tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62945436704367409132024-02-20T20:08:40.209+11:00Madame TayMadame Tây is a hobby clothing project, where we aim to create simple, handmade, ethically-produced garments. The project is not just about the finished product, it is also about the process. While we have a passion for beautiful clothes, we are using this blog to explore some of the ideas and questions we have around ethics, culture, travel, fashion, global manufacturing, trade and consumption.
www.madametay.com
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17323243413038388379noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-2875991586442113712018-07-18T23:43:00.000+10:002018-07-18T23:43:59.975+10:00Our Dakar Workshop<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjrP0eqWWKcNQcL8DO4wy4J8tYY4v_F3tuhyphenhyphenh9jTCa0LgJNoPOHhR0ihDXm2RAKMQCIKFsF11VJnuDRJfA1AqJMBayzvGyw8M8FQ67Nm7VCikgXrzSEOdD_zzCjxKqCVOuLhzIkE5qXzR/s1600/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjrP0eqWWKcNQcL8DO4wy4J8tYY4v_F3tuhyphenhyphenh9jTCa0LgJNoPOHhR0ihDXm2RAKMQCIKFsF11VJnuDRJfA1AqJMBayzvGyw8M8FQ67Nm7VCikgXrzSEOdD_zzCjxKqCVOuLhzIkE5qXzR/s640/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-16.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Alou working hard on one of two sewing machines in the Ouakam workshop.<br />
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Finding a space to work in Dakar wasn't easy. Luckily for us, our dear friend Anne-Marie Diatta (whose work we spoke about <a href="http://madame-tay.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/west-african-inspiration-anne-de-la-v.html" target="_blank">here</a>) graciously allowed us to use her workshop in Ouakam, Dakar.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Singare, Alou, Anne-Marie and her apprentice Astou in the Ouakam workshop.</td></tr>
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Anne-Marie's Ouakam Workshop is a small room at the front of a clandestine bar (Ouakam has a large population of Catholics, which is rare for the Senegalese capital) which would get rowdy as the sun fell each day. The workshop contains stacks of fabric collected over Anne-Marie's many years of fashion design, piles of design catalogues and reels upon reels of cotton thread in every colour imaginable. Alou and Singare would work on a large cutting table at the front of the workshop to create the pieces for each garment and would sew on two electric sewing machines, and a small overlocking machine. Electricity is notoriously unreliable in Dakar, so we'd often pause when the power cut out, taking the time to visit friends in the <i>quartier, </i>drink tea on the porch or sneak off home for a quick nap in the heat of the afternoon. </div>
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Ouakam is a bustling suburb which has seen exponential growth over the past few years, with new apartment buildings springing up overnight. Ouakam is squeezed in between the Leopold Sedar Senghor International Airport, and the Mamelles Beach with the Monument of the African Renaissance towering over the prospering suburb. Like all of Dakar, the streets of Ouakam are always busy with people selling their wares, children playing and people busily making their way to work. Ouakam became the heartland for Madame Tây in Dakar, with our most of our days spent in the workshop. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The African Renaissance Monument during construction in 2012, in the foreground are the minarets of the Mosque of Divinity</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ouakam seen from above</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Singare with one of our Dropped Waist Dresses</td></tr>
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Anne-Marie is a Ouakam local, and generously gave us lots of local tips and introduced us to many of our Ouakam friends. Anne-Marie provided invaluable technical support using her years of fashion training in France to assist us with tricky cuts and even trickier fabrics. She would also regularly bring us large plates of thieboudienne - the famous Senegalese rice and fish dish and she was always ready for a laugh at the end of a long day!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anne-Marie in the workshop in one of her incredible creations.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alou handling the delicate indigo cotton we used for our tie back top.</td></tr>
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<br />Cara Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12915033190663596851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-89648961287352228572016-09-26T09:30:00.000+10:002016-09-26T09:30:10.835+10:00Dakar Markets - Marché Malien <div style="text-align: center;">
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The Marché Malien (Malian Market) is one of my favourite places in Dakar. It used to be situated around the gorgeous Gare de Dakar which up until a few years ago functioned as a train link between Dakar and Bamako, Mali. The Malian Market sprung up quite naturally around the station as it acted for so long as the trading link between Senegal and Mali. The station is no longer open, and the Dakar-Bamako train is a thing of the past, but the market lives on.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stacks of shea butter, incense and jars of jewellery.</td></tr>
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Sadly, while I was in Dakar in early 2015, the Malian Market was in the process of settling into a new location away from the train station and closer to the centre of town. Many of the traders were upset about this - it turns out the land the market had been on, next to the train station, had been sold to foreign investors and was about to be turned into apartments. </div>
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Despite this upheaval, business continued as usual and the traders were continuing to sell their wares even amongst last minute construction and without the electricity connected in the new site. I went to the market to source all the bogolanfini we used in the new collection (we wrote about the fabric <a href="http://madame-tay.blogspot.com.au/2016/01/focus-on-fabrics-bogolanfini.html" target="_blank">here</a> and our use of it <a href="http://madame-tay.blogspot.com.au/2016/01/bogolan-skirt-with-sarah.html" target="_blank">here</a>). I became somewhat of a regular, and whenever I needed to pick up some bogolanfini I would call Habib. </div>
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Habib is Senegalese-Malian, and has been working at the market for a long, long time. He works in a store that sells all types of fabrics (Bamako is known as a the textile capital of West Africa for a reason) as well as beads, jewellery, beauty products, incense and traditional outfits (including the most stunning men's kaftans made from a heavy, handwoven cotton). Habib is a charmer, and would insist on teaching me some Bambara (the main language of Mali) and regularly slip small containers of fresh shea butter into my bag without me knowing! He is also a great negotiator, and we had a lot of laughs as I stumbled through my broken Wolof to try and get the right price! If you're in Dakar and looking to buy some bogolanfini, or any other Malian products, ask around for Habib at the market and tell him I said 'M'bifé' (which is the first expression he taught me in Bambara - it means 'I love you'!).</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Habib at the Marché Malien</td></tr>
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Extra viewing: Short documentary<a href="https://vimeo.com/9102883" target="_blank"> 'Dakar Terminus'</a> (in French) documents the journey from Bamako to Dakar of female traders bringing 'thioup' (dyed cotton cloth called bazin). Around the 8:27 mark you get a great glimpse of what the Gare de Dakar was like in its heyday.</div>
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Thanks to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Gadaay/" target="_blank">Djibril Drame</a> for the photos.</div>
Cara Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12915033190663596851noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-85295159605742969492016-09-24T10:24:00.000+10:002018-07-18T23:45:26.417+10:00Partner Profile: Alassane Dioum and Singare Ndiaye<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Singare Ndiaye (L) and Alassane Dioum (R) in our workshop in Ouakam, Dakar.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfZODuHAnRPjjzaqiHpTT4aOiZz5RiyEONa1q4mE03krRlahfqdcu8tbf-Xs99CY0vkmA5czN7Tzi6Mazkgsw9K_5dh8lMm8HOAEljCUKKTBnp5zde6NJDvupTo2xNkhMr3g3-wE20KDQ/s1600/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wQ9pRWB3TWf7zoPfqW31mZH8xtGGRypa1LzlKf7ULMs_2lykinr2ELtODCWLgbsJ8GpO3mAWrVgihbpbyfCehXIMRYKLOMQgcB-gY6rZu5WgGbDyHQW5VNbAR6w48Qsu7Q0JWFi3NXa8/s1600/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfZODuHAnRPjjzaqiHpTT4aOiZz5RiyEONa1q4mE03krRlahfqdcu8tbf-Xs99CY0vkmA5czN7Tzi6Mazkgsw9K_5dh8lMm8HOAEljCUKKTBnp5zde6NJDvupTo2xNkhMr3g3-wE20KDQ/s1600/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wQ9pRWB3TWf7zoPfqW31mZH8xtGGRypa1LzlKf7ULMs_2lykinr2ELtODCWLgbsJ8GpO3mAWrVgihbpbyfCehXIMRYKLOMQgcB-gY6rZu5WgGbDyHQW5VNbAR6w48Qsu7Q0JWFi3NXa8/s1600/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wQ9pRWB3TWf7zoPfqW31mZH8xtGGRypa1LzlKf7ULMs_2lykinr2ELtODCWLgbsJ8GpO3mAWrVgihbpbyfCehXIMRYKLOMQgcB-gY6rZu5WgGbDyHQW5VNbAR6w48Qsu7Q0JWFi3NXa8/s1600/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wQ9pRWB3TWf7zoPfqW31mZH8xtGGRypa1LzlKf7ULMs_2lykinr2ELtODCWLgbsJ8GpO3mAWrVgihbpbyfCehXIMRYKLOMQgcB-gY6rZu5WgGbDyHQW5VNbAR6w48Qsu7Q0JWFi3NXa8/s1600/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
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We're really excited to introduce you to Singare Ndiaye and Alassane Dioum, the artisans behind the garments which feature in our 2016 collection. Singare and Alou worked tirelessly to create the garments in a small atelier in Ouakam, nestled in the north of Dakar. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisb1C5-TUMWJEUc1mwJMT07V1UJFXQRQupQk914AZHRKYXXsjn5KgkWqDbGm0Sks4QoBgEGfFRkpYf3z61bspbOOVXIKFobJNnLB8oa6Hp8LKRra61sRDbfbiKi3DQeDXXk6HxwYnTMZT/s1600/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisb1C5-TUMWJEUc1mwJMT07V1UJFXQRQupQk914AZHRKYXXsjn5KgkWqDbGm0Sks4QoBgEGfFRkpYf3z61bspbOOVXIKFobJNnLB8oa6Hp8LKRra61sRDbfbiKi3DQeDXXk6HxwYnTMZT/s640/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-18.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Singare and Alou are great emerging talents, with both having only worked in the field of tailoring for a short time. Both Singare and Alou would travel over 30 kilometres everyday from their suburb of Thiaroye into the centre of Dakar to work with us.<br />
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We're incredibly thankful to both Alou and Singare for their hardwork, friendship and support - including lots of trips to the markets to source the best buttons and zips in Dakar, and lots of hours patiently working with Cara to design and create samples upon samples as we developed the range.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Singare and his Impec (short for 'impeccable'!) foot-pedal sewing machine.</td></tr>
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Working openly and transparently with local artisans was a key part of our vision for this collection. We were lucky to meet Singare and Alou through our dear friend Anne-Marie Diatta, and really valued working with such talented and engaged tailors. Both Alou and Singare became part of the Madame Tây team easily, and both quickly understood our vision for the brand and what we were trying to bring to the Australian market.<br />
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Both Singare and Alou dedicated themselves to Madame Tây despite already having full-time tailoring jobs, and worked tirelessly to finish the garments to production deadlines. We worked closely with both Singare and Alou to fix price points on each garments, and we paid them what they deemed a good price for their design input and labour, always ensuring to pay them for any overtime they did. <br />
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Alou and Singare are both still working in Dakar. If you're in Dakar and looking for some talented tailors, please drop us a line - we'd be happy to pass on their contact details.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alou with some of the beautiful indigo dyed cotton we used in this collection.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alou carefully measures out a Wax Print Pencil Skirt.</td></tr>
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If you'd like to provide any feedback to Singare and Alou about the garments and their handiwork, please drop us a line at enquiries@madametay.com and we'll gladly forward it to them. They'd love to hear from you! </div>
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Cara with Alou and Singare the workshop.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWpMw-FKdgPegUbahInIgqCRIkLU-dEycwZDv_mSG6_2FiR97w3DzAp1BwBIis8N4a2HGpL9NN6hmCS7m1TSnH7sMGkY4MoHYf_1CY3O-jbpzzOBX7nh8DtgpgvLyqL2DTKzFGns23A_0Q/s1600/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWpMw-FKdgPegUbahInIgqCRIkLU-dEycwZDv_mSG6_2FiR97w3DzAp1BwBIis8N4a2HGpL9NN6hmCS7m1TSnH7sMGkY4MoHYf_1CY3O-jbpzzOBX7nh8DtgpgvLyqL2DTKzFGns23A_0Q/s640/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-32.jpg" width="640" /></a>Cara Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12915033190663596851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-331561577907455262016-09-23T16:12:00.001+10:002016-09-23T16:12:56.191+10:00New Collection LaunchWe're really excited to announce we're preparing to launch our newest range! As the sun begins to shine a little stronger and we begin to approach the glorious Australian summer, we've been busy working on a new way to bring the latest Madame Tây garments to you. We're also really excited to introduce you to the artisans we partnered with to create this new range of garments - so stay tuned!<br />
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<br />Cara Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12915033190663596851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-26446192700454324392016-01-26T12:53:00.001+11:002016-01-26T12:58:45.468+11:00Interview with Yevu<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 14.2666664123535px;"><i>Welcome to the second interview in our "ethical" fashion series. Today, we speak to <span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;">Anna Robertson - the force behind <a href="http://www.yevuclothing.com/" target="_blank">YEVU</a>.</span></i></span><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 14.2666664123535px;"><i> </i></span></span></div>
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<b>1. You’ve now been running YEVU for more than two years. Can you tell us the </b><b>story about how YEVU got started and what were your motivations for creating it?</b><br />
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I started YEVU with no long term plans. It was created quite organically out of a love of West African print and a vision to transform them for the Australian summer. The response in Sydney was pretty incredible and I realised there was a demand for it here, and its just grown since then. I think since that initial inception, its become much more than that - partnering with small businesses who have little income and working with mostly economically disadvantaged women has become the foundation for the enterprise. I am slowly trying to scale this side of it up, monitor, evaluate and grow in social impact.<br />
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<b>2. You’ve branded YEVU as a socially responsible label. Why did you settle on the term ‘socially responsible’ and what does this mean as far as YEVU is concerned?</b></div>
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I don't feel particularly comfortable using the word 'ethical' at this stage. It gets thrown around a lot, and it can cover a lot or very little of a businesses practice. YEVU is not an eco label, there's plenty of ways in which we could be <i>more </i>ethical. But we're working in a challenging and constrained environment, and I'd prefer to focus our attention on areas that we can address, as small and incremental as they are. Operating a business with a social impact or prerogative, at least. That's the aim. Ensuring that we are generating income for each individual that is above the living wage of Ghana, employing mostly women and ensuring that our supply chain is fair and transparent are key priorities. Providing on the job training with designers will hopefully help to sustain this income in the non producing periods of YEVU's 'seasons'. </div>
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<b>3. Much attention has been given to how difficult it is to manufacture clothing in </b><b>an ethical way overseas. For example, Oxfam Australia suggests that in order </b><b>to ensure that the clothes you are buying are ‘sweat shop free’, consumers </b><b>should buy clothing which ‘carries the carries the Ethical Clothing Australia </b><b>(ECA) label’ applied to garments manufactured in Australia by people who </b><b>receive regulated wage rates and conditions. What has been your experience </b><b>in creating a socially responsible company that works with garment makers in </b><b>Ghana. What are some of the successes and also challenges that you have </b><b>faced?</b><br />
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I'm not super hung up on buying everything ethical - I don't look for an ECA label on what I'm buying. But I know what the ECA does, I know what the label means (and sometimes it can mean very very little). I'm an informed consumer and am aware of my choices, and would encourage others to be. Working with garment makers in Ghana for me is challenging on a personal level because I am not a designer, nor have I run a business before, so best practices are learnt on the job at times. Challenges specific to the ethics of the job though, well trying to regulate hours is almost impossible - our makers want to work all the time, and with constant power cuts affecting the entire country, sometimes night time is the only time we can work. Retaining employees is difficult at times because I'm not in the country frequently enough, but I do have a very trustworthy business partner on the ground there who can mitigate against some of these issues. And also assuming to know what's best for the people we work with can be a trap you fall into. You got to talk to people and learn from each other.<br />
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<b>4. What has been your client base's response to the socially responsible aspect of YEVU? Do you believe this has been a selling point?</b><br />
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It's not the socially responsible aspect of the brand that sells it, I don't think. That's a secondary bonus. Its the product, at the end of the day that's important. The fact that everything is made in Ghana and all our imagery etc is very Ghana focused, that's a selling point because its so exotic and cool. </div>
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<b>4. What’s next for YEVU?</b><br />
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We're currently showing our new range and with it, growth, challenges and new project aspects that will allow us to increase the reach we have in Ghana.<br />
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<i>All photos from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/yevuclothing?ref=hl" target="_blank">YEVU</a>.</i> <br />
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YEVU's Pop Up in Melbourne is open until 31 January.<br />For those of you in Melbourne, get down to Johnston st before it closes!</h3>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17323243413038388379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-89494534610858407232016-01-24T14:11:00.000+11:002016-01-24T14:12:58.643+11:00Dakar Markets - HLM<span id="goog_2060727969"></span><span id="goog_2060727970"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmBHxDBFzQkCWL4NoqgFo0_8R5kWy57Q8JgTjK6PyES0cohrha8FY0jRblatZdkgP3mJi0NDOKYPMQCFqxLSW_p4jm4GJmmy2FS2VS_pMv5ITmmJyQk1qMXBcIadzJftpAKMR2ocPZEzB/s1600/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmBHxDBFzQkCWL4NoqgFo0_8R5kWy57Q8JgTjK6PyES0cohrha8FY0jRblatZdkgP3mJi0NDOKYPMQCFqxLSW_p4jm4GJmmy2FS2VS_pMv5ITmmJyQk1qMXBcIadzJftpAKMR2ocPZEzB/s640/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The bustling markets of Dakar and the people who we met there are such an important part of the Madame Tây creation process. We spent hours trawling through piles of fabric, visiting shop after shop and chatting with so many shop assistants and traders, its hard to remember everyone's names!<br />
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Today, we're giving you a glimpse of Marché HLM - Dakar's largest and most renown textile market. HLM is the place we found lots of our wax print, some of the cotton and silk-mix linings we used, as well as buttons and zips. We'd like to show you around, and introduce you to some of the people we worked with to source all our materials. If you're in Dakar and are looking for textile supplies, drop us a line and we'll gladly pass on our friends' contact details.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_OXrTxw5d3ZmyVPXbEZ1hsF3nvcJ9CTA6u-SPN-fPwfpaUtvlOf9A-URzJeQCU8cYFDTq0CIiKDCJvZH-a80u9hkGWzH9cZpm1kq-FiskKSNv1y55x9OjMGYCnFi0BxbMxRj_B-mp7Z8/s1600/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-9.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_OXrTxw5d3ZmyVPXbEZ1hsF3nvcJ9CTA6u-SPN-fPwfpaUtvlOf9A-URzJeQCU8cYFDTq0CIiKDCJvZH-a80u9hkGWzH9cZpm1kq-FiskKSNv1y55x9OjMGYCnFi0BxbMxRj_B-mp7Z8/s640/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-9.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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This is Malick. Malick runs Dakar's best zip store! It is tiny, and full to the brim of bags upon bags of zips of all shapes, colours and sizes. Cara would go to see Malick and ask for a specific size, colour and type of zip and he would deftly climb piles of bags to the exact place where such a zip was kept. For a few weeks during production, Malick had travelled to a different city and Cara and his replacement spent hours looking for the right zips - no one else knows his store like he does!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWJ-4uypXmpP0v90agG5RkV6xE95rEsCSBijJ6Iffdp-beGZz5FWNjsoFn9qixJMkZ7SLKXYO_U5G4O87P9-0WII6gcYaE3gjosXCvxx2Nh4rBEo-EljGEedfnZiqio4IDXwgExSLzGXS/s1600/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-10.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWJ-4uypXmpP0v90agG5RkV6xE95rEsCSBijJ6Iffdp-beGZz5FWNjsoFn9qixJMkZ7SLKXYO_U5G4O87P9-0WII6gcYaE3gjosXCvxx2Nh4rBEo-EljGEedfnZiqio4IDXwgExSLzGXS/s640/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-10.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbyNqNDrt_Rpw393vfNPuwiB-jlAiZWoD5_fuwG-lmB2AvHxucyG8JpNM_0EydQYf0YY_8XlFU4pTMWOOfND7jv5H-rYJgdLCcW9kW_hkLDqxSy7oxvNmVDT2BgMfD-5yfYmAVUxotwMc/s1600/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-7.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbyNqNDrt_Rpw393vfNPuwiB-jlAiZWoD5_fuwG-lmB2AvHxucyG8JpNM_0EydQYf0YY_8XlFU4pTMWOOfND7jv5H-rYJgdLCcW9kW_hkLDqxSy7oxvNmVDT2BgMfD-5yfYmAVUxotwMc/s640/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-7.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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This is Abdou. Abdou runs a tiny little stall inside the dark corridors of HLM market. He is incredibly friendly and was super patient as Cara stumbled through her broken Wolof to explain what sort of fabric she was looking for everytime she'd visit him. Abdou would help her search the whole market if she needed a specific colour or fabric, and sold us lots of the lovely, thick cotton and some beautifully soft silk-mix that we used to line some of our garments.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFXugWNuoWLPOdF09rflRzK8-lOhN8LZfMspGjwBIFdH8p-9AnXjHjkdBKxL90952rUzfS61Nbyw4vFykP_r3mrTOBd71TwVnu5aBWWyYTaEkKe9eof1HZu2dNaF3lMrqCpJRQXDyIXnM/s1600/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-6.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFXugWNuoWLPOdF09rflRzK8-lOhN8LZfMspGjwBIFdH8p-9AnXjHjkdBKxL90952rUzfS61Nbyw4vFykP_r3mrTOBd71TwVnu5aBWWyYTaEkKe9eof1HZu2dNaF3lMrqCpJRQXDyIXnM/s640/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-6.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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This is Yaye - you might remember him from <a href="http://madame-tay.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/west-african-textiles-indigo.html" target="_blank">our blog post last year about indigo fabric</a>. Cara was super happy to run into him at HLM market once again, and bought lots of great indigo thioup - a soft, beaten cotton fabric from Guinea. Yaye is well known around HLM - when Cara went to see him, she learnt to ask around for 'Borom Thioup' ('borom' is Wolof for 'boss') and would quickly find him. Yaye is a lovely guy, and speaks some English as he grew up in anglophone Gambia, but prefers to converse in Wolof - which was a gladly accepted challenge for Cara! Yaye also has incredible balance and will walk around HLM with a (heavy!) pile of cloth resting on his head.<br />
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This is El Hadji. El Hadji sells a huge range of pagne tissé (woven cloth) in the middle of the market. El Hadji's stall is in the middle of a row of other stalls selling pagne tissé and Cara got to know him on her first visit - many of the other sellers were agressively trying to sell her cloth, and El Hadji had such a gentle approach (and look at that smile!). El Hadji stocks pagne tissé from across Senegal - in the photo above you can see the neutral coloured cloth to his left, which is mainly from the Serere people, and to his right are rolls of the brighter, shiny pagne tissé he sources from Mandjak weavers from Guinea-Bissau who work around Dakar.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIyn4XFV6UInYsIFPAsFmW4n4kbQcOHMIBQG2J4d08OqgBVZ4WC-EzULigwRYI63OuovzqtJ738Gs2ulptczWh-SIandHHmPp6Orpc3jwIx1lqfWpVVNGLR0ZjDeIM30IT05PU2iAfly4E/s1600/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIyn4XFV6UInYsIFPAsFmW4n4kbQcOHMIBQG2J4d08OqgBVZ4WC-EzULigwRYI63OuovzqtJ738Gs2ulptczWh-SIandHHmPp6Orpc3jwIx1lqfWpVVNGLR0ZjDeIM30IT05PU2iAfly4E/s640/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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This is Mohammed. Mohammed is originally from Sierra Leone, and would enthusiastically greet Cara in English everytime she walked past! Mohammed owns his stall in conjuction with his mother, who herself has her own stall further into the market. Mohammed sells a range of beautiful wax print, but his best seller is the hand-jewelled lengths of lace (in the photos he is using his embossing machine to apply the blingy jewels that Senegalese women adore!). Mohammed was really helpful, and very patient as Cara decided upon which gorgeous wax prints to purchase for our new collection.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTbADe7WbHF55MRGjJAlTrHFaYX8VEf2blAflb7SvuKMo5P39ZuZI1Q2Hya-DYb821KdwT2iowF_HFHxK3CNEVIxpnknF5bim_vSCsYgpkXeiJWbSuO462e9r8vUEijzO5ftYSp3zkLy62/s1600/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTbADe7WbHF55MRGjJAlTrHFaYX8VEf2blAflb7SvuKMo5P39ZuZI1Q2Hya-DYb821KdwT2iowF_HFHxK3CNEVIxpnknF5bim_vSCsYgpkXeiJWbSuO462e9r8vUEijzO5ftYSp3zkLy62/s1600/MADAMTAY%2540DakarExcusrion%2540Market%2540Sellers-3.jpg" /></a><br />
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Thanks to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Gadaay/" target="_blank">Djibril Drame</a> for the photos. </div>
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<br />Cara Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12915033190663596851noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-85001792890191699332016-01-17T10:39:00.000+11:002016-01-17T10:39:35.884+11:00Focus on Fabrics: Bogolanfini<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Bogolanfini, otherwise known simply as bogolan has recently taken the Western design world by storm, with the distinctive geometric cloth popping up in all sorts of homewares and decoration sites. Despite this recent emergence in the Western design world, bogolanfini has a long history in Mali, where it originates and where it continues to play an important cultural role.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bogolanfini by Naktune Diarra, <a href="http://broadstrokes.org/2012/09/28/great-washington-museums-smithsonian-national-museum-of-natural-history/" target="_blank">The Smithsonian</a><br />
