{r}evolution apparel Introduces the Versalette

Today Redress Raleigh is giving ALL the thumbs up to {r}evolution apparel for their innovative and creative solution to overconsumption. 

Their innovative new product is Versalette which is made in the USA with 100% recycled fabric, giving women more options with less clothes in their wardrobe. As shown below, the Versalette can be worn as a skirt, dress, hood, scarf, purse, poncho & more! Versalette was designed for both travelers and women looking to minimize their wardrobes and their environmental footprint while maintaining their creative fashion sense. 

Check out their video! 

{r}evolution apparel Introduces the Versalette from {r}evolution apparel on Vimeo.

Redress Raleigh Interview: Beleza

Beleza
http://www.shopbeleza.com/
Cameron Village, 2014 Cameron St, Raleigh, NC 27605
919-832-4775
Phillip and Sara Dail

One of the aspects of Redress Raleigh’s vision focuses on appreciating community businesses and encouraging local economy growth. We recently got the chance to talk with Phillip and Sara Dail, owners of Beleza, located in Cameron Village, about their fantastic business model. Their fair trade shop supports artisans by featuring unique jewelry and accessories.

Q: What inspired you to open your business?

A: The business started when a former student of Phillip’s came to him with a question about how to help some women she met in Madagascar while working in the Peace Corp.  The women had traditionally made “lambas” which were beautiful pieces of cloth formally worn by the royalty, and while they thought they had a French customer for them, they were never paid for their work.  The student emailed some former professors to see if they could help find a market, and Phillip wrote back to say he would try to help find a market for these, intending to sell one shipment.
At the same time, Phillip was doing a lot of traveling around Central and South America finding artists who made incredibly beautiful things and were trying to make a living for themselves and their families. He was buying things to give as Christmas and birthday gifts, but someone finally told him he didn’t have enough friends and wasn’t going to live long enough to give them to that many people! So he started with a kiosk.


Q: When did you open your business?

A:  As a kiosk at Crabtree Mall in July 2005, then Beleza became a store in Cameron Village in November 2005. This was all set into motion before Phillip and Sara were married, and it was not originally the plan for Sara to run business. But, she says: “There is so much to be said for ownership. I love it. I have never enjoyed a job more. It is fun being here and talking to people and trying to help people.”

Metal and gemstone rings from Brazil
Q: What is your business’s vision and mission?

A: The goal is being able to help independent artists make a living while at the same time providing customers with items that are unique, well made, and beautiful. Meeting the artists featured at the store is also important to Phillip and Sara for several reasons.  First of all, the goal is to build a long lasting relationship with the artist.  Having direct contact with the designer allows Phillip and Sara to bring feedback and custom work to the artist.  Being able to communicate directly with the artist to add a stone to a necklace, or a chain guard to a bracelet, is such a benefit over buying from wholesale companies where there is little to no connection to where the product is made. Wherever the couple’s travels take them next determines how the business will branch out.  A return trip to Brazil is planned in the Spring.

Q: What are the types of items I would find in your store?

A: Beleza carries handcrafted women’s jewelry and other accessories from 17 different countries at this time.  From scarves to rings to necklaces to earrings to purses and bags – all selected for their unique beauty and quality craftsmanship.  

Q: How do you choose the products that are featured in the shop/online?

A: There are a few criteria that rank as most important, including the uniqueness of the item, the fact that merchandise must be hand crafted with high quality, and of course, it has to be something the customers at Beleza will buy.  Sara says they have learned some hard lessons about what works and what doesn’t but the number one criteria comes back to uniqueness – the goal is to find a product that sells well so that they can bring return business to the artist.

Handmade items Made in the USA
Q: Do you feature any local vendors in your shop?

A: Yes, but to a limited degree.  For example, they work with a woman who makes necklaces from kazuri beads from Kenya.  By purchasing the beads, she supports an orphanage for children who are HIV positive, and Beleza sells her necklaces.  Another woman who crochets scarves uses the proceeds to support a group of pastors in Cuba.  Sara says they want to help the people who need the money the most, so local artists who are considered for the store have a larger mission than just making jewelry as a hobby.

Q: If yes, how did you connect with these local vendors?

A: Phillip and Sara met Lee McLeod, the woman who crochets scarves, at Edenton St. church when doing their fall bazaar.  They originally approached her because she was making something unique that they didn’t have at the store.

Q: What sets you apart from other similar business like yours in the area?

A: Ultimately it is the uniqueness of the items, although the fact that Beleza is a fair trade shop sets them apart from many other businesses in the area. as well. Sara says that less and less people come to the store and ask what fair trade means; rather they come to the store because of the fair trade goods.  Also, buying directly from the artists allows Beleza to keep their prices very reasonable.

Scarves and metal jewelry from Turkey
Q: What are some of your favorite things about being part of Raleigh’s local business community?

A: A lot of the praise goes to the customer base in the Raleigh area that supports locally owned businesses.  The Cameron Village Shopping Center where Beleza is located has been there since 1949, and has long been known for independently owned businesses.  As hard as the recession has been,  this area has not been hit as hard as others.  Sara says “our customers are receptive to what we do - 1) help artisans and their families and 2) encourage appreciation of unique accessories”.  The customers in the Raleigh area see the value created by having beautiful, unique gifts to chose from, and helping someone in the process.

Q: Sustainability -- what does it mean to you? How do you consider impact on the earth and society within your business? (ex.: fair trade, organic cotton clothing, etc.)

A: The merchandise at Beleza is absolutely chosen with sustainability in mind.  Some of their merchandise is made from recycled goods, such as purses made out of can tabs, and totes made with recycled product packaging.  They also carry bark art made in Uganda from the mutuba tree.  The artisans strip the bark off the tree, then wrap tree in banana leaves so that the bark regenerates. Sara says they would not buy the art if the artist did not have a sustainable solution for their production.

Q: Have you heard of Redress Raleigh? If so, how have you been involved with us before?

A:  Yes, Beleza has been involved from the beginning due to a long-term relationship with Mor Aframian, co-producer of Redress Raleigh, through the non-profit MorLove that she founded with the help of Phillip Dail while in school at NCSU.  MorLove was born in the side room of Beleza, now overflowing with scarves and beautiful jewelry.  Beleza has also sponsored Redress Raleigh in past years.

Necklaces from Bolivia
Redress Raleigh thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the story behind Beleza, greatly appreciates their continuous support, and thank Sara and Phillip Dail for taking the time to talk with us!!

Eco Criteria for Clothes

Most people use the term eco fashion to describe clothes created or manufactured in such a way as to contribute to a healthier world. There are fashion shows built on that concept, such as Portland Fashion Week, and many designers are participating in the eco fashion revolution. Funny thing is, eco fashion has been around since the hippy dippy 60's, and we've only recently defined what it means to any particular group of people.

So....how many definitions for eco fashion are there? Well, turns out there are at least eight. Surprised? I was. The eight types of eco fashion are:

• vegan
• ethically produced
• craft
• custom
• fair trade certified
• organic
• recycled/upcycled
• vintage

So what do all these terms mean, and how are they different?

Vegan refers to clothing that is made without the use of leather or animal products. This concept is central to the current debate related to the use of real fur in faux fur, and the inappropriate labeling of faux fur. That's probably a blog for another day.

Respecting people and the environment is the core criteria for ethically produced. It takes a while to become certified as organic or to get the Fair Trade certification, and the companies using the terminology ethically produced are working on getting that certification. The concept is that they are behaving in compliance with Fair Trade or organic criteria, and want some recognition until enough time has passed for them to get certified.

Craft is eco, but only as defined by the segment of the population that wants to preserve hand stitching, piece work and 'homemade' skills. I still have fond memories of learning to cross-stitch, and it's definitely an achievement to create something homemade.

I was a bit puzzled about this next category, because custom made clothing doesn't seem all that eco. The theory is that custom made clothing encourages quality and a slow manufacturing process rather than fashion that is mass-produced. The logic seems to work.

Fair Trade Certified and organic are frequently used interchangeably, but there are distinct differences. Fair Trade Certified is a certification that supports and promotes standards for international labor practices. Organic refers to clothing made from natural fibers grown without the use of pesticides or toxins.

Recycled and upcycled are fairly self-explanatory. If it's made from something already made, you're reducing the amount of trash sent to the landfill. Hoo-rah!

Vintage - same principal applies here as to recycling and upcycling. If you can make it work in your wardrobe, and don't have to purchase new, you're reducing the impact to the environment.

Now that you know what the various definitions are for eco fashion, what do you think? Have any to add? Think one (or more) should be subtracted?

Furo[chic]i!

Left: Furoshiki how-to (round object) by Kakefuda, a Furoshiki production workshop and retail location in Kyoto. Top: Furoshiki diagram produced by the Japanese government as part of 3R initiative in Tokyo. Bottom: Kakefuda Furoshiki-wrapped case of beer (See? It looks completely genteel!).

