Shop The Thread Loop...15% Off, Make a World of Difference

Hello my Fashionistas, I’ve found a great way for us to stay chic and have a positive impact on social change. My good friend Jo Blundell left the corporate world and started an “eco fashion” online boutique. The Thread Loop is a shopping hub where you can buy clothes and things that are more than pretty. They’re all created with a consciousness toward people, communities and the planet.

So what’s eco fashion...Sustainable fashion, also called eco fashion, is a part of the growing design philosophy and trend of sustainability, the goal of which is to create a system which can be supported indefinitely in terms of environmentalism and social responsibility. Sustainable fashion is part of the larger trend of sustainable design where a product is created and produced with consideration to the environmental and social impact it may have throughout its total life span, including its "carbon footprint". (courtesy of wiki)

According to the May 2007 Vogue appears not to be a short-term trend but one could last multiple seasons. While environmentalism used manifest itself in the fashion world through a donation of percentage of sales of a product to a charitable cause, fashion designers are now re-introducing eco-conscious methods at the source through the use of environmentally friendly materials and socially responsible methods of production. (courtsey of wiki)

The Thread Loop was founded by Jo Blundell (on the left) whose background is a far from fashion or green having come from a marketing and financial services background. She was inspired to make the change after reading an article some years ago on the enormous social and environmental damage of the current fashion industry business model.

Currently the Thread Loop features six designers, who have developed a wide range of sustainable products to include blouse, dresses, bags and accessories and much more.

Shop www.thethreadloop.com and receive 15% off with this code: globalactionsblog (the offer expires 31 July 2010...act now).

How can you get involve...although many of us are conscious of recycling our newspaper, buying organic produce and using energy efficient appliances in our efforts to “save the planet,” we don’t put the same level of energy into where our clothes come from and how they are made.

By learning more we make a difference.

Check out Jo’s page on Big issues... http://www.thethreadloop.com/The-big-issues_234.aspx

Eco fashion is not a trend; see the Vancouver Fashion Week 2009 EcoFashion show. Also check out amazing eco fashion magazines such as Boho...and find out if you’re a Boho girl at http://www.bohomag.com/.

Three Cups of Tea

I recently finished the book Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, a heroic story of Greg Mortenson’s journey to improve social conditions in rural areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan, through the gift of education. Tom Brokaw describes it as, “one of the most remarkable adventure stories of our time. Greg Mortenson’s dangerous and difficult quest to build schools in the wildest parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan is not only a thrilling read, it’s proof that one ordinary person, with the right combination of character and determination, really can change the world.”

 

His story was inspirational and intriguing as he came upon many challenges and obstacles to accomplish his goals. There are many things to learn from Mortenson’s successes and failures, three which really hit home for me were 1. Never give up, 2. Learn what the people need, not what you think is best for them and 3. Immerse yourself in the culture, i.e. learn the language and customs it will open doors and increase your impact. Mortenson’s first school, the Korphe School (left) was completed in 1996.

Mortenson’s nonprofit organization the Central Asia Institute (CAI) continues to promote and support community-based education, especially for girls, in remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. To make a tax deductible donation visit CAI website http://www.ikat.org./ Or if you want to get involved the organization promotes Pennies for Peace (P4P), which is ideal for mentors, families and teachers to introduce children to cross cultural experiences and all them to see the impact they can have on others. P4P educates children about the world and how they can make an impact, one penny at a time http://www.penniesforpeace.org/.

Be The Change

Global Volunteer Network’s (GVN) founder Colin Salisbury leads a program called Be The Change. I recently attended this program in Tuscany, Italy. For me Be The Change provided inspiration and focus, that I don’t think I could have discovered elsewhere.

17 people representing 13 different countries shared their desires to be catalyst of social change. Colin, Courtney and Nadine, leaders in the field of social change, led seminars and mentored participants during the week long course. They help us mold our thoughts, dreams and much confusion into a defined plan that we could put into action.

My experience was phenomenal. Meeting like minded individuals and finding incredible mentors has inspired me to create this blog, invest in French language immersion and pursue social change with NGOs on the ground working toward solutions in areas I believe in. But most importantly I returned home with a sense of possibility; I can make a difference on a global scale…one person at a time.

Be the change you want to see in the world. – Gandhi



To learn more about Be The Change and it's facilitators visit Globalvolunteernetwork.org