KUSIKUY Slow Fashion Pulling Ahead

by Tamara Stenn

KUSIKUY is Slow Fashion.

"Slow Fashion exists in a thoughtful, sustainable apparel market."
- Treehugger Blogger

Slow Fashion garments are carefully hand made of locally sourced, natural materials. There is minimum (if any) processing of these materials. Materials are natural, intact, just as nature intended them to be. This leads to garments that are made with premium fibers, ones that are not weakened through chemical processes and ones that will wear well and last longer.

Kusikuy sells yarn and hand-carved buttons on their website.

KUSIKUY's Andean alpaca is the perfect example of a slow fiber. Our free range, indigenous herds produce the finest alpaca in the world. KUSIKUY sweaters last an average of 10 years and can be machine washed hundreds of time. Slow fashion labor practices are fair. Tailors and knitters are careful experts in garment construction and are paid well for their expertise.

Slow Fashion is also sustainable. Being locally sourced and hand made, cuts down on transportation and helps to grow and support communities. KUSIKUY's indigenous knitters are also organic farmers. Today they are more dependent on sweater production now that the tropical glaciers are melting and drying up. These glaciers once provided water for Andean crops. Now the underground, glacial-fed aquifers are gone. Crops can no longer be grown and a life sustaining income is lost. Knitting has helped to replace some of this lost income through knitting work. Buying fibers direct from local herdsman also extends the earnings made by the community.

Kusikuy Knitters in Bolivia

"Slow Fashion also rejects the trend-focused planned obsolescence that has driven the fashion industry for decades," explains Elaine Lipson, writer, artist and sustainable textile expert. Lispon also explains, "Slow Fashion emphasizes lasting design and craftsmanship, so you can buy fewer clothes with a longer life. Design and color palettes are compatible from season to season, so you can build a wardrobe instead of replacing everything in an increasingly rapid and wasteful cycle. Brand loyalty and quality replace quantity." More information (and books) on slow fashion, organics, and fashion can be found at Lipson's website http://lainie.typepad.com/redthread/2008/01/slow-cloth-fash.html

Slow fashion saves you, the consumer, time and money. No longer you have to spend time and gas traveling to stores constantly shopping for clothes. Slow Fashion clothes last longer, look nicer, and in the long run cost less. Plus you now have favorite clothes you look forward to wearing, have a relationship with, and remember. (Note: How many items do we forget are even in our closets because we never wear them? They are too hard to clean, the color is off, we are waiting for the style to come back in fashion, etc.).

Here's an example: Lets say an average factory made wool sweater costs $35 and lasts a season. Then stitches come apart, it pills, stretches, shrinks, and in general is no longer is in style. So another sweater is purchased the following year at the same throw-away price of $35. In six years $210 and countless hours and gas have been spent on buying and replacing "cheap fashion" sweaters. The average KUSIKUY hand knit, luxury quality, alpaca sweater costs $185 and lasts not six but 10 years! So KUSIKUY sweaters are actually much "cheaper" than the un-sustainable throw-away fashions that we may normally buy.

And the savings is not just in your own purse, but in your world too. By buying a KUSIKUY (or any) Slow Fashion garment, you are saving your world from throw away garments entering landfills, the carbon contamination from overseas shipping, and the use of slave-like labor practices often associated with cheap, factory, "throw away fashion" manufacturing.

Slow fashion is mindful, careful, consumerism that fosters positive relationships with the world and its people, of which we all are a part.


Founded in Bolivia in 1997, KUSIKUY was developed by US Peace Corps volunteer, Tamara Stenn. Upon finishing her work with the Peace Corps she returned to the United States to earn a Masters in Intercultural Management from the School for International Training. Inspired by fellow Fair Trade counterparts, KUSIKUY has grown from a small home based business to become an international internet retailer and wholesaler.

