Fashion Editor Juli Alvarez talks to SURevolution about Slow Fashion and a Growing Appreciation for Everything Handmade

Juli Alvarez in Tao Comme des Garcons hat

Fashion Editor, Stylist, Writer

Marcella Echavarria (ME): Do you think sustainability is a passing trend? 

Juli Alvarez (JA): No, there's no turning back now. which is a very good thing.


ME: What are the main trends in accessories for 2011? 

JA: I think we're going to move away from a lot of the excesses that we've been indulging in for the past few seasons. I think we're moving towards a more minimal, clean esthetic...a bit of a cleansing of the palette. I think we will still see bold, beautiful design just in a more quiet, sophisticated way. Less can be more.


ME: What is your favorite SURevolution product? Why? 

JA: I love the jewelry of course. I like that the pieces are from all over the world and that they are made by hand, not mass-produced. Whenever I wear any of my SURevolution pieces, I always get loads of compliments. I also love shooting them, including them in my fashion stories. It makes 'the look' special.


ME: What other sustainable brands do you follow? 

JA: I really like HESSNATUR, EDUN, LEM LEM & KORRES for Beauty.


ME: What is your favorite sustainable material for accessories? 

JA: I think my favorite is tagua*....I love the texture, the shapes and the colors you can dye it. It matches my nutty personality.


ME:. What is the fashion industry missing? 

JA: I think a lot of small, independent companies understand the idea of being conscious and working on a sustainable level...at least they think about it and make an effort but I think the really large mass companies (and they know who they are) don't consider sustainability and the environment, human-rights issues, etc.... It's all about profit, profit, profit at the expense of so much. They make cheap products in a negative way and it should really change. It's time for the consumer to start understanding where these products come from (not just fashion) and the harm it causes, we are way to addicted to cheap products. One kind of inter-related example is the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. What a disaster...one of which I don't think we'll even know the effects of for a while and people are still calling for more drilling. I mean, what is wrong with us??


ME: What is the future of fashion? 

JA: I wish I had the answer to that....but I can say what I would like to see.....and that is a bit of a slower pace, a broader appreciation for craftsmanship and a desire for special hand-made things that hold meaning for the consumer and the artisans that created it. Fashion doesn't have to be expensive to be fabulous, but it's nice to have a unique, hand crafted piece that feels unique.....And it would also be amazing if the USA started to produce more fashion here again. We need to find a way to bring that part of the fashion industry back to life.

SURevolution Tagua* rings

SURevolution animal print Tagua* rings

Tagua Animal Print color chart

*Tagua is a seed that grows from a palm in the Pacific of Colombia, Panama and Ecuador. Because of its texture it is also called vegetable ivory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytelephas 

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/Colombia-Dispatch-8-The-Tagua-Industry.html

Wubet's Netelas

Images by Mark Glassner

Arnold Haas’s Wubet collection takes Ethiopian cotton to a whole new level where design and craftsmanship meet to give stature and relevance to traditional textiles.

Marcella Echavarria (ME): What makes Ethiopian cotton special?

Arnold Haas (AH): Hand-spun and hand-woven cotton brings out the best in these materials; simply lovely.  The fine cotton used for these garments is the base material for most Ethiopian textiles, whether shawls, pillow covers or table linens.

ME: What is the origin of Netela?

AH: Netela is a scarf like cloth made of cotton very thin and delicate, with the texture of a gauze, worn by all women in Ethiopia. 
The Netela has only one/two layers and is quite big.

It’s white with a colorful border (Tibeb) between 1 to 2 inches at each end with two variations, one has only one color and the second can have many colors and patterns.

The Netela can be worn in different ways. For general wear, the Netela covers back and shoulders and the border is folded up over the right shoulder, but for church activities the two layers of the Netela are opened and the border goes over both shoulders.  When the border is worn around the face or shoulders, it’s a sign of mourning, but for recreation or resting the border goes over the left shoulder.

ME: Why did you become interested in Netela?

AH: When I saw these beautifully hand woven textiles it came to my mind to design accessories and using my educational background

and long time experience in the fashion business to establish traditional Ethiopian textiles into the International fashion scene,

an endeavour that will be highly profitable for Ethiopia as Ethiopian textiles are hardly known in the fashion world.

The enthusiastic response that I had from the buyers at my first display during Paris Fashion Week at Premiere Classe

(an International trade show for accessories) was a pleasant surprise.

It encouraged me to step up efforts, to the supply of high-quality, hand woven items that will be appreciated by foreign buyers.

Having those objectives in mind and with tangible results achieved in their production, the next obvious step was to secure such markets.

ME: What is your design input for this old technique?

AH: Ethiopian design may never have been as timely.

In an era of increasing globalization in business, communications, marketing and public policy, as we become one world,

it is important to understand and preserve what is unique to our various cultures.

The beautiful textiles of Ethiopia are unique, I would like to see them cherished and also shared with the world.

I have earned a reputation as a „visionary and imaginative designer" who has attained a „high level of professionalism"

and displays a „unique approach" to process of design.

My „creations are full of originality" and are considered „strong, intelligent pieces, which explore design in an innovative and unique manner".

I have been described as ingeniously clever and elegant and have won praise throughout the international design community as incorporating original minimalist forms.

I believe now is the time for designers to pass up mass production and global branding in favor of personal products that represent individual style.

ME:. What can you tell us about the material, the technique, the artisans who make them?

AH: These textiles are woven by hand in handmade looms.

There is an important group of weavers in the Gamo Highland of Ethiopia among the Doko people.

Weaving is a traditional male job regarded very highly.

Weaving in Ethiopia is an art, which was practiced since ancient times and perfected as far back as the middle Ages.

It has changed very little since then, and is highly skilled, compared to all other crafts in the country.

The weavers called “Shamanes” are highly skilled and incredible talented.

During my stay in Ethiopia from 2003 – 2008 at that point of time W/ro Sara from MUYA decided to create a center were the old,

traditional ways of weaving can be practiced, but at the same time, the environment in which these talented people will be working are very much improved as well as quality and number of products can be increased. New products regularly introduced but at the same time keeping the traditional Ethiopian design alive, to the benefit of all concerned.

Available at SURevolution’s store in Bridgehampton

2462 Main St

Bridgehampton, NY 11932

(631) 613-6565

www.wubet.com

www.surevolution.com
http://handeyeblog.com/content/very-wubet

Weaver Shamane at work. Image by AH

Gomo Gofo Region, Image AH

Karin Nelson: A True Mochila Fan

Karin Nelson is a born and raised New Yorker. Senior editor of V Magazine and a fashion writer for The New York Times

1. Last month you wrote an article about the mochila bags in the Times.

 Can you please tell us why is this bag the IT bag for the summer?

Karin Nelson (KN): Aside from its gorgeous colors and patterns, it's the perfect size and fabric to toss all your stuff in and tote to the beach.

2. What makes it special and unique?

KN: The fact that it's made by hand over the course of several weeks. Very few things today are created with such care and devotion.

3. Do you think one of a kind conscious products like the mochila are defining the trend and the road that fashion is following?

KN: Well, it's definitely a growing sector with more attention being paid to it. I think a lot of people—both within the fashion industry and outside—are developing an aversion to mass-made, easily disposable clothing.

4. Is this sudden consciousness a trend? will it last?

KN: I don't think it's a trend. I think we actually are evolving as human beings and realizing that we need to make better decisions about what we consume—whether it's food or fashion.

5. Do you think fashionistas care about the story, the women who make the bags?

KN: I think so. At the very, very least, it makes for interesting cocktail conversation.

6.What other products similar to the mochila have you discovered recently?

KN: I haven't really discovered anything lately quite as special as the mochila. That's what makes it such a must-have!