Photos taken in National Museum of African Art Gift Shop

This trip round I decided to really pay attention to where the majority of the merchandise--particularly in the Freer Gallery of Art, which specialises in Asian art, and the Museum of African Art--came from, and how much the galleries were incorporating their subject matter into their conscious ethos. What I found was a treasure trove of Fairtrade merchandise and transparency that could make anyone giddy. With clear labels as to which items were Fairtrade and who made them swinging from the tags of bags, musical instruments, clothing, accessories and home goods, amongst others, I found myself spending more time reading the labels and the backgrounds of the brands in the store than I did in the galleries themselves.
I had not only found brands that I had heard of, but there were others that were introduced to me there, as well as craft that I was so glad to covet, like stackable recycled plastic bracelets or handwoven fans, which I ended up buying for my family as well. There were also baskets made by the Wolof Weavers of Senegal, and the most stunning fine jewellery coming out of Egypt. I'm still coveting several pieces, that I am contemplating getting before I return to the UK.

We sometimes forget the wonder that comes from the developing world. The innovation that comes from having so little in one's possession, has inspired the greatest minds to think outside of the box and produce some of the most necessary things we find today. As great or small, there have been many such documented innovations, that may seem small at first, but manifest into greater aspects of society that some may find endearing. I find them ingenious. 

Inspired by last month's National Geographic editorial entitled "Joy is Round," Jessica Hilltout captures the beauty of how the sport of football has inspired young people to become inventors by making their own "magic orbs" from old clothes, plastic bags, yarn, even inflated condoms (well at least we now know they are multifunctional). It depicts a message to the world of how Africa embraces football, as well as how accessible this sport is through salvaged rubbish made into upcycled cherished possessions. 

However, this piece is not merely about my admiration for these clever innovators, but relates to my WASTE obsession, and how Waste has given hope and inspiration to some of the most vulnerable people--children. Hence, the rest of this blog post will highlight some of the crafty ways youths are keeping their wonderment alive through the things/toys they build.

I love the concept of Song Dong's WASTE NOT exhibition, which I have seen twice now--once in New York and the second in London earlier last year. As much as I loved it, my fiance found it to be his worst nightmare. The clutter and hoarder-esque tendencies of the exhibit overwhelmed his senses and drove him into a slight hysteria (sorry honey). However, whilst he saw junk, I saw a cultural paradigm that caused many Chinese to see the almost never-ending potential in items. It also made me think of how we engage with items, and how we are sometimes too eager to discard them. Now it is also part of my Series on Waste.

The exhibition is based on the art of saving and re-using things, which is in line with the Chinese principle of wu jin qi yong – 'waste not'. However, the exhibition is not merely a reflection of this principle, but it is also used as a mechanism for encouraging a familial bond for the artist. After his father died in 2002, Dong collaborated with his mother, who had been collecting items for five decades, to create this installation which comprises of over 10,000 items. These items range from buttons, tubes of toothpaste, plastic bottles, and her husbands old clothes (to name a few). So what does this artistic form of hoarding teach us?...

Now that I have announced it to my family and closest friends, Emma H. I thought it fit to start blogging about Weddings, especially my confusing journey through wedding planning from an ethical standpoint. To be honest, I didn't want to take on the challenge at first. It seemed over-complicated and tiresome to be searching for vendors who belonged to such a niche market. Then I started planning, and realised that weddings, in general, can be a pain in the you-know-what. So I took Emma H. up on her challenge to put on an ethical wedding, and document the triumphs, downfalls, and revelations.

So why have an ethical wedding and what is it anyways? 
Firstly, I am having an ethical wedding, not a hipster one. Some of you may ask what's the difference, but I'd rather not get into the latter in this post. When looking up for a proper definition, I found links to green weddings and 'eco'-weddings, which placed an emphasis on the environment. Instead, I am approaching this wedding from a social point-of-view. This is not to say that I won't be taking into consideration the environmental benefits, but my goal is have a wedding that incorporates the following (and this list will expand once my definition becomes more refined):

• supporting local, independent vendors;
• the use of fairtrade and ecologically sustainable produce and materials wherever possible;
• reducing waste by budgeting and monitoring consumption;
• keeping the wedding as much of a part of us as possible--that means making the wedding a reflection of us as opposed to a wedding that puts the guests as the priority;
• advice from the experts;
• making things, and get into the spirit of it all; and
• avoiding anything with negative social and environmental impacts.

What can you expect?
For one, you can expect an honest account of all the steps I take to put this wedding together. And yes, if there is any faltering on my part, it will be noted: from dressmakers and sustainably and ethically sourced materials to organic caterer. I'll also be covering wedding bands and engagement rings made from non-conflict gems, fairmined and fairtrade gold, and venues.

Next Posts: Ethical Proposals & Engagement Rings...