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<span class="s1">History</span></h3>
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<span class="s1">Originating in the historic region of Beledougou (which today is known as Koulikoro), bogolanfini cloth has been present in Mali for centuries and is traditionally fabricated by the Bamana people. The word bogolanfini comes from the Bambara language and breaks down into three parts - ‘bogo’ means mud, ‘lan’ means with and ‘fini’ means cloth. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Over time, the cloth has remained a vestige of Malian cultural practice, despite losing popularity in the 1970s amongst contemporary Malian families. The 1980s and 1990s saw a reappearance of the cloth as Malian creatives such as Ismael Diabaté and Chris Seydou went to great efforts to reinvigorate bogolanfini practices, and began using the cloth in their work. The result of this push towards recognising the aesthetic beauty of bogolan has led to the cloth’s widespread popularity - both within Mali and globally - and has meant that the cloth is now often mass produced and, some would argue, has lost some of its traditional significance.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbJVh3IgEh1H-DRJiUXDoTLXidigxyDtzcPfiUBznVRjYmZW9tCeszrJ-Zt3mPl_Fs9-vKTxE6CwOgomdNt3iqRT7x30Yeg6y1dDm3mSjH-UdQV-POU2EA6zmq8EUhPWlQUk_VnjAdnsq/s1600/Bogolan+image+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="433" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbJVh3IgEh1H-DRJiUXDoTLXidigxyDtzcPfiUBznVRjYmZW9tCeszrJ-Zt3mPl_Fs9-vKTxE6CwOgomdNt3iqRT7x30Yeg6y1dDm3mSjH-UdQV-POU2EA6zmq8EUhPWlQUk_VnjAdnsq/s640/Bogolan+image+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the <a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/312395" target="_blank">Met Museum Collection</a></td></tr>
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<span class="s1">Traditionally, bogolanfini was made only by women, who were responsible for passing down the technique and the knowledge of patterns and symbols to their daughters. Bogolanfini has always played a significant role in Bamana culture, with hunters wearing tunics made of the cloth to protect them, and women using the cloth as wrappers (like sarongs, worn wrapped around the waist) during important events like initiation to adulthood, prior to the consummation of marriage and after childbirth. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBJA38-KQmJZxMOI_unLYbrEzBW6MJr5pGbye-1ocklTsRjOiaJ0f3HpN_SewZrtxjgdBtPHfdfJj8EwrCeceWq4zMzP15uqkp4WdRGLMWFnMhKuzzGjW8KQqCjAxqTHyIneNkEIPW0dX/s1600/bogolan+nakunte.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBJA38-KQmJZxMOI_unLYbrEzBW6MJr5pGbye-1ocklTsRjOiaJ0f3HpN_SewZrtxjgdBtPHfdfJj8EwrCeceWq4zMzP15uqkp4WdRGLMWFnMhKuzzGjW8KQqCjAxqTHyIneNkEIPW0dX/s640/bogolan+nakunte.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nakunte Diarra, well known bogolanfini artist. Taken from <a href="http://indigoarts.com/" target="_blank">Indigo Arts</a></td></tr>
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<span class="s1">Process</span></h3>
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<span class="s1">The process of creating bogolanfini is a long, arduous one that traditionally would take two to three weeks. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">1. The Cloth</span></h4>
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<span class="s1"> The process starts with long strips of handwoven cotton which are called <i>finimugu </i>in Bambara (the cotton is grown locally in Mali, handspan into yarn and then handwoven by male weavers on a wooden loom) that are sewn together to create a large, rectangular cloth. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">2. Mordant </span></h4>
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<span class="s1">The natural cotton cloth is then soaked in a solution made from leaves of the N’gallama tree - the tannin from this solution acts as a mordant, and prepares the cloth to absorb the mud dye. The cloth is then removed from this solution and left to dry in the sun - at this stage, the cloth is a vibrant yellow colour. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">3. Mud</span></h4>
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<span class="s1">Once dried, the artisan will apply muds which are harvested once a year from the bottom of the Niger river. The best mud is found in the middle of the river, and many fishermen spend the month diving to the bottom of the river and collecting this mud - which is a very physically demanding task. This mud is then stored in sealed clay pots and allowed to ferment for a year before being ready to use. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">This mud is applied by the artisan to the dried, yellow cloth in the chosen design or pattern. As the cloth dries, there is a chemical reaction between the mordant and the mud and the cloth absorbs the dark colour of the mud. Once the mud is entirely dry, it is washed off and the final pattern or design emerges.</span></div>
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4. Colour Intensification </h4>
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The cloth is then often redipped in the N’gallamma solution to enhance the colour, and to achieve the dark black bogolan, like the one used in our bogolan skirts, artisans are required to paint over the designs again with another layer of mud - this intensifies and sets the colour.<span class="s1"></span></div>
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<span class="s1">5. Bleach </span></h4>
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<span class="s1">Once the mud dye has been sufficiently applied, artisans will use a bleach to remove the yellow traces from the N’gallama solution, or other solutions to turn the yellow into beige and brown hues. After this, what remains is lighter (sometimes white or beige) pattern on a darker background (sometimes black, dark brown or dark red, depending on the design). </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOV8BEj_JemNT8_P3TcDkERGMP1uMxvDMHM3_PPC9PJ-VsgzCuuieFmaOHxkS6K2KiiQCduKyWFsr4xcyfxx6PviwPXnHsbJASf-zGWlPLbrPvGqKmTA-TysDDnGqMhinmy3vbNMdZCv4p/s1600/3041147086_8dc139d097_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOV8BEj_JemNT8_P3TcDkERGMP1uMxvDMHM3_PPC9PJ-VsgzCuuieFmaOHxkS6K2KiiQCduKyWFsr4xcyfxx6PviwPXnHsbJASf-zGWlPLbrPvGqKmTA-TysDDnGqMhinmy3vbNMdZCv4p/s640/3041147086_8dc139d097_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bogolan from Endé, Mali - <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/anjacronenberg/3041147086/" target="_blank">Anja Cronenburg</a></td></tr>
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<span class="s1">BOGOLAN & MADAME TÂY</span></h3>
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<span class="s1">We were drawn to bogolanfini, like many others, for its beauty and simplicity. The handmade nature of the cloth also appealed to us as we learnt more about textiles created in West Africa. For us, supporting local textile fabrication and encouraging the continuation of cultural practices was a driving force for our new collection from Senegal and we are really excited to be able to include a piece made from this gorgeous cloth.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">However, it is also important for us to acknowledge the impact bogolan’s growing popularity has had both on the quality of the cloth being produced in Mali, and on the cloth’s cultural and social significance. Given the popularity of bogolan across the Western design world, the demand for the cloth has soared in recent years. Whilst this has increased employment opportunities and generated economic growth in the region, the heightened demand has also lead to many traditional practices adapting to quick, mass-production and losing some of their cultural details. We have learnt that much bogolan is now produced by men, who don’t learn the techniques and meanings of symbols in the same way women traditionally have, and who favour the use of stencils to apply the mud and other time-saving techniques, instead of the painstaking hand painting techniques traditionally used. Many of these men are from across Mali too, so the fabrication of the cloth is no longer a Bamana-specific craft. Many also argue that as the demand for the cloths shifts from traditional uses to modern uses (homewares, fashion etc) that the original symbolic language is no longer valued, and hence is being lost. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwpKOF5OaAVdm-2VmOy3TYVzMu6WG_Da5OS_y5RTxm9GpT109t1cso-ihk227005SM2aeHx2_ZM4uEMH1dFEPF6llmNjHZOuIQ068FUmBd1uPqRm_juZQ-pyVLmgW6meJCWGZb0eGmfzYG/s1600/Bogolan-in-San-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwpKOF5OaAVdm-2VmOy3TYVzMu6WG_Da5OS_y5RTxm9GpT109t1cso-ihk227005SM2aeHx2_ZM4uEMH1dFEPF6llmNjHZOuIQ068FUmBd1uPqRm_juZQ-pyVLmgW6meJCWGZb0eGmfzYG/s640/Bogolan-in-San-large.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bogolan artisan adds white pattern to dyed cloth with a stencil - an example of modern bogolan production.<br />
Take from <a href="http://www.mnh.si.edu/africanvoices/mudcloth/index_flash.html" target="_blank">The Smithsonian</a></td></tr>
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<span class="s1">The use of bogolanfini in contemporary fashion is thus problematic. Taking something that belongs to a culture and appropriating it for another use without it’s cultural context can lead to a devaluing of culture and can often impact the role of the object in its original context. After discussing it ourselves, we decided that promoting West African textile practices, and directly supporting artisans and their networks was most important to us. By purchasing bogolan directly from Malian fabric traders at Dakar’s Malian Market, who in turn bought the cloth directly from the artisans in Bamako and its surrounds themselves, we hoped to support local textile practice. We spent hours trawling the Malian Market for genuine, handwoven bogolan and chose only the fabric we believed to be produced in the traditional way that we’ve described here. Our hope is that by using local produced and designed fabric, like the bogolan we selected for our Bogolan skirt, that we are supporting and encouraging local textile fabrication. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0t8GL60O6HyWN-U0h65vTG3weC7UGBeSacjHpZCJzTlUMrs-wCGyFSDWY1OzsQC8WBZl40fUTlEy8fxyMeT0ILo21XuSwyZ2JfnVmCwAji1MF-Dlp6JKbAzEe8WMmjGunT0WoQnBISZuh/s1600/IMG_0206+%25281024x683%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0t8GL60O6HyWN-U0h65vTG3weC7UGBeSacjHpZCJzTlUMrs-wCGyFSDWY1OzsQC8WBZl40fUTlEy8fxyMeT0ILo21XuSwyZ2JfnVmCwAji1MF-Dlp6JKbAzEe8WMmjGunT0WoQnBISZuh/s640/IMG_0206+%25281024x683%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Habibi, our bogolan dealer at the Malian Market in Dakar, Senegal</td></tr>
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<span class="s1">We’re really open to discussions around this, and would love to hear your feedback and thoughts.</span></div>
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Cara Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12915033190663596851noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-46263378077866599562016-01-16T14:15:00.001+11:002016-01-17T10:54:11.036+11:00Bogolan Skirt with Sarah<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One of my favourite things that we've made with Madame <span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Tây so far is this skirt of beautiful <a href="http://madame-tay.blogspot.com.au/2016/01/focus-on-fabrics-bogolanfini.html" target="_blank"><i>bogolan</i> or <i>mud cloth</i> fabric</a> from Mali. Cara is writing a blog post about the history and cultural contexts of bogolan, and about the fascinating hand-dying processes used to create it. Bogolan is traditionally made in Mali and is strongly associated with Malian cultural identity, yet in recent years the cloth has also gained popularity within global fashion and design. By using this cloth outside of it's original cultural context, we are engaging in a form of appropriation that removes the fabric from its original meanings, so Cara is also going to explore this and discuss the ways in which bogolan production in Mali has been affected by global interest. We did not travel to Mali but purchased our bogolan at a Malian market in Senegal. Once Cara's post is ready I will link to it here!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">For this post I'm going to focus on how to wear and care for the skirt.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I love the crisp white-on-black lines of the bogolan, so to keep these lines as the main focus of the outfit, I've worn the skirt with a plain fitted black t-shirt and black sandals, keeping everything monochrome. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">The skirt is quite fitted, like a pencil skirt fit, and tends to hug the body. There is a small slit at the back for easier movement. The fabric is a thick, soft cotton, which has a tiny bit of give, and is sturdy and comfortable to wear.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOvfz7pB2DqC9M0LHqU6PA_T_fuBCpzynyHKTDr4Kh8tsQAO_TmMbwa3Yxay4hjL5UAt69Le8TvtFtj2xCMlq7Jzo7dOXeqZlYzupDZWk-NckXFypSJIB6NRn8UDQxF26S37tUiKE7QkM/s1600/bogolan+skirt+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOvfz7pB2DqC9M0LHqU6PA_T_fuBCpzynyHKTDr4Kh8tsQAO_TmMbwa3Yxay4hjL5UAt69Le8TvtFtj2xCMlq7Jzo7dOXeqZlYzupDZWk-NckXFypSJIB6NRn8UDQxF26S37tUiKE7QkM/s640/bogolan+skirt+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Let's take a closer look at the fabric!