Faire Child & COVID-19
The present situation surrounding COVID-19 has led us to make necessary adjustments, but we will continue to do better, make thoughtfully and play endlessly.
MILK Awards
This summer we traveled to the Playtime Paris show. We're thrilled to say Faire Child was this year's Playtime Paris winner of Milk's Green award
Faire Child Interview with Playtime
Faire Child founder, Tabitha Osler sat down for an interview with Playtime. She talked about Faire Child, her inspiration for starting it
Faire Child Interview with Marissa Froese
This past summer, we had the chance to sit down with fellow Nova Scotian, Marissa Froese, a home and community educator
Layer Up with Faire Child | Fall/Winter Edition
Keep your kids cozy this winter! We are sharing our tips on how to layer with Faire Child. A few simple steps make these garments a year round staple.
Faire Child Book Report | The Little Philosophers and the Tree of Knowledge
Want to find new books to read to your littles at bedtime? Click to check out the newest Faire Child Book Report!
Layer Up with Faire Child | Spring + Summer
Check out our tips for layering up your rain gear this spring and summer!
Faire Child Book Report | She Dreams of Sable Island
Want to know what we thought of Briana Corr Scott's first illustrated book? Check out the newest Faire Child Book Report!
Faire Child Launches at Bon Tot
Bon Tot did a wonderful review of our work, here is what they thought. Today's launch of the new Faire Child range got us thinking about 'What Bon Tot is' and what Faire Child means to us. We like nice people who are making things based on their own ethical priorities; and how they view the world. The garments are a product of someone who believes in a regenerative economy and creating a framework that values a healthy eco system. We think this brand hits every priority you could have.. including style.
Fashion Revolution
Recently we’ve been talking a lot about the havoc that’s caused by the fast fashion industry - clothes made in unsafe factory conditions where workers are underpaid or not paid at all; clothes that fall apart after a few wears piling up in the landfills; and the excessive use of toxic chemicals, just to name a few. By turning out new styles and trends every season, big brands are promoting a constant turnover of our personal closets, making us more inclined to see clothes as disposable and temporary.
But once you become aware of all of the harm that comes with supporting the fast fashion industry, it’s hard to keep shopping these stores with a clear conscience. But it’s also hard to go from buying new clothes all the time to cutting out shopping cold turkey. Because of this, a new industry is emerging: sustainable fashion. Specializing in different ways, companies and designers are looking to continue to celebrate all of the wonderful qualities of fashion, but in a more responsible way. This means using textiles that are made from ethically and responsibly farmed materials, or upcycled fabrics. This means being transparent about the working conditions of employees, and ensuring that all labourers are receiving a livable wage. This means designing products that are timeless, and will last for years. This means being transparent about, and being responsible for, each garment from when it’s manufactured, to when it’s disposed of.
Fashion Revolution is a global initiative that encourages individuals, businesses, and organizations to push for transparency in the manufacturing of our clothes. This means being responsible for, and collaborating on, every step along the value chain. In order to do this, Fashion Revolution is encouraging people to ask the question “who made my clothes?” during Fashion Revolution Week 2019. They’re also asking for everybody to make a pledge to engage in behaviour that inspires and promotes transparency, sustainability, and responsibility in the fashion industry.
At Faire Child, we’re trying to our best as a small-scale, local company, by offering products that are durable, made from recycled PET water bottles, and made by hand right in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. For Fashion Revolution Week 2019, we’re pledging to upcycle 100% of our waste by 2020. But we’re not alone in our efforts. In Halifax alone, there is a whole community of fashion revolutionaries who, in their own ways, are making leaps and bounds to bring the fashion revolution to everybody. You may have heard of some of them, like Sattva, Make New, Elsie’s, Lost and Found, Penelope’s, and more, who all run businesses with sustainability at their forefront. But in the last year there have been some emerging revolutionaries in Halifax’s sustainable fashion world.
One is a new consignment store located in Dartmouth called the Has Bin. The Bin is run by two owners, Bee Morrison and Gwyneth Maxwell, who believe in providing a shopping experience for people in the least harmful way. Morrison explained that the Bin differs from traditional consignment in how it’s “owned and operated by young, queer people who are trying to subvert the incredibly hetero, cis, skinny fashion world.” One of the services that is very unique to the Bin is the extended hours they provide for genderqueer folk who may feel uncomfortable shopping with and in front of strangers.
The Bin is also striving to give everyone the opportunity to shop sustainably and locally by making their prices affordable, and with no brand-bias. “You will find a Valentino cardigan and a American Eagle cardigan in our store for the same price (somewhere around $15),” said Morrison. By doing this, the Bin is offering a service that’s a little more curated than thrift stores, but more affordable than other consignment or vintage stores, while remaining transparent about the service they’re providing.
The best part about the Bin, though, is how clearly both Morrison and Maxwell’s morals are reflected in the operation and constitution of their shop. They are both committed to delivering a service that places extreme importance on social sustainability, responsible and cautious capitalism, and accountability for our own actions. You can find Morrison and Maxwell Tuesday through Sunday on Windmill Rd. in Dartmouth, where they would be happy to see you in the shop.
Another individual who has caught our attention is the young 14-year-old Aeryn Eastwood, who has recently created a new leather-alternative that’s made out of food waste. A recent award winner at the Halifax Sci-Tech Expo, Eastwood created a faux leather out of a bacterial cellulose, using the same bacteria and yeast as kombucha to produce a textile-like material called a “pellicle.” Titling her project “Garbage to Gucci,” Eastwood is challenging two major issues with her innovative textile: fast fashion and food waste.
Recently faced with the almost unfathomable harm that comes from the fast fashion industry, and the millions of tonnes of food that’s wasted annually, Eastwood began to think of ways that she could make a difference on her own. Already interested in fashion, Eastwood began to research different ways to make more sustainable textiles when she came across this bacterial cellulose pellicle, which can then be cut, dyed, and sewn into various products. Eastwood’s pellicle is even more innovative than that though: instead of using fresh tea leaves and granulated sugar, she replaced these ingredients with food waste products, making her product even more sustainable.
When asked what she wants to see change the most in the fashion industry, Eastwood made her priorities very clear. “First and most importantly, better working conditions and better treatment for workers. Globally one in six people work in the fashion and garment industry get only 2% receive a living wage. Secondly I’d like to see the fashion industry less reliant on traditionally sourced textiles and more open to using sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. Thirdly we need to change how consumers think about fashion and how the fashion industry markets to those consumers. Clothing should not be seen as disposable single use items.” Eastwood wants her innovation to become accessible to everybody, especially those in developing countries where resources are more expensive, and a cheaper alternative like her faux-leather would be extremely valuable for producing goods that are traditionally leather.
With motivated, innovative, and conscientious people like Morrison and Maxwell, owners of the Has Bin, and Eastwood, creator of her food waste faux-leather, there is certainly a push towards a more sustainable and transparent local fashion industry. But of course, these two stories don’t cover all of the amazing things that folks in Halifax are doing. If you have a story about someone you know who’s doing incredible things, send us an email, and we’ll feature the story in honour of Fashion Revolution Week 2019. If you would like to make a pledge towards Fashion Revolution Week, or learn more about the organization, head over to their website.
Transparency
At Faire Child, we believe in transparency. When it comes to our products, our materials, and our practices, we believe our customers deserve to know exactly what we stand for and what goes into every product we produce.
At its core, the transparency is about being responsible and fair to both people and the planet. As consumers and business owners alike become more conscious of how their actions affect the world around them, there has been a demand for products that are more ethical and environmentally friendly. However, the transparency movement in fashion isn’t just the latest marketing gimmick, it’s a movement that demands and produces real, genuine change that the fashion industry desperately needs. As touched on in previous posts, the fashion industry is one of the worst industries when it comes to environmental impact. It’s also an industry that relies heavily on sweatshop labour from workers in developing countries.
Given the nature of the industry, the importance and need for transparency in fashion cannot be understated. Fashion Revolution is a group dedicated to promoting transparency within the world of fashion They recently did a study of 150 major fashion retailers to determine how transparent they each company was. The brands were scored out of 250 with the average score being only 52 and 12 brands even scoring 0. Unfortunately, the results prove why the transparency movement is so important. Without it, it can be hard to hold brands accountable. Transparency allows consumers to make informed decisions to help encourage good, ethical practices within all sectors of the fashion industry.
As consumers, the lack of transparency of many retailers can make it challenging to select clothing that is ethically produced and kind to the environment. Thankfully, mobile platforms such as Good on You have done a lot of the grunt work and allow for consumers to examine many major brands to help determine where they fall with regards to ethics, sustainability, and their business practices. When it comes to assessing a brand, Good on You examines how the company in question interacts with people, the planet, and animals. The brand is then given a rating from 1-5 with 5 being the highest score and 1 being the lowest.
The next time you are in the market for some new clothes, we recommend downloading the Good on You app. After all, information is power and the best consumer is an informed consumer.