In 2004 KUSIKUY became a proud member of the Organic Trade Association and expanded its line of hand made natural clothing to include EKO certified organic pima cotton. Tamara saw a need for more support for the development of organic clothing cooperatives. In 2001, AYLLU, Inc. a 501c3 non profit, was created to help with grass roots development in the Andes and the education of consumers about of benefits of using Fair Trade and organic products. In June 2007 KUSIKUY's headquarters town, Brattleboro, Vermont, became the 2nd Fair Trade Town in the USA. This initiatve was created and backed by KUSIKUY and AYLLU.

KUSIKUY Slow Fashion Pulling Ahead

Our Feathered Friends: Wear Them or Free Them?

It all started with Charlie (named after my brother who is a pilot), my little one-legged, parakeet. I had no control over the heat in my apartment in Chicago, so even on the coldest days, I had a couple of windows cracked open a bit. Charlie flew in through the kitchen window on a frigid winter day. Mitchie, my dog, cornered him. I knew nothing about caring for birds, so I got Charlie a cage, bought him some food, went online and read about parakeets. I took him to the gallery. Soon, one of our customers who knew a lot about birds, brought Charlie a companion. Then she brought two more. I got a bigger cage. She brought a box and told me to put it in the cage. Babies came. Another customer was moving and had a cockatiel with a broken wing, Pecky. She couldn't take him. Did I want him? Pecky was 14 years old at the time. Sure, why not? So, Pecky came. The bird lady felt sorry for him and brought a young female. The female turned out to be a male, Sebastian. Without ever intending to, I now have 9 parakeets (I took the box out. Enough is enough!) and two cockatiels. Although I feel a bit weird about having birds in captivity, none of these would survive in the wild. And, it seems like we will have to put most Nature behind bars to keep it alive.

The birds molt and drop feathers, which got me to thinking about how feathers have been used throughout history in adornments, clothing, and art. Feathers have had a central place in native ceremonial costumes and ornaments for centuries. Theresa Mitopoulou has a good article on The Decoration of the Head with Feathers that illustrates how feathers have been used throughout history and in different cultures. The photo at the left, for example, is from the Mexico City Museum of Anthropology of an Aztec head gear for emperors and priests. It was made with tail feathers of one hundred male quetzal birds, the national bird of Guatemala. She states, "The arrangement of the colored feathers had astronomic and calendar meaning." I found a traveler who photographed a Hawaiian cape he saw at a museum:


He said that it took five years to gather the feathers and another seven to sew them into the cape. He didn't state where he took this photo, but Sothebys has a similar one from the collection of the Niagara Falls Museum, estimated in worth at over $250,000.

The British Museum states that capes were made for Hawaiian and Polynesian nobility. They were used in ceremonies and in battle and many were gifted in the early 1800's to sea captains and their crews, the earliest outside explorers to the region.

James W. Reid wrote a book, Magic Feathers, Textile Art from Ancient Peru, which is illustrated with beautiful Nazca capes and details on the feathers and techniques used in the region.

Pathways to the Sun
Nazca culture, south coast of Peru, c. 400-800 AD
97 x 76 cm, cotton with applied feathers

The famous photographer, Edward Curtis, was the first to comprehensively document the life of Native Americans in the late 1800's. This photo of a Nez Pierce man with his head dress was exhibited at the Hall of American Indian Collection in the Hotel Astor.
Curtis and other photographers captured the public's imagination. The Bald Eagle had been chosen as the symbol of freedom and became the national bird in 1782. To Native Americans, the eagle is a messenger to the creator and represents endurance. In all of the United States, the eagle and its feathers were treasured. As the media developed, it made its way into books, magazines, then later in movies.

Bird Lady by Cristina Mittermeir
Highlands performer wearing a headdress made with the feathers of the superb bird of paradise. Highlands sing-sing, Papua New Guinea.

To this day, native people around the world continue to use feathers in ceremonies and dress. The Huli warriors of Papua New Guinea are often photographed for their bright face paint and costumes, feathers topping off their beautiful ensemble. Struggling to maintain identity in the face of a globalized world, these groups often are reduced to objects of tourism, but other efforts also seek to both honor and protect them. The above photo, for example, is available for purchase through Art for Conservation, an organization promoting grassroots conservation initiatives.