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's possible to find fabrics that imitate the designs of bogolan, but are not actually created using a mud-dyeing process, for example thin linens and cottons that are machine-printed with bogolan-inspired patterns. These fabrics may also look good, but for our Madame T<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">ây skirt we really wanted to source some genuine Malian bogolan, because the fabric has the most amazing individual character and texture, and we were trying to find fabrics that were local and hand-made in the region.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">In these close-ups you can see how thick the fabric is. You can also see the underside of the fabric and how the design seeps through slightly. Cara's Malian friends taught her that if the design seeps through to the underside of the cotton, it is genuine bogolan, but if it doesn't seep through it probably didn't go through the same production process (soaking in ngamilla solution, mud dye, bleaching) and could be a mass produced variation.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Dmw0K5Kju3QnLZoYeU1SrtnnIZ2HRJUpA2PbLamuuuu8eYZMFCW1V1Yr5OzfVI2qLZfKWmM6Kd-GPFrFbSCXNxZvpX9X5HJX6NzgQQoyJX1vunOHr_YDGQsKrQLzfHBDVTFNvXtUYBs/s1600/Bogolan+Skirt+close-up+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Dmw0K5Kju3QnLZoYeU1SrtnnIZ2HRJUpA2PbLamuuuu8eYZMFCW1V1Yr5OzfVI2qLZfKWmM6Kd-GPFrFbSCXNxZvpX9X5HJX6NzgQQoyJX1vunOHr_YDGQsKrQLzfHBDVTFNvXtUYBs/s640/Bogolan+Skirt+close-up+1.JPG" width="492" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJbOuGAuYr8Xl3lSau03WFJNAFUejfLGVlE2P7caWFycTho05Ncw4d6IF5fAZw6e1BToub1AHmVYAMcOzYRECXiQh4K2qhRlwpzudPELrYDMjeJ7y-1VfjtRBo2fzfpX1YtlYBj6pkwfE/s1600/Bogolan+Skirt+close-up+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJbOuGAuYr8Xl3lSau03WFJNAFUejfLGVlE2P7caWFycTho05Ncw4d6IF5fAZw6e1BToub1AHmVYAMcOzYRECXiQh4K2qhRlwpzudPELrYDMjeJ7y-1VfjtRBo2fzfpX1YtlYBj6pkwfE/s640/Bogolan+Skirt+close-up+2.JPG" width="476" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-pf4g7RDh6JqF4Rc2EFWxjfptUQBJQYS4dFUwi0rwzYP7U9jtsnuiC59hfq2pILrohmE3NujoeEzMz21qLByagu3UQX-v2hkxN7KP7bi_MgIhqqj-JMIofYNEdWj4jNx8Bb0_3_Cqnw/s1600/Bogolan+Skirt+close-up+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-pf4g7RDh6JqF4Rc2EFWxjfptUQBJQYS4dFUwi0rwzYP7U9jtsnuiC59hfq2pILrohmE3NujoeEzMz21qLByagu3UQX-v2hkxN7KP7bi_MgIhqqj-JMIofYNEdWj4jNx8Bb0_3_Cqnw/s640/Bogolan+Skirt+close-up+3.JPG" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back of the skirt, with the hem turned up</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: start;">The skirt has a cotton lining so it feels smooth and comfortable against the skin.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4DVMA6FUdD0ZkpLfaPishBPWQpMRlG5YJAKiu6w-tRia-uyMRm7co-n7pHxejTct75GPBmkai3nnjUypyWnUTgOUhN5hZMkxkl0-UOJ0oW1CB1-zOymxr771P6vmwGIKYRy6IPtLyApM/s1600/Bogolan+Skirt+close-up+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4DVMA6FUdD0ZkpLfaPishBPWQpMRlG5YJAKiu6w-tRia-uyMRm7co-n7pHxejTct75GPBmkai3nnjUypyWnUTgOUhN5hZMkxkl0-UOJ0oW1CB1-zOymxr771P6vmwGIKYRy6IPtLyApM/s640/Bogolan+Skirt+close-up+4.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Because of the unique fabric, I think of this skirt as a piece of wearable art, rather than an every-day skirt. Treat it with care, like you would for a hand-woven fabric wall hanging. (Wearing the skirt does feel a bit like you're wearing a beautiful carpet or tapestry!)</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Even though the skirt can be easily styled for office-appropriate outfits, it's probably not the kind of piece you would wear to death every day at work and then just toss in the washing machine a couple of times a week. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">If anything, I would encourage owners of this skirt to wash it as little as possible! It's like having a quality suit or raw denim - basically you would spot clean it where necessary and avoid washing when it's not dirty. For the occasional clean, do a cold hand wash with very mild fabric wash. Since this is a hand-dyed piece and has not been treated for colour-fastness, I would expect some fading over time, and would always wash it separately to other clothes to avoid any colour transfer.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">It takes a little bit of extra care, but I think it's worth it for such an interesting garment! This is a piece to treasure for many years.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">The warmth and thickness of the cotton, and the long length, also make this a great skirt for autumn and winter outfits. Here I've worn it with a cosy jumper and boots.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheLtgzRHvqvWmr7E5uQkcanv6XYp9cpP-XHQzTgRq818Whn2xErw43Eu9S9jUpX8EY3GHFllpIDOZ2Zwd6wiq2eILaaPHxqVeE_JD3DKJvpTWkUYpXr6n4o7hoLP9Pl9KdG7XUnu7UK-o/s1600/bogolan+skirt+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheLtgzRHvqvWmr7E5uQkcanv6XYp9cpP-XHQzTgRq818Whn2xErw43Eu9S9jUpX8EY3GHFllpIDOZ2Zwd6wiq2eILaaPHxqVeE_JD3DKJvpTWkUYpXr6n4o7hoLP9Pl9KdG7XUnu7UK-o/s640/bogolan+skirt+3.JPG" width="450" /></a></div>
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Since we are quite a small-scale project, we only made a total of eight of these Bogolan Skirts. Perhaps one of them can find a home in your wardrobe.</div>
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<i>photos by me, Steph and Carlo</i></div>
<br />Sarah Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16828041949091692799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-85280313257544927512016-01-16T12:56:00.000+11:002016-01-17T10:40:38.516+11:00Wax Prints with Sarah<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1n_U37RkVqwrzFNF590yFYKtfag0ZN1xxwpJFpqaouVqYquGJT6A4EVUzMg421N5mADjn8qZk93WO5ksmre1udOeiaUrRBDQm1uyQzL8psVDlmKsCpgqQIWm51dUyIHYFsfF0PS3uB74/s1600/wax+print+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1n_U37RkVqwrzFNF590yFYKtfag0ZN1xxwpJFpqaouVqYquGJT6A4EVUzMg421N5mADjn8qZk93WO5ksmre1udOeiaUrRBDQm1uyQzL8psVDlmKsCpgqQIWm51dUyIHYFsfF0PS3uB74/s640/wax+print+1.JPG" width="462" /></a></div>
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This week Steph came over to my place to photograph some wax print outfits. We combined the wax print pieces with other things from my wardrobe and took some shots around the local backstreets.</div>
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First outfit is double wax print! This looks a bit like a dress, but it's actually a separate pencil skirt and top worn together, with a high-waisted gold belt and a simple pump shoe.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXPGQyOTDvuGmNPhKOTBpxuGB_HVVFRkg5F49o-31-kOoE008rmwOV36USH-j63LWV36UgCDlzH4JZrVwr9KrsbhMmqVZmQqPleU8vkp11vmfEpBV07UXMdA4t-YO5IXOcfDG1AGYyVc/s1600/wax+print+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXPGQyOTDvuGmNPhKOTBpxuGB_HVVFRkg5F49o-31-kOoE008rmwOV36USH-j63LWV36UgCDlzH4JZrVwr9KrsbhMmqVZmQqPleU8vkp11vmfEpBV07UXMdA4t-YO5IXOcfDG1AGYyVc/s640/wax+print+2.JPG" width="452" /></a></div>
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I love how this print looks like just a zig-zag pattern from further away, but when you look closely the zig-zags are little staircases and hand-railings.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgehnCR42h7bhzrd9lHK11LsSSKtbDoEkQfPrKMCOiRg8cf3sAdKDX-jqb18wSDcU-iKDo2985ch8h5LmKHfWT9yzC8a1ol1jlbx9RnyvP5vDqRPcD3qLUTZVGtkaYrb_2AoiFjxF8Nw/s1600/Escalier+Wax+Print.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgehnCR42h7bhzrd9lHK11LsSSKtbDoEkQfPrKMCOiRg8cf3sAdKDX-jqb18wSDcU-iKDo2985ch8h5LmKHfWT9yzC8a1ol1jlbx9RnyvP5vDqRPcD3qLUTZVGtkaYrb_2AoiFjxF8Nw/s640/Escalier+Wax+Print.JPG" width="486" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3KxsqKBvFVDGbdn_fx7aOWZlLdJuHHvZlVoa74Z4wDMGm6BZf2vfk44pLzoNxecNzUNaxCI1HevG8aIMEbe0OkdKT_U-NDm7hUsB71t1dNATiK9uGJzypZewjxaMxMw7nYLfTOuFC6Hw/s1600/wax+print+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3KxsqKBvFVDGbdn_fx7aOWZlLdJuHHvZlVoa74Z4wDMGm6BZf2vfk44pLzoNxecNzUNaxCI1HevG8aIMEbe0OkdKT_U-NDm7hUsB71t1dNATiK9uGJzypZewjxaMxMw7nYLfTOuFC6Hw/s640/wax+print+3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJROVgkmiJgQDHjwK_GvoNr4NIwiLQLoodJR_UiUQxFbnl4V-byaEbL2RSz-_IeR2PFWxwNmOvySOLCV3EwKu6QxNnSjlngEW69B7IkgksK_FAu7qwy80TYLRNhSt6auva3twDXPGfdQ/s1600/wax+print+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJROVgkmiJgQDHjwK_GvoNr4NIwiLQLoodJR_UiUQxFbnl4V-byaEbL2RSz-_IeR2PFWxwNmOvySOLCV3EwKu6QxNnSjlngEW69B7IkgksK_FAu7qwy80TYLRNhSt6auva3twDXPGfdQ/s640/wax+print+4.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The back of the top has a gold zip to make it easier to take on and off.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhP8qKKIHvuzaGvT6RCQRxgXH5wZaj_eVd3yzVzfjePkeQEw2-I3AmN2XdbtqyLGQxnFWUJqZrVjuzQmxZDUCMwPCG9cHYgMhWKwhVs1JmgggikUGmXWZllsB-rNl7JGXZpZF2IcwLjTw/s1600/wax+print+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhP8qKKIHvuzaGvT6RCQRxgXH5wZaj_eVd3yzVzfjePkeQEw2-I3AmN2XdbtqyLGQxnFWUJqZrVjuzQmxZDUCMwPCG9cHYgMhWKwhVs1JmgggikUGmXWZllsB-rNl7JGXZpZF2IcwLjTw/s640/wax+print+5.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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You can also wear the top and skirt as separates. Here is the skirt with a black cape-like singlet top. The minimal black balances out the busy print... it's still a colourful outfit but slightly more subtle that head-to-toe wax print.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpcFylawOAvwv9pbOWbw8_rIBfrOQzyVby6aG0_oVwIjPqMFSx4s1EvoB6V-5mqUAhvOzbTtu1T8WNhLOs6KmDqKxj3y9UveHMiv-bDqmGeDPzv91-jmzbNmQolbWDP-Q66KQlX65xao/s1600/wax+print+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpcFylawOAvwv9pbOWbw8_rIBfrOQzyVby6aG0_oVwIjPqMFSx4s1EvoB6V-5mqUAhvOzbTtu1T8WNhLOs6KmDqKxj3y9UveHMiv-bDqmGeDPzv91-jmzbNmQolbWDP-Q66KQlX65xao/s640/wax+print+6.JPG" width="436" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7oHgoZGpv6hzIS2qHXO7RNaRPOJSfF-4zqW_8UwBRY_mU3J7Rg2z5cLcu0QFr8oqiMhuRU769CUL6G63XsKs6XvaLSZ5Mr_Mtc3psIwE7-BAc8BOqwUT6Il2AqArpX8iT40_2zg-D3Q/s1600/wax+print+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7oHgoZGpv6hzIS2qHXO7RNaRPOJSfF-4zqW_8UwBRY_mU3J7Rg2z5cLcu0QFr8oqiMhuRU769CUL6G63XsKs6XvaLSZ5Mr_Mtc3psIwE7-BAc8BOqwUT6Il2AqArpX8iT40_2zg-D3Q/s640/wax+print+7.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNhO2yIPIzlPQT9VR48lPbYqOZufM77idxmtG8TRzpaHc8W5II6ljstZS45jRYRvSFXf9DyFhxzUXN1BbIs0dynnFy3aV82fZRq_fnkwy9UO6n3YJr3wcenMyJM-dcbUvsaJ7hEAWVjQ/s1600/wax+print+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNhO2yIPIzlPQT9VR48lPbYqOZufM77idxmtG8TRzpaHc8W5II6ljstZS45jRYRvSFXf9DyFhxzUXN1BbIs0dynnFy3aV82fZRq_fnkwy9UO6n3YJr3wcenMyJM-dcbUvsaJ7hEAWVjQ/s640/wax+print+8.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Next we paired the top with some long navy shorts. This top can be dressed down as an easy casual piece. It's great for when the weather is really hot since the wax print cotton feels lightweight and airy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMIg1h_ml7cL1RgxO2ltKmyUT72OlZcbOIs8dJ32W1crKOxhVGk9AxigoctmJss6uhoH18ZbI5a04qxMJHBO4_ecMvmplsV_lYHbjPGUaJv1q7ZOHJW6yLh_MUZeCtnjpct1OI6aTNVg/s1600/wax+print+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMIg1h_ml7cL1RgxO2ltKmyUT72OlZcbOIs8dJ32W1crKOxhVGk9AxigoctmJss6uhoH18ZbI5a04qxMJHBO4_ecMvmplsV_lYHbjPGUaJv1q7ZOHJW6yLh_MUZeCtnjpct1OI6aTNVg/s640/wax+print+9.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pottering around the garden pretending to prune things</td></tr>
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The wax print pencil skirt again, this time in a different print.<br />
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Here we've thrown a slouchy relaxed jacket over the top. By keeping everything else a neutral black the wax print stands out as the feature of the outfit.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">I think wax print would also work well with crisp white separates, perhaps the skirt with a plain white t-shirt.</span><br />
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<i style="text-align: center;">photos by Steph</i>Sarah Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16828041949091692799noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-82173864291188740182016-01-15T22:28:00.000+11:002016-01-15T22:28:48.774+11:00Madame Tây at The Garden, Dakar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We're excited to share these photos of our new garments with you! </div>
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When Cara was in Dakar last year overseeing production, she gathered together some friends to take snaps of our clothes with the help of photographer and Dakar native <a href="https://afrikart.com/artists/malick-welli/" target="_blank">Malick Welli</a>.</div>
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A big thank you to Becky Hughes, Dulcie Abrahams Altass, Sarah Sagan and Seynabou Sarr for being such willing models and of course to Malick for the photos. </div>
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A special thanks also to our friends at The Garden - Andrew, David, Dulcie and Josh. The Garden was once a rundown house in the bustling neighbourhood of Ouakam in Dakar, and is now home to a flourishing garden full of bougainvillea and hanging vines and we were lucky enough to use their beautiful space as our setting.</div>
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These photos feature our Bogolan Skirt (above) as well as dresses, a skirt, and tops in various wax prints.</div>
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<br />Sarah Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16828041949091692799noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-37246059729988172012015-12-20T12:20:00.000+11:002015-12-20T12:20:42.483+11:00Interview with Carlie Ballard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 14.2666664123535px; text-align: start;"><i>Welcome to the first interview in our "ethical" fashion series. Today, we speak to Carlie Ballard - </i></span><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 14.2666664123535px;"><i> a sustainable fashion advocate and also the curator of online store Indigo Bazaar. </i></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">1. In 2012,
you started <i><a href="http://www.indigobazaar.com.au/" target="_blank">Indigo Bazaar</a></i> – an online
store which sources and sells <i>ethical</i></span></b><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> <b>clothes made in Australia and around the world.
