REFRESH

TUDO A MÃO in ceramics factory 2008 from STRAAT TUDO A MÃO on Vimeo.

REFRESH collection created by designers Lucas Van Vugt, João Parenti and Marcia Gervastok during  straatceramica project and the hanger Cabide STRAAT designed by Takeshi Sumi at straatbambu project can be found at Brazilian TOK&STOK stores.

TUDO A MÃO with bamboo 2008 from STRAAT TUDO A MÃO on Vimeo.

Designer: Takeshi Sumi,Producer: Kotybambu

MAASAI WOMEN ART

MAASAI WOMEN ART

www.maasaiwomenart.net

You were impressed by our selection of shawls, cushions and bed linen in the 'Talents à la Carte' showcase at the Maison & Objet Exhibition, September 2009…
 We hope we'll have the pleasure of showing you the full range of our textiles at our private Exhibition & Sale in Paris, 3–5 December, 2009

WomenWeave

WomenWeave is an organization dedicated to empowering and improving the lives of women who weave in rural India. Its goal is to make handloom a profitable, fulfilling and sustainable income-earning activity for women.

Moving towards this objective, WomenWeave follows a holistic approach towards the weavers it works with. Alongside design, skill-enhancement and marketing interventions, WomenWeave also undertakes health, education and childcare initiatives. Overall, the idea is to have happy, healthy and empowered women who make a constructive contribution to their families and to society.

 WomenWeave is a registered Charitable Trust, supporting the role of women in handloom weaving since 2002.

 Headquartered in Mumbai, it has a field office in Maheshwar, Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh.

Lulu&Nat

Driven by colour and inspired by India, Mumbai-based Lulu McEvoy and London-based Nat Robinson launched Lulu & Nat, a home and lifestyle range for adults and children.
With experience in textile design and retail, Lulu and Nat have created a modern, vibrant collection with an exotic Indian edge. Handcrafted and made in India using traditional techniques, each piece is completely unique and nothing is mass-produced. The result is a beautiful selection of hand-printed bedlinen, embroidered wall hangings and embellished cushions - all in Lulu & Nat's signature Anglo-Indian style.
Since it was set up in 2008, Lulu & Nat's client list has grown and now includes prestigious London stores such as Designers Guild, SCP, the Cross and Liberty, as well as designer childrenswear shop Bonton in Paris.

EL CAMINO

Association of French designers created by Véronique Tesseraud works alongside the weavers of Chiapas to produce 

collections that respect Indian traditions and the new rules of fair trade.

Véronique Tesseraud founded the El Camino association in 1996 to support weavers in Chiapas. New collections have been developed, with the help of volunteer French designers. These ranges weave contemporary aspirations and inspirations from Maya’s textile heritage. Long research work has been carried out to recreate the tones of ancient vegetal stains, providing harmonious hybridisation between tradition and modernity. Distributed in France and Mexico according to fair trade principles, this production allows more than 150 women to have worthy living conditions through the use of their ancestral knowledge.

El CAMINO: el.camino.france(at)gmail.com

PEOPLETREE

YOOXYGEN

OUMA

Ouma Productions s'inspire de la rue indienne.

Le 'charpoy', qui signifie littéralement '4 pieds' est un lit fabriqué à partir d'un cadre de bois sur lequel sont tendues des cordes ou sangles tressées, c'est une pièce essentielle du mobilier indien. On y dort mais aussi on y médite, on y mange, on vit dessus seul ou à 3 ou 4, on le traîne dedans ou dehors et grâce à son tressage ajouré l'air circule entre les cordes ce qui en fait un lit climatisé pour l'été. 

On le trouve dans l'histoire de chaque Indien.

ROYAH

The project on ethical design from Afghanistan brings together Art & Development for women, whilst also presenting to the western world the richness of other cultures. Royah, the ‘vision’ in Dari, was set up in Kabul in 2005 by a handful of women who wanted to make a difference. Drawing on Afghanistan’s rich cultural history, we create contemporary fashion using Afghan textiles and Italian expertise.

