environmental impacts of fast fashion. I want to help educate consumers about how to be responsible stewards of the Earth. I want to see people change their buying habits. Buy less and buy things that will last. Even better if, like our outerwear, it doesn’t ever have to end up in a landfill.

How many children do you have and how would you describe them?

I have one child, a 2 year old named Charli. She is an adventurous, playful, outgoing and curious creature!

What is your favourite thing to do as a family?

We like to spend a lot of time outside. We have some really great walking trails and parks in Halifax so we take advantage of that. The ocean is really close as well so that’s really great. Tickle wars also get big laughs in our home!

What did you want to be when you were a child?

Oh, I definitely wanted to be an astronaut! The world felt too small, I wanted to see it all.

Did your career aspirations change once you had a child?

Yes, hugely. I didn’t want work to dictate my family’s lifestyle and I wanted to be in control of my schedule.

What is Faire Child and why did you decide to start this business?

Faire Child is pioneering a new future for children’s outerwear. After I had Charli I had this new found motivation – I wanted to actively make a better world for Charli to live in. I was concerned about what she would be left with. Questions like ‘would there be less access to clean water?’ were constantly floating around my head.

So I had a goal of developing a line of clothing that wasn’t just doing less bad but was doing more good.

As a new mother I was also recognizing the positive effects that being outdoors had on my child. Mother Nature is both a teacher and a healer. I wanted to connect children with their environment and give them an opportunity to fall in love with the natural world. So my design challenge was to create garments that would allow children to be outdoors – everyday, all day, whatever the weather, all while having a positive effect on the planet.

How would you describe Faire Child in 5 words?

Well, we are loving our new tag lines! Weather the World and For Young Pioneers

What inspired you to start designing?

My mom sews and growing up watching her make clothes from scratch was like magic. I needed to know how to do that!

Craftsmanship and sustainability are important to you. How do you translate these into your designs and their production?

They definitely are important and it goes back to those ideas about fast fashion and this place we seem to find ourselves in where we throw away clothes as easily as paper towels. Through my research I found beautifully constructed garments that were made to last. I was particularly drawn to vintage workwear from the early 20th century. The designs were so thoughtful and they were meant to be worn outside all day long. So, basically I made mini versions for kids most important job – making and playing. As far as production goes, I was adamant that these pieces be made in Canada.

Where and how (by who?) are Faire Child products made?

Thank you for asking! I am all about transparency and I think it’s important that companies, clothing companies in particular, start opening up about the people making their products. Our products are made here in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, about 15 minutes away from our studio, at Climate Technical Gear. They also make gear for the fishing and marine industry so they are experts in functional clothing. We have a small team of people there, cutters, sewers and tapers, that work with us to produce the Faire Child outerwear.

What’s special about the materials you use?

There is so, so much to say about our fabric. I will try to not geek out too hard. Our fabric is manufactured by Sympatex, a German company working on the edge of textile innovation. The top reason I chose this material is because it never has to end up in a landfill. The fabric is made from recycled PET water bottles and PET is a pretty amazing material. Many other materials become weaker through the recycling process but PET has the ability to be recycled over and over again without compromising quality. On top of that it’s also functional – 100% waterproof, windproof and breathable – and it’s actually quite soft – especially the inner layer.

The fabric we use is also Oeko-tex and Bluesign certified. This ensures that the fabric is safe next to skin and that no harmful chemicals were used to make it. On a related noted, many of the popular outerwear brands rely on PFC and PTFE to make their fabrics waterproof and windproof. These are hazardous substances that take a very long time to break down and can now be found in even the most untouched places on earth. It seems silly that a lot of the bigger brands promoting an active outdoor lifestyle are not being more serious about the effect they are having on our world. You can learn more about this through Green Peace’s Detox campaign.

What’s your favourite piece you’ve designed?

My favourite piece from the current Faire Child collection is the raincoat because of the complexity and ingenuity of the pattern from which it was inspired. It’s the thoughtfulness of things like underarm gussets for ease of movement that make it a really special piece.

This is getting pretty nerdy, but please tell me about your amazing packaging?

You are our kind of girl! We spent months getting nerdy over packaging. I would first say that we try our hardest to be thoughtful about all the materials we use and the impact they have on the environment. With that mindset, we couldn’t overlook the packaging. We were able to source a compostable material from Swiss Pack in Ontario and with them we designed Canada’s first compostable poly bag. To take things a step further we are also using direct thermal compostable labels to print our mailing addresses on. All that being said, our packaging can go into your green bin!

[ editor’s note: For people outside Canada, a green bin is the household recycling and/or compost bin that is collected usually weekly by the city as part of waste management ]

Faire Child Hippie in Disguise Sarah Silks Ottawa Canada Petits Vilains

Can you tell me about your Take Back Program?

Of course! I created the Take Back Program so I would be taking responsibility for the end of life of the garments. After many, many years of use in your own family and then another and hopefully another, our Faire Child pieces can be sent back to us for recycling. When they are back in our hands we disassemble the garment and make sure that those materials are recycled in such a way that they have the most value.

[ editor’s note: for interested readers, Take Back is a version of extended producer responsibility (EPR), a concept that has been implemented in many European countries, where producers of goods are responsible for the entire life cycle of the product, one of the outcomes of this policy is that manufacturers have an incentive to create long lasting products and for their recycling once they are not longer useful ]

What has made you the most proud of what you’re doing?

Well, we are definitely doing things the hard way. We aren’t taking the easy road and we aren’t cutting any corners. So, although everything seems to take so much longer it feels really good when you find the right solution. Even when a small detail falls into place it’s an occasion to celebrate!

What are your dreams for Faire Child?

Oh man, big questions! Well, we have had a lot of requests to make pieces in adult sizes and I am really excited to explore that opportunity! I am also really inspired by Forest Schools and that educational model. I would love to be partnering more strongly with Forest Schools. The thought of a group of kids learning outdoors outfitted in Faire Child coveralls is pretty dreamy!

What are your dreams for children?

There are a couple of things. The first would be that we want kids to be outdoors more, playing and interacting with the natural world. By encouraging this we are hoping that they build a strong and life long love for the outdoors and for our earth.

The other piece of this future vision for the next generation would be to inspire them to be stewards of their environment. I hope that they will see waste as a resource in the same way as I have with how I’m using fabric made from discarded plastic bottles to make the jacket they are wearing. I want their imaginations to be sparked, I want them to be empowered to explore creative solutions.

***

Thank you Tabitha! Readers and interested folks, we got 4 items from Faire Child and I absolutely cannot endorse their products enough — they are sustainable, ethical, top quality, comfortable and beautiful! We got the Knapsack, the Rain Jacket, the Cap, and the Rain Pants.

Faire Child Hippie in Disguise Sarah Silks Ottawa Canada Petits Vilains

*** GIVEAWAY***

Do you want to win $100 gift card from Faire Child? Of course you do! To enter for a chance to win here’s what to do:

  • Follow @fairechild on Instagram
  • Like and comment on my Faire Child post on Instagram @hippieindisguise
  • For an additional 3 entries tag 3 friends in the comments on my Instagram post, please comment each name in a separate comment to make the ballot cutting easier!
  • For an additional 5 entries download the *Amazing* Faire Child colouring sheet shown below and post about it on your Instagram account and use the hashtag #fairechildXhippieindisguise
  • Open worldwide! Contest closes on July 1, 2018 at midnight Vancouver time. Winner will be announced on my Instagram page on July 2.

Faire Child Hippie in Disguise Ottawa Canada

 

Waiting for the Right One: Our Essentia Organic Mattress

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essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

essentia organic natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise

We recently got a new bed mattress and to honour this special item (simple things are special to us) we bought some flowers, a rare indulgence. I had planned on letting the children cover the bed in petals and bounce around, since we’ve never owned a mattress that has bounce I figured they would enjoy that. But, my little boy, Sen, had other plans. The photos that follow depict the making of his “flower sculpture”, which turned out to be the most perfect, organic way to appreciate our new mattress (which happens to be made from plants and infused with essential oils). The dried flower sculpture now sits on the shelf above our bed.

Please enjoy the photos and I hope you’ll read my post about how and why this mattress came into our life and why I feel so strongly about it as a product. But first, let’s start with the back story.

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

About 8 years ago an Essentia mattress store opened in Ottawa, the city we live in here in Canada. At the time we were sleeping on a 5-year old terribly uncomfortable futon mattress (I cannot overstate this enough). Being environmentally-minded consumers, we sourced and had custom made a futon made entirely from recycled cotton t-shirts and wool, we were assured it would be comfortable and last 10 years. But from day one it was uncomfortable. It was lumpy and slanted — I always felt like I was going to roll off the bed — a bit of an unnerving feeling when you’re trying to fall asleep. We figured it would take some time to settle and, besides, we weren’t about to waste all the materials, effort and money that went into the mattress. Months went by and the mattress never improved…it really only got worse, much worse. Being students and young parents we had no money to replace the mattress so we made do, which we are pretty good at doing. (Did you read my post about how we’ve been eating our meals at a desk for over 15 years, because we can’t afford to upgrade to a bigger, sustainable option? Ya, we make do.)

The point of the story is that after 5 years with the lumpy futon we were more than ready for a new mattress, but wanted to make sure we bought one that was ethically and sustainably made, and much more comfortable. After years of bad sleeps (I’m talking waking up every hour of every night from discomfort), we were ready for a good night’s sleep (and to reap all the health benefits that come from good rest).

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

Essentia mattresses are certified organic, plant-based (vegan-friendly!), biodegradable (!!), and ridiculously comfortable. After we walked into the store, laid on a few mattresses, we were sold on them. We decided that when we had the money these would be the mattresses we would invest in.

Years passed and our finances never really improved, so we kept sleeping on the lumpy futon. The slant in the mattress got worse. The lumps became more accentuated. It got to the point where we would take turns sleeping on our love seat because it was more comfortable (despite the obvious fact that we couldn’t stretch out on it).

My sweet sister (who is generous beyond words) caught wind of our sleeping woes and gave us a synthetic memory foam mattress topper for our futon. Many people I know use these memory foam mattress toppers for extra comfort, as they add a nice layer of supportive cushion to a mattress. But, being the health nut that I am I didn’t want to get one as I’ve read terrible things about the off-gassing, since the foam is synthetically made with chemicals and treated with fire retardants. Basically a toxic cocktail you sleep on 8 hours a night — not something I was itching to do (no pun intended).

I didn’t want to say no to my sister’s generosity (and she had let the mattress topper “breathe” for a while at her home) so we accepted the kind offer and looked forward to a good sleep. The topper was quite comfortable, but when we woke up in the morning my daughter was covered head to toe in hives, she was visibly swollen and in a lot of discomfort. She is not the allergic sort of child, she has no known allergies and is generally in good health and has a strong immune system, though she does have very sensitive skin. I quickly googled “foam mattress allergy” and found a tonne of photos of people covered in the same rash. I researched further and found that many people have terrible reactions to memory foam. So, we took the mattress out of the bedroom, disposed of it, and that was the end of foam mattresses for us.

Then, a few weeks later I happened to get an email from Essentia asking if I would be interested in reviewing one of their products. I couldn’t believe our luck! As a rule, I always so ‘no’ to any product sponsorships unless I already use the product (or want to use it but can’t afford it), so this was perfect: I received something I had wanted for 8 years in exchange for an honest review.

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

We got ourselves a Stratami Queen mattress and our sleeps have been truly blissful ever since! I can’t say enough good things about the mattresses and pillows that Essentia makes. There is nothing green-washed about their products, they are fully  organic, plant-based, sustainably made and (amazingly) biodegradable — so even after the mattress is out of use it can fully decompose, rather than hanging out in landfill indefinitely!The mattress comes in fully recyclable packaging too. I have not come across anything near as environmentally-friendly and comfortable in my research. Click here to read their certifications and eco-standards, it’s a long, impressive list.

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

Essentially the mattress is made from rubber plants (hevea milk) and is the world’s only all natural memory “foam” mattress. It has that crazy comfort of synthetic mattresses, without the off-gassing that makes you sick over night or over the long-term. As well, the mattresses are guaranteed for 20 years, which is hard to come by with mattresses these days. The mattress is covered in an ultra-soft organic cotton cover (I didn’t believe it was cotton, it was so soft!), which you can remove and wash, if required.

When we laid down to sleep that first night on our new mattress, our little boy, Senny, got into bed first and smiled, but a curious smile. He said: “Mama, I can’t believe I’m saying this but, I don’t think I’ll need a snuggle to fall asleep tonight. The bed is snuggling me!” Senny is such a snuggly child, he needs snuggles more than anyone I know, but he felt on this mattress like he was being snuggled just right. He drifted off to sleep and woke up in the morning super happy and ready to bounce on the bed!

