Pardonnez Moi

Is that how you spell that? I don't know, but I just thought I'd apologize in advance for the upcoming absence of posts. It's exam week so 1) I'm busy and 2) people are not really concerned with dressing their best. "Merci" for understanding.

The Real Deal

The Breeze decided that the general JMU public would be more interested in other things than my article on Kathleen Temple and Kaitie Atchison, whose collection for Artisans' Hope I drew attention to with a post last week. Here is the entire article, completely unedited. I know it's a lot of text but I encourage you to read it if you have any interest in sustainable clothing or good people doing important things in the community who are being ignored by an editorial staff that needs to get its priorities straight...

Downtown fabric emporium Ragtime Fabrics employees Kathleen Temple and Kaitie Atchison don’t want to save the world; they just want to do their part to make it a little bit better. Together they have created a line of clothing for local fair trade retailer Artisans’ Hope, where Broadway High School senior Atchison volunteers. The rising JMU freshman came up with the idea for the fundraiser, which came to fruition with the help of tailor and dressmaker Temple and the support of the pair’s boss, Ragtime Fabrics owner Belle Stemper. "I'd learn about different artisans and how the process works and then I'd come to work and want to share it with someone," says Atchison, who found a kindred spirit in Temple, a former pastor and religious studies professor at Eastern Mennonite University.

Fair trade is a term that designates the sustainable business practice of paying local workers in a given community well enough so that they can be self-sufficient, which stimulates the global economy and encourages socioeconomic equality. Artisans’ Hope buys from wholesale companies that pay artisans directly for their work. A part of Gift & Thrift Shop Inc., a local non-profit established in 1982, Artisans’ Hope’s proceeds also contribute in part to the financial resources of the Mennonite Central Committee, a non-denominational relief organization. “They do a lot with development and trying to get people to learn skills they can use for themselves and be independent,” explains Nancy Yoder, an Artisans’ Hope volunteer.

Artisans’ Hope suppliers include Ten Thousand Villages, Bright Hope International and Equal Exchange, but they do not sell clothing, a niche now filled by this ambitious design duo. “We were eager to work with them,” says Artisans’ Hope manager Sara Halteman, “it’s very different from anything we’ve ever had.” The garments are constructed from handmade, hand-painted rayon from Bali, a high quality natural fiber that breathes easily. “I tried to keep in mind with the designs what would be flattering...[there are] no zippers, just drawstrings,” says Atchison. “It’s good for summer.”

The entire collection was produced in under two months and features one-of-a-kind dresses and skirts priced from fifty to one hundred dollars, as well as inexpensive ‘treasure bags,’ assembled from fabric scraps. Sizes range from small to large and both women are quick to point out that each garment can be worn by a variety of body types. The collection will be on sale until early fall, subject to availability - within two hours of the fundraiser opening the collection generated more than eight hundred dollars in sales. “I’m really excited that the community has responded so well to it,” says Broadway High School teacher Anneke Martin. “I think it means more to people who are wearing it if they understand what fair trade is.”

Aside from this capsule collection, Atchison and Temple hope to continue working with sustainable fabrics and to possibly broaden their market. For these women, the workplace conversations about trade policy that engendered this collection are part of an ongoing dialogue about the future of garment design. "There's bound to be more of a market for fair trade," notes Atchison, who regrets that Wal-Mart and other big box retailers are jumping on the organic bandwagon as it undermines the local growth that is key to the green movement. "We wouldn't have had this idea much less been able to do it if we weren't [working] at a totally independent store," comments Temple, whose boss, Belle Stemper, notes that there seems to be “a reaction against Wal-Mart and ‘made in China’...A lot more people are saying they want to buy local.”

All proceeds from the collection are donated directly to Artisans’ Hope and benefit struggling artisans around the world. For more information about Artisans’ Hope visit www.giftandthrift.org, or visit www.ragtimefabrics.com for more information about the store and the fair trade fabric used in the collection.

Riddle Me This

Julianne Moore as featured on the May 2008 cover of Vogue Paris (left) and as featured on US Harper's Bazaar's May 2008 cover (right). There is a distinct difference between these two cover shots. Which is more compelling? Is the French cover too raunchy for American audiences? This is just the kind of dorky thing that interests me more than it should. Which cover would you pick up at the newsstands? And why?

P.S. I just found out that Julianne Moore is 48 years old!!

The Look of Spring

Great outfit:
1) The dress combines floral trends with stringy detailing (elements of previous seasons at Chloé, see below) for a look that's distinctly "now."

2) Those red patent leather peeptoe-bowed-ballerina flats match the flower buds in the dress; a subtle accent that makes a world of difference.
3) I love the strong shoulder the cap sleeve creates. So hot right now.
4) I can't deny the resemblance between this petite blonde in her bug-eye shades and Nicole Richie, as offensive as that may be to some, but might I just say that Ms. Richie only wishes she could pay her stylist to look this good.

TWO PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARCIO MADEIRA/STYLE.COM

Best Foot Forward

There've been quite a few young women around campus whose pretty dresses and playful tops have caught my eye, but when I look down at their feet, it's just all wrong. They're usually rocking a gnarly pair of Reefs or Rainbows they've had since the 11th grade. That's where this young lady comes in. I spotted those metallic bad boys from across the quad and was immediately pulled into their orbit. I love the way the sunglasses, Tory Burch-esque dress (so hot right now) and space-age sandals work together. It's an unusual but trendy combination that feels completely put together.

Are You Enough?

