The maestro himself is took to the road again on a personal challenge?
@ The Hilton. Deansgate. Manchester.
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We absolutely love Amy's Gucci/Wes Anderson inspired style and creativity, her amazing blog and Instagram feed are utter eye candy! This recently wed, gorgeous, cat loving, eye wear designer is just a dream!
Shot by the amazing photographer Mike Paradise at the LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum Of Art) an the Peterson Automotive Museum. Amy wears the FABRIKK VELA LED Handbag in Orange cruelty-free cork and the FABRIKK THETA Minibag in Green Python vegan cork and in her words:
"The other day I went out and did a fun shoot for Fabrikk bags with Mike Paradise. @Mikeparadise We had the best time and I was absolutely in love with these images. They have that retro vibe just like the style of these bags. These cork bags are super 60s to me. These bags are cruelty free and the orange one has an LED light on the inside! I was feeling very 70s that day.My retro vintage shorts are by Freddies of Pinewood. My earrings are by Eachtoown. My silver clogs are by Lotta.I hope you enjoyed this blog and my new bags!xxAMY"You can see Amy's stunning fashion blog @ http://www.afashionnerd.com/& our collaboration blog post here @ http://www.afashionnerd.com/2018/04/i-turn-my-camera-on.html
https://www.ggbbuilds.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/cork_harvesting
We work with a number of new materials, but most importantly we love working with the new materials made from cork. Cork is the bark from the Cork Oak Tree, an ancient raw material that is sustainably cultivated and now being processed in many new ways.
One of the latest advances includes the revolutionary cork 'leather' material that can be used in the fashion and upholstery industry. Proving to be a perfect alternative to traditional aminal skins being cruelty-free and earth positive. The cork industry supports local skilled workers, preserves/creates our precious forests and depleting wildlife, instead of destroying them for more agricultural land and the aftermath of cruelty, death, and pollution this comes with it. Toxic pollution killing rivers, sea life and the people who have to treat and tan the leathers, linked to cancer and other neurological diseases, is enough to promise we will never work with animal's skins.
'Kanpur, a city in Uttar Pradesh, is famous for its leather industry, with nearly 400 tanneries housed in the suburbs of Jajmau alone. The industry has become a bane for the Ganga as it contaminates it severely with a heavy load of toxic chemicals and heavy metals such as chromium, cadmium, lead, arsenic and cobalt, all of which have severe health implications.'
www.onebrownplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/20170220-leather-pollution1
https://www.trustedclothes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/140805-mcbride-ganges-06
If anyone ever tells you leather is a byproduct of the meat industry, this simply isn't true, common sense and the maths tells it differently. When leather reaches a far higher price than meat, meat that is waisted daily by the tonne and the skins are now stockpiled in warehouses the size of football pitches in Italy alone, do we really need all this leather if at all?
Cork 'leather' is also amazing because it is extremely versatile, with endless possibilities in color and texture, from plain, smooth cork textures to embossed textured python skin mimicked with printed effects. The fact that one material can become so many things with endless possibilities for bespoke design means we could potentially work with this everchanging material forever.
rotterdam.materialdistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Secador-1000px
https://habitusoutlet.com/portfolio_item/cork-fabric/
I found this amazing video below on YouTube about the harvesting and production processes of cork into many everyday items
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=164&v=Kjr4_gw-mnQ
https://www.apcor.pt/en/portfolio-posts/mercedes-with-cork/
https://www.threadedlines.com
www.missouriquiltco.com
https://www.scorpionshoes.co.uk/lacoste-corbon-cork-womens-laced-cork-boat-shoes-natural
https://www.fabrikk.co.uk/
Cork 'leather' has many built-in advantages, here is a list of reason why you will love cork!
With all these great reasons to use cork, we are so proud to be supporting the industry and to promote an animal-free alternative that is better for the planet.
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Image credit: Flickr User Montuno
The Cork Oak Tree produces one of the worlds most incredibly versatile materials, dating back thousands of years to the ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman times.