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

If you happen to live in a city with an Essentia store I recommend you make a visit, the staff are very helpful and not at all pushy (Big thank you to Alana at the Ottawa store who let me ask every question under the sun and happily answered them all). Normally, I dislike shopping with my children because I can tell they are bored being stuck inside a store, but when we visited the Ottawa store, I had to force them to leave after over an hour in the store! They had such a good time lying on the beds and relaxing, they said “Mama, seriously, you can stay at the store as long as you want! We want to lie on these beds forever.” I don’t know if there’s any science behind it, but the mattresses seem to calm my children down. (Essentia also sells direct online if you aren’t in a position to visit a store).

Although I would have liked to have a comfortable mattress sooner, I’m glad we waited to get an Essentia mattress because it is ethically and sustainably made and I know I won’t have to replace it for a very long time, if ever. When Matt and I first got together we made a pact that we would always buy things that last, even if it meant waiting longer to be able to buy something of quality. Long-lasting things are more sustainable for the planet and ultimately cheaper in the long run. Waiting to buy things also teaches you a lot about what you can live without, and while we lived a long time without good sleep, it’s not something I would advise. A good sleep is something that gives back in terms of health and quality of life, and is worth investing in.

essentia organic vegan sustainable natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise flower rose sculpture

essentia organic natural memory foam mattress hippie in disguise

Matt has a whole list of reasons why he loves the Essentia mattress that are different from mine. He’s high-performing athlete competing in elite and pro cycling races almost year-round, so for him the mattress is about good recovery from training, getting deep sleep so he can perform again the next day. In addition, as someone who has long suffered from insomnia, his mind was blown by the fact that the mattresses have a signature smell (from the essential oils and plant ingredients), so that people can develop a strong olfactory association with their sleep space and fall into a sleep that much more quickly. He thinks its pure genius, and I have to agree with him.

All in all, we are thoroughly impressed with the mattress and will surely be investing our money in another one for our kids — so we can get them out of our bed! But for the time being, it hardly seems fair to not let them sleep on an Essentia.

You can follow Essentia on Instagram @essentiagram

You can visit their website and online shop www.myessentia.com

Eco Label: Plant-Dyed Organics by Shaadee Mae

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Shaadee Mae Hippie in Disguise Plant dyed organic clothing

In June I started a new blog series over on the Enfants Terribles Magazine blog today called ‘Eco Label Love’. For this series I share interviews with small companies who produce clothing and other products in a sustainable and ethical way. The fashion industry can be pretty terrible in terms of labour practices (for example, this). And, fast fashion is sorely contributing to landfill.

We need another way to clothe ourselves. With care. Slowly. Ethically. Mindfully. Sustainably.

While the most sustainable choice is always to buy second hand or thrift, thrift is not an option for everyone. This is why I want to celebrate companies who are leading the way toward a more sustainable and fair (or more than fair) industry. When it comes to sustainability, this means the fabrics are organic and renewable, locally sourced and sewn, or eco-dyed. In terms of ethical production, this means the garments are sewn and produced under fair conditions, as locally as possible.

Shaadee Mae Hippie in disguise Making Mindful Children Plant dye organic

For my second interview, I spoke with American Designer Shaadee about her new line SHAADEE MAE. Shaadee designs adorable one-piece jumpsuits for babies and toddlers, that are gender-netural, made from organic fabrics and sewn locally. Shaadee has been experimenting with using plants to dye her textiles, to take make her production that much more eco-conscious. The sleeveless suit Sen is wearing in the photos included in this post was dyed with pomegranate.

Please visit the Enfants Teribles blog to read my post here.

You can find SHAADEE MAE‘s online shop here, follow them on Instagram here and on Facebook here.

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Have you subscribed to the Global Guardian Project yet? These are monthly learning capsules for children and families to learn about global stewardship. Each month features a different country’s wild life, landscape and challenges, and includes art projects, activities, meditation, recipes and more! Use my discount code: HIPPIEINDISGUISE for 10% off, you can read more about it here

Voting with Your Dollars: Les Sublimes and my Black Shirt Dilemma

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Most of my readers are fortunate to have the right to vote. We cast our votes for local and national politicians every few years to participate in democracy in a direct and sanctioned way, but also to suggest which values we’d like to see reflected in society. Voting in political processes is very important, but I also firmly believe that we vote every day, with our purchases, that is, with our dollars. What better reflection of what we value than how we spend our hard-earned money?

So, enter my black shirt dilemma. Do I buy a shirt now that I can afford or wait until I save the money to buy a shirt that aligns with my values?

It’s been about 6 months now that I have no shirts, no blouses, no tops left in my closet. Everything had been worn through and was beyond repair. I’ve been getting by wearing dresses and knit sweaters during this time. Many times I’ve wanted to buy myself a replacement white or black tee, but didn’t have a good source or the money to buy an ethically made shirt. So, rather than buy a conventional shirt at a big box store I just waited until the time was right. Many people, myself included, would say that a basic tee is essential, like underwear, in your wardrobe. Well, essential is stretching it, since I’ve clearly proved this point wrong. Nevertheless, I do think basics are a good investment and owning a few (let’s say two) basic tees would allow me to wear more of my current wardrobe (…having no tops, I can’t wear my one pair of pants or skirt).

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About a month ago I got an email from a small company out of Paris called Les Sublimes. Alexis and Kachen wrote to me about their dreams of launching an environmentally-friendly and ethically made line of basics for women. The clothing would be wardrobe essentials that don’t compromise on our values. Sadly, I have noticed many times that wardrobe basics are the clothing most of us cut corners with in our budgets. Oftentimes we are willing to spend more on statement pieces or items when the brand will be obvious. In contrast, generic pieces and basics are often where I see people buying from fast fashion brands, where the quality is poor, the production is not fair, but the price is right. Except that in reality, we know the price is wrong.

As I learned from Alexis, Les Sublimes will produce their line of basics (tops and dresses) in France, in an environmentally-friendly way, that reduces water use, and is made from organic and sustainably harvested natural resources. The garments will be produced with the intention of improving the lives of every person along its chain of production, from the farmers to the artisans to the garment workers. In addition, Les Sublimes will be giving back by supporting education for girls living in poverty. Every single piece of clothing sold will translate into one month of education for a girl. You can read more about their giving here.

Pre-sale to fund Les Sublimes first production

So, if you are looking to stock some ethically made basics, look no further than Les Sublimes, you can purchase from their pre-sale which they are running through Indiegogo.

Les Sublimes launched an Indiegogo campaign earlier today to help them produce their first collection. Indiegogo is essentially a platform for Les Sublimes to organize a pre-sale, so they have the funds to produce their line. This means that everyone who funds Les Sublimes through their month-long campaign will receive a piece from their line if they donate over 9 Euros ($10 USD/ $13 CAD). You can see all the details of the rewards on the campaign page.

When you purchase from Les Sublimes and other ethical companies, you are putting your money where your mouth is, you are voting for:

  • Sustainable agriculture
  • Responsible harvesting
  • Low impact, environmentally-friendly production
  • Use of organic and biodegradable fabrics
  • Fair and living wages
  • Small scale, local production
  • Social responsibility
  • Quality over quantity
  • Durability over disposability

So, it turns out that come August I will once again have a shirt in my closet! Woohoo.

You can find Les Sublimes online here, follow them on Instagram here and on Facebook here. And don’t forget to visit their Indiegogo page to read more about their story and production ethics.

You might also like my post:

Slow Fashion: Four’emKi for women and children

Social Responsibility: WOOLN Knits

Ethical Wool: Love Your Mother in Luv Mother

Slow Fashion: Dreaming with Little Creative Factory

Fashion for Good: Punjammies Made From Hope

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Slow Fashion by Eco Label Four’eMki

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Four’eMki designs women’s and children’s wear. Show above is the Shape Dress and below the Poncho Dress, both for women. All garments are sewn to order.

 

I started a new blog series over on the Enfants Terribles Magazine blog today called ‘Eco Label Love’. For this series I will share interviews with small companies who produce clothing and other products in a sustainable and ethical way. The fashion industry can be pretty terrible in terms of labour practices (for example, this). And, fast fashion is sorely contributing to landfill.

We need another way to clothe ourselves. With care. Slowly. Ethically. Mindfully. Sustainably.

While the most sustainable choice is always to buy second hand or thrift, thrift is not an option for everyone. This is why I want to celebrate companies who are leading the way toward a more sustainable and fair (or more than fair) industry. When it comes to sustainability, this means the fabrics are organic and renewable, locally sourced and sewn, or eco-dyed. In terms of ethical production, this means the garments are sewn and produced under fair conditions, as locally as possible.

For the first interview and feature I spoke with Polish slow fashion brand Four’eMki, which produces their designs end-to-end in Poland: from fabric to final garment. With their current collection designed in a vegan spirit and called Natureholic, this little label, and the lovely woman behind it, stole my heart.

Please skip over to see my blog post and interview on Enfants Terribles Magazine here.

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You can find Four’eMki‘s online shop here, follow them on Instagram here, on Pinterest here, and on Facebook here.

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You might also like my post:

Ethical Wool: Love Your Mother in Luv Mother

Slow Ethical Fashion: Dreaming with Little Creative Factory

The Slow Living Project

Let’s be friends! Please come find me in other places:

Dreaming with Little Creative Factory

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“It is a happiness to wonder; it is a happiness to dream” — Edgar Allan Poe

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This season I had the great honour of collaborating with Little Creative Factory to photograph a few pieces from their spring 2016 collection of children’s wear.

Little Creative Factory is a slow fashion brand based in Barcelona, Spain. Under the creative direction of Cristina Fernandez, Little Creative Factory is guided by a desire to “work for the planet and its inhabitants in a sustainable manner.” Slow, sustainable, local manufacture is at the core of Little Creative Factory production and, in turn, its message to the world that “there is nothing better we can do for our children than preserve their future.” Given this, Little Creative Factory is not about trends or designs that will be irrelevant next season — that is fast fashion. In contrast, Little Creative Factory strives to design atemporal pieces that are not only classic, but durable. The simple pieces, consciously designed from a less is more perspective, allow each customer is to infuse their own style and personality into the garment, bringing their creativity into the light.

There is something indescribably special about Little Creative Factory clothing. My husband, who doesn’t give any thought to clothing, remarked on how beautiful and well made the clothing was, saying that the garments were “heirlooms for sure.” I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I’m not often inspired by clothing. I’m inspired by passions and creativity, but generally not things in themselves. However, with Little Creative Factory clothing I found myself inspired — like a little creative factory of ideas, myself.

Last weekend, we spent Sunday at the river and then slowly meandered back to our neighbourhood to share a backyard meal with friends. As we meandered, we collected wildflowers in the path of a city mower and lilacs from uprooted landscaping. Our friends have an outdoor bath so we asked if the children could enjoy a fancy bath with flowers. Our lovely friends happily indulged us. What follows are some of the beautiful moments captured as we let our creativity unfold.

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Ro wears the vintage bathing suit in mauve, farmer’s long skirt in blackboard, and chic farmer’s hat in blackboard. Little Creative Factory also carries boy’s clothing, photographs of which I will share in a future post.

Thank you for your interest in slow, sustainable clothing and for supporting the work of independent creatives. You can follow Little Creative Factory on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and find their collection online here and in many stores and online shops worldwide.

You might also like my post:

Love Your Mother in Luv Mother

Mindfulness and Flowers: Making a Flower Crown

Strawberry Picking: A Family Tradition

The Slow Living Project

Let’s be friends! Please come find me in other places:

Label Love: Mikoleón Sustainable Shoes + Clothing — and a Giveaway!

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Growing up our family always had what it needed, but certainly there was no money to spare or to spend on being fashionable. Our clothes were most often second hand or sewn by my mother, and when we did buy new things we had to be price conscious.  Shoes, however, were one thing that my mother would not spare expense on. She always said her children had to have good shoes — for the health of the foot, not for the sake of fashion. She bought us sensible shoes that fit well and since we only had one pair of shoes at a time, they would be shoes we could do anything in: climb trees, walk to school, play sports, and so on. When my sister, who was the fanciest little toddler you will ever meet (she went through a phase where she couldn’t be seen in public without a bridal veil), wanted fancy shoes my mother found a local shoemaker who made my sister Mary Janes that were functional and fancy (of course this was long before the online shopping era, so my mother had to locally source shoes, a good thing for sure).

