Sunday 20 January 2013

St Michaels: Fairtrade Fashion at an even fairer price

Once again we ventured out into Oxford with a camera to find fairtrade in amongst our streets, but this time we went somewhere a little more well known to us but it is definitely not well known to most other members of the public.

The gorgeous necklaces we could hardly resist!
St Michael is a little known fairtrade shop tucked away underground practically right underneath St Michaels church itself, so there is little wonder why it is often walked straight past by the unknowing shopper. This is a huge shame as it is packed full of quirky, individual, stylish and not to mention fairtrade, fashion must haves!
Vintage chic
What we want you to say!!

Head turner is thus.
Scarf rainbow!


Fairtrade at a reasonable price.

Not only is this shop inspiring and filled with beautiful things but its workers are outstandingly friendly. We told the shop assistant about our campaign and they very kindly invited us to come and have a look at their archives. They gave us a long list of information and posters which we plan to put up in our school. We are incredibly thankful for the resources they have given us, so thank you very much St Michaels!!
Now it's your turn.
Fairtrade at St Michaels,
St. Michael at Northgate,
Cornmarket Street,
Oxford,
OX1 3EY

http://www.fairtradeatstmichaels.co.uk/









Wednesday 16 January 2013

Campaign Vid!


So Ladies and Gents, over the last fortnight or so we have been shackled to our screens, making this video ( we which we think is marvelous, for novices anyway). We hope you enjoy and pretty please subscribe to our YouTube channel, if you want to of course- we won't jump out of your computer and force you! Bon appetite...


Saturday 12 January 2013

Exclusive Roots: Supporting The Sustainable Style Revolution

Today we decided to hit the road and find out if any Fairtrade nooks were hiding right under our noses here in Oxford, so we grabbed the camera and went to poke around. We had previously known about Exclusive Roots, but had never had much of a reason to actually go in -which is a shame as what we found was an absolute Aladdin's cave of Fairtrade!

Friendly shop assistant in the back ground.
This was hands down the coolest thing we found in the shop which is a bag remade from unwanted and then recycled plastic bags. What really struck us about this was that it felt and looked such good quality along with every thing else in the shop and would of course make you stand out in the street. Luckily for us the winter sale is still on at Exclusive Roots, so the surprisingly low price for this bag was even lower! We think it would be ideal for an intensive shopping session or even a day at the beach, due to the plastic bags it is made from being waterproof.








Our next find were these gorgeous gold bracelets and necklaces that were all hand made and not to mention chic (I will be returning to purchase one of the bracelets that caught my eye)! They ranged from £6 to around £35 which is brilliant for the high quality you are receiving.

Treasure trove

                      
Très chic!
 
In this picture you see Miranda's fist clutching one of Exclusive Roots' hand-made and hand-sewn dresses in eye-popping pink. You've all read  the rumour in one magazine or another that Fairtrade is always frumpy, however our trip to Exclusive Roots only cemented the fact that, that rumour is 100% not true! 
The cotton felt soft and hard wearing, the colour was beautifully bright and of course the style was fashionable and up to the minute.




So now the only advice we can give you is to"GO"-  as we know it is a trip worth making, whether you are going to buy a gift, trinket or a new outfit.
 If you are a fellow Oxfordian here is the address: 8 Woodstock Road, Oxford, United Kingdom, 0X2 6HT. However , if you are not or if you would prefer you can order online at http://www.exclusiveroots.com/.
Please keep following our Fairtrade endeavours as we continue to promote The Sustainable Style Revolution.   
Exclusive Roots, Oxford




Scouting the Neighbourhood

We've just been out and about, finding ethical fashion here in Oxford. Today we went to a cute little shop called 'Exclusive Roots' that our friend Emily is currently volunteering at. Pictures to come!

Thursday 10 January 2013

Fairtrade ain't Frumpy!

Fairtrade doesn't have to mean unfashionable- to prove this we are making a campaign vid, to be posted soon so keep yer eyes peeled!

Tuesday 8 January 2013

Let Us Introduce Ourselves

Why hello there! Let us introduce ourselves, we are two Year 10 students from Oxford ( but you may call us Maeve and Miranda) and this year as part of our GCSE Citizenship course we are taking on the task of  changing an issue that in our opinion affects our lives and is in need of action to change it. So we have chosen something we both feel very strongly about which is fairtrade and ethical fashion.
Our interest in this issue was kindled when we began to realise how fairtrade fashion was largely unrecognised in comparison with some of today's equally pressing issues and is very rarely publicised. We find it shocking that even in this modern age people all over the world continue to be exploited by large companies which make these hard workers slave away for an inhumane number of hours in dreadful conditions, with few or no breaks and all this for below the minimum wage.
We want this to stop.
With this blog we hope to raise awareness for this worthwhile cause and tell you what really should be on the label the next time you buy an item of clothing. We also want your support, so please hand on to us any information you may have to help us on our way to spark The Sustainable Style Revolution.