Green News
Divine make some of the scrummiest fairtrade chocolate around, in my opinion, and to mark the start of Fairtrade Fortnight, they're giving away a free bar to anyone who takes the time to fill out this form.
The reason Divine tastes so good may well come down to the quality of the cocoa butter that goes into the chocolate and I was interested to learn that Divine uses the very same melt-on-the-skin cocoa butter from Kuapa Kokoo as The Body Shop includes in its Body Butter products. Through trade with both organisations, over 50,000 small-scale farmers now receive a fair, above average price for their above average cocoa butter. The trade also contributes to Kuapa's social fund which is used to provide schools, wells, drinking water and medical facilities.
Related: Recipes with a heart from Divine Chocolate
Green News
London Fashion Week kicked off with two ethical catwalk shows on Friday, and I caught one of them: the Autumn/Winter '09 collection by eclectic, eco designer Julia Smith.
Smith's inspiration for the show, 'Mrs. White' was an eccentric old woman that she would often encounter in her student days while wandering the streets of South London. But there were certainly no 'Streatham facelifts' to be seen in this shoulder pad-clad and big haired, 80s-inspired show: Smith's trademark masculine tailoring was offset by more quirky embellishments, while a new direction for the designer was provided by figure-enhancing heavy silk and satin dresses.
Follow the jump for more on Julia Smith's collection
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Green News
London has always been a hugely influential, trendsetting city, but as LFW got started at the end of last week, it became clear that the bi-annual event now has a more serious remit: to become the most ethical of the four 'fashion capitals'.
The most promising sign that a shift had taken place came as soon as the first fashion shows hit the London runways: on the main catwalk, Noir, the high-end ethical label from Denmark kicked off the season's collections, while Vauxhall Fashion Scout, the area reserved for emerging talent played host to a range by sustainable designer Julia Smith. But the decision to stage these designers' work first was no empty gesture: it has also emerged that Estesthica, the event's ethical initiative, has just been given government backing. Defra has launched a 'Sustainable Clothing Action Plan', a major investment in sustainable fashion with several big high street names on board
Follow the jump to find out what the big chains are doing to help
[Via The Guardian]
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competitions
Fairtrade fortnight gets underway from next week, and alongside the official programme of events, there are loads of activities with a fairtrade theme going on.
Cafédirect are marking the occasion with a programme of foodie-friendly events at Whole Foods Market, Kensington High Street in London, and they're offering you the chance to win a pair of tickets to any of the 'Meet the Expert's sessions and Acoustic Music nights during TasteFair
Read on after the jump for details
Related: Stars go nuts for Fairtrade Fortnight
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Green News
We're all about the eco chic this week, as ethical brands are clubbing together to pull out all the stops; ready to impress style seekers flocking to London Fashion Week. And for me, that's really encouraging. With the recession now in full gloomy flow, I had half expected to see the end of the burst of sustainable creativity that's been steadily gaining ground in recent years, but with the biggest Estethica ever, it's clear that fashion is in no hurry to revert completely to its cost-cutting, disposable ways.
I'm still checking out the various newcomers to the Estethica show, and will be heading down to the Kensington 'tent' to check them out for myself later today. But I was interested to see today that two Hippyshopper favourites: Tonic and Junky Styling have joined forces to create a new online ethical fashion portal: The Edge. Here, you can buy from a range of sustainable indies, including Worn Again, Beyond Skin and more. Add it to your bookmarks now!
Green News
You may have heard the good news that cries of 'has anyone got a charger for a Nokia/Sony/Samsung?' etc will soon be a thing of the past, as the tech world has finally produced what seems to any non-geek to be the most obviously useful gadget ever: a charger that works on any phone.
But even better is the news that this super-charger will be greener, too. According to the Telegraph, the new universal chargers will consume half as much energy when on standby as today's charging cables, and will be supported by the majority of mobile phones by 2012.
Fashion & accessories
London Fashion Week gets underway from tomorrow, and running alongside if for the sixth season is Estethica, which showcases the the best in ethical fashion. Once a quirky offshoot of the main event, Esthetica now plays host to some of the most hotly-tipped design talent London has to offer, and I'll be sharing my tips for green and ethical names to look out for throughout the week.
Follow the jump for my first impressions
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