People Tree opens in west London-Ethical and Fair Trade article

[Scott]

fuk.co.uk

Ethical and Fair Trade fashion label People Tree is set to open its second ever UK concession on Wednesday, June 6 2007 in the basement of a new organic shop, Whole Foods Market, set in the former Barkers department store on High Street Kensington. This is quite a week for People Tree - the comapny has just announced that former Topshop guru Jane Shepherdson is joining the board.

Founded in Japan in 1992 by Brit Safia Minney, People Tree launched in the UK six years ago selling fair trade clothes. As well as producing garments ethically, People Tree is also heavily involved with supporting sustainable and ethical manufacturing practices. Safia is currently campaigning heavily to bring organic cotton to Bangladesh. On a trip there last month she discovered that many Bangladeshi cotton farmers been driven to suicide by debt. The financial pressure to increases cotton crop yields means that farmers are increasingly forced to use pesticides - even though they cannot read the labels. Safia reports on the deformed hands she witnessed caused by farmers manually applying chemicals to crop.

On World Fair Trade Day on May 12 People Tree's first ever designer collaboration project went on sale online and in Topshop Oxford Circus. Two UK designers - Bora Aksu and Richard Nicoll have developed pieces for the range, along with Japanese label Foundation Addict and Thakoon, the creation of Thai-born but US based designer Thakoon Panichgul. There are just 100 pieces across all sizes of each design and People Tree's Arabella Preston told us: "The project has taken a full year" with most of the production taking place in India and Bnagldesh where People Tree helps provide social support to workers and generates work in low income areas, where artisans are often forced to abandon praticising rurally in order to find employment. The People Tree website features full details of where and how each garment was produced.

In the UK People Tree now has 16 staff and is available from over 60 shops in the UK.

People Tree @ Whole Foods Market, The Barkers Building 63–97 Kensington High Street, London W8.

Words: Marian Buckley

http://www.peopletree.co.uk

 

[Scott]

^this is richard nicoll's piece.

and the rest of the designer pieces are really lovely....easy,but lovely. bora's piece has alot of beautiful textures.

 

[Scott]

btw,the title should say Fair trade not free....

 

[JJohnson]

Is there a picture of Thakoon's work?

 

[Scott]

yup. but it's quite basic to be honest.

 

[gius]

aye cotton...
we should head on to hemp
i hear it's much cheaper to grow, as it requires no pesticide (i forget the reason for this) and it can even grow in a variety of conditions, even Canada's climate

anyway, love nicoll's piece there.. the fabric looks very soft/smooth and shiny too
interesting to hear how organic also helps the workers not just the wearer