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Mondays are dull and mundane. To spice it up, JoC is launching a Pick of the Week feature for our readers. Be it a must-have item, a must-see event, or a cause to watch; our picks are guaranteed to be ‘cool with a conscience!’
Our first pick….. 
Beyond Skin vegan shoes proves to fashion skeptics that fashionistas don’t have to compromise style to be conscientious.
Launched in 2001 in East London with a tiny collection of made-to-order boots and shoes, Beyond Skin now boasts a global reputation with retailers across Europe, Asia and North America stocking their designs.
Working closely with their production houses in India, Spain and the UK, Beyond Skin chooses environmentally-friendly, locally sourced materials, and ensures that their employees are not being exploited. They are also committed to donating a proportion of their revenue to fund environmental and social projects. Want more?
JoC AW09 picks:
 Opal £140 (available in 5 colours)  Serpent £159 (available in 2 colours) This is one of the first AW seasons in years that bright colour are to be embraced! Add a little spice to your classic Fall palette. It’s the easiest way to keep your wardrobe updated without breaking the bank!
However, quality does come with a price tag. For our readers on a budget, Beyond Skin’s Online Boutique is having a sale! Hurry, Sale ends tonight! Stock up!
Check Out London’s Pop-up Vintage Circuit
Take a break from the hum-drum of Sunday markets. The Affordable Vintage Fair and the New To You Vintage and Craft Fair (both on only today), are sure to satisfy!
What: The Affordable Vintage Fair
“By no means a rag and bone jumble sale but a popular and un-missable fashion event that picks only the best vintage retailers and traders from around the UK and gathers them together under one roof…”(more?)
Who: For style-and-eco-conscience fashionistas (with the stamina to sustain the crowds that this event will surely attract).
Where: Sustainable Studios, 65- 71 Scrutton St. (EC2A)
When: October 25th (T0day), 12-5
*entry: 2 pounds
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What: New To You Vintage and Craft Fair
“Clothing, Crafts, Books, Mags & Zines, Bric-brac, Records, Cakes…And all manner of other covetable cast-offs and collectibles…”(more?)
Who: Laid-back treasure hunters—on a budget.
Where: The Lexington, 96-98 Pentonville Road, (N7)
When: October 25th (Today), 1-4:30
*entry: Can of non-perishable food for the London Food Bank
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The BIG Why: Because style isn’t only found on the Runway. Vintage is not only more affordable, but you can stick it to sweatshops and reduce your carbon footprint by saving goods from a lifetime in a landfill!
Now that the High Street sales are in full swing, and the F/W collections are slowly starting to appear on shelves, I thought now would be a good time to reflect on the past few months of ethical fashion design news that has been on the JoC radar.
UK Ethical Fashion Initiatives
Do You Remember?
Earlier this year we applauded Defra for its sustainable fashion initiatives which aim to make a difference by attempting to reduce the adverse environmental, social and ethical impacts of the fashion and textile industries.
Updates:
The UK Sustainable Clothing Action Plan continues to produce results as last month, DFID (Department for International Development) launched its RAGS program. Continue reading Watching The Ethical Fashion Movement Grow
 Esthetica: Noir Show (Stephen Hird,Reuters) London Fashion Week (February 20-25) opened Friday with its sixth season of Estethica, a showcase of sustainable fashion. Esthetica is an opportunity to launch new European eco-friendly designers, a clear sign that the trend towards sustainable fashion is only growing. This year provided the platform for Defra minister (Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), Lord Hunt, to launch the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan.
 Ada Zanditon, Fall/Winter 09. (londonfashionweek.co.uk) According to Defra, “the clothing and textiles sector in the UK alone produces around 3.1 million tonnes of CO2, 2 million tonnes of waste and 70 million tonnes of waste water per year – with 1.5 million tonnes of unwanted clothing ultimately ending up in landfill”. This program has brought together some of the worst offenders including Tesco and M&S to build initiatives aimed at offsetting not only the high carbon emissions and waste produced by the clothing industry, but also to address issues of unfair labour and trade.
 Ombre Racerback Vest £28.00 Ten years ago if you loved the environment there were a number of pejorative terms that non-enviro lovers were known to use to describe you. ‘Tree-hugger’ and ‘crunchy-granola’ quickly spring to mind. But it is increasingly becoming very cool to love our planet. Everyone is jumping on the green bandwagon, and as usual, fashion is right on the cutting edge. A number of great designers have already launched sustainable fashion lines, but high street companies have been slow on the uptake. Spring ‘09 marks the expansion of the Warehouse Cares lines from UK retailer Warehouse, and is featured in this month’s Glamour.
Designed by Warehouse’s in-house team, the Organic line boasts 7 muted pieces of tops and bottoms, and includes a great ombre tank—one of the few trends that have gracefully followed into the Spring lines from past seasons. The more luxurious Recycled Silk Collection was created by re-spinning the silk from off-runs of previously scraped material. The collection offers 8 great pieces, in a wearable palate of greys and blacks, and includes 3 versions of this season’s hottest silhouette, the harem pant.
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October 26th, 2009 | 
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