Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Circle Economy

The New Blak has taken a stand against the traditional, wasteful fashion industry standards. We are always going to strive to take the steps necessary to creating a better future for our planet and for the future generations. Our mission is to be a company where people, the planet, and fashion can coexist without sacrificing one for another. 

We are constantly researching and discovering more like minded people and companies that have similar mindset and values as us. This is always exciting to read about and learn from others who have made strides to creating a more eco-friendly alternatives.

We found out about Circle Economy and wanted to share their mission.

Robert-Jan van Ogtrop 


We do not really have any choice. It is time to use our collective intelligence to redesign our way of working with nature as inspiration since it is, in itself, a perfect ‘circle economy'.
Robert-Jan van Ogtrop 
Founder of Circle Economy

 

 

WHAT IS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY ?


The best way to explain what a circular economy is, is to compare it to our current linear economy. In our current economic system, we extract resources from our planet at an ever-increasing pace, and turn them into a product that we mostly dispose after use. From the perspective of an individual or organization, that seems efficient. However, zooming out to a global level shows how unsustainable this approach is.

In order for those same individuals and organizations to thrive, we need an economic system that operates within our planetary boundaries. The circular economy concept decouples growth and prosperity from the use of natural resources and ecosystems. By feeding products, components, untapped resources and materials are back into the appropriate value chains, we can create a healthy economy that is inspired by and in balance with nature.

SIX PRINCIPLES TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM


Circular economy is all about closing resource loops, mimicking natural ecosystems in the way we organize our society and businesses. But we shouldn’t be closing loops just for the sake of it. We also have to take into account the social and ecological impact of our actions, and use renewable energy to make the transition towards a circular economy happen. Therefore, we defined six principles for a successful circular economy that are depicted below.

The New Blak supports all of the ideals of the Circle Economy!
If you want to check our more please 





 
 
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Friday, April 24, 2015

Fashion Revolution Day -- Who Made My clothes

 
 
 
Join the Revolution. 
Listed above are the easy ways you can challenge the industry! 
 
Tag the company you are wearing in a photo and ask them #whomademyclothes!
Below are some amazing examples of the Fashion Revolution!

 
 
 
 
One of the ma goals of our company is to be as transparent as possible! 
We want our customers to know that we are taking the steps possible to making the best decisions for people, the planet, and fashion to COEXIST without sacrificing one for another. 
 
Keeping transparency in mind we would love to show you the team making our brand! 
Drum Roll Please.......(duh,duh,duh,duh, etc drum roll noises)
 
 
We would like to introduce Kathryn and her team at Good Clothing Company...
 they made your clothes!
 
We are excited to be moving forward with such an amazing woman-owned American business that provides ethical practices and wages to its employees. 
They are based out of Mashpee, Massachusetts. All of the construction of our The New Little Blak Dress line will be sewn by her team!

Hey Kathryn! We love you!


Here is an excerpt from Kathryn's blog!

As we approach the anniversary of the tragic loss of life during the collapse of the Rana Plaza on April 24, 2013, I feel a professional responsibility and moral obligation to memorialize the underpaid and undervalued men, women and children who lost their lives that day.  Earning a meager wage, they worked in unsafe conditions, attempting to fulfill the mass consumers' need and desire for cheap clothing.  Fast fashion has not only resulted in the direct loss of life, the exploitation of men, women and children, but it has also cost many other professional tradespeople their source of income.
It's tragic to me that so many place more value on an object than on a human life.  I promise you, that $5 t-shirt had a much higher price tag to the poor soul making it.
There is a way to change this, though!  And we—each and every one of us—have a say and the power to affect change by voting with our dollars and by simply demanding transparency from manufacturers. 

Fashion Revolution Day asks the question, "Who made your clothes?" 
Fashion Revolution Day rallies fashionistas, designers, farmers, producers, brands, manufacturers, press, academics and everyone in between as a community and as a movement for change and transparency in the industry.  I am extremely honored to be on the Brands Team here in the USA, and look forward to the very first Fashion Revolution Day. 