 

Okay. That thing -  where it's, like, fulfilling to get dressed - as in, well-dressed? As in - you make clothing hit the total note and trick* of inspiration, and you bring it, as they say, channeling Jackie (or the Bronte sisters or Anna Nicole or whoever) in an ingenious, seemingly-offhanded tuck or twist?

That's the thing I mean. Only - I get that same - creative gratification- every time I wrap a present.

It's a sensible enough connection - both endeavors involve folding, pleating, tying - both obscure some kind of content in order to more advantageously display it - and, ultimately, both require a series of purposeful, intellectual acts which, when executed, convey some kind of indirect, ephemeral message -

- and it's completely unoriginal. The Japanese already thought of it, like, in the XVIIth century. Plus - in the meantime, they also turned it into this elegant discipline - an art form, really, that's as practical and relevant as it is exquisite.

It is Furoshiki.

A  furoshiki by itself is just a fabric rectangle or square, sized to fit its cargo - groceries, clothes, babies, parcels, swag (sorry)  - and used to wrap it up, repeatedly, in a stylish way.

Furoshiki, though - the thing - is more.  It's a way of folding the fabric around an object to make it portable and beautiful. In her NYT article, The Japanese Gift for Wrapping, Terry Trucco says, "Wrapping is important in Japan, an indication of politeness, dignity and an added note of respect ...wrappings are also meant to conform with the value of the gift and the formality of the situation."

"The furoshiki is a sign of Japanese refinement,"  says  to Jeanne-Aelia Desparmet-Hart, an interior designer .  "To wrap an object in a pretty Furoshiki is to give importance to the object; and it's even more true when it holds a present."

Five years ago,  the Japanese government also recognized the eco-potential of Furoshiki. Ms. Yuriko Koike, former Minister of the Environment, has created the Mottainai  Furoshiki as a symbol of Japanese culture, and as a call to reduce waste.  "The utilization of this Mottainai Furoshiki will contribute to reducing household waste from plastic bags," Koike says.   

"It would be wonderful, if the furoshiki, as a symbol of traditional Japanese culture, could provide an opportunity for us to reconsider the possibilities of a sound-material cycle society. "

In other words, it's totally possible to be both charming and ecologically kind. Furoshiki  can easily be incorporated into the holiday routine - anybody can make one out of anything. Granted, for Americans, it's less a cultural statement than it is an act of discernment - but the idea still rocks. Some US retailers are catching on - Viva Terra, for examples, offers a red Furoshiki in Dupioni silk ($15-$30).

Tsutsumi, wrapping with paper, is also an option - it's a little like oragami, and eliminates the need for adhesive tape.

*To snag a phrase from Henry James's 1884 essay, The Art of Fiction

Interview with Rob Meyer of Papa Spud's

Rob Meyer's company, Papa Spud's, is an interesting business model. Offering fresh and local produce delivered to the customer's door, this business has enormous implications for food economies. The grocery store is taken out of the picture. Local farmers get the spotlight. Much thanks to Rob for sharing his perspective on his startup company.

Redress Raleigh: Tell us about the structure of your company.

Rob Meyer: There’s me: I head up the purchasing and customer service; also general operations such as accounting and marketing. This behind you here is Lee, our operations guy. Lee takes care of receiving, packaging, delievering, and staff. Everyone else includes 12 drivers, packagers and workers in general. They do all sorts of stuff, including helping me with marketing. They gotta do everything.

RR: Was the idea for your business complete upon starting or did the concept evolve over time?

RM: It definitely evolves. Originally we were trying to do...way at the very beginning, we had the subscription service: the CSA-like model. We also tried to do on-demand ordering, like if someone wanted broccoli we could align it with the orders going out. That was not paying. Inconsistent, you can’t plan for it. We were so small you just had no idea what people were going to order. Now it might be easier. The evolution has been working with more farms, offering more products. At first we did just fruits and veggies. Now we have meat, eggs, dairy, frozen pastas, and more farms too. We have more producers in general.

RR: What role have friends and family played in getting the business off the ground?

RM: I mean, I never really ask much of my friends and family. My parents bought a subscription, they have bought from us since the beginning. I did not try to push it on people. I did not want the inflated or false demand. I just wanted to know: is this going to work or not.

Boxes of local produce await delivery at Papa Spud's warehouseRob shows us local NC raspberries from the storage cooler