MADE-IN-NO

Made in No nasce tra Novara e il mondo, per creare ponti di collaborazione e solidarietà tra territori lontani, per mettere in collegamento filiere sostenibili e mercati locali, dimostrando che un'economia a misura di pianeta è possibile. Dal cotone ecologico ed equosolidale di Justa Trama, una rete brasiliana di organizzazioni di base equosolidali, è possibile creare prodotti sostenibili, come la linea di intimo Made-in-No, nata dalla creatività e dall'impegno dei piccoli artigiani del tessile novarese e dal sostegno dei consumatori organizzati e delle Botteghe del Mondo.

Six for Rwanda

The Fondazione Claudio Buziol is organising the selection of six participants for the first "Course on Artisan Methods of Working With Vegetable Fibres", organised by Gaddo Morpurgo, associate professor at Iuav University in Venice. The workshop will take place from 5-19 September 2009 in Kanombe - Kigali, Rwanda at the “San Marco” Centre d’Accueil e de formation, with the participation of the San Marino Cassa di Risparmio Foundation – SUMS and Soroptimist. There are six place for graduates or undergraduates in design disciplines who, at the time of selection, are no more than 30 years old. Selection will take place in Venice at the headquarters of the Claudio Buziol Foundation in July 2009.

Download here the competition rules

http://www.fondazioneclaudiobuziol.org/docs/Bandi/Bando_Atelier_Rwanda_eng.pdf

Atelier RWANDA

"The first laboratory, atelier RWANDA, “Laboratoire de recherche et de projets d’innovation de design en Afrique” was constituted at the Centre d’accueil et de formation “San Marco” a Kanombe (Kigali) Rwanda, in collaboration with the two Soroptimist club of Kigali (SI-Kigali and SI-Kigali Etolie) and the Soroptimist club of San Marino.
The atelier RWANDA focuses on the transfer of effective technology and design, for a valorization of natural materials that are available in the various regions of Africa."

TO READ MORE:
http://portal.unesco.org/es/files/43243/12210408719Biennale_Dossier_Eng.pdf/Biennale%2BDossier%2BEng.pdf

South Out There

"There is a need out there to invert the logic of the world of Design that essentially focuses on only 10% of the world’s population, without considering the other 90%: 5 billion 800 million people who have no access to that which we consider normal: a house, clean water, and food.
With the results of the international conference Design, beyond the borders of development, organised in September of 2007 at the University of San Marino’s department of Industrial Design, on the occasion of the first San Marino Design week, an exhibit was presented showing a selection of recently developed design projects that give concrete solutions to problems of various areas in the world’s Southern Hemisphere."

TO READ MORE: 
http://www.iuav.it/Ateneo-cal/2008/09/South-Out-There-depliant.pdf 

toronto + botucatu Project 2008/2009

STRAAT
Canadian designer - Cristina Covello- and a wood worker in Botucatu city- Zeca Godinho- and together they developed furniture for outdoors using peroba rosa wood recovered from old barns, railway leftovers, etc...


toronto + botucatu Project 2008/2009 from StraaT on Vimeo.

Onsite Caribbean

nanimarquina

nanimarquina collaborates with Care & Fair and guarantees that no child labour is employed in the production of its rugs.Care & Fair is an organisation that was created in 1995 with the objective of eradicating child labour in the weaving of rugs in countries such as India, Pakistan and Nepal. Its philosophy is based on the belief that this objective is reachable with the adequate help, basically involving two important areas: education and health.
A brand has many faces and each product always tries to give a synthesis of all of them: of who thinks up the product, of who makes it, who looks after it and all those who enjoy it. When This, together with the ongoing and consistent work of research and creation, is what makes a personal project a snapshot of its time. Our immediate context speaks to us of East and West, of a return to our roots, of new uses and concepts and, above all, it speaks to us of the commitment to integrate new voices into our reality. All these voices tell us about a world that begins and ends with sensations.

Recycled Saris - Altromercato

Collaboration project between Sasha (India) and Altromercato (Italy) promoting new products produced in India with recycled saris for the Italian market.

EquoLab

In the Sana Fair in Bologna there is a space designed by Lucy Salamanca (Salamanca Design & Co.) in which a selection of International Design Collaborations is shown. This exhibition is open from 11th to 14th of September 2008 in Bologna Fair (Italy).
During the Fair their was also a confrontation on the theme of SOCIAL DESIGN and the implications of design projects.