I carried my mother’s concern for healthy foot development forward as a parent and have always done my best to outfit Ro and Sen’s feet with quality shoes that would let their feet breath and develop in a healthy manner. With Sen and Ro growing like weeds over the winter (I love weeds, by the way) I needed new shoes for both of them this spring. I had the good fortune of getting them handmade shoes from Mikoleón, which, by the way, have proven to be exceptional quality.

Mikoleón is a small company making children’s clothing and footwear. The production ethics are outstanding: their clothing is made from up-cycled fabrics, 100% cotton, chemical free, dye free, fair trade, reduced CO2, sustainable and handmade. Their shoes are handmade by cobblers in traditional slow production methods. The leather is processed in an eco-friendly and sustainable way. With all this production goodness I wanted to share more about the company with my readers (this is not a sponsored post!), so I asked Cony, the woman behind the company, if she might indulge me in an interview. She said yes and offered to do a giveaway too — yay!  I don’t encourage frequent or conspicuous consumption, but do take note of Mikoleón for the next time you need to buy some beautiful ethically made children’s clothing and footwear. And make sure to read to the end of the post to see how you can win something from Mikoleón.

Mikoleon Shoes

Cony, could you tell me a little bit about yourself, the person behind Mikoleón. What is your background?

I’m a mom of 5 and now grandmother to 14 beautiful grandkids including triplets! I’m an entrepreneur at heart! I love the idea of creating something and watch it blossom…I like to figure things out; I’m fascinated and obsessed with anything related to textiles and natural fibers; and I’m committed to living a green life as much as I can!

How would you describe Mikoleón in 5 words?

A brand with a conscience.

Why did you choose Mikoleón for your brand name? What does it mean?

A Mikoleón is a Kinkajou also known as “honey bear,” but not an endangered species…yet. They are native to the jungles of Central and South America, they eat fruits and live among trees. Mikoleón in Spanish means monkey-lion, and for us, it was the perfect name to describe the soul inside our company.

What inspired you to start designing shoes and clothing?

I wish I could say that my dream was to be a fashion designer! But the real reason is…I saw an opportunity to help people in Guatemala with sustainable jobs and that combined with my love of textiles sealed the deal! I was in awe of their craftsmanship and desire to have a better life. I couldn’t deny the opportunity.

What did you want to be when you were a child?

I wanted to be a mom. Now that I’m one, I want to someday write a children’s book about love.

Craftsmanship and sustainability are important to you. How do you translate these into your designs and their production?

Even though we have skilled artisans, there’s always a learning curve to produce high quality products for them. Training our employees to understand the level of quality we want is imperative and essential to our production. We strive to make products that are simple in design and that showcase our specialty fabrics.

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Where are Mikoleón shoes made and clothing is sewn? What is your relationship with the seamstresses?

Our shoes and clothes are made in Antigua, Guatemala. Our seamstresses and cobblers are skilled women and men that were in great need of a job to provide for their families. We were just lucky to find them…and have the chance to help them.

Our fair wage policy goes beyond what the local Guatemalan government considers a fair wage. Our in-house employees enjoy all the benefits the laws in Guatemala require, such as medical, social security, maternity leave, and vacation benefits. In addition, Guatemala laws require that you pay your employees for 14 months of wages but they actually work only 11 months! Twice a year they get paid for two months of work while working only one.

We take much pride to say that we pay fair prices for their goods.

What’s special about the materials you use? And your production methods?

Our denim is up-cycled. Basically, we collect new waste materials from the denim factories in Guatemala, and transform it back into threads; we then use the up-cycled threads to make new woven and knit fabrics. This saves a tremendous amount of water in the manufacturing process compared to traditional new fabrics.

We consider ourselves a slow fashion company, meaning, each piece is done in small quantities as needed. We don’t have a factory, I like to think of it more as a sewing shop, and much like a seamstress or tailor shop would be here in the USA. We buy raw materials from ISO certified factories (ISO 9000), and we are always mindful of the environmental impact of our production methods.

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What has made you the most proud of what you’re doing?

Being able to empower our employees to believe in themselves and their worth; and second would be, knowing that we are providing our customers with products that make them feel good while making conscious fashion choices.

Do you plan to expand the line?  What’s next for Mikoleón?

For now, we just want to educate consumers about the beauty of natural fibers, up-cycling, and the negative impact on our environment and the real cost of fast fashion.

When you are all caught up on work, what do you love to do?

I love a cup of chai tea, sitting on my back porch and staring at our beautiful Rocky Mountains, reminding myself how lucky I am for the chance to love my little tribe!

 

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Thank you Cony! Readers you can find Mikoleón’s online shop here and follow them on Instagram @mikoleonkids

Mikoleon wants to giveaway a $100 gift card and a Nena & Co Mini Clutch to one of my readers! …Details below

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Example of a Nena & Co Mini Clutch shown above **If you are curious about Nena & Co, you can read about them here

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Sen calls his Mikoleon shoes his “Adventure Boots” — according to him the side pocket is meant to hold treasures collected while adventuring, I’m pretty sure he’s got that one right!

To enter the giveaway, visit my Instagram account (rules are explained there too) and make sure to:

  • Follow @mikoleonkids
  • Follow me @hippieindisguise
  • Like and comment on the giveaway photo to confirm your entry
  • For extra entries: Tag friends in the comments. Please separate each friend into a different comment so that it is easier for me to make the ballots:) No limit to number of friends tagged.
  • For an extra entry: Sign up for Mikoleón’s mailing list (and BONUS you’ll get a 20% off coupon sent to your inbox!)

Contest closes Sunday May 1st, 2016 at 3:00 pm NYC standard time and is open worldwide. The winner will be announced on Instagram on Sunday May 1st after 4:00 pm. Good luck friends!

 

Want to find me in other places?

Interview with a Minimalist: Nora of Inconnu Lab

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Minimalism needs a discussion of class. So that we can talk about it and then divorce the two.

The reality is that for many people living in an affluent circumstance minimalism is an easy, comfortable and (cringe) trendy lifestyle choice. “I could choose to have a lot or a little. But it’s my choice!” I cringe at the thought that people think I’m a minimalist because I can afford to selectively live with little or to give things away willy nilly because if I need something I can just buy it without much thought. At the same time, I cringe at the thought that people assume my minimalism is simply a rationalization, a way to enjoy living with very little because I have no choice in the matter, because I have very little and can afford very little. Whether I have little by choice or by force of circumstance minimalism becomes a class issue when talked about this way. Minimalism becomes a discussion of stuff and money, when minimalism could be about sustainability, mindfulness, mental health, and so on.