The fashion industry, of course, also has had a long history with feathers.

Marlene Dietrich wearing a feathered hat.

Victorian hats sported huge ostrich feathers and other exotic feathers continued to adorn hats and clothing through the 1950's. The following catalog is from a 1901 New York Millinery supply company, Fancy Feathers.

Smithsonian Institution Libraries

At some point, demand for all these feathers started creating shortages. Think of the demise of the passenger pigeon. Once the most populous bird in North America, five BILLION birds were killed off between 1870 and 1890. (Wikipedia) They had a high fat content that was used for cooking oil and to light Eastern street lamps. The last passenger pigeon died in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1914. Demand for bird feathers is not only ornamental, but also functional. Down feathers were and are still used for pillows and bedding. People started to worry and speaking up. Societies and organizations were formed. The National Audubon Society started publishing their Audubon Magazine in the 1880's, about the same time the passenger pigeon was getting killed off.

But, the attraction for feathers is powerful and we still continue to use them in our art and in our fashion. Handbags by Daphne offers this peacock feather bag for $85:

Jean Paul Gautier's wild feather dress was dubbed "Miss Turkey" by fellow blogger, Chanteuse. It's something else, isn't it?


So, there is that famous saying that "birds of a feather flock together"... Actually, we are destroying these feathered friends habitats all over the world. More and more, the chance for their survival will be as pets. Some African Grey parrots have become famous for how much they can learn, how cute they are and for their performance abilities. Here is Einstein performing on a TV show:



Menino, a Brazilian parrot, sings opera. My dogs came to watch him when I was playing his video:



And, Cody, a beautiful macaw, likes to be blow dried after his shower:



As with all of our natural resources, animal and plant life, care for these creatures and their feathers is in order. However, feathers are a renewable material. They do fall off naturally and birds do die. There is at least one organization that distributes molted feathers. Wingwise works specifically with Pueblo Indians and donates collected feathers for ceremonial purposes. Unfotunately, they have such a huge backlog of requests, that no new requests are taken at this time. The San Ildefonso girl at the left is wearing donated macaw feathers in her head dress.

It seems to me that this is really the solution for those of us who would like to continue to use feathers in art or garments. Bird sanctuaries, zoos, and pet owners should come together in some kind of a distribution system.

I also found some interesting trends in the green textile industry which is working on a fabric they are calling "chicken wool". The Independent reported that millions of tons of chicken feathers from chickens who are processed for the food market are disposed of yearly. They are working on a fabric which they consider will be superior to wool. Who knows what the next new trends will bring? We can only hope that they will address the needs of our fair feathered friends. Should we continue to wear them? Should they be freed from their cages and returned to the wild? Each of us has to answer these questions for ourselves. I know that my little companions wouldn't have a chance out there, so they are going to stay here. And, if any of you out there want some little parakeet feathers saved up for you, let me know and I'll start an envelope for you!



History repeats itself, but the special call of an art which has
passed away is never reproduced. It is as utterly gone out of the
world as the song of a destroyed wild bird.

-Joseph Conrad

Our Feathered Friends: Wear Them or Free Them?

Vegetable Papyrus

Veggie bowls by Margaret Dorfman

Several years ago I was able to visit my friend, Linda Chesnut, in Olympia, Washington. My visit coincided with the Procession of the Species and Olympia's Art Walk. All of the stores downtown become an art gallery for the weekend. The shoe store, hardware store, sports store- all showcased artists from the area. Then, the Procession of the Species, took over. This is a yearly celebration of life on earth and its elements (earth, wind, water and fire), expressed through elaborate costuming and dance. I must plug it here with this YouTube video:



My friend, Linda, actively works with the Procession every year and as I walked around in wonder, I thought that if every city and town engaged in such an event, crime would surely leave through the exit door.

As we walked around, we came across a gallery which featured an artist who made these beautiful vessels out of dried fruits and vegetables. I had never seen anything like them. They were sturdy and translucent, with light highlighting all of the patterns and veins of the orange, carrot, beet, or other fruit or vegetable.

