Equa Blog - News, Views and Ethical Styling...
We have such great knitwear this season. The Bibico Long Knit Vest is one of my favourites, for adding an extra layer of warmth and it looks great belted over a short winter dress!
The Komodo Halina Tunic is perfect for adding some extra sparkle to the party season! I love it with tights and heels for an evening out or with jeans at the weekend.
Welcome to a new section in the Equa blog. Once a month we will be featuring an interview with one of the amazing designers that supply Equa with our beautiful ethical clothing. For our very first interview we feel privileged to have Nieves Ruiz from Bibico.
Bibico is a design-led fair trade company that loves simple, easy-to-wear clothes that make you look and feel delightful. Each garment is stitched or knitted by women who work in co-operatives that are certified by the World Fair Trade Organisation.
Image:Bibico, Autumn Winter 2010
In a nutshell what was your initial motivation for becoming involved in ethical fashion?
After working for more than 11 years as a designer for the high street I was sick & tired of the direction that the fashion industry was taking so I decided that I didn’t want to be part of it and I quit my job in London.
After deliberating about other careers and directions I decided to apply my knowledge on the fashion industry combined with the skills of women from underprivileged backgrounds and Bibico was born.
What does ethical fashion mean to you?
It means fashion that gives back......fashion that you wear because you love it and that makes you feel even better because you know that a big percentage of what it takes to make the garment goes directly to the development of the community that make it.
What challenges do you face as an ethical designer?
There are plenty.....I come from 11 years as a designer on the high street so I can honestly say that as ethical designers we don't have it easy. The biggest challenges are the lead times and the minimum quantities set up for production.
Regarding lead times as ethical fashion=slow fashion things take much longer and it is very hard to compete with the high street. Whilst a normal high street brand brings new items every 2 days an ethical brand takes 4 to 8 months. Everything from the making of the fabric to the stitching of the garments takes much longer and there is not much we can do about it apart from planning ahead of schedule!!
Regarding minimum quantities the consumption of fabrics & clothes is so high that the producers of yarn & trims have set up their own minimums for productions very, very, very high thinking that we are all Arcadia, Gap or Zara so it is never easy to find someone that wants to supply you.
What are your inspirations for this season’s collection?
Warm cosy weekends away in the country side wrapped up with chunky knits over pretty floral & lacy dresses.
What advice would you give anyone looking to make their wardrobe more ethical?
Please come on board and you will be impressed by the long lasting quality of the ethical products. Also look around as there is plenty to choose from including all budgets & styles.
Once you are in, it will be hard to look back at the fast-fashion and you will finally realize that ethical fashion is possible and that it doesn’t cost the earth nor your wallet.
Who are your Style Icons?
I don’t have any really, it is very weird in the fashion world but honestly I believe in pretty nice pieces & I believe in independent unique people that wear what they wear because they love it.
What is the most treasured item in your wardrobe and where did it come from?
The hand knitted bolero from Bibico’s winter 09 collection. It is the update of the Aran cable in a fashionable, stylish, cute way....I wear it all year round and it is always a key piece in my looks....
It comes from the hills of Nepal where my ladies hand knits all our collections. I do the prototype but they are much better & faster than me so I give all the production to them.
In case you are curious, by popular demand this piece will be back in our winter 2011 range.
As a child what did you want to do when you grew up?
I wanted to be an architect or a singer. So I always had the creative side to me but later on in life I realize that my voice was far too masculine & that numbers and calculations were not my cup of tea so that is why I decided to apply my creative side into fashion.
Tell us something you are really excited about…
I am very excited to see the potential of ethical fashion and to realize that thanks to our hard work there are communities improving their lives....... this is what keeps me going....sometimes with all the hard work & all the dramas I forget about it, but every time I go and stay with my ladies I see the changes and the improvements in their communities and there is nothing more exciting that contributing to a better world!!!
Tell us something that really gets on your nerves….
The consumption of fast fashion at ridiculous cheap prices & the lack of a clear message between all the ethical organizations.
What's next for your label?
We are working hard to introduce fairtrade cotton in our collections. Our aim is summer 2011 and by then we will be 100% ethical.
Image: Bibico, Autumn Winter 2010
Thank you Nieves!
To view the current Bibico Collection at Equa click here >>
Sportswear was a big influence on the Spring Summer 2010 catwalks. Here at Equa we love the elegant take on this trend inspired by classic vintage sporting attire. Lacoste sent cable knit sweater dresses and white pleated skirts down the runway accompanied by a soundtrack of thwacking tennis balls. At Hermes outfits were accessorised with leather visors and old fashioned wooden rackets.
To stay in the game with an ethical version, look to pieces such as this Shirt Dress by Outsider. The drop waistline and full skirt perfectly channels the 1920’s tennis dress as worn by Suzanne Lenglen. The natty stripes in this organic cotton dress utilise the natural variation of colour that occurs in cotton plants, so no dyes or bleaches are used in its making.
Named La Divine by the French press, Lenglen was known for her practical style and simple elegance. She famously shocked spectators at Wimbledon by exposing her forearms and mid calves at a time when other female competitors were completely covered.
Unlike many catwalk trends this one is extremenly easy to wear and this organic cotton jersey Oona Tunic Dress by Stewart+Brown is no exception. With a pair of plimsolls it will take you from Frisbee in the park to sipping iced tea (fairtrade of course!) in the shade at your favourite local cafe. 
More of this look:
