Desconocida: Unknown by Lise Bjorne Linnert

This exhibition was on at the Gallery UCA Epsom from February,10th until March, 22nd 2009.

I have read about it in MAGAZINE NAME , it caught my attention because I felt it has a meaning, a message to it.

The Norwegian artist, Lise Bjorne Linnert, research and based her exhibition about the Maquilladoras in Cuidad Juarez in Mexico.

the Maquilladoras job consists in working for Western companies that employs Mexican worker on low wages to do mostly, night shifts. The majority of the workers are women and they are prone to kidnapping, rape and torture.

"It is the cruel picture of the dark side of globalization, corruption and in-balance between the people of power and money and the huge population of poor in desperate need of jobs."

Lise Bjorne Linnert used sound, film and thread to represent this injustice. she created workshops where all the participants create name tags by stitch the victims name on pieces of fabric, some of them called:"unknown" as they are many of them that are not recognized.

http://www.lisebjorne.com/

MAKE SENSIBLE FABRIC - Ethical Fashion Forum - Lecture

I really liked the lecture on EFF, after learning about all the ethical companies at the forum, I think it was a great complement. The lecturer was great, very motivating and "hope-giving"

the definition of ethical fashion that we were given was: MINIMISES IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT WHILE MAXIMUMS BENEFITS FOR PEOPLE.

The point that I think I will always remember from that lecture is the RRR principle.

Reduce, reuse, recycle

The aims of EFF apply these principles:

• reduce poverty
• create sustainable livelihoods
• reduce environmental impact of the fashion industry

The RRR approach is very interesting as those three actions are easy to apply , even for a student! ( you don't need to be a powerful business woman!)

MAKE SENSIBLE CHOICES

If we all do small changes, it will be a big difference.

The problems:

The world is in deficit- human beings are digging deep in the world resources

1% of the fashion business is ethical fashion

"People are trained by the media to be perfect consumers of mass manufactured rubbish" V.Westwood

What we can do:

Make sensible choices, make sensible fabric

Make ethical fashion look better

Build network

Ask questions

As textile designers we can make a difference our work is limitless.

Our project should have a message, make a little difference not change the whole world!

Our career is difficult as we are required to be creative as well as intelligent! That's a challenge!

Some artists, designers and companies examples:

TERRA PLANA

http://www.terraplana.com/terraplana.php

They aim to minimize waste and toxin use by selling a variety of non generic products supporting ideas of sustainability: lightness, anatomic design, disassembly and durability.

they used mainly eco-friendly materials and stitched construction to minimize the use of glue, the is a recycled element in every product construction.

FROM SOMEWHERE

http://www.fromsomewhere.co.uk/

Orsola de Castro and Filippo Ricci recycle luxury designer pre-consumer waste from 1997.

they use all kind of waste such as proofs, swatches, production off-end cuts and end fashion and textiles surplus.

each piece as its unique side.

(the website is really well made!)

And other names:

Panchachuli's women

http://www.panchachuli.com/

Myriam Morgensten

http://il.linkedin.com/pub/myriam-morgenstern/9/661/326

This lecture really talked to me and made me think a lot about where the world is and the difference I want to make!!

TO BE CONTINUED...