In researching this art form, I found out that most people refer to it as "vegetable papyrus", although the most renowned artist in this medium, Margaret Dorfman, calls it "vegetable parchment". Here is one of her bowls, made out sweet peas:

Sweet Peas, by Margaret Dorfman

The vessels I saw in Olympia were not as textured as Margaret's veggie bowls. They were narrow, high, elegant pieces, but I could not find any information about other artists working the medium in 3-d form. Margaret Dorfman is the guru of vegetable papyrus. Her work is found in galleries around the country and is available online at Uncommon Goods, which has a nice bio on her. I thought her background in anthropology, linguistics, and sign language was especially interesting.

Carrot Bowl by Margaret Dorfman

Margaret states in the bio:

"What delights me about creating these vegetable parchment bowls, is the process of turning what is seen as ordinary and commonplace into something of beauty. The bowls allow me to re-see what I take for granted; the luminous beauty of fruits and vegetables, their jewel-like colors, and most of all their ability to surprise and enchant. As I work with the fruits and vegetables, I feel like I am not creating something new, but instead uncovering what was always there to see."

When I first saw those vessels in Olympia, I thought that the veggies must have been freeze dried and then sliced and glued. The vibrancy of the colors mystified me. But, no. They are boiled, then pressed until the fluids dry out. I found a couple of sites with instructions. Hand Paper Making has some good information where they also use tamale wraps to replicate traditional papyrus. Art In Company has a papyrus section with excellent images on what different fruits and vegetables look like after they have been pressed and dried. Some do lose their color, while others retain the pigments. The following photos are some of the examples they have listed, but visit their site for a more comprehensive view.

Radish

Star Fruit

Sweet Potato

Carrots

Oranges

Apparently, once dried, the papyrus is pretty sturdy. In Margaret Dorfman's product description, they suggest using the veggie bowls with a votive candle inside them. It seems to me that the potential uses for this medium has been barely tapped. Wouldn't they make gorgeous lampshades? Or, how about a table-top sandwiched in glass with back lighting? I'm sure that many other wonderful ideas are lurking out there, ready to be nabbed and made into something new and beautiful. As Margaret Dorfman stated, "Uncover what has always been there to see!"

Vegetable Papyrus

Botanical PaperWorks- Paper That Blooms into Flowers

Who sends cards anymore? I know I only do occasionally, relying much more on e-mail and e-cards. It makes sense to me environmentally to decrease paper use. Besides, even though there is something special about receiving a hand-written message- a physical connection with the sender, what do you do with them after awhile, after they have been on the fridge or mantel. Mine end up on a bucket, some are filed away, and I have a big box of letters and cards that supposedly I'm going to weep over when I am old.

I ran across a business, Botanical PaperWorks, that just might inspire me to take up the pen again. They specialize in hand-made paper cards and stationery that can be planted once the novelty of the message wears off.

Here is what they say:

To plant the paper, prepare a pot of soil or small patch of garden. Remove the seeded paper piece from your stationery and place on the top.

Spread a thin layer of soil onto the paper. Water well and give plenty of sunshine. Keep moist during germination, 6-8 weeks.

As the plants grow right out of the paper, look for flowers like Bird's Eye, Clarkia, Coreopsis, Poppy, Catchfly and Snap Dragon.

It's almost Summer here in Kentucky and nature is screaming with life: green everywhere with flowers blossoming, birds flying around and chasing each other... absolute heaven! Well, there are also an abundance of ticks to contend with and soon those nasty mosquitoes will make their presence, but this is, after all, Earth, not heaven. Planting a card would be easy peasy here.

Botanical PaperWorks have cards for every occasion, gift tags, stationery, and even a journal with a plantable cover.

Historians complain that the advent of e-mail is going to make it harder for future generations to document what has happened during our life-time. But, come on... how much waste do we have to leave behind for future generations to dig through? We're already looking forward to the day when we can shoot our garbage out into space. They'll have plenty of goodies to look at . Maybe they will cluck their tongues , shake their heads, and look back at our history in wonder, the kind of wonder that can't really figure out what motivated us to so choke our planet.

