Clean Batik Initiative in the press

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/aug/23/indonesia-batik-makers-sustainable-methods

I am very glad to be reporting about the CBI again, as now they have come as far making it into the British Press! When I spoke to them, just over a year ago in Jakarta, they were only in their launching phase. This has spurred me on to get in touch with them to find out more, as the article is held quite general.

In Indonesia batik has regained popularity in the last couple of years and there is a lot of "fake" i.e. printed batik on polyester fabrics imported from China. In my Anglindo project I was experimenting with using less conventional patterns and motifs but the traditional wax method. Ideally I would be doing this the new, cleaner way.

It would be interested to know where this batik can be sourced from, if they take special orders and if there is any kind of guarantee for following certain guidelines.

taped

by Buff Diss

by Anna Garforth

... I like.

the girl effect

Simplified but great graphics and yes, you do get the picture. Spotted on http://www.believe-blog.com

details - melting tags

These clothes tags were created to reduce the volume of waste - tags made if soap instead of paper, so when you send you new item of clothing throught he wash, your tag will be dissolved with it. Clever clever. Well, quite clever anyway! Different websites suggest however that this idea is only halfbaked as mention of its carbon footprint or whether the soap is made of environmentally friendly materials is lacking. Ah yes, it's never that that simple is it. However, my opinion lies somewere between that of the blind enthusiasts and the supercritical: I think it is important to consider all the details around clothing manufacture to be addressed  in innovative ways, but don't forget to question. Hopefully people's knowledge and curiosity will help distiguish between ideas with true potential and ones created for a gimmic to jump onto the green bandwagon.

... Speaking of innovations. How amazing is this biomimetic concept taken from snakes shedding their skins to fabrics shedding layers to reduce their laundering impact. Check out the vid on her website or the London College of Fashion website I found this on.

Double-Break

During an inspiring break in Thailand and Laos, a fibula was broken (not mine, but being a nurse is time-consuming). This prolonged the planned break and my return to this blog will commence as soon as I have something break-unrelated and somehthing scrabbooklet-relevant to blog about (and there are exciting little things in the pipeline!).

In the meanwhile, a  slow internet connection is testing my patience on the hill-tops of Bandung. Tomorrow I shall return to some productive hours at the studio however. What has succeeded in loading is my google search for Vivienne Westwood launching an ethical fashion project, which I heard about on a friend's blog.

(Image: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/resources/images/money/travel/air-security-2-08/overview/suitcase.jpg&imgrefurl)

Also, I came accros this brilliant graphic (bikes gobbling up an SUV) while browsing (ommmm, the page will load, rub them earlobes). I agree that designers are pushed to think out the box these days to convey environmental messages and the developments are exciting to  be part of.

(Image: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/01/bicycles-eat-suv.php)

Love from Anja Anglindo
(who will be in Indonesia just for another 3.5 weeks)

P.S. Just glimpsed on treehugger.com that organic cotton production has increased 15% in 2010 which is fabulous news!

... This post started off with the intention of writing one sentence but I realize how much I have missed the blogging; I do enjoy it. Might be superbusy with my last few weeks here as well as moving back to half way across to globe again but shall blog again before toooo long.

books

In preparation for my MA application I am reading like crazy. Being in Indonesia doesn't make it an easy feat, as there is no decent library around where I can get the books I need. I have 3 books here that I have completely absorbed and frequently use for reference : Y. Chouinards "Let My People Go Surfing", K. Fletchers "Sustainable Fashion" and D. Goleman's "Ecological Intelligence".

I do praise my internet connection, and when that is down due to tropical storms, Wifi in cafe's are quite reliable. I intend to add a list of my fave websites soon, upon completing my papers and would now like to share where I am buying my Christmas books from (can't wait for more inspiring literature!!):

http://www.betterworldbooks.com/

They sell second hand books, (similar to Amazon marketplace, however Amazon doesn't like shipping to Indonesia) so this saves them from ending up in landfills, PLUS they donate a percentage to the world literacy fund.  scientia potentia est ... Reading brings knowledge and knowledge is power.

Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" (1962) and "Crade2Cradle" by McDonough and Braugart will be my next purchases on the website, inspired by this article http://www.greenatworkmag.com/gwsubaccess/02mayjun/eco.html.

Merapi - "the firey one"

Merapi, the most active out the  20 active volcanoes on Java has been erupting for a couple of weeks now with the last violent explosion on Thursday.   Surono, chief of Indonesia's Volcano Mitigation and Geological Disaster Agency, told the Australian newspaper Friday."The eruptions haven't stopped, the tremors are getting stronger, and one big explosion could be the result."

Indonesia is in fact the seismically most active country in the world with 17,500 islands sitting along the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Anglindo's 2nd season collection will be donating a percentage of our profits to the Merapi Relief Fund. We are based on the same island as Merapi, in Bandung which is some 400kms away.

Photographs courtesy of the national geographic.