I recently met a woman named Nora who is the owner and designer at  Inconnu Lab. After interviewing many people over the last year it was fun to have someone tell me that their work, their passion and their hobby are the same thing. I think that when our work, passion and hobby are aligned we are most fortunate because we are using our time in a way that we love. Nora isn’t sure if she’s a minimalist, but she definitely has lots of ideas (and designs) inspired by minimalism. I won’t give it all away but take note of the class, sustainability and other dimensions of minimalism that Nora alludes to. I do have to say that I absolutely love that Nora’s designs aim to minimize waste by using geometric shapes. Brilliant!

Hi Nora! Let’s start with a little bit about you. Who are you? What’s your background?

My background is not as creative as you would imagine as I graduated in Economics in Hungary. After some years of working in international work environment, I dropped everything at once to move to Trieste (Italy). It was not easy, as I love Budapest, but it has been a good decision. I like the unknown and I like  getting out of my comfort zone. I believe that you can grow only if you are willing to try something new. That’s why I chose the name Inconnu (which in French means ‘unknown’) for my brand. Inconnu is not only a brand name, but my key inspiration as well.

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You are a designer at InconnuLAB, an Italian slow fashion brand, can you tell me a little about it?

In my Trieste based home-studio, I create versatile and customizable bags with a focus on environmentally-friendly practices.  Minimizing the impact on the environment is at the heart of the ethically made InconnuLAB products. I create geometrical forms which allow to throw away the least possible materials. I have total control of the manufacturing process which makes it possible to use even the smallest production leftovers. The bags are characterized by functional minimalism as I avoid the use of unnecessary things like clasps and buckles but still make them easy to use. I use only high-quality Italian materials like waterproof heavy canvas and durable, yet soft, leather.

Interview with a Minimalist: Nora of Inconnu Lab

So, what is your story, how did you start on a path toward a minimalist lifestyle?

I had to start it really early, I learned everything from my mom. We never had anything at home which was not useful. Un-useful things were thrown away immediately! Anyway I don’t know exactly what kind of lifestyle I have and I don’t like when my style is classified by genre. I don’t think that I am a minimalist, I just simply don’t like un-useful things/words/gestures.

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I believe there are many ways to be a minimalist and many forms of minimalism. What does minimalism mean to you? And, in what ways are you a minimalist?

My bags represent my thoughts about minimalism: at the first glance they are designed simply but if you take a closer look you realise that they are made with supreme attention to details; the edges are aligned and finished carefully.

Sometimes people confuse minimalism with frugality and that’s a big mistake. Minimalism means for me: avoiding the superfluousness preserving and enhancing the quality.

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Are there any websites or other resources that have inspired your minimalism? Favourite books?

Some of my favorite inspiring magazines: Volume Project, Elephant Mag, and Frame Web

Some of very inspiring websites: Design Boom, Its Nice That, Design-Milk, and Dezeen.

In what ways do you struggle with keeping things minimal? What is your weakness?

My biggest challenge is definitely to prioritize tasks.

Have there been any struggles with the other people you live with about living in a minimal way?

Luckily, no! We can always reach a compromise.

What have been some unexpected experiences (positive or negative) you’ve had with minimalism?

It’s simply amazing how much stuff you can have, in a relatively small space, keeping them in order. You would be astonished if I told you on how many square meters I live and work!

How small is your work and living space?

It is the same space. It’s 36 metres squared, which is around 385 square feet.

What advice can you offer to people interested in living a minimalist lifestyle?

Well, as you’ve previously said there are many ways to be a minimalist. People have different interpretations for minimalism therefore it’s pretty difficult to offer advice. However in my opinion it’s always important to distinguish frugality and minimalism. Never compromise the quality when it comes to minimalism!

Do you have any goals for this year or the next few that you want to share?

I am 100% focused on my business; in the next months I am going to design new models and there is another surprise which I will share with you in the near future on my blog. So keep up-to-date! 😉

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Thank you, Nora. Readers you can find Nora on Instagram @inconnulab or over at her webshop and blog Inconnu Lab (great stuff on her blog!). Nora is also on Facebook and Twitter.

You can find all the other interviews in the minimalist series here.

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You might also like my post:

How to Get Started with Minimalism

13 Ways to Simplify Your Wardrobe

Ecominimalism: Talking about Sustainability with Robin Kay

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Wooln: Socially Responsible Knits

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It’s that time of year again when I look forward to wearing a cozy knit hat and sweater around the house, sipping tea with a blanket over my legs. Somehow this is much more comforting than cranking the heat in the house and pretending the cold season is not upon us.

Hippie in Disguise Danielle Chassin Ace & Jig dress Wooln snood

Brunch Addict snood from WOOLN and Arbor dress from Ace & Jig

 

As a vegan I am apprehensive about wool products, but also believe that humans can have symbiotic relationships with animals and that ethical wool is not an oxymoron, but a reality for a small portion of wool produced. I’ve been thinking more and more about the overall impact of goods (the entire lifespan) from production to waste, and how those goods which may be less harmful to animals in the production phase, like micro-fleece clothing, are harmful at the ecosystem level and also negatively impact the lives of many animals, mostly insects (which I count as no less valuable than other animals). At the end of their useful life these products live on forever as landfill. So I’ve had to seriously reconsider opting for animals fibres more often for the greater sustainability of these fibres (wool is biodegradable). Luckily there are more and more companies sourcing ethical wool and making beautiful things with it. Enter Margaux and Faustine…

From France to New York (and many places in between), Faustine and Margaux are two mothers who share a passion for knitting and social responsibility. They recently launched a small knits shop, WOOLN, with an innovative twist. I absolutely love what they are doing and hope their model, that is, doing business with the aim of benefitting society at large, will be adopted by other businesses.

Margaux, Faustine, please, tell me a little bit about yourself. What is your background? How has it influenced your creative pursuits?

Margaux: I was raised in the French countryside and have always wanted to move around the world…which I did many times in my adulthood: I studied in the UK and France, then lived in Italy, New Zealand, Australia and back to Paris. I now live in Brooklyn and I’m thrilled! I believe that starting from zero again so many times makes oneself creative, even not intentionally.

I quit my serious job 5 years ago to dedicate myself to my passion: knitting. My life is all about yarn, needles, wool, patterns and softness since then! (And I confess, sometimes I dream of going back to the countryside!)

Wooln NYC Faustine and Margaux sustainable knits knitwear

Faustine: Sometimes, I feel I have had many lives already, and that I will probably keep going on having “circles of life.” When I finished my Business School in Paris, I went into working in finance in London. And felt so “creatively” frustrated that I gave up after only a few years and settled myself as a full time artist in New York (mostly painting until I started sculpting a year or two ago). This also correlates with when I had my first child. After being a full-time-artist-and-mum for almost 4 years, I met Margaux and we launched WOOLN, and since then, it has been providing me with the perfect balance between creativity (we do everything ourselves, the patterns, our website design and I am the one who makes all the illustrations, the packaging bags, etc…), and business (strategy, sourcing, IT, etc…).

What part of the world do you live in?

M: Brooklyn, NY. Did I already tell you I love it here ?

F: Manhattan, NY. I have lived in 10 different places, and it is by far my favourite place to live in the entire world! Having said that, now that I have a family of my own, I feel I could pretty much live anywhere and be happy, as long as I have my children and my husband with me.

How many children do you have and how would you describe them?

M: I have 2 beautiful girls Cosima and Sidonie aged 3 and 1 and a half. They are both very cheeky!

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F: I have one girl who is 4 and one boy who is 2. They are obviously both equally cute but I can’t decide who gives me more work! And I also have 2 stepchildren from my husband’s first marriage; they are 15 and 9, they are very cute too and don’t give me any work! (They do not live with us). When we travel, we use an entire row of the plane! They all get along so well, it’s the cutest thing to see.

Wooln NYC Faustine Badrichani and family

What is your favourite thing to do as a family?

M: A picnic or an exhibit in a big museum where we can run. Also we love spending long holidays in our family home in the south of France.

F: We love travelling, and now that Joseph is over 18 months, it is getting more fun every time. We are just back from a trip on the US West Coast, which was amazing!

What are you passionate about?

M: Knitting (and cheese too!)

F: Knitting (and cheese too!)

What inspires you?

M: French indie movies, my husband and many of my NZ friends. Kiwis have something special.

F: Reading, travelling, going to museums, watching documentaries, and… Pinterest!

Can you tell me a bit about Wooln? What do you design and how do you source your materials? 

WOOLN is a line of hand-knit accessories, knit by grandmothers and retirees in New York with socially responsible yarn.

Wooln NYC BabyKit wool hat and mittens

M: It took us a very long time to find the perfect yarn; we wanted something local, 100% natural, soft and socially conscious. We finally sourced two types of yarn:

  • One is a 100% American wool – spun and dyed in a family owned spinning mill in Nebraska, with sheep grown up here in the USA
  • The other one is an extremely soft Royal Alpaca yarn. The company works responsibly with artisans in Bolivia and Peru.

I love your term ‘wool agency,’ can you explain what this means to you? 

F: Wool Agency was actually the first name we had found for the company. We changed it to Wooln, because we felt Agency was not really what we were doing, like a nanny agency or web agency was not necessarily what we wanted to be associated too. We picked WOOLN because we liked the vowel drop, which reminded us of other “sharing businesses” like tumblr and flickr, and it felt more 2.0, which is the DNA of our company: we only sell online, we communicate with our knitters via emails, we found a few of them via Craigslist, we raise money via crowdfunding on Kickstarter, our PR is only through bloggers, etc…

By creating WOOLN, we try to match 2 things that matter equally to both of us: having an amazing product, be fashionable, and cool and great looking, as well as doing something good for society, which for us means working in a socially responsible manner, and promoting a new way of buying. We hope we will be able to fulfill those two goals, and not just be this socially responsible company, or this fashionable brand, but a cool mix of both.

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You have an innovative and socially responsible business model, can you tell me more about it?

F: Our model is very innovative as it has not been widely done in the fashion industry; however, it is anchored in the sharing economy trend. We are using talents that are otherwise barely taken advantage of to create a cool product and give consumers a new way of buying. With WOOLN, the act of buying is very personal: buyers know who made their hat, they can know more about them and really have this connection, which is something completely different from what they get by going to one of those big fast fashion brands. Our mission is to create connections between people, and to make buying a question of people, not just of material things. [Danielle: every WOOLN item comes with the name and information about the knitter and you can read more about each knitter on the WOOLN website.]

I love that you share mini biographies of your knitters and the illustrations are such a special touch. Who does your illustration work?

M: Faustine! She is the best illustrator! When I saw her illustrations, drawings and paintings in her studio for the first time I was very impressed. It came naturally that she would draw WOOLN faces for our packaging and branding we didn’t know yet that she would also sketch our knitters.

Wooln NY sustainable knits

F: I have always loved drawing, and drawing for WOOLN allows me to really feel complete and fulfilled with this whole experience! Business with an artistic twist.

One of our Kickstarter rewards is a sketch from me, and so far it has been the most bought reward! It is going to take me a month worth of drawing, but I won’t complain, I just love it!

What has made you the most proud of yourself and your business?

M: Finally getting this project that I’ve had in my head for so long REAL! Being able to forget about fear and judgment, and more practically, visiting a huge number of senior centres in New York to find our great knitters! And of course raising these 2 adorable little girls.

F: Even though we are only in the first year of WOOLN, it is the biggest achievement for me. I feel like I have been waiting for so long to have this fulfilling experience, and everything now comes together, providing me with everything I need to be balanced: doing something for the benefit of society, doing business (I am definitely business minded), being creative and artistic! What else could I ask for? (maybe more time for my family but I do not want to push it…)

What are your dreams for your business and motherhood?

F: Our strategy is really to take one collection at a time, and keep making headway. We have already learnt so much and the season has barely started! On a longer term basis, we hope to add a cotton collection for the warmer months (even though we both enjoy spending our summers in France with our parents and children rather than working in sweaty New York…) And probably extend our locations, maybe start having senior knitters on the West Coast would make sense!

As a mother, I do not have any dreams or goals: I am just trying to do my best and enjoy every little moment with them. Before having kids, I did not really understand why people would say “enjoy every minute of it, it goes by so fast.” Now I do. It does go by way too fast! And I want to make the best of every minute.