So, send a card if you must. But, think of how wonderful it is to send something that contains a seed of life, that can then grow into something beautiful, something that gives continuity to your warm thoughts and wishes!

Visit their blog, Stationery Scoop, too!

Botanical PaperWorks- Paper That Blooms into Flowers

A Shoe Fetish, Anyone?

Why is it that shoes capture our attention so completely? Hats, gloves, and other accessories also have their fan clubs, but shoes seem to beat the others in terms of a collective and historical obsession. Sure, they serve function in how we connect with earth: protecting from the elements, providing warmth, keeping our selves clean and enabling or preventing mobility. But, I think there is also something about the form itself that offers the maker and the wearer a challenging canvas to go beyond function into adornment. Shoes make or break an outfit. They define social status. They change how a person stands, walks or sits. Look at the shoes and a judgment is formed about the person. Adornment speaks of historical, cultural and personal statements of society.

Sioux quilled and beaded moccasins, circa 1900. (Cowan's Auctions Inc.)

My all-time favorite museum, The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, has a huge exhibit along one wall with hundreds of shoe samples from around the world, old and new. Their web description states:

"People everywhere face the common concern of how to cover and protect their feet. As you look around, you’ll notice that people have responded to this concern in countless (and often amazing) ways.

The kind of shoes a person might use depends on a combination of factors: what the environment is like, what kind of shoes his or her group traditionally wears, and what the shoemaker can create.

Imagine shedding your own shoes and standing in one of these pairs instead. Which ones would you choose? And what would it be like to look at life from that different point of view --even for just a moment?"

I carry mukluks from Afghanistan, one of my best sellers in my eBay store. I have several pairs and love wearing them during the cold, winter months.


Made by Afghan refugees out of recycled sweaters, the mukluks are more of a sock than a shoe or boot, but they come from a boot tradition, much like the felted boots of Tibet:

Tradtional Tibetan Felt Boots

These are examples of function needed for a cold climate offering comfort and protection. But, shoes have also been a source of pain and even death. Foot binding in China lasted over 1,000 years. Women bound their feet tightly, curling the toes under the feet and raising the arch of the foot. The smaller foot, the better. Lotus shoes, now highly collectible, encased these crippled foot remains. This pair is available on eBay for $345:

Chinese Lotus Shoes

I actually had a customer in my Chicago store who came looking for a pair of lotus shoes for her 90 year old mother who had bound feet. Shirley Two Feathers has an interesting article on her blog about foot binding. She doesn't know where she got this photo:

We may think of these customs as barbaric, but stiletto heels also cause severe tendon and back damage. The High Heel Shoe Museum has a bunch of sexy photos of women in stiletto shoes.

Most of the gorgeous, young models are sitting, kneeling, or laying down. Hmmm.... Wonder why? Could it be that they are NOT comfortable?!! One of my best friends when I was growing up in Brazil was Japanese. She and her sisters all tried to compensate for their height wearing these stilettos. Even back then, when we were young and flexible, they could not wear tennis shoes. They could run in those spikes, but not without.

Contemporary artists and designers continue to draw on traditional fabrics and needle work, as well as form, for inspiration for cool-looking shoes. Feltoman from Turkey sells beautiful suzani on felt boots on eBay. (There are flat soles available, too!)

Suzani boots, $115, Feltoman

The Natural Store uses vintage kimono fabric in their smart-looking pumps, $320 pounds.

Kimono covered shoes from The Natural Store, a fair trade outlet.

Diverso Studio on Etsy has a nice selection of mola shoes for $45.

Mola shoes from Diverso Studio on Etsy.

Shoe images are everywhere in art. They are painted, cast, quilted, silk screened, and framed. Travelers photograph them. Radical Sabbatical captured this happy photo in Morocco:

Moroccan slippers by Radical Sabbatical

Have a shoe fetish, anyone? Whether you do or not, walk gently on this good earth!

A Shoe Fetish, Anyone?