How did the idea for <i>Indigo Bazaar </i>come
about?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I have always loved fashion and was also looking for something
that had more depth, something I could resonate with. So it was while I was
trekking in the Nepal Himalaya where I was immersed in the culture of this
magical place and interacting with the locals where the idea to leap into
ethical and sustainable fashion began. I could see combining my two passions of
fashion and cultures could actually be an amazing business opportunity but also
something that would empower people in the developing world and be better for
the planet too.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">2. The terms
ethical, eco and sustainable fashion are increasingly being thrown around. How
would you define eco/ethical/sustainable clothing? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">It can get a little confusing for people on the outside to
decipher the difference. Essentially I
now like to put all of those under one umbrella term, “sustainable fashion’. I
feel this sounds more appealing. Sustainable fashion encompasses a considered
approach to its impact on people and planet and a sustained approach to
manufacturing for garment workers and fabric production. It also encompasses
good design and quality craftsmanship to ensure longevity in a garments
lifecycle. In point form:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Environmentally sustainable materials<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Fairtrade / fair working conditions<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Low/no waste production<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Transparency<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Directional design and systems<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">3. </span><b><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Indigo Bazaar stocks a number of small
grassroots labels, for whom formal accreditation schemes such as Fair Trade and
GOTS are often too costly. What do you do in such cases to ensure that the
grassroots labels you stock maintain <i>ethical
</i>labour and environmental standards?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The best part about working in this industry are the relationships
created. I get to know my stockists well and build a trusting relationship with
them. The obvious questions of who makes and where are your garments made need
to asked, but if your creating a genuinely sustainable product you will never
hesitate in answering these kinds of questions.
Not all labels do all things, that can be extremely difficult for
grassroots labels. It’s about starting the process and improving with each
collection. Some labels are accredited with Fair Trade or Made-by, while others
work in well know fair trade factories but just don’t have the accreditation as
yet. As a buyer, I want to know more about the values of the designer first and
foremost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">4. In the
two years that you have been running <i>Indigo
Bazaar</i>, have you seen any major changes in the ethical clothing landscape –
in terms of either demand or supply? I would be particularly interested to hear
what ramifications (if any) you think increasing media attention to the issue
following the Rana Plaza factory collapse had on the clothing industry in
Australia?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">When I started research for Indigo Bazaar way back in 2008, every
google search led me to the Northern Hemisphere. When I launched there was
definitely an increase in labels working in the space in Australia but not
anyone at that time doing an online marketplace dedicated to sustainable
fashion. When the news broke of the Rana plaza collapse it was in the back of
peoples minds but I still don’t think with most people there was a major leap
in creating a connection with their clothing. It was far away from the shopping
centres of Australia, even though there was a lot of coverage from the media,
education is the key to creating direct connections with garment factories in
places like Bangladesh and China to what is hanging on the racks here in
Australia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">5. You
recently started your own eco/ethical label <i><a href="http://carlieballard.com/" target="_blank">Carlie Ballard</a> </i>– how did your experience with Indigo Bazaar drive you to create
your own label?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I have always wanted to design my own range, but I got carried
away with Indigo Bazaar and had to put designing on the back burner for a
while. It was just a burning desire to put all of my own ideas into a tangible
product, I would unpack all the other designers and was continually envious, so
I knew I just had to leap and start my own.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">6. All <i>Carlie Ballard</i> pieces are made out of
Lucknow, India. What made you decide to manufacture in Lucknow? Especially
compared to manufacturing in Australia?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Good question. My initial reason for starting Indigo Bazaar was to
empower the makers in third world countries. So I was always going to produce
somewhere that I felt my label was helping people living in very poor countries
to sustain a better life for themselves and their families. Through my connections I stumbled across a
women here in Australia who had started a small workshop in Lucknow with the
mission for it to be managed by women and offer fair and safe working
conditions to the local community. It was exactly what I was looking for and I
am so grateful everyday for the relationship I have built with my manufacturer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">7. What are
the biggest challenges currently facing the Australian fashion industry and Australian
labels in terms of ethical/eco/sustainable fashion? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Probably getting major labels to start dipping their toe into
sustainable fashion production. The fear of the unknown I think is the biggest
immobilizer. Myself and 4 other sustainable fashion advocates here in Australia
have started an organisation called Clean Cut Fashion to assist labels with
creating more sustainable fashion practices in their business. So the tide is
turning<b>.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">8. What are
your favourite eco/ethical clothing labels?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">There are so many to choose from now! </span><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">Looking at my wardrobe I would have to say:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 14.2666664123535px;"><a href="http://www.kowtowclothing.com/" target="_blank">Kowtow</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 14.2666664123535px;"><a href="http://www.lalesso.com/" target="_blank">Lalesso</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 14.2666664123535px;"><a href="http://www.bettybrowne.com.au/" target="_blank">Betty Browne</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 14.2666664123535px;"><a href="http://www.goodone.co.uk/" target="_blank">Goodone London</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 14.2666664123535px;">and <a href="http://alasthelabel.com/" target="_blank">ALAS</a> the label</span></span> </li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>All photos from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/carlieballarddesigns/timeline" target="_blank">Carlie Ballard.</a> </i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17323243413038388379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-47998623833574694082015-05-26T13:30:00.001+10:002015-05-26T13:32:16.726+10:00Series on Ethical Fashion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvcEZhhoygh3gtBArn9PxZllYlQQ_MVtsZsRl_bs15nPfMOHSZ35JJBVBZjYMlTay8-hNMdp_fpGCt28-78bZ2fHkvlPB6nIzYa7Im3FxK5ma3yDAPG0Rus1pDy1ybtOhRboXj6HyH68D/s1600/Ethical-Fashion-Brands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvcEZhhoygh3gtBArn9PxZllYlQQ_MVtsZsRl_bs15nPfMOHSZ35JJBVBZjYMlTay8-hNMdp_fpGCt28-78bZ2fHkvlPB6nIzYa7Im3FxK5ma3yDAPG0Rus1pDy1ybtOhRboXj6HyH68D/s640/Ethical-Fashion-Brands.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Photo from the <a href="http://www.intracen.org/itc/projects/ethical-fashion/" target="_blank">Ethical Fashion Initiative</a></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve
been meaning to write this post about ‘ethical fashion’ for more than a year,
but it has felt impossible to begin. Ethical fashion is elusive – it has been
talked about so frequently over the past two decades and yet it seems that very
little has actually been said. It is now more than twenty years since the
global protests were held against Nike for their use of sweatshop labour and
two years since the tragic collapse of Rana Plaza in Bangladesh. Although calls
for more ethical practices by clothing manufacturers are getting louder, it is
difficult to figure out what exactly has improved in this time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: inherit;">Opinions
are deeply divided. While Nike has been widely celebrated amongst the business
community for
‘<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-nike-solved-its-sweatshop-problem-2013-5" target="_blank">solv[ing] its sweatshop problem’</a>, campaigners from Oxfam Australia claim
that Nike continues to make its clothing in ‘places
that most people would describe as sweatshops<span id="goog_852490726"></span><span id="goog_852490727"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a>’. Clothing giant H&M has
launched its own <a href="http://about.hm.com/en/About/sustainability.html" target="_blank">sustainable clothing range</a> which led to the company being placed on the <a href="http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/article/TMG10724470/HandM-Gap-and-Marks-and-Spencer-named-worlds-most-ethical-clothing-companies.html" target="_blank">2014 World’s Most Ethical Companies list</a>. Yet its efforts have been panned for
showing ‘<a href="http://www.labourbehindthelabel.org/campaigns/item/1302-hms-sustainability-promises-will-not-deliver-a-living-wage" target="_blank">disappointingly few concrete results that show progress towards a living wage’</a>. Even well-known
ethical Australian clothing retailer Cue –who has been described as <a href="http://www.mamamia.com.au/news/3-things-ethical-fashion/" target="_blank">100% ethical</a>,
was <a href="http://www.baptistworldaid.org.au/assets/Be-Fair-Section/FashionReport.pdf" target="_blank">recently found</a> to have poor trace-ability, monitoring and payment of living wages to
the people involved in the processing of raw materials and textiles used in
their clothes.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Ginning in India. Photo by Isabelle Roger.</i></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: inherit;">While
it is easy to use taglines like ethical fashion, eco-fashion and sustainable
fashion, it seems there is a real danger that such labels are more reductive
than helpful. What does ethical really mean when it comes to our clothes?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span><span lang="EN-AU">Unfortunately,
the answer is not particularly straightforward. Let’s start with the ecological
aspect. We have <a href="http://madame-tay.blogspot.ca/2013/12/all-about-cotton-part-i-tracing-seeds.html" target="_blank">previously talked</a> about the environmental ramifications of using natural fabrics such
as cotton. Cotton, even organic cotton, consumes a massive amount of water in
its cultivation. In addition, since cotton is a cash crop, natural forests are
sometimes being converted for cotton cultivation, resulting in the loss of
natural habitats. Even the use of natural
dyes is not free from criticism. It has been pointed out that not only are
natural dyes ‘<a href="http://blackrenaissance.net/post/51898863352/the-logistical-nightmare-of-eco-friendly-fashion" target="_blank">far less effective than their synthetic counterparts’</a>, natural dyes also require
the use of mordents which may ‘<span style="background: white;">be more harmful than the synthetic dyes themselves’<i>.<br /> </i><o:p></o:p></span></span><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="background: white;"><i><br /></i></span></span><span lang="EN-AU" style="background: white;">When it comes to the human
aspect, the picture becomes even more muddled. The spotlight on sweatshops has
pushed clothing companies to bring the manufacturing of their clothes <a href="http://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21569570-growing-number-american-companies-are-moving-their-manufacturing-back-united">onshore</a>.