I couldn't talk about Waste without referring to some of the most resourceful people on earth. Welcome to India was a three-part documentary on how different individuals from India survived by being sagacious and innovative (don't these words mean the same thing?). Home to over a sixth of the world's population, with 1.2 billion people who live in crowded cities, this observational series hones in on the not only the resourcefulness of the people, but on the resilience and hope that they find within the materials that surround them. We experience/witness Kaale's search for gold dust in the drains in the gold district; Rajesh and Sevita's makeshift beach house/pub; Johora's massive plastic bottle recycling business to support her seven children and her struggles with the local gangsters(one of my favourite characters btw); Kanye's dangerous job which deals with large waste materials in the form of discarded ships he has to cut up for its scrap metal (steel is like gold); Ashik's beef fat business (which is at one point infested by maggots--poor Ashik) which he renders down to make tallow to be used in soaps or cosmetics; Brothers Prakash and Mangesh, who live in an illegal settlement, as they both lead separate paths--Prakash is destined for Bollywood and Mangesh is the chosen child who gets to go to university; Swapan's fish market and his hard work mentality during the large Durga Puja festival--to celebrate the cycle of life; and Sujit's disposable clay tea cup business and how he tries to make this recyclable and highly biodegradable item into a larger business plan.

What follows are the actual videos from each Episode. I can't tell you how much I was hooked on this Dickensian series (of course the Anthropologist in me was intrigued and questioning).

Rarely am I in the US for the American Holiday of Thanksgiving. So, since I am forced to be in the festive mood I thought I would take a look at one of my favourite sustainable home websites--BAMBECO--to see what sort of Thanksgiving cheer would be brought my way, and found these items made from natural materials fitting for the occasion.

Della creates handbags, laptop wallets, clutch bags and other accessories in fabulous prints that literally carry change. When LA based designer Tina Tangalakis took a trip to Hohoe, Ghana in 2009, the culture and warm hearts of those she met there inspired a decision to assist in the creation of sustainable livelihoods for women in the area. With the help of a local entreprenuer Tina founded Della and their team of 30 women produce a growing line of jewellery and accessories made using traditional West African prints at an average of 400 pieces per week.

FACECUP is the brainchild of hairstylist, design enthusiast, fashionisto, and my dear friend Tommaso Dall'Osso.  I met Tommaso in a New York Salon some years ago, where we started our friendship over a midnight cake fight and prosecco. Since then, his career has been growing in New York and now in Milano, where he has re-relocated to further develop his artistry. So, imagine my surprise when he informed me that he was starting a business, which combined fashion, design, health, 'eco-chic', the salon experience and a good cup of Italian coffee, I had to have him elaborate on this concept. What does coffee and hair have to do with each other? Then imagine my bigger shock when he announced that he would be moving to Seoul for a few months (or so...)? I needed to pry and find out what was going on in the life of someone who I see as up-and-coming in the Milano scene, and what his motivations were for this coffee brand, which has such a unique place within the coffee and fashion industries. 

FACECUP is a stylishly branded Italian coffee for everyone. It is meant to make the consumer feel empowered through it's sheer sexiness, and its overall eco-chic philosophy. "Facecup is meant to make you smile," Tommaso reiterates as I ask him where he sees the brand evolving. It frames its business ethos on the fusion and balance of opposites, especially when it relates to cultural disparities, whilst maintaining an environmental and Fair Trade stance. The latter is projected holistically through as they offer Joana Carvalho's Eco-Kit for Coffee, which is a made from biopolymer, non-polluting, biodegradable materials produced from a single injection mold and contains a saucer, cup with handle and spoon. The coffees and teas draw on his teams' cultural backgrounds and experiences across five continents, which is epitomised in the very nature of the branding. With names like Giorgio to describe a very Italian coffee, or God Shave the Queen to represent his Ceylon English Breakfast Tea, these drinks not only reference pop culture and comedic wordplay, but also promotes a healthy lifestyle through the added vitamins that promote internal and external rejuvenation.

What follows is an interview with the CEO & Founder of FACECUP, Tommaso Dall'Osso.  

Moonbasket, founded in 2009 by Dani Le Roy, works collaboratively with women from a community-based project on the outskirts of Cape Town to create beautifully crocheted homewares with a contemporary feel. Crochet remains one of the few crafts that cannot be replicated by machine - an interesting fact to consider in the technology vs traditional skills debate. Materials are natural or local where possible and the light shades are particularly spectacular.

Enquire here.

Cool winds appear from the east, as I near the town of Klaaskreek. The dust has settled, and the road behind appears to have just begun. I've been traveling for a week now, and have found myself in the Brokopondo District. Immediately before, I was in an area called Abadokondre, east of the capital city, where I interviewed a host of Aukan Maroons.

In Brokopondo things were different. The water was larger, more still, and riddled in mystery. It differed from Abadokondre as there was an emphasis placed on industry--an industry that was meant to generate jobs for both men and women in this transmigration "town". This industry is ecotourism--fueled by the presence of a beach which was once haunted by ghosts of unknown origins, and is now charged my the influx of outsiders taking advantage of the serenity of Klaaskreek's Bena Strand (Beach) [started my Marlene Rantwyk of STOK].