Because Christine there isn't quite. At least, she's not quite tall enough. I'm sure she compensates for that deficiency with some aspect of her personality. What, exactly, is she standing behind? That's for me to know and you to find out at the Institute for Visual Studies in Roop 208. Some fellow classmates have undertaken a project about the fashion industry/popular media's influence on body image and self-confidence. All of the other projects from the current IVS studio seminar are on exhibit as well. For more information, click here.

Design Editions 2008

Gap Design Editions are here! I bought this Roll-up sleeve shirt by Michael Bastian at 1:00am this morning (an hour after I initally tried to buy it - the men's site wasn't working). Below are two of my favorite pieces from the women's collection: a smock with Parisian flair by Philip Lim and a versatile oversized patchwork button-up by Band of Outsiders.

Click here to peruse the entire range of items including a dress by ThreeAsFour and jewelry by Philip Crangi. Unfortunately there are only two men's pieces and they are not offered in XS. Once again Gap decided it would be terribly compelling if they limited some of today's hottest young designers to "reinventing" the white shirt, but hopefully next year they will allow more creative freedom. What do we think of these special edition pieces? How does this compare to other capsule collections such as those offered at Target and Kohl's?

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF GAP.COM

A Passion For Sustainable Fashion

Kathleen Temple and Kaitie Atchison are two fashionistas with their sartorial hearts in the right place. They have created a 25 piece collection using fair-trade fabrics that will be available at Artisan's Hope starting this Saturday, April 19th, with a fundraiser open house from 2:30-5pm. All of the proceeds from the collection will benefit Artisan's Hope and encourage the dynamic duo to produce more fair-trade and sustainable clothing.

The idea for this fundraiser originated with Kaitie, a senior at Broadway High School who volunteers for Artisan's Hope and works downtown at Ragtime Fabrics with Kathleen. "I'd learn about different artisans and how the process works and then I'd come to work and want to share it with someone," says Kaitie, who found a kindred spirit in Kathleen, a former pastor and religious studies professor at Eastern Mennonite University.

Aside from this capsule collection for Artisans Hope, Kaitie and Kathleen hope to continue working with sustainable fabrics and to possibly broaden their market. "There's bound to be more of a market for fair trade," notes Kaitie, who laments that Wal-Mart and other big box retailers are jumping on the organic bandwagon as it undermines the local growth that is key to the green movement. "We wouldn't have had this idea much less been able to do it if we weren't [working] at a totally independent store," comments Kathleen.

The collection includes dresses and skirts, as well as inexpensive "treasure bags." Prices for the clothing range from $50-$100 and the bags will sell for under $20. Artisans Hope is located off Mt. Clinton Pike, next to Gift-'n-Thrift. Dear readers, if your bank account enables you to support this wonderful cause I cannot encourage you enough to scoop up as many pieces as possible! If you can't make it to the open house on Saturday, the collection will be for sale until October (if it doesn't sell out much sooner). All of the clothing modeled in these photographs is from the collection (aside from Kaitie's t-shirt and cardigan). Ragtime Fabrics is located downtown at 60 W. Market Street, just around the corner from The Artful Dodger. Visit their website for more information!

http://www.ragtimefabrics.com/

Auf Wiedersehen, Nina Garcia?

Click here (link no longer active) to read up on Nina Garcia's abscondment from ELLE magazine and get the 411 on her future as Project Runway's "Queen of Mean." In case you hadn't heard, the show will not be returning to Bravo for its fifth season, but will instead be taking up residence at Lifetime. You know, the network adored by your invalid grandmother who thinks pantyhose is fashion. What do we think? Would PR be the same without Nina? And will you give your viewership to an alien network best known for weepy dramas that make "A Walk to Remember" look like "Bad Boys II?"

P.S. I just double-checked the existence of the word "abscondment." It does not, technically, exist. However, I believe that it should and consequently cannot replace it on principle.

The Chosen One

This young lady came to our fine campus for CHOICES and found herself on the tail end of my camera en route to Festival. Hopefully she'll find us worthy of her unique style and passion for writing, which she mentioned while we conversed about for what purpose I was putting her picture on the internet. Definitely take a second to enlarge the image and admire the contrast between the romantic top and the almost futuristic seaming detail on her black jeans. And those sandals? Killer.

P.S. I just looked at this image on another computer screen and realized that the "seaming detail" I make reference to is not visible on all monitors. Find one with good resolution and make sure you check it out, because it's a revelation in style.

Design On A Dime

My friend Chrissy evidences her keen eye for fashion finds with this frock from Forever 21. Kudos, Chrissy, for working it out (and keeping it classy) on a budget!

Miss Me Much?

It's been a tragically long time since I last updated for all you Mode devotees, but I've finally resurfaced. Last week was unusually busy for me and this week I felt unusually lazy - a deadly combination that has lead to the subsequent dearth of entries. But now I'm back, as is the old logo (I heard that a few of you missed it). I'd like to take this opportunity to encourage you to leave your comments about any of the outfits you see on the site, but also to voice any opinions you might have regarding the content of the site. Would you like me to write more? About what? Or should I just get on that picture thing...(as always). Without your objective insights I will selfishly pursue my own agenda, so I look forward to hearing from you - whoever you are!

PS: Tell your friends about Mode! Like, now!

Simply Refined

I'm a big fan of sweet, simple looks. This shirt tucked into wide leg linen pants created a refreshingly polished silhouette that stood out in the crowd of tanorexic trannies (tranorexics?) and guitar-strumming hippies lounging about the quad this afternoon, not to mention that this was the perfect transitional outfit for the first day of the year it really felt like spring. I'm also feeling the cap-sleeve shirt - it enhances that "summertime in Cape Cod" vibe without trying as hard as, say, a polo pony emblazoned madras miniskirt. Three cheers for subtle style!