Join the Ethical Fashion Academy and BEinSpain for an inspirational and intimate look at the art of Abigail Doan and designer Zaida Balmaseda this September 18th from 6:30-10 pm.   Scroll below to explore the work of  Abigail Doan and Balmaseda. Click here to RSVP

Carmen Artigas
Carmen has worked in the fashion for nearly 20 years, most recently in sustainable design, consulting, and sourcing. Working in India in 1999 with artisan communities reviving endangered crafts and later developing a yoga line using certified organic cotton and natural dyes exposed her to the challenges of developing sustainable products. She currently teaches Ethical Fashion at the Fashion Institute of Technology and Parsons New School of Design in New York, and she dedicates her time to reevaluating the human and environmental cost of products, advocating for craftsmanship, and redefining “made-in” and “made-by”.
about.me/carmenartigas

A 15-year veteran of the publishing industry, Jasmin Malik Chua is the managing editor of Ecouterre.com, the leading website on sustainability and innovation in fashion. She has an M.S. in biomedical journalism from New York University, where she was a founding fellow of the literary reportage program, and a B.S. in animal biology from the National University of Singapore. In addition to stories published in online and print publications like Alive, Inhabitat,Plenty, The Huffington Post, and Sprig, Chua has been quoted as a green expert by such publications and outlets as The New York Times, BBC Radio, BusinessWeek, Newsweek, and People.  www.ecouterre.com 

Francisca Pineda is the founder of the Ethical Fashion Academy, a community focused initiative that organizes eco-fashion events in New York City and a yearly hands-on Eco-Fashion Workshop in Costa Rica.  She is the creative director for BHAVA, a luxury artisan-made cruelty-free footwear collection: conscious & cool with a dose of ingénue charm.
Francisca is also passionate about sharing what she has learned throughout her 15 year career designing apparel and accessories with the next generation of designers and teaches design through the Fashion Portfolio Academy, an online design education platform.

I recently had the honor of meeting textile artist extraordinaire Kachama.  She shared her beautiful textiles with us at our recent Conscious Collaborations event. I then had the privilege of meeting her again the next evening at an open house hosted by Jeanne Golly.  Kachama was kind enough to answer some questions and allow me to photograph some of her pieces.  For decades Kachama has been using hand woven and natural dye techniques in her studio in the Chang Mai region of northern Thailand. The first time she went to the mountains to learn these ancient techniques almost every home had a loom and often the grandmother was the weaver.  Since then the number of weavers has dwindled and those using natural dyes are even more rare.  What are we losing?  More than those of us who live a modern life can even begin to comprehend.  Natural dyes are not just about gorgeous colors, but serve us with their medicinal properties as well.  By studying with the tribes she learned so many of the subtleties like why it is best to dye indigo at night.  She also spoke of a woman who healed her son's skin ailments by dyeing his clothes in natural tree bark dyes to protect his skin.  As each generation loses interest in this history who knows what knowledge is lost.  It has taken hundreds of years to pass down this information and the temptation to work in the city, often to sew at a fast fashion factory, is too great to stay behind with grandmother and weave.  Conservation of cultural heritage is key in Kachama's mission.  By re-weaving traditional hilltribe tapestries, both antiques and contemporary, inside her own creations Kachama hopes to preserve and promote the cultural legacy of Thailand’s mountain people.  In her Reuse/Recycle/Replenish series exhibited in Tokyo, Kachama explores our everyday waste and manages the impossible by incorporating our modern day garbage into her work, creating a devastatingly beautiful landscape.  Thank you Kachama, my conversation with you was inspirational and your work is exceptional.  I have uploaded several photographs in full size so you can take your time to explore her work.  Each piece takes months to complete, and is unique unto itself.  Enjoy.

For more information visit www.kachama.com