Southland discoveries

I was over at my old turf today (I'm ashamed to say), Southland Shopping Centre, for lunch and a stroll with mum. Here's what I discovered:

• Cue has some surprisingly unique designs. I'd be interested to know of their 'sweatshop or not' status.
• My old coworkers at Miss Shop in Myer are seeing the pinch with decreased sales and shifts. It's kind of a relief to know that the economy is affecting big business too, and it makes me feel prouder of the sales I have had.
• Being in Valleygirl makes me annoyed. Mum was in there for a good half hour. They're pretty much against everything I stand for. For non-Australian readers, Valleygirl is a 'cheap and nasty' clothing store where most things are $10-$20 and attempt to follow trends. I browsed the racks, and found one really nice striped knit top among the rubbish, but wouldn't buy it on principle. It's weird how the fabric quality varies in there - sometimes there are pieces that aren't made from horrible thin synthetic.
• There's a 'leggings as pants' trend going on that I find a little confusing. I saw about 10 girls in them. All black.

I think the world would be much more fashionably interesting if clothing couldn't be bought and everyone had to make their own or barter them.

The eco-bandwagon

There are so many products spouting 'eco-friendly' or 'recycled' these days that it's hard to know who's legitimately and passionately trying to make a difference, and who's using it as a marketing ploy. Perhaps I'm being cynical, but I'm not interested in supporting a brand like Sportsgirl, despite their small range of organic garments. If they were really passionate about environmental ethics, they would design for longevity, rather than fad trends. "The motivation was to give our customer the opportunity to buy 'on trend' fashion while understanding her concerns about the environment. The collection delivers on that," said Sportsgirl's buying manager (source). To me, this is a blatant contradiction.

No one seems to be saying 'buy less'. If you want to help the environment, that's the best way to do it. An organic cotton tee, while it doesn't poison the earth with pesticides, still uses up massive amounts of water and resources through production and distribution. Unless you really need it, is it all necessary?


I do think it's great that awareness is increasing, and Sportsgirl is taking a step in the right direction. However, I question their motives, and would much rather support a brand that is passionate about change and shows it in all aspects of their business.

Sometimes the ethical options aren't there or aren't evident or are out of our price range. No one can fix all of the environmental imperfections in their life, I certainly have a long way to go, but I do think it's important that we try.

Press

heidi and seek was featured on V-Raw! I was hoping for a little write-up too, but this is still pretty awesome. Thank you V-Raw!

I've been meaning to add previous press to the website, but haven't gotten around to it. Here are the links until I do:
Design Federation
Craftgossip
And I've received the most lovely write-up from Amy of Bean Pickle Sprout. She makes the most adorable appliqued goods - I might send Tim the link of my favourite item come Christmas time. Subtle, no?

Giraffe in the Polka Dots bib by Bean Pickle Sprout

About me and this blog

Little update: As of January 2010, I am no longer keeping up Heidi & Seek, and instead will be finishing my BA and trying to poke my nose deeper into the book publishing industry.

Hello. I'm Hayley. I run an ethical women's clothing label called Heidi and Seek. I'm 23 and I live in Melbourne, Australia. I'm currently studying at fashion school to hone my self-taught skills while running my business. I'm a partner to an inspiring, supportive, lovely person called Tim and mother to a darling 2-year-old girl named Elliot.



I'm passionate about sustainable living and buying ethically, and I love fashion. Heidi and Seek began as a hobby during 2008 as my way of supporting my ethics and fulfilling my creative need. In November '08 it evolved into a small business. Heidi and Seek is sweatshop-free, as all garments are made by me, plus it's eco-friendly, because the fabrics I use are reclaimed from factories or thrift stores. I believe that reusing is the best way to a sustainable future. You can find out more about ethics in the fashion industry here.


I’m responsible for every aspect of the business, from pattern-making to modelling to packing orders and keeping accounts.


Aside from Heidi and Seek, I love music and am always open to new artist suggestions. My favourites are Rachael Yamagata, Emiliana Torrini, Damien Rice and Radiohead, to name a few. I love thrift shopping because of the amazing things you can find, plus it's inexpensive and eco-friendly. I love making things and seeing what other crafty types have ingeniously created. Tim, Ellie and I are piscatarians on the verge of vegetarianism.

I'm constantly looking for ways I can be kinder to the environment and people through what I buy and how I live. I'm always finding new ways to help me. I'm hoping they will help you too. So I'll share my journey with you.