Oxfam Australia suggests that in order to ensure that the clothes you are
buying are ‘sweat shop free’, consumers should buy clothing which ‘carries the carries
the <a href="http://www.ethicalclothingaustralia.org.au/" target="_blank">Ethical Clothing Australia</a> (ECA) label’ applied to garments manufactured in Australia by
people who receive regulated wage rates and conditions. Yet, bringing clothing
manufacturing back onshore has come with a plethora of its own challenges. The
higher costs associated manufacturing clothes in Australia has been identified
as contributing to the potential insolvency currently faced by Australian
designers <a href="http://www.mamamia.com.au/lifestyle/why-you-should-support-australian-fashion/" target="_blank">such as Josh Goot</a>. Of course, bringing manufacturing onshore also doesn’t help
to resolve issues related to lack of oversight in the processing of raw
materials and textiles that are than used to make clothes. It also doesn't help
the millions of overseas garments workers, living in countries like Bangladesh,
who have come to rely on the manufacturing industry for their livelihoods.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="background: white;"><br /></span><span lang="EN-AU" style="background: white;">While achievements are
undoubtedly being made to improve the <i>ethics</i>
behind the production of clothes, after more than twenty years of campaigning it
seems puzzling that the gains being made are so few and far between. Yet, the
hurdles faced in the clothing industry cannot be divorced from the ever elusive
question of </span><i><span lang="EN-AU">what does ethical really mean when
it comes to our clothes? </span></i><span lang="EN-AU">Ultimately,
determining what makes the task of producing clothes is not as easy as it seems
and it is important not to paint a reductive portrait of what is good and bad.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><span lang="EN-AU">To
explore some of the associated challenges, we are initiating a blog series that
documents the experiences, successes and also set-backs faced by a number of
small clothing brands attempting to make a change. </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17323243413038388379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-71111234510162970682015-04-06T21:11:00.001+10:002015-04-06T21:11:41.637+10:00West African Inspiration: Aissatou Sene of Bélya<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
One of my favourite things about being back in Dakar is being surrounded by young creatives who are all incredibly driven and determined to succeed. It seems like every second person you meet here is an entrepreneur who has given up the rat race to pursue their own creative passions.</div>
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Today I want to introduce you to one of these people - Aissatou Sene who runs the brand <a href="http://www.belyashop.com/" target="_blank">Bélya</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0rKyhtmno2KQp8C8yylvrb_XpIaOnHi1fyVJcVx9gC9fzQQp09zIRPUPoTfzLL5kv8xWBNVICBSpNS6_sPcyvzezXgwMvMa-wT38PwbZyQkypyR6w4wprmgD3pWzEibV7K_lQU2p9cxq/s1600/Belya+Aissatou+Sene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0rKyhtmno2KQp8C8yylvrb_XpIaOnHi1fyVJcVx9gC9fzQQp09zIRPUPoTfzLL5kv8xWBNVICBSpNS6_sPcyvzezXgwMvMa-wT38PwbZyQkypyR6w4wprmgD3pWzEibV7K_lQU2p9cxq/s1600/Belya+Aissatou+Sene.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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Aissatou has been running Bélya since 2012. Over the past three years, Bélya has grown from a small passion project, to an internationally recognised brand. Here in Dakar, wax print brogues and loafers are now synoymous with Bélya. Creating and selling unique and original products in a place like Dakar where every second person has a small fashion business is not always easy, but Aissatou's creative eye and business savvy has led to her continued success.</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZkRhf_MVIVnfqJDWVzn0Deyz1Ef8PMbpiAa2AIjBxSctLHJVTDimIVT147TKDciQozlCJWnnwmnhTyh06MeRw4jeA_b25gQKOtiaZpO8VAk7XuuU2K2a3MGXNpvjS-cbKx8Sp5SYgA3_/s1600/belya+shoes+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZkRhf_MVIVnfqJDWVzn0Deyz1Ef8PMbpiAa2AIjBxSctLHJVTDimIVT147TKDciQozlCJWnnwmnhTyh06MeRw4jeA_b25gQKOtiaZpO8VAk7XuuU2K2a3MGXNpvjS-cbKx8Sp5SYgA3_/s1600/belya+shoes+1.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiJHVfqa9lAgsrzKFgq9KjkdW4kl0aGisw6qNWCOKU2NYfmYmfAA_m3GMAXAGmrKM9XshHC9YK21bRLvnsn-zy8TQNbwBzB0UCTfkFQ3oUxl1pndjQc4MVpY65TZIFrAINF5HDwyGcv7u/s1600/belya+shoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiJHVfqa9lAgsrzKFgq9KjkdW4kl0aGisw6qNWCOKU2NYfmYmfAA_m3GMAXAGmrKM9XshHC9YK21bRLvnsn-zy8TQNbwBzB0UCTfkFQ3oUxl1pndjQc4MVpY65TZIFrAINF5HDwyGcv7u/s1600/belya+shoes.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Continually striving to create original, beautiful products, Aissatou's collections over the years have included both mens and womenswear, and a range of handbags and women's shoes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9z8PhIbxHktPlizlygYOfsIUiqINFa_JlQ6wG90D_gwjT5ON_J9QLeuWifGnFllTy4sixLYtKkIf23GaY6Fa_F0NhpJmO3vtv6PTJxrQupm4IuYUhh6WdTrhBM8lK92TJfswuRY1LWpg/s1600/belya+clothes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9z8PhIbxHktPlizlygYOfsIUiqINFa_JlQ6wG90D_gwjT5ON_J9QLeuWifGnFllTy4sixLYtKkIf23GaY6Fa_F0NhpJmO3vtv6PTJxrQupm4IuYUhh6WdTrhBM8lK92TJfswuRY1LWpg/s1600/belya+clothes.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></div>
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Most recently, Aissatou has launched an initiative to produce locally-made hand-dyed fabrics by forming a women's workshop in Lompoul, in Northern Senegal, where her Grandmother lives. The workshop will train and employ at least twenty women to dye and sew fabric, and will provide them with fair wages and a sustainable income source. The fabric produced in the workshop will be recycled cotton, and will be dyed and treated entirely in Senegal by a Senegalese workforce - which will make it one of the only fabrics available here that is authentically Senegalese. </div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXPaDYR35C82aHujBqjWJ3Yn01s009BEZLIW0GCg6djd7iyt7d9vuyswikIeLN8epTX4djmQsNX2TQFfP97PDaJ_1i_ei4NtkswZF4yHFAlsN_5MqqhqpqOywHIDcvMkAeF-T_FEz34gg/s1600/belya+workshop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXPaDYR35C82aHujBqjWJ3Yn01s009BEZLIW0GCg6djd7iyt7d9vuyswikIeLN8epTX4djmQsNX2TQFfP97PDaJ_1i_ei4NtkswZF4yHFAlsN_5MqqhqpqOywHIDcvMkAeF-T_FEz34gg/s1600/belya+workshop.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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We love the initiative - to see a young Senegalese designer like Aissatou think outside of the box, and directly address the lack of locally made textiles available in Senegal is nothing short of inspirational, and we are very excited to see the fabric the workshop will produce!</div>
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For the workshop to come to fruition, Belya needs our help. They have launched an Indiegogo campaign and are offering some very generous thank you gifts for donations over $45 (which will all be made with the fabric from the workshop!). Belya will ship all thank you gifts internationally too, which is great news if you're outside of Senegal! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQXoJUTCWOsMrEg0SoPXUqWBR0-6ASm2-Wyk58MKqVKMyjDKXKpMXVgKcyyUnU8CvBh0UM0ozR6-xCs74Nzsy9Dfi6bzTNBRFObt5KSHXOdeFXUbpLKle7h6KGoA-xoAH9TPDpBa5G9OZ/s1600/belya+jupe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQXoJUTCWOsMrEg0SoPXUqWBR0-6ASm2-Wyk58MKqVKMyjDKXKpMXVgKcyyUnU8CvBh0UM0ozR6-xCs74Nzsy9Dfi6bzTNBRFObt5KSHXOdeFXUbpLKle7h6KGoA-xoAH9TPDpBa5G9OZ/s1600/belya+jupe.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></a></div>
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Please watch the video, and follow the below link to donate generously to this exciting initiative.</div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AYSNBRqpuAo/0.jpg" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AYSNBRqpuAo?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You can support Belya's Indiegogo campain <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/belya-made-in-africa" target="_blank">here </a></span></div>
Cara Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12915033190663596851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-64760407314764556372015-03-10T13:29:00.000+11:002015-03-10T14:11:32.960+11:00Style Inspiration: Huong<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7BU5dl29DWtg24c0C72XGUBCD_KMkK-nRV2BMXQCjQdAKH6TGENhq5_ZNMRLfjGk8JXcCnNl4o4xSSBpNZrwtrCxchZDohJKjcsEDhyphenhyphengpeIHap1Xo8ai_WMH2bbeLwLtmPvnPRDL6x4n/s1600/1091012_10151529867601431_1846516358_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7BU5dl29DWtg24c0C72XGUBCD_KMkK-nRV2BMXQCjQdAKH6TGENhq5_ZNMRLfjGk8JXcCnNl4o4xSSBpNZrwtrCxchZDohJKjcsEDhyphenhyphengpeIHap1Xo8ai_WMH2bbeLwLtmPvnPRDL6x4n/s1600/1091012_10151529867601431_1846516358_o.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">NAME: Huong Nguyen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">HOMETOWN: Hanoi, Vietnam<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">CURRENTLY LIVING: Hanoi, Vietnam<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">OCCUPATION: Vietnamese teacher and entrepreneur<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">I first met Huong at a nightclub in Hanoi and immediately loved
her effortless style. With her bowl haircut and loose white dress, she stood
out like a sore thumb in the glitzy club full of pumping electro beats, tight
skirts and towering high heels.<span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">I was lucky enough
to become close friends with Huong and found </span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">out
that she is every-bit as down to earth and friendly as she first looked. When
my friend <a href="http://www.seamasia.net/" target="_blank">Sarah</a> and I randomly bought her an Angry-Bird cake for her birthday, Huong,
despite her initial bewilderment was incredibly happy and gracious about it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Huong always has a million plans up her sleeves and has this incredible drive to make things happen. She left Vietnam at the age of 18 to spend, what
would turn out to be the next ten years, studying and working in Beijing and
Shanghai. Upon returning to Hanoi she started her own company selling handbags. And her brother is a magician (true story! Check him out<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/daivernoncafe" target="_blank">here</a></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 13.85pt; text-align: center;">I’m not sure if it is the long time she spent overseas or her constant
search for adventure that inspires her unique style. In any case, Huong’s blend
of timeless grace and casual nonchalance has been an endless source of
inspiration for Madame Tây.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-align: center;"> </span></div>
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Photos by Allie Le and Karen Knauff.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17323243413038388379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-23232160521821985162015-03-03T09:29:00.001+11:002016-01-15T22:43:18.671+11:00MT in Peppermint Magazine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Back in June we were quite surprised to find ourselves in issue #22 of <a href="http://peppermintmag.com/" target="_blank">Peppermint Magazine</a>! </span>We found out that they did a small piece on us when we got a couple of emails from some Peppermint readers.<br />
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We promptly went down to the newsagent to find a copy. It was pretty exciting finding something about Madame <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Tây<i> </i></span></span>printed on such nice paper! And the magazine is a good read too.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">They gave us a really lovely write up. Thanks Peppermint! x</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>worlds apart</i></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's quite the modern dilemma - how to stay in touch with friends who are scattered across the globe. Not content with simply chatting over Skype, four ladies based in Melbourne, Toronto, Dakar and Hanoi set up their own 'hobby clothing project', Madame <span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Tây, to keep on collaborating despite the tyranny of distance. Made in Vietnam and Senegal from locally sourced artisan fabrics including vibrant wax prints, each garment is produced in extremely limited runs by local tailors, whose stories feature on the Madame </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Tây blog alongside styling tips.</span></i><br />
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<br />Sarah Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16828041949091692799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-39970190081657767432015-03-02T11:57:00.001+11:002015-03-02T11:57:08.283+11:00Madame Tây 2015<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoeXewgKmMSThKr5Wxa1VtTuDVOTiDv22VFCYjp_e6WCmBURaPBBBxibKs8qPyZ3Ji5aZrVTjm1xUsqhFBEtExh2Gi4VNxBkxGnaF2UxJ4kDgiwyUkELjyVjUPO43JonTy3AxKFCcNAU/s1600/Dakar+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoeXewgKmMSThKr5Wxa1VtTuDVOTiDv22VFCYjp_e6WCmBURaPBBBxibKs8qPyZ3Ji5aZrVTjm1xUsqhFBEtExh2Gi4VNxBkxGnaF2UxJ4kDgiwyUkELjyVjUPO43JonTy3AxKFCcNAU/s1600/Dakar+2015.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Rooftops in Dakar, Senegal. Photo by Cara.</i></td></tr>
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Hello and happy 2015!</div>