Merci Margaux et Faustine // Thank you Margaux and Faustine!

Readers: you can find WOOLN’s online shop here and on Instagram @wooln_ny.

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Meet Creative Mother: Peta of Sapling

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Each creative mother I interview for the blog inspires me in some way, whether it’s how they’ve pursued a dream, crafted a creative life for their family, are living close to nature or are a role model in some other way. Peta Stinson is a lovely business woman I met through Instagram a few years ago, she was always very kind, sincere and open. Who wouldn’t like that?! Despite the fact that my children didn’t fit into any of her clothing I decided to follow her shop on Instagram because I loved how open and honest she was about herself and her business, and she seemed like a good person. I also loved how fearlessly creative and experimental she was.

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Recently, Peta collaborated with actress Jaime King on a collection, including this Be Brave shirt

About a year ago, while her number of followers grew past 20,000 or more (I wasn’t keeping track, so I’m not sure of the number) she decided to unfollow everyone she had in her feed, and just see what would happen. Who would she miss seeing pop up in her feed? Who would stop following her because she had let them go? Who was a fair weather friend and who would stick around? I’m someone who doesn’t bother tracking who follows me or not, it’s information I don’t care to know, so I didn’t notice that Peta had stopped following me. When she mentioned on her Instagram account that she had conducted an Instagram experiment I was intrigued and impressed, I wrote her to say so and that little gesture turned into a dialogue and ongoing rapport. It seems that aside from figuring out who was really interested in her and her line, it actually strengthened some bonds.

Peta continues to intrigue and inspire me, so a few weeks ago I asked if she’d agree to an interview for the blog. Despite her busy days, she gladly agreed. Yay! If you are looking for adorable baby clothing or a businesswoman role model, or just a plain old-fashioned nice person, Peta is someone you’ll want to connect with. Her line, Sapling Child, goes above and beyond in terms of organics, and is pioneering into new areas of sustainable products. She’s one to watch and for very good reason. Without further ado, I present to you: Peta Stinson.

Dear, Peta, please tell me a little bit about yourself. 

I’m a mother of 3, a wife, a designer and an entrepreneur. I’m highly strung, I do too much, I don’t know how to relax, and I love what I do.

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What part of the world do you live in?

At the moment we are super blessed to be able to travel and wander. We are taking the opportunity over the next few years to travel around the world with the kids, at the moment we are in Canada, and enjoying every moment.  

How many children do you have and how would you describe them?

We have 3 kids, all boys, and I swear they are all insane! It’s also AMAZING how different all 3 of them are (like three points on a triangle), although they are all FULL ON – jumping off the beds, climbing up the walls, crashing and banging through life kind of kids – they are all so, SO different.

What are your core family values?

Showing kindness, using manners, helping others, and treading gently. Although, mind you, those values are kind of a rough plan….our babes certainly have a very long way to go. It amazes me that although every day of their lives they are asked: “What do you say…” (when they ask for something), they still don’t always say it! When they do remember these things, I definitely do a happy dance in my head (and say to myself “yeah we got this parenting thing NAILED”).

How do you spend most of your days?

The mornings are pretty much always the same, now that all the boys are at school. I get woken up by my 5 year old, way too early, who still climbs into my bed and covers my face with kisses (I’m trying to enjoy these moments as I know they won’t last forever, but 4 am? Seriously?). We get up, get breakfast organised, wake up the big boys and get them off to school.  

Then it’s a day of work, emails, design, more emails, a bit of pretending that I know what I’m doing, a bit of doing stuff that I have no idea how to do (PR, advertising, at the moment designing packaging, measuring samples), and then before I know it it’s school pick up time.  

We’re lucky enough that we live only a short walk from school, and it’s so lovely all walking home together.  

What is your favourite thing to do as a family?

Sunday morning pancake breakfasts have got to be my fave. We sleep in, make pancakes and sit around the table together eating, giggling (mostly), and planning out our lazy Sunday.

What are you passionate about?

Chocolate? Can I say chocolate?  Hmmmm….

What are some words you live by?

“Breathe it all in. Love it all out.”

Can you tell me a bit about Sapling Child?

Sapling is an organic baby wear company. We use organic cotton, and GOTS certified water based and vegetable based dyes. More than that though, we are a company trying to do what we can to improve the manufacturing industry as a whole, to provide the environmentally conscious alternatives that our community wants, and to show that having corporate ethics doesn’t mean that design has to take a back seat.

We are also fair trade, we pay our workers well above industry standard, we think carefully about our impact on the environment at every step of the manufacturing process. We have an orphanage in India that we also support, and our community contributes to the running, upkeep and items that the orphanage needs when they purchase our clothing.

How would you describe the ethos of Sapling Child in a few words?

Ethically Made.  Exclusively Designed.

Why did you decide to start a business?

We were living in Fiji at the time for my partner’s work. My spouse visa was quite restrictive and it meant I was unable to work. I was at home with the kids, I was restless, bored and I wanted to do something. It wasn’t until I had my third child, Oliver, that I knew what it was I wanted to do.

Oliver had meningitis as a newborn. We almost lost him and he spent many weeks in NICU after we were medivaced back to Australia. At the time, there were limited organic baby clothing choices. The organic clothes that I could find had been dyed with toxic bleaches and dyes. When babies are so sick their skin is so thin and their lungs are so delicate, it was important to me to find something that was truly ALL organic. When I was unable to find anything, that led me to start Sapling.

Do have any projects or collaborations coming up?

YES! We have some super exciting collaborations coming up, but I can’t tell you what they are or who they’re with!!! It’s KILLING me!

Did you life goals and career aspirations change once you had a child?

Definitely. Flexibility wasn’t important to me before kids. Now it’s the most important factor for me in career choice.  Having the flexibility to walk the kids to school, and to pick them up. Having the flexibility to stay at home if one of them is sick. Having the flexibility to take time off when I need it is the most incredible thing.

What are your dreams for your professional work?

I have so many. I’d like to expand beyond babies….we are also researching ways to make diapers and wipes more environmentally friendly.  

What are your dreams for your family?

Unrealistically, for my littles to stay little forever. Realistically, it’s all about happiness.

***

Thank you Peta! Friends and readers you can find Peta’s line Sapling Child online here, and on Instagram @saplingchild and Peta’s personal account @petastinson.

This interview is part of my Creative Mother series, find the rest here.

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