D+A GTO

STRAAT - changing office

StraaT office was moved from Augusta street in Sao Paulo capital to the countryside of Botucatu- Demetria a rural neighbourhood , also in Spaulo state.

Project H Design

Product design initiatives for Humanity, Habitats, Health, and Happiness.
Project H Design is a charitable organization that supports, inspires, and delivers life-improving humanitarian product design solutions. We champion industrial design as a tool to address social issues, a vehicle for global life improvement, and a catalyst for individual and community empowerment.
Project H Design encourages the reorientation of the design industry towards a more socially-impactful and humanitarian entity through a variety of Initiatives including Fund this Product and our Project H studio classes at design universities.
Project H Design is a tax-exempt 501c3 nonprofit organization. All donations made after January 8, 2008 are tax-deductible.

Project H: Design for Education- June 2 - August 2Project H studio sessions are an educational arena in which to work with students, designers, and other collaborators on design projects which address social issues. Our first program this summer will be Design for Education, and will look at ways in which product designers can produce educational products that improve elementary education on a global scale. The studio sessions will encourage the design community and design academics to use design skills to solve real problems and serve individuals and communities. Design for Education, Summer 2008 will forge collaborations between unlikely partners- teachers, designers, students, the public, global citizens, etc.The Design for Education studio, held at the California College of Arts, will serve as a pilot curriculum to be rolled out additional design schools, addressing different social issues (Design for Health, Homelessness, Water) within each program.

MATERDESIGN

Founded in 2006, mater is a copenhagen-based company with a strong vision to create timeless and beautiful design based on an ethical business strategy. mater combines exclusive high end home accessories with working methods that support people, local craft traditions and the environment.

http://www.materdesign.com/downloads/pdf/mater_catalogue_20080617.pdf

GLOCAL SHOPPER

Design Forum Finland's summer exhibition Glocal Shopper launches a discussion on the responsibility of design. Its themes are ethical purchasing and consumption, local production, and domestic materials. The leading role is given to local design and small craft and design companies, which often lead the way in ecological issues. The choice of examples emphasizes products that conserve nature and solutions of ecological insight that are based on recycling, saving energy and durability.Glocal Shopper seeks also to encourage consumers to make choices that are more environmentally friendly and to be aware of the importance of the life-span of products. The client, designer, manufacturer and end-user are all ultimately responsible for the environmental impact of a product. "Consumers ultimately decide what products are made and how. Everyone's personal purchasing decisions have impact, even though you might not always believe it," says ceramist Jatta Lavi. The exhibition features an important group of Finnish designers and companies whose design products represent sustainable development and life-span thinking: Amer Sports Suomi, Artek, Doctor Design, Susan Elo, Evolum, Fiskars Brands, Iittala Group, Helkama Velox, Huhtadesign, Isku Koti, J.S. Team, Karttuuni, Kiks, Kotonadesign, Jouko Kärkkäinen, Jatta Lavi, Marimekko, Nikari, Nounou Design, original habitek works*, Plastex, Seija Ranttila, Saas Instrumentti, Markku Salo, Secto Design, Showroom Finland, Sokeva, Jussi Sutela, Janna Syvänoja, Anri Tenhunen, Tunto Design, Jaana Tuomisto, Twin-Shop, Tiia Vanhatapio, Verso Design, Woodnotes, Valvomo and artisans of the Fiskars Cooperative.The sale exhibition includes furniture, lamps, small items for the home, jewellery and clothing made from recycled material, and a collection of products for children.

Article 23, une marque de La Compagnie du Commerce Equitable

«Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring
for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity» in response to article
23 of the declaration of human rights, the collection is engaged from its conception
to produce an ethical fashion brand. The collection is produced in India where it collaborates
with young women with handicap or caste problems. The collection is made
in 100% organic fabrics.

Entreprise de l’économie sociale, La Compagnie du Commerce Equitable a pour principal objectif d’initier des partenariats en faveur d’un développement durable et développe ainsi de nouvelles filières d’importation et de distribution de meubles, objets de décoration et accessoires dans le cadre d’une action solidaire.
Concevoir des styles tendances, former les couturiers pour leur permettre de confectionner des modèles jadis inabordables, produire dans le respect de l’Homme…Article 23 s’investit dans chacune de ces missions afin de permettre à des femmes des bidonvilles de Bombay en situation précaire de vivre de leur ouvrage.L’atelier de production emploie 250 femmes et soutient des programmes de développement en faveur des communautés défavorisées au sein des bidonvilles. Dans un souci de solidarité et nourri par un besoin d’émancipation, l’enseignement des techniques de modélisme contribue à l’apport de débouchés commerciaux et donc de perspectives d’expansion future.« Grâce à l’étroite collaboration tissée sur le terrain avec les couturiers, l’équipe Article 23 s’implique afin de moderniser la mode équitable, tout en créant un partenariat sur le long terme avec son atelier de production »

http://www.article-23.com/img/presse/DP_SS08_UK.pdf

LaModeEthique

LaModeEthique - The Guide to Ethical Fashion aims to increase awareness and accessibility of the fast-growing niche of designers and organisations who acknowledge that people who are fashion savvy are not going to buy something that makes you look like you're wearing a burlap sack just because its kind to the environment or people no matter how much you hark on about it. A better idea would be to offer an alternative. To offer the discerning fashionista clothing that they've 'gotta have' for the very same reasons as they would any other piece of clothing. This way you don't have to depend on people giving a damn who made their dress (which is a comparatively small percentage of the population). Reports come up on the news left right and centre showing an ever increasing number of people who are concerned about the production of their clothing and anything else for that matter. However, despite their concern, how many of them actually buy ethically proactive products? How many MORE people would buy ethically proactive products if they knew what was out there, how to buy it and that the products fulfilled their own self-centred desires?

Siwa Creations project

Siwan embroidery has made its way into the select world of Italian haute couture. Italian fashion designers have discovered the intricate beauty of Siwan embroidery. Its exquisite dainty stitch and its floral patterns have brought a refreshing look to traditional garments such as the ubiquitous jean trousers or a simple white cotton dress.
Siwa has a lot to offer because two people, Mounir Neamatalla and his sister Laila have been instrumental in launching Siwa on the global market. Mounir Neamatalla unsurprisingly has just been named one of the most enterprising people in Egypt.
Neamatalla has begun to collaborate with international designer labels by liaising with the seamstresses and embroiderers she employs in the Siwa Oasis on the western edge of the Egyptian desert.Most recently, the Siwan women stitched traditional motifs into couture garments and accessories for the Italian atelier Ermanno Scervino. Maverick marketing is yet another method that entrepreneurs are using.In 1996 when giant international fashion brands were still dithering about the role of the Internet in their retail operations, the Senegalese fashion designer Oumou Sy was opening an e- commerce site to sell accessories abroad.One of Africa's most well- known fashion designers, Sy had made private clients in Europe after she appeared in several high-profile exhibitions there. Such self-made artisans and designers isolated from any organized fashion industry are often those first out of the starting blocks.Capitalizing on handicrafts, cottage industries and traditional techniques, they experiment with product development, negotiate microfinancing and find clever partnerships.

SALAMANCA DESIGN

Salamanca design & Co is a strategic design firm born in 1991 by Lucy Salamanca, Designer of Colombia, Bogotà and who studied in 1985 in the Istituto Europeo di Design di Milano. Fair Trade is one of the sectors in which they work.

Sustaining local communities through design

This is a blog of a young designer who has been 6 weeks in Brazil for the STRAAT project.

He writes:

"I will be working with small craft communities on creating a line of products to be sold in the local design markets. These groups specialize in bamboo, but are currently not able to support themselves with the products they make. Some of the groups also have outreach programs for various citizens and teach them how to craft bamboo. My goal will be to design, prototype, and ultimately try to commercialize products so that these communities will bea ble to sustain themselves. I got involved by inquiring around about how I could use my thesis time (where the students get to choose the projects) to really do something that could actually make a difference. I have seen a lot of projects that have the goal of helping people, and are made for situation, but are never made and I wanted to get really hands on. But anyways, I ended up getting connected to this program:
http://www.straat.com.br/
which works specifically with groups in brazil. Everyone involved was incredibly enthusiastic about making this work, which really helped, as I had about a week and a half to really scramble to make this happen, including working with my teachers, the school, finding flights, and making an emmergency trip to Chicago to secure a Visa in time to leave. But everything is in action now, and I currently await my flight to Sao Paulo. I am really excited, and a bit nervous, but I think this is going to be a great and formative experience on my career in design."

MADE IN CHINA

Made in China

Will be presented at the Saloneinternationale del Mobile di MilanoApril 16th till 22nd
Material: porcelain with three different hand crafted designsDimensions:Label: Designstudio Carola ZeeLimited editionYear: 2007

Made in China (November 2007)is Carola’s latest collection and was realized in Jingdezhen China. The collection is presented with a book publication, which tells the storyof the people behind the production and shows the way they work. The vases are the end result of this collaboration and show the different techniques typical for this region of China.
Even with the big economical and industrial changes in China at the moment a lot of products here are still produced manually. These products are able to compete with the low prices of machine-produced products because of the low wages the Chinese craftsmen get paid. By creating this collection Carola wants to make consumers aware of the fact that most Chinese products and the people creating them are underrated. Through interviews and photographs she shows the amount of work and time that the craftsmen put in to the creation of this collection.

XO+

XO+ is a fair trade collection of products made by women in different parts of Nepal.
It's the tendency to produce in a good way in Europe knows often the problem that there we do not know what is possible, how to communicate. And the development country has no idea how to communicate and what is expected by the difficult European clients or how to reach them. What counts for development countries, counts for Nepal. Nepal is a country rich in culture, materials and techniques we can not afford at all in Europe anymore. But the people in Nepal don't see the specialty anymore of those qualities. So we make new designs with the old techniques and habits of the Nepali people and in this way those unique qualities don't get lost. The people will be proud again about there culture and the European people can buy these nice products with a fair feeling.The co-operation of feminine producers in Nepal, has started a new project. A Design products collection. In co-operation with Dutch designers a new collection has been produced with the first 18 companies. All participants of this unique project are part of fare business. Womanpower has a poverty alleviation target reached trough a business, work and production improvement.

TARGET:

A link between both worlds.

A good design, a good product.

A win win result.

Only this way there is a opening to give fair trade design products a change to be competitive at the international market.We know Design & Fair Trade, it's possible!

http://www.lostintime.nl/celia/intro2.html

WEMADE

WEMADE is a project between two Dutch designers and Indonesian craftspeople who were victims of the Bantul earthquake 2006.
Goal: to increase the economic independence of local craftspeople.
Result: series of lifestyle products meant for export.











http://www.rixxt.nl/
http://lidewijenrixtinindonesie.blogspot.com/

Artecnica

Artecnica's mission is to elevate the purpose and value of everyday objects by using design to enchant, inspire and transform through the powerful tools of art and technology. Art represents the most personal expression of our design language, technology our unique application of materials, fabrication methods and techniques.
We started traveling the world, exploring and sharing experiences. Specialized vendors were selected and collaborations with designers, merchants and craftsmen begun. New materials were explored experimentally and spontaneously.
This deeper awareness of our global impact inspired a formalized program for Artecnica we call Design with Conscience. Artisan communities of developing countries handcraft objects designed by internationally recognized designers, often utilizing recycled products, both minimizing environmental impact and stimulating depressed economies.
As we continue explore the world and create new design, we also transform and look forward to the challenges we have set with Design With Conscience and our commitment to enchant, inspire, tranform.
The designer can dovetail the capacities of artisans with the needs of the international marketplace. The project producer provides the logistics, marketing, and art direction necessary to bring the work of the designer and the artisan to the consumer. As project producer, Artecnica partners with such nonprofit organizations as Aid to Artisans and the British Council.
Our challenge is to develop a competitive product that will encourage the survival of indigenous craft. Fulfilling this mission requires a smart designer, a savvy and visionary project producer, and a willing and ambitious artisan. Our objective is to avoid the mechanization of the artisan, which devalues his work and undermines the project from both a design and an economic standpoint.
http://www.artecnicainc.com/Milan2008.pdf