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First up, thank you to everyone who has visited Madame Tây here and on our Facebook page lately. The last few months have been an important time of reflection for the Madame Tây team. We have had a few life changes, a few geographical transitions and also some exciting developments with Madame Tây along the way.</div>
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This post is just a quick update on what we're up to and what's in store for 2015.</div>
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TRAVELS:</div>
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Steph, who was living in Vietnam when we launched Madame Tây, is now living in Montreal, Canada.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCnglSi9jjKEW-w_tDx7EnDo0IwHcdoch4zoc0dTr8DwTBnSNtNVa4Oz_GwZ3-iF-fp8giAinuyp7dt3yg-xAb4_OiDWq3CNWkG7VPjnx33OKUWo9nY93o4lyuUry4Cm4ZWZkxC9v4nQ/s1600/steph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCnglSi9jjKEW-w_tDx7EnDo0IwHcdoch4zoc0dTr8DwTBnSNtNVa4Oz_GwZ3-iF-fp8giAinuyp7dt3yg-xAb4_OiDWq3CNWkG7VPjnx33OKUWo9nY93o4lyuUry4Cm4ZWZkxC9v4nQ/s1600/steph.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Steph. weeeeeeee!</i></td></tr>
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Cara, who oversaw all our clothing production in Dakar, Senegal, moved back to Melbourne for much of 2014, but is now back in Dakar again as of this month!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkf30gA2vCEantXECTr2gk9lwdoV0ppuQhHopZjzjzwrEj81IqM1jjr1hJTfXnlGx5en3cHaOVxpZaswDYiNRgFrRFRLNZafN9EbicaFqQfmWROfnVywQgB1JBLZlZSzoAVENECd-lEFk/s1600/Cara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkf30gA2vCEantXECTr2gk9lwdoV0ppuQhHopZjzjzwrEj81IqM1jjr1hJTfXnlGx5en3cHaOVxpZaswDYiNRgFrRFRLNZafN9EbicaFqQfmWROfnVywQgB1JBLZlZSzoAVENECd-lEFk/s1600/Cara.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cara and wax print</i></td></tr>
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I'm still in Melbourne and Christina is still in Toronto.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYrad12JF6lLsIx4JfHGhVl4d9uVSXrLww8yeTRrWauBfDZPd8iEyC7hczzASSDElSMNMaPFdfyRKKTxQ8rqV0u7CeLiT13ReKzgXpJyfZW0LDaWC8UtZLR0dWu_pQ7YhX0HFU341Wt4/s1600/Sarah+and+cyrus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYrad12JF6lLsIx4JfHGhVl4d9uVSXrLww8yeTRrWauBfDZPd8iEyC7hczzASSDElSMNMaPFdfyRKKTxQ8rqV0u7CeLiT13ReKzgXpJyfZW0LDaWC8UtZLR0dWu_pQ7YhX0HFU341Wt4/s1600/Sarah+and+cyrus.JPG" height="299" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Me and Cyrus. Surf coast outside Melbourne</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ39F_5c3NWJHPoTu5ZKtRG4-LW0f7SNW1VORWWL0h7l0LviLl47lh80YddV-W2Byyj5Jt36br_tMSBI4pAyCy1huyvsfdIMjsa7jdY7x-KSLP-aTkvh76xAFNaMXFL9EBPCd-xMZg4JI/s1600/Toronto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ39F_5c3NWJHPoTu5ZKtRG4-LW0f7SNW1VORWWL0h7l0LviLl47lh80YddV-W2Byyj5Jt36br_tMSBI4pAyCy1huyvsfdIMjsa7jdY7x-KSLP-aTkvh76xAFNaMXFL9EBPCd-xMZg4JI/s1600/Toronto.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Christina and Matt go grocery shopping in Toronto</i></td></tr>
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MORE CLOTHES:</div>
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So now that Cara is back in Dakar, we are really excited to be preparing another round of Madame Tây clothing. Cara has been up to her ears in fabrics, meeting people, visiting tailors, sourcing buttons and zips at the markets, while the rest of us have been skyping and emailing madly.</div>
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I'll leave Cara to blog in more detail about the fabrics we'll be working with, but there will be plenty more wax print, and possibly some beautiful hand-made fabrics! </div>
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At the moment we're in the early sampling stages of production. We'll keep you updated.<br />
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In the meantime, you can follow our journey <a href="https://instagram.com/madametayclothing/" target="_blank">here on instagram</a>, where we go by the name <i>@madametayclothing</i>.</div>
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Sarah x</div>
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Sarah Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16828041949091692799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-12454288642764286092014-11-18T11:17:00.001+11:002015-02-15T17:19:47.638+11:00We're back!<span style="font-family: inherit;">After a short hiatus, we're very happy to be back on the blog! Stay tuned for some exciting <span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Madame Tây updates, including where you can find us over the next few months and our plans for 2015.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span>Cara Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12915033190663596851noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-86810040832869798742014-06-06T10:20:00.000+10:002014-06-05T22:22:05.976+10:00West African Inspiration: Sisters of Afrika by Helene Daba<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: start;">Like most young creatives in Dakar, Helene Daba doesn’t have an academic background in design or fashion, but pushed by a lack of beautifully made modern garments available in Dakar, she decided to launch her own brand, Sisters of Afrika (SOA), in 2013. Six months later and her business is booming – she has a large range of clientele in Dakar that come to her for the contemporary silhouettes and bright colours she uses so tactfully. Helene uses wax print, normally sourced from her travels in Benin, but also traditional West Africa bazin and pagne tissé.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Helene’s boutique on the majestic Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar is also home to the work of other young African designers. Helene is determined to promote the creative work of her African ‘sisters’ (hence the name ‘Sisters of Afrika’) and in doing so to raise the profile of the West African fashion industry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Helene is very proud that her entire collection was designed and made in Senegal. As many of the young creatives I met in Senegal remarked, in a country where tailors who can easily copy garments abound, creating a fashion business can be difficult. Despite this, Helene is persisting and believes that young Dakarois are slowly learning to ‘consume local’ and to value items ‘made in Africa’. Given the success of SOA since its launch, it looks like she might be on the right track!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you’re in Dakar, you can find Helene at 1 Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop or on <span style="background-color: white;">+221 77 541 82 40</span> or </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">+221 33 821 21 09. You can visit the <a href="http://www.sistersofafrika.com/" target="_blank">Sisters of Afrika site</a> to see more of Helene’s creations.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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All photos courtesy of Sisters of Afrika.</div>
Cara Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12915033190663596851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-24696765245796352752014-04-17T20:49:00.000+10:002014-04-17T20:49:46.867+10:00West African Inspiration: SRK by Selly Raby Kane<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Selly Raby Kane in front of the old Dakar train station (Photo by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/JBJ-Photography/284690221663408" target="_blank">Jean-Baptiste Joire</a>) </span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Selly Raby Kane is the young Senegalese designer behind label <a href="http://www.sellyrabykane.com/%E2%80%8E" target="_blank">Seraka</a>. With a diverse background, Selly brings an enormous amount of creative energy and uniqueness to the fashion scene in Dakar and indeed, internationally. She began Seraka in 2008 and since then the label has grown exponentially - both in terms of artistry and size. Selly has recently launched her A/W 2014 collection - Alien Cartoon. It is stunning mix of textures, patterns and lines with delicate wax print touches and lots of stonewashed denim and clear vinyl ponchos. The collection was shot by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/JBJ-Photography/284690221663408" target="_blank">Jean-Baptiste Joire</a> and <a href="http://madame-tay.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/west-african-inspiration-omar-viktor.html" target="_blank">Omar Victor Diop</a> and the styling is impeccable. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Selly is fearless in her use of sharp silohuettes and juxtaposition of clashing materials - she seamlessly pairs fluffy tulle with stift vinyl, bright wax print with soft cotton. I particularly like the way she weaves fabrics like bazin and wax print in to the collection - making it distinctively West African despite other apparent influences.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Seraka describes this collection as:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"> A reflexion on a futuristic invaded African city, where naive and fantastic creatures evolve among human beings. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">If you haven't already, definitely check out the <a href="http://www.sellyrabykane.com/" target="_blank">SRK website</a>!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Selly Raby Kane is currently running an Indie Gogo crowdsourcing campaign for the Alien Cartoon launch - it's a great way to support an emerging designer and get some rad threads in exchange. Check it out <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/alien-cartoon-fashion-show-art-performance-by-selly-raby-kane#home" target="_blank">here</a>! </span></div>
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All photos by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/JBJ-Photography/284690221663408" target="_blank">Jean-Baptise Joire</a> and <a href="http://www.omarviktor.com/" target="_blank">Omar Victor Diop </a> (you can read our profile on Omar's work <a href="http://madame-tay.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/west-african-inspiration-omar-viktor.html" target="_blank">here</a>)Cara Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12915033190663596851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-85368409219771672112014-04-09T18:12:00.000+10:002015-06-11T12:21:21.451+10:00Wax Prints with Christina<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I recently relocated to Toronto, Canada not fully prepared for what it had in store for me, especially when it came to the weather. Before arriving, I thought I would be rocking uber stylish winter outfits for a good chunk of the year. Instead I have been rocking a navy winter puffer coat stuffed with duck feathers for the past 5 months (imagine a sleeping bag worn vertically).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Needless to say, when I received a package in the mail with our bright patterned wax prints, it really cheered up my day!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The weather has picked up to a ‘balmy’ 10 degrees now and it’s time to bust out the short-shorts. Here are some photos of how you can style our <a href="http://www.madametay.com/clothing/wax-print-blazer/">Wax Print Blazer</a> and our <a href="http://www.madametay.com/clothing/wax-print-shorts/">Wax Print Shorts</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Whoever said office attire can’t be stylish/fun, prove them wrong and team our Wax Print Blazer with some smart trousers and heels for a professional, yet fashionable look. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIkmb0tn1GO69JxN22RCAZyLvTchCjIABrTE1qeD7uQ2F_wRTTSRQbgzPUbG6g4rZDe4r-TSyfu_zRyhr4LMGH-OeDKiArpqOxlJ_q_ddOpW79nsH40hduQbHdVg8yb-7_4g6IS1gi4Mw/s1600/2-03-DSC_1183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIkmb0tn1GO69JxN22RCAZyLvTchCjIABrTE1qeD7uQ2F_wRTTSRQbgzPUbG6g4rZDe4r-TSyfu_zRyhr4LMGH-OeDKiArpqOxlJ_q_ddOpW79nsH40hduQbHdVg8yb-7_4g6IS1gi4Mw/s1600/2-03-DSC_1183.JPG" height="640" width="424" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here, I teamed our Wax Print Shorts with a light denim jacket and a bright blue sweater - given the shorts carry themselves, best to keep the top half of your outfit understated and simple.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For the brave, you could go all out and pair the above two as a twin-set combo which looks really fun. I initially accessorised the outfit with a thick, gold chain necklace and gold bangles and thought I looked really cool. Fact is, I also looked like I was auditioning as a backup dancer for a hip hop music video or something. Lesson learnt, keep accessories to a minimum when dealing with loud prints.<span style="color: #1f497d;"></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimC2QpzEyxa83uppUI5lRorRzxhyphenhyphenbliDvXMQAgbmBpte1KnvSNAED-86IB1u8cYvit9pLDHqE7PZ4xoW1hYrNn6GvvSIlmngh9KVnY-XUrcXvHdjW9e2OC8rnkVr403EgkJRGrw0LMFlw/s1600/7-1-DSC_1250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimC2QpzEyxa83uppUI5lRorRzxhyphenhyphenbliDvXMQAgbmBpte1KnvSNAED-86IB1u8cYvit9pLDHqE7PZ4xoW1hYrNn6GvvSIlmngh9KVnY-XUrcXvHdjW9e2OC8rnkVr403EgkJRGrw0LMFlw/s1600/7-1-DSC_1250.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">How would you style your MT Wax Prints?</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Photos by me and Matt</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_601869018"></span><span id="goog_601869019"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-15796410638360758662014-04-01T21:08:00.002+11:002014-04-01T21:08:34.157+11:00West African Inspiration: Anne de la V by Anne-Marie Diatta<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today we're continuing our series profiling Senegalese creatives with Anne-Marie Diatta - the creative director and designer behind the label Anne de la V. Not only does Anne-Marie make beautiful contemporary garments, she also has a lot of exciting ideas about the direction of the textile industry in Senegal.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I met Anne-Marie Diatta by chance when I was in Dakar last year – and what a lucky meeting it turned out to be! Having spent a good part of the last few years working in garment sourcing in France, Anne-Marie has a wealth of knowledge about garment construction, including an incredible technical knowledge of fabrics, stitching, patternmaking and design. After studying fashion in France, Anne-Marie began working for some large fashion retailers and acted as the intermediary between these retailers and the manufacturers of their garments in Asia, namely in India and China. Talking to her about this work was fascinating – the amount of detail and care that went into each garment she oversaw is incredible. She also had a lot of in-sight into production in these workshops, and explained that this is, in part, why she returned to Senegal to begin her own label.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What I like most about Anne-Marie’s work is her attention to detail – she only works with the best tailors, and often sews many of the garments herself, and has a very broad knowledge of the local textile industry and goes to great length to source the best quality fabric, including beautiful silk, delicate chiffon and bright wax print from Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Anne-Marie also has some really exciting plans to begin her own garment production factory in the South of Senegal, where she is from. She recognises the capacity and capability of Senegal to become a big player in the global fashion market – not only does the country have a wealth of natural textile resources, but is also close to the European market and Anne-Marie passionately believes Senegal could compete with the likes of garment producing giants Bangladesh and China to make quality, affordable garments in ethical conditions.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; text-align: start;">Anne-Marie hard at work altering a stunning wax print gown.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.15pt;">If you are in Dakar
you can find the </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AnneDeLaV?ref=stream&filter=1" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.15pt;" target="_blank">Anne de la V boutique</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.15pt;"> in Ouakam, Cité Asecna, near Brioche
Dorée. You can call Anne-Marie on +221 77 606 6162, the store is open Monday
to Saturday, 10am to 7pm.</span></span></div>
<br />Cara Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12915033190663596851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-77064893501930066272014-03-23T19:49:00.000+11:002014-10-29T13:22:58.938+11:00Mint Tea Punch with Nonna ChongOur friend Monica - a brilliant cook who blogs about food as <a href="http://nonnachong.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Nonna Chong</a> - recently came over to show us how to make her Mint Tea Punch. You can find the full recipe over at the Lonely Hunter blog: <a href="http://lonelyhunter.com.au/blogs/news/12763789-madame-tays-mint-punch-recipe" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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We took a ton of photos, so these are some more shots from the afternoon...<br />
Thanks heaps for sharing your recipe with us Mon! x<br />
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<br />Sarah Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16828041949091692799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-52503799926925089992014-03-14T10:09:00.000+11:002014-03-14T10:21:47.976+11:00West African Inspiration: Omar Victor Diop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQbiw2eku4_Qkd-kMbHOnpS7_watl1_YHYqLmKCNNZ44MaM1XhY4ZGC42EwLJ-_ASzhFnq2odSCmq2xrfkSQp0SBCTcSSf50Hi8svlJmGLrEoYyd0_DWK301zbIbAC8Fj4tnwoiXxd3ai/s1600/ONOMOLLIWOOD-Creative-Project-Omar-Viktor-Diop-Frida-Kahlo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQbiw2eku4_Qkd-kMbHOnpS7_watl1_YHYqLmKCNNZ44MaM1XhY4ZGC42EwLJ-_ASzhFnq2odSCmq2xrfkSQp0SBCTcSSf50Hi8svlJmGLrEoYyd0_DWK301zbIbAC8Fj4tnwoiXxd3ai/s1600/ONOMOLLIWOOD-Creative-Project-Omar-Viktor-Diop-Frida-Kahlo.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was thrilled to meet Omar at an exhibition held at a swanky new hotel in Dakar in December - I had seen his images online, and was particularly struck by the African remake of Frida Kahlo's 'The Two Fridas'.</div>
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Omar is relatively new to the art of photography, but has quickly developed a huge following in Senegal and abroad, and is in demand for designers and artists when it comes to promoting their new creations (Senegalese fashion labels Bull Doff and SERAKA have both had their recent collections shot by him).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUDh4juO-ae6zYqMY9eJnVm9PqyR9S7rdOQAWJdlYHRs_9ctSBMLdOplwnpjiN6y5g2sFlsQ_hPZ247nCSIvv9O4f99ts6zh5tcmRhGrejnvnsHLUNz74hCMFI3kyStwxVncJsaIWUMJm/s1600/hU8uY8NE.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUDh4juO-ae6zYqMY9eJnVm9PqyR9S7rdOQAWJdlYHRs_9ctSBMLdOplwnpjiN6y5g2sFlsQ_hPZ247nCSIvv9O4f99ts6zh5tcmRhGrejnvnsHLUNz74hCMFI3kyStwxVncJsaIWUMJm/s1600/hU8uY8NE.jpeg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> SERAKA by Omar Victor Diop</td></tr>
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There is a real depth to Omar's work - he has a masterly eye for composition, and a wonderful aesthetic for all things textile and texture. <span style="text-align: center;">He describes his work as lying somewhere between fashion and conceptual art, with a very modern edge. Working with Frenc<span style="font-family: inherit;">h photographer Antoine Temp<span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">é</span>, O</span>mar created a series of cinematic posters which reference classic American and French cinema for the 'Onomollywood' exhibition. The below shot is an 'African remake' of the poster for "American Beauty".</span></div>
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Whilst my meeting with Omar was very brief, what struck about his work is how dedicated he is to promoting 'africanity' and 'normalising' the African continent by steering away from cliches images often associated with the continent. He acknowledges that 'Africa' suffers from a deficit of positive images, and even though it is important to be clear about the realities of life, it is equally important to show the normal, less-dramatic side of life on the expansive continent. He underlines that for him, it is important to highlight his experience of living in Senegal, because it means his work is authentic, and it gives a voice to the country, and to the continent in whole. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Omar Victor Diop</td></tr>
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Below are some photos from my favourite collections - Wax Dolls, which cheekily references the growing popularity of wax print fabric amongst the 'afropolitans' of West Africa. Given the history of wax, particularly in Senegal where the bright fabric is generally reserved for day-to-day wear, Diop cleverly plays with wax print's recent reemergence as a contemporary fashion staple.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkPf4CYSEe2alh-CB0xmlW-FWs_CNxmeHYEnpZm6r6lnY9lBjDhDGnKQCPo72X28EjQiWR6H3FYeabwj9JcZDnHUbXUe4vrEqRt_Cqex6fyYcYYP3ZZh9pNcZzXXhObZ5ZI0scqk4s2VV/s1600/diop2-700x466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkPf4CYSEe2alh-CB0xmlW-FWs_CNxmeHYEnpZm6r6lnY9lBjDhDGnKQCPo72X28EjQiWR6H3FYeabwj9JcZDnHUbXUe4vrEqRt_Cqex6fyYcYYP3ZZh9pNcZzXXhObZ5ZI0scqk4s2VV/s1600/diop2-700x466.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEM5gWnZhj_hnLYUI9dbdbU1RArxAo7w0vxfW70Tnjcjfqps8ALsVRVHE8RIdlNCPTo5SN0EiZ-A9-_77xeehsXTzIilljYq2H-LsGFdfDTiYHBe6UZ7UxnW3EZJojihDLsGxqXBsSchaZ/s1600/Screen-Shot-2013-08-13-at-7.06.42-AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEM5gWnZhj_hnLYUI9dbdbU1RArxAo7w0vxfW70Tnjcjfqps8ALsVRVHE8RIdlNCPTo5SN0EiZ-A9-_77xeehsXTzIilljYq2H-LsGFdfDTiYHBe6UZ7UxnW3EZJojihDLsGxqXBsSchaZ/s1600/Screen-Shot-2013-08-13-at-7.06.42-AM.png" height="414" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBIqa12gLfuP0J2CNo4nkay3xRLDocZlVMd6PXQymkKL_K0gMiWE709JRjmByVL5eMgGzLdqqctivAtQIRSfYhWBfyvSi0mEl9oud7VjD6iXGEzLLuCYVf87unHE74K9Oi5fIVLeY7KQO/s1600/Screen-Shot-2013-08-13-at-7.07.13-AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBIqa12gLfuP0J2CNo4nkay3xRLDocZlVMd6PXQymkKL_K0gMiWE709JRjmByVL5eMgGzLdqqctivAtQIRSfYhWBfyvSi0mEl9oud7VjD6iXGEzLLuCYVf87unHE74K9Oi5fIVLeY7KQO/s1600/Screen-Shot-2013-08-13-at-7.07.13-AM.png" height="414" width="640" /></a></div>
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All photos from <a href="http://www.omarviktor.com/" target="_blank">Omar Victor Diop</a> Photography</div>
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Cara Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12915033190663596851noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-61103364301419549542014-03-10T22:54:00.001+11:002014-03-12T02:39:24.863+11:00The Peekaboo Dress with Sarah<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUBbn058rVlYvHEW8WC_J1G3bc37s6wY7rxsQmxCmg6oOLs3KVp6AYVmHUqNQuxF3Nc39N5OtN0VZNWxAIH_Sn6lzmiyPW7lp9Lx2nnKjmXbBSgeSySISZw5Dg6jADPgs9uA9M3KHu2E/s1600/peekaboo+dress+front+and+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUBbn058rVlYvHEW8WC_J1G3bc37s6wY7rxsQmxCmg6oOLs3KVp6AYVmHUqNQuxF3Nc39N5OtN0VZNWxAIH_Sn6lzmiyPW7lp9Lx2nnKjmXbBSgeSySISZw5Dg6jADPgs9uA9M3KHu2E/s1600/peekaboo+dress+front+and+back.jpg" height="638" width="640" /></a></div>
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As my mum pointed out “this dress is nice but it has a great
big hole in the back!”</div>
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The backless feature is in fact by design, but I can see
what she means. The soft, drapey fabric of the <a href="http://www.madametay.com/clothing/peekaboo-dress/" target="_blank">Peekaboo dress</a> is lovely and
comfy for summer, but if you want to wear it backless and without a bra showing <a href="http://www.madametay.com/clothing/peekaboo-dress/" target="_blank">like in our photoshoot</a>
you may encounter some visible nipple issues. I think the options to get around
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<li>Wear it without a bra, but buy <a href="http://www.brasnthings.com/bras/bra-accessories/body-essentials-silicone-nipple-covers-nude-skin" target="_blank">these things</a>. (Or - thrifty tip - wear criss-crossed
band-aids on your nipples instead)</li>
<li>Wear it over a bikini to the beach</li>
<li>Wear it with a pretty bra, leaving the back of your bra visible</li>
<li>Layer with a fitted top underneath</li>
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I've been wearing the Peekaboo Dress with a bra and fitted black crop top underneath. Also I add a belt to pull in the waist.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0ghfd8ZxnLyHniC-2EzjMwMA3pnR9nIV6tv80v1qDyl1kxjNhY_kn6ZoZ8iQH3kKxhY5Vz-myXM48rVaIomocz1nFs5f1Py8ID0oeqhpDVwmRbkUlPP5ywzS04YU3muA7o6UvNSJid4/s1600/IMG_0187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0ghfd8ZxnLyHniC-2EzjMwMA3pnR9nIV6tv80v1qDyl1kxjNhY_kn6ZoZ8iQH3kKxhY5Vz-myXM48rVaIomocz1nFs5f1Py8ID0oeqhpDVwmRbkUlPP5ywzS04YU3muA7o6UvNSJid4/s1600/IMG_0187.JPG" height="320" width="238" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3HrQhyphenhyphenz3fB7M6ctItj297AJNAtoOaO_9ht6qtSj9kIkZny89mCELuKQukk0ELsTNu-GNaNduV9xbynpbzpnXvOTsxS_7uXD72iPwtuqPbn33UqfIy2zrFVsNKnsytMGZCb0KGBlaJvY/s1600/IMG_0218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3HrQhyphenhyphenz3fB7M6ctItj297AJNAtoOaO_9ht6qtSj9kIkZny89mCELuKQukk0ELsTNu-GNaNduV9xbynpbzpnXvOTsxS_7uXD72iPwtuqPbn33UqfIy2zrFVsNKnsytMGZCb0KGBlaJvY/s1600/IMG_0218.JPG" height="320" width="237" /></a></div>
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<i>photos by me and mum</i>Sarah Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16828041949091692799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6294543670436740913.post-59960731921672986842014-03-06T23:35:00.000+11:002014-03-06T23:35:51.882+11:00Style Inspiration - Elise <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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NAME: Elise Perriel </div>
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HOMETOWN: Nante, France</div>
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CURRENTLY LIVING: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia</div>
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OCCUPATION: French Teacher </div>
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I met Elise last year when we shared a house together in Hanoi. It was Elise who helped to first spark my interest in tailoring clothes in Vietnam - she would often go on trip to the fabric market, where she would come home with these beautiful patterned fabrics, which her tailor Van would make into beautiful dresses. Elise has a fairly diverse wardrobe from casual sundresses to funky jumpsuits to ornate and elegant dresses. One of my favourites though is Elise's version of the peekaboo dress below - very modest from the front but slightly cheeky from the back! And, if you are flipping through these photos are wondering about her beautifully smooth skin - here is Elise's beauty tip - using old coffee grounds as an exfoliate!</div>
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