We have created a dress in support of Fashion Revolution Day USA and as a tribute to the hundreds of thousands who have been enslaved, mistreated, underpaid, undervalued or lost their lives to provide fast fashion to consumers.  Made from recycled/recyclable plastic, our Transparency Dress is our statement that we vote with our dollars and that our practices, sourcing and methods are ethical.  It is also a call to all other designers and manufacturers in the fashion industry to show their methods of production as being ethical, and if they are not, to change.
 
 
 This dress will also represent the month of April - Earth Month - and so will serve dual duty as a reminder to everyone that recycling is an important contribution to the wellness of our earth. Each and every one of us has not only the ability to engage in, but the responsibility to adopt recycling as a daily practice and to teach that practice to our children.

Together, one small act of goodness at a time, we CAN make this world a better place.  

Take this step towards a better fashion future with us!

 
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Wednesday, April 22, 2015

#WednesdaysWeWearBlak -- FPCO limited




Just check this out!
I love Sophie's new collection!
 
http://fpcolimited.com/ 
 
 
slide_4_alt.jpg 
 
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All of her AMAZING Line was proudly made in the USA! 

You know we love a good #WednesdaysWeWearBlak  feature! To be considered tag @thenewblakblog and #WednesdaysWeWearBlak and we will repost our favorites!


 
 

Friday, April 17, 2015

Girl Crush Alert -- Candy Maaka-Stoten

                    

An interview with Candy Maaka-Stoten
Eco-Business Owner of KSKYE 

Tell us a little more about yourself!  I’m an ex-pat Kiwi, now living in Sydney, Australia.  I have lived here for over half of my life, but I grew up in beautiful Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.  I have an I.T and design background and work as an ethical designer behind my label, KSKYE.  I am also a power yogi, a long time vegetarian turned raw vegan and a ‘conscious living’ advocate behind theconsciousblogger.com.


What are your three favorite eco-products?  I love the ocean and am very conscious about what goes down the sink (which ends up in the ocean); a few of my favourite eco products are eco-vegan cosmetics and cleansers; lippy and eyeliner, shampoo and conditioner and everyday household cleaners.  I also try and buy organic everything - food, cosmetics, clothing, towels and bedding.

I’m also a huge fan of upcycling.  I love what businesses can do with used products that would otherwise be waste.


What was the first step you took to a more eco- friendly lifestyle?  I became vegan.  Just eliminating all animal products from my life drastically reduces my carbon footprint.  This is in my personal life and in business.  Livestock farming is responsible for extreme amounts of environmental damage and pollution – from mass deforestation, water depletion, ocean dead zones and species extinction and literally has the highest carbon footprint on the planet; more than all transportation in the world, put together. 

A branch off livestock farming is leather production.  Leather production is listed twice on the world’s ‘Top Ten Pollutants’, from livestock farming and leather tanneries.  Leather tanneries release millions of tons of toxic waste and chemicals into the air and into our waterways – which ends up poisoning the workers, nearby villages and the environment.

India and China are the world’s leading leather exporters;  Kanpur, India is the leading city.  To give you an idea of how toxic leather production is; 50 million litres of highly toxic wastewater (a slurry of poisons including chromium, lead and arsenic) is generated by Kanpur’s tanneries alone, on a daily basis.  What is even more frightening, is that only 20% of this wastewater is treated properly before being released.  This wastewater ends up in crops, farmlands and in the River Ganges.

Becoming vegan was literally my first step towards living a more eco-friendly lifestyle - and it just naturally increased from there.  I became more curious about conscious living and started living an organic, greener and compassionate life.


Can you tell us how you got started in your business?  I left I.T in pursuit of design and creativity.  In 2009, I launched my high-end fashion footwear label, KeilanaSkye.  For a young label, it did really well pretty much straight away.  In its first 4 years, I had shown at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Australia; in LA and NYC.  I had international stockists and clientele; I won a very prestigious Qantas fashion award, had numerous national and international press editorials and was also named a ‘Top Ten Independent Designer’ in 2012, by a UK Magazine.  I also supplied shoes to Australia’s Next Top Model and dressed quite a few celebrities - my customer base grew really quickly, everyday.


We saw that you recently made some big business changes/revamped some products. Why did you decide to make the change?  Behind all of KeilanaSkye’s success; my awareness about how polluting the leather and fashion industry is, started to grow.  I wanted to rebrand to eco-vegan then and there, but I knew that I had to execute the rebrand properly and over time.  It was really tough; my career no longer aligned with my ethics and financially, it drained everything we had.  I spent most of 2014 rebranding, prototyping and designing new product lines; which affected our sales because we did not have a new collection to sell. We made it through that and now in 2015, my label has completely rebranded to KSKYE; an ethical, eco and cruelty-free fashion label.

I love animals and I love the planet – but what I was doing was destroying both.  At the time of launching KeilanaSkye; I had no idea of the environmental damage, pollution, waste and cruelty involved.  I wasn’t happy or proud of what I was doing - and if you’re not proud of what you do, it’s time to change.


What is the best piece of business advice you ever received?  I have learnt by experiencing it, researching what I didn’t know and trial and error.  The first two years were my biggest learning curves, but I still learn something everyday.  My best pieces of business advice to offer are:

  1. Don’t stop collaborating.  No matter how big or successful you may become; keep collaborating and networking with like-minded people and businesses.
  2. Spend money on things that matter first. Stock and marketing should come over buying the ‘best of everything’.  I have seen a few business owners buy expensive office equipment – meanwhile they weren’t getting many sales.  Your office will still function with second hand equipment and without the latest iMac.
  3. Keep learning, ask questions and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
  4. Stay true to yourself.  If it doesn’t feel right, change it.

What are your three most popular products?  

The DEMIOS Saber Tooth Crystal Necklace Click here to check it out on her site!
KSKYE DEIMOS Black Tourmaline Saber Tooth Necklace - Gold

INDIGO Purple Jet Sunglasses Click Here to check it out on her site!
 KSKYE - INDIGO Eyewear in Purple Jet

HYDRA Crystal Point Necklaces Click Here to Check it out on her site!
 KSKYE - INDIGO Eyewear in Purple Jet
What message would you like to leave with our readers about making the switch to a more eco friendly life style or business?  No item or product is worth our health, a life or the Earth – making the switch just makes sense ;-)


Thanks so much Candy! 

 
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Monday, April 13, 2015

Just wanted to share...


Sometimes when we are working our little girl boss butts off ...
well we feel so powerful that we don't want to stop. 
I have always been obsessed with the phrase on the mug above,
daily I compare the amount of work i have completed to the idea that I have not done enough.

 One Day, my husband said to me, 
"Amanda you need to remember that you ONLY have the same amount
of hours in the day as Beyonce."
He helped me so much with that one phrase. 
Of course we all have the same amount of hours in the day as each other,
but if we complete the tasks we set for ourselves we should stop and 
take a moment to be proud of ourselves, instead of comparing our work to someone elses.

Since then I still have my days where I struggle 
with the idea that what I am doing might not be enough.
Only now I am much better about stepping back 
and focusing on the positive reinforcement that I need to give myself
for completing a project.
  
Just some advice I found helpful!
Hope you do too!




Saturday, April 11, 2015

Boxed Water




 Boxed Water?? What??
 This is what I thought you might say. So Let's Check them out....


The Boxed Water container is far more sustainable than plastic bottled water. About 76% of the box is from a renewable resource, trees.

The trees used to make our box come from certified, well managed forests. These forests remain healthy and stable through ongoing replanting while removing CO2 from the atmosphere.



Our boxes are recyclable. The Carton Council is continuously adding new carton recycling facilities throughout the US. Please visit their site to learn more.

We ship our boxes flat to our filler which is significantly more efficient compared to shipping empty plastic or glass bottles to be filled.

We've partnered with 1% For The Planet to help with world water relief, reforestation, and environmental protection projects to help enable a positive impact on humanitarian and environmental efforts. Learn more here


Not to mention...

ReTree
So post away like we did for this sustainable new product!




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Thursday, April 9, 2015

CHICSHA + THE NEW BLAK



… And we are BACK! After taking a bit of hiatus to develop and revise our website, we are back. The New Blak has completely transformed itself and we couldn’t be prouder. We are excited to see the all the amazing fashion pieces come to life and transform our closets.

As we already know, The New Blak merchandise is pretty RAD! This week we will be exploring all the ways we can style the #TheNewBlak and #WednesdayWeWearBlak pieces.

Look 1 | Rock ‘n Roll

Nothing says Rock ‘n Roll like leather. Leather skirts have been quite popular for the past year and are perfect for concerts. Since the weather is still chilly, its great idea to pair it with a quotable pullover (like this one from The New Blak) and high socks. Especially for outdoor concerts, you can take the love for black one step further by pairing it with a beanie (this way you can skip washing your hair too – always a plus!).


Look 2 | Cuhmon, let’s be serious for a bit

Gone are the days when business outfits were boring. While being formal is critical, you can always allow your personality to shine through. For outfit numero 2, I decided to pair The New Blak logo shirt with my bright blue J. Crew pencil skirt. I decided to knot the top to add some definition to my waist. Pair it with a blazer and you’re ready to go. While you’ll look formal, you’ll, also, look genuine and stylish.


Look 3 | Rihanna, watch your back

The trend of jean-on-jean always garners a lot of options. There are a lot of ways to do it right and wrong – time for experimenting! We decided to pair a dark chambray with a light pair of torn boyfriend jeans. We added gold chains and immediately felt like I was a female hip-hop artist back in 90s. We decided to tie The New Blak sweatshirt around our waist to give it a more casual Rihanna-esque feel. To make the look more formal and preppy, we wore the pullover over our collared shirt. Both the looks have a completely different feel but have the exact same pieces – how crazy is that!

 Photographed and Styled by Jennie Zhu.

I know you are obsessed with these cool shirts and sweatshirts as much as we are and that’s why we decided to do this post. CHICSHA is all about finding your fashion + style identity in new ways.

Check out how to purchase these shirts at http://www.thenewblak.com.

See you back here in a week, readers. Once again, thank you to the fab ladies at The New Blak for making feel like a part of the family already.

Want a sneak peak of our next week’s post? Follow us on Instagram and Twitter [@chicshalove + @thenewblakblog] so you’re the first to know!



xx Shona




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Wednesday, April 8, 2015

#WednesdaysWeWearBlak --Shona from CHICSHA




Here is a sneak peek at tomorrow's post with Shona from CHICSHA! We are excited to have her back and showing us some fun ways to wear our fun t-shirts and Sweatshirts! Thanks CHICSHA!

Oh and not to mention.... Shona is definitely our winner for #WednesdaysWeWearBlak! We love her outfit here and think that denim on denim is such a great trean but adding out graphic sweatshirt over it really makes the outfit stand out! Love it!

If you would like to be considered for a repost on our blog for next week then tag @thenewblakblog and #WednesdaysWeWearBlak! We can't wait to see all the fun stylings that you come up with for our garments or show off your all black outfit too!


 

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Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Dress Debut



From Sketch to completed Dress! 
We are so excited to show you the second design from our collection!
The dress is a stretch organic interlock knit fabric. 





Friday, April 3, 2015

3 Ways to Style a Circle Skirt


Personally, I love this trend! This type of flowy and free skirt looks perfect on just about every body type, and it can come in tons of colors and patterns! I chose to style this plain black one for you all just to show how many different opportunities this skirt can have. It's definitely a staple piece in my wardrobe.


Summer Casual

This first outfit is a little more casual. Summer clothes need to be airy and bouncy because they keep you cool and comfortable even in the heat. I chose to throw on a bright and floral cropped tank, then swooped on a light weight denim sleeveless shirt.


 

Business Chic

If you want more of a official and dressy vibe then this skirt can be paired with any sort of button down. For an even more put together look, try wearing a skirt made of a different fabric--cotton is often too chill for an office, but maybe you could rock something heavier like pleather.



Sassy Night

Next up, let's try something for that evening life! When I'm out with friends I want to look super flirty and fun. I chose to pair the circle shirt with a lose-fitting crop top. All of the layers bouncy around perfectly when you're getting your groove on on the dance floor.



Check out our video on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-VpYqq4xpk



Which outfit is your favorite?


Wednesday, April 1, 2015

An Ode to my Dry Shampoo



Oh Dry Shampoo
What did I do before you

You make my hair look clean
and definitely keep out all the greasy sheen

You go on gray
but with a simple brush you take the ick away

You lift my roots
and make my showers moot

You are my light, my love, my life
 but whatever you do
just dont tell my real shampoo
or it may come after me with a knife
..Psycho Style.

Fin