Redstart Stories: Ethical Fashion & Art
Image: Roopa, from our first film, taken by Anne Munger
Story by: Zoe Hamilton, Goat Tree Productions
**Breaking news**
The crowdfunding campaign went live yesterday...55% of the way already!!!
https://igg.me/at/nasbandiOne in three women in India is sterilized. I learned this fact while working on a short documentary with my partner, Anne Munger, in 2014 in Northern India.
We spent a month interviewing women about their reproductive health choices, and specifically about their decisions about sterilization.
This year, a new government policy seeks to shift the national conversation away from sterilisation and towards a temporary injectable method. But will this policy empower the women it promises to help, or simply bolster government control over Indian women’s bodies?
We are about to launch a crowdfunding campaign on September 15th. With this money we can jump into production with our partner organization in India.
Locations: NYC, London, Mumbai
Image: Gauri Mahendra & Lakshmi @ Barefoot College
Story by: Gauri Mahendra, Founder of UMEED
Truly Empowering Women
I believe initiatives such as these celebrate talent, in an industry which too often neglects to adequately support its workers.
Their handloom products are inspired by sustainable development programs underway in the region.
Location: Hyderabad, India
Image: Dirty Gritty, GlassBook, Yossi Fisher
Story by: Yossi Fisher
Fast Fashion Ethics??
...Fast fashion has destroyed the way people view value, and with so many companies trying to keep up with demand, they unfortunately tend to sacrifice ethics for cheap pricing and fast turnaround.
I believe that when a company poses the simple question of “who are we?” not “what are we?”, perspectives shift...
Locations: Berlin / Toronto / London / LA
Image: Malaika Ibreck
Story by: Malaika Ibreck
Can you handle the Tooth?
Today, I made a necklace from my, and one of my sister’s, teeth. That sounds scarier than it is!
For me, making bijouterie feels like a half step forwards - one small step for me, no real impact on mankind. But perhaps if all of humankind were to take a small step forward, to be aware of where our clothes and jewellery came from and how that affects the rest of the world, then there would be a difference for everyone.
Location: UK
Image: Henry Stratford
Story by: Henry Stratford
Emerging Menswear designer
It all started at university, where like many people I was getting fed up of the greed and irresponsibility of so many businesses, so I decided to buy from more socially progressive brands.
I then did a bit of research and realised that the main customer for most clothing social enterprises is women. Which would arguably suggest that men do not care...
Location: UK
Image: Paula Schwarz & Markus Abgnel
Story by: Paula Schwarz
StartupAid.ioStartupAid.io share their story of how reviving the arts is playing a positive role on Greek islands.
Markus Abgnel believes in the power of creating art as intercultural bonding experiences as that enables people from different backgrounds to grow relationships by overcoming barriers and finding out about each other’s personalities, backgrounds and visions for the future. By engaging in a process of co-creation, people can take significant steps towards understanding the other, appreciating their individualities and forming a common vision.
StartupAid provides accommodation for artists, volunteers and other change makers who want to visit Samos and spend time to create in the local Migration Hub. The pilot project will begin in September 2016, results will be published in partnership with international media. Visitors on site are welcome to make use of the database of StartupAid, which currently contains 3.500 initiatives working around mass migration worldwide.
Locations: Greece, Germany
Image: Kathrin Sarah Silber
Story by: Kathrin Sarah Silber
Designer
Kathrin describes the difficulty in employment in the design world. Choices lead to impact. Here’s her story.
In the last few years I have noticed that a higher sense of what I do has become more and more important to me. I don’t want to do design for the sake of design.
So I’ve been asking myself again and again, does the design I do really help anyone, improve living conditions, support justice and peace? Or does it only help to make rich people richer, and poor people poorer?
Location: Germany
Image: Kraft Lifestyle Collection
Story by: Anna Buchmann
Kraft Lifestyle ProductsEthically sourcing materials, to employ refugees in their location.
“I wandered through the narrow side streets of Hyderabad’s Old Town, watching craftsmen and shop owners praising their skills and products, my senses overflowing with vibrant visuals, shrieking noises and unfamiliar smells. The colourful sarees of Indian women caught my eye wherever I went - even though I knew I couldn’t wear them back home.
The question of how to adjust the Indian traditional dress to fashion in London, just wouldn’t leave my mind. The other prevailing question was about refugee integration - coming from Germany this matter is close to my heart. So I combined these two questions into one: How could I use fairly produced textiles from India to foster refugee integration? That’s how KRAFT Lifestyle Products came along.”
Locations: India, UK
Partners
Featured partner: ArtJobs.com
"Working together with the REDSTART team, we hope that our community will use their voices, share their insight and use this opportunity to make a change" ArtJobs.com.
REDSTART Team
Charmaine Ho
Shaping each day more beautifully
Founder of Catch Events with extensive experience in running events and promotional campaigns for corporate, social enterprise and charitable groups. With a passion to get involved in the social innovative space, she spearheaded projects such as Social Enterprise Experience Tour and REDSTART to connect likeminded individuals together and promote the importance of collaboration.
Eddie Capstick
Passionate about social impact
Impact Mentor, Consultant and Judge for Social Enterprise.
CEO WorthWhile Studios who runs social impact workshops on UX design and games design workshops. Clients include OnPurpose, Action for Kids along with a few startups, academic institutions e.g. MIT, Goldsmiths and eco-hacks (Acorn Aspirations). Volunteer at MakeSense.
Natalia Lozano
Empathy 4 education
Graduate in Fine Arts and Communication with continuing education in various fields of art with teaching, social and cultural innovation and social awareness purpose. Currently working as a researcher and cooperating in groups that activate an ethical progress, and has founded the association SGNS.
Alexandra Lopes
Collating passions into purpose
She loves traveling and learning new things! Excited about this project as it combines important issues that resonate with me: women empowerment, youth entrepreneurship and ethical fashion.
Gabriela Pereira
Dreaming of a better world
Journalism and communication student, with a passion for creative writing and developing/managing new projects. Currently living in Portugal, but always dreaming about the world.
Joana Neiva
Travelling to explore and learn
Psychology student, always looking for new and exciting projects and meet new people. Travel is my biggest passion. Currently divided between Coimbra and Madrid.
