Londonites and Caribbean Nationals who know one thing about the UK, know that this Bank Holiday a bit of the Caribbean is coming full force to London in the form of Nottinghill Carnival. Explosions of colours, flavours and general madness will take to the streets of Nottinghill from today until tomorrow (25-26th August), and we definitely want everyone to be prepared. Whether you are planning on joining in, or just using the Carnival as inspiration for your own Bank Holiday festivities, I was inspired to put together a great little medley of must-haves to get the feet going, and the smiles beaming. And for those of you who are using this Bank Holiday as your last hoorah before the school term recommences, then what better way to simmer down those back-to-school blues with these bright items that will put a smile on anyone's face.

On a more personal note, I am more of a monochromatic kinda gal. However, some of these items have made their way onto my wish list for the real Caribbean Carnival season next year February-March, which will see me and Mr P taking to the streets for both Guyana and Trinidad's Carnivals in the brightest, sickening, and most obnoxious colours yet. How will I survive? I plan on taking solice in the fact that these items are actually things I want to own (I already have the LaLesso shorts, and am eyeing the Kiboots Moccasins). Roll on the festivities!!!

1.People Tree | Mack Fairisle Hat | Fair Trade Handknit 2. Bibico | Sailor Fingerless Gloves | Fair Trade Handknit  3. The North Circular | Travelling Cable Beanie | UK Handknit from Local Wool  4. Jo Gordon | Long Knit Gloves  | Made in Scotland with Local Wool  5. The North Circular | Erhart Collar  | UK Handknit from Local Wool  6. People Tree | Alpaca Fingerless Gloves | Fair Trade Handknit Undyed Alpaca  7. Ciel | Organic Baby Alpaca Chunky Scarf | Organic Handknit

Aussie brand Sass and Bide is the latest company to join the likes of Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney as part of the International Trade Centre's (ITC) Ethical Fashion Initiative.

The Ethical Fashion Initiative aims to empower women in Africa and Haiti through partnership with the fashion world in countries as far flung as Italy and Japan.

Sass and Bide begin their collaboration with the launch of two limited edition bags made by women in Kenya available for purchase through their boutiques.  

Having lived in Australia for ten years Sass and Bide have been one of my favourite designers for almost as long. I am so pleased to hear they are taking part in this and that we can support the Ethical Fashion Initiative through purchasing their designs.

Selina Cheong S/S 13 Collection

SELINA CHEONG greeted me at her door in a second-hand Gharani Strok Dress, which matched her personality to the T. It was bohemian, yet chic, and told of an easiness that one covets in a friend. I first met Selina Cheong at Ecoluxe's Showroom during London Fashion Week S/S'13, whilst perusing the plethora of ethical designers and their merchandise. They were luxurious, elegant, and fun all at the same time, with a serious craftsmanship to be reckoned with.
She offered me some green tea before taking a tour of her home, which was a juxtaposition between modern fixtures and vintage and repurposed accents. Her house, which she owns with her partner, is filled with repurposed items, from the old newspapers that once insulated the walls and floors which are now works of art, to the beautiful stain glass window which now reflects a spectrum of colourful rays into the house. Even her rug told a story of her consideration for the objects she surrounds herself with--a vegetable tanned Persian rug, which left me wanting one of my very own. After showing me the other repurposed and upcycled items in her home, we walked up another flight of stairs to her home studio for an initial look around and a chat about what led her into designing luxury bags.

Taken by Stacy H. [iPhone]

As we talked about her bags, she took me through her current and previous collections, which did not disappoint. She even took out a light metallic piece of leather, which she revealed was vintage Chanel that she found in a warehouse in France. I found myself drawn to all of them as her bags range from work suitable to party perfect. The range of leathers--ranging in the most striking colours and textures--did not hurt as well, which gave her consumers a variety as well as a chance to have a bespoke bag.

Now, I was in her studio drinking her tea and exchanging stories about our other halves. We found shared interests in many things, which momentarily made me forget why I was really there. The Interview. What follows is further insight into Selina Cheong's world as a luxury bag designer, her sustainable ethos, which makes her bags aesthetically and ethically pleasing, and what inspires this small business owner to keep on pushing towards a more sustainable way of approaching fashion and accessories.

I love tying my hair up, especially in the harsh cold of winter, and although I tend to do this with a bit more care, I have demonstrated one of my favourite styles whilst a barrage of onlookers (mostly people waiting to get to the lettuce behind me at Borough Market) waited for me to finish. For a neater look, use another scarf to flatten/smooth out hair, then use larger scarf to do this style.

VIDEO & IMAGES TAKEN BY EMMA J.

OUTFIT: Scarf - Burberry silk | Cream Silk Top - Vintage Fendi | Oversized Cardigan - People Tree| Sunglasses - From an old man in Brighton 

"The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now."

The puns are endless with the latest accessories company to land in the ethical fashion market - WeWood  - but boy they're really turning fashion heads with product placement in the likes of FHM, Marie Claire and Harpers Bazaar. Lightweight and mouthwateringly chic these wooden timepieces hail from Florence, Italy where an established shoe maker and two environmentally-minded entrepreneurs teamed up to “make watches to protect and restore forest wildlife, clean water and carbon sequestration.” For each watch that is bought WeWood plants a tree through partner American Forests, who have planted over 35 million trees through various projects including Global ReLeaf. My only qualm is that there's hardly any information on the origin of the wood used in production and with a product like this one I think that's part of the story - I'll see if I can get in touch to find out more.

The Conscience Collective is obsessed with Vivienne Westwood's Ethical Africa Collection, as it is an exemplification of what embodies the ethos of our blog. All bags are handmade by local women from communities in Kenya from recycled materials. With the support of the International Trade Centre's Ethical Fashion Program of the United Nations, all women involved in Vivienne Westwood's Ethical Fashion Africa collection have not only been empowered financially, but socially as well.

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