I realized recently that my fashion schooling was punctuated by several significant events– disasters, really– that mark the intersections of my values system as a citizen of the world and as a fashion designer. They were landmarks on the map that lead to me to build Manuma. Animesh Basnet […]
cloth is culture
#ClothisCulture: Afghan war rugs exhibit in New London
The Lyman Allyn Museum in New London, CT is hosting an exhibit of Afghan war rugs this spring. Through decades of invasion, occupation, and internal oppression, Afghan women within the country and displaced in refugee camps elsewhere have modernized the images they depict through their traditionally crafted rugs for commercial sale. Maps, weapons, army tanks, and portraits […]
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January 7 is Distaff Day
The party's over. No more three-day weekends, it's time to get back to work. In European countries, on the day after Epiphany, women would get back to work with their wintertime occupation: spinning fiber into yarn using a distaff. It became known as Distaff Day. A woman possessed? Apparently letting an unfortunate fella have it […]
What is Fair Trade Certified?
Oliberte Fair trade is the market-based answer to charity. Instead of perpetuating the charity cycle, which just creates dependency on handouts, fair trade principles ensure that farmers get a fair price for their harvest, based on the market, i.e. supply and demand. Trading is done directly, without a middleman, which would otherwise take a chunk out of the […]
October is Fair Trade Month
Ethical and sustainable fashion has come a long way since the movement really started taking off in the 90s. There's still way too much yogawear and graphic t-shirts in that space, but the tide is turning. Maiyet 2013 brought the first cohort of Fair Trade certified clothing and shoes, certified by Fairtrade USA (Fairtrade International is continuing to […]