Image credit: www.wikipedia.eu
Cork is the outer bark of the Cork Oak Tree ( Quercus Suber) native to south-western Europe and north-western Africa is mainly produced in Portugal and Spain for the production of wine bottle tops. The only tree who's bark regenerates and is nowadays used to produce a number of products including, architectural products, aerospace and transportation components, construction products, floor tiles, sound acoustic tiles,ceilings, facades, roofs, consumer goods, fashion and furniture.
A combination of innovative engineering and cork to create a new Earth re-entry capsule for the European Space Agency will transport soil from Mars to Earth.
3D acoustic wall tiles by: www.granorte.pt/en/products/3dforms
Cork 'leather' designer handbag by Stella McCartney: Photo credit @ Lyst.com (designer-Stella Mc Cartney)
Campana Brothers cork furniture: Image credit: https://www.amorim.pt/en/
Acoustic wall tiles by: www.spinneybeck.com
www.amorimcorkcomposites.com
Protecting and farming cork is extremely beneficial to the environment in numerous ways; Prevents soil degradation, Makes soils more productive, Regulates the water cycle, Fights desertification, Provides retention and storage of carbon for very long periods of time, Regulates the water cycle, Generates high rates of biodiversity, Combats climate change and Creates employment and wealth in the country.
Image credit: Flickr user btbuonvino
Cork farming is for the patient farmer and the tree's can only start to be stripped when it is 25 years old and it takes 43 years until the 3rd stripping until the high quality bark suitable for wine bottle tops is produced.
Before this, the virgin cork and any other offcut cork is recycled into the many other cork manufacturing processes. The tree are carefully harvested every 9 years and can typically live up to 200 years + being stripped an average of 17 times over a lifetime.
Skilled farmers carefully strip the bark from the base of the trees and the lower branches of the older trees with specially designed tools. The trees are marked so the farmers know when to harvest them only every 9 years.The separated rectangular planks are then carved, stacked and left to weather.
The stacks are transported to the processors and stacked for a further 6 months to weather and dry. Each batch is coded and registered so that it can be traced back to its origins for certification. The thick stacks are used for bottle tops and are then stacked flat and boiled to remove impurities and for optimum water content for processing. The stack are then left to rest for a further 3 weeks and then separated into quality categories based on thickness, porosity and appearance.
We loved the video below by Amorim Cork Composites, one of the largest cork manufacturers in the world, capturing the trees and the skilled farmers working with them.
Video credit @ https://amorimcorkcomposites.com/en/
Amorim's cork composites amazing corporate video shows a glimpse into the complex systems and technology behind the factory processing of cork materials. A perfect balance between nature and technology, we LOVE!
Video credit @ https://amorimcorkcomposites.com/en/
Credits:
https://www.esa.int/ESA
https://amorimcorkcomposites.com/en/
www.spinneybeck.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cork_(material)
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The THETA mini bag comprises of two passport size, zipped, internal pockets and two credit card slips and a back pocket with cross-body strap and belt loop - can be worn in multi ways - onto a belt with the belt loop, cross-body or tied around the waist.
These mini bags are great for running about a busy day to keep your essentials and a little more, safe and conveniently close.
The DELTA and THETA collection is made from new cruelty-free cork tree bark materials that are ethically sourced from Portugal and Italy. The collection is designed and manufactured in the UK
Shop the THETA Mini Bag Collection
The versatile DELTA money pouch comprises of a zipper opening with three credit card slips and internal pocket - is suitable to carry cash, cards and coins. I often carry a lipstick and mints in them as well.
]]>One of my favourite areas in Lisbon is the Bairro Alto, the highest district in Lisbon. It's small quant streets are littered with independent shops, bars and eateries. This is the place to be for a lively night, city views and good street art.
We also visited the popular Time Out Food Market, the oldest food market in Lisbon reopened in 2014. After extensive renovation the market has since become the city’s most popular tourist attractions. I highly recommend!
The next destination I would highly recommend is the LX Factory, in home to over 200 independent businesses from bars, café's and restaurants to design houses, shops, showrooms, offices and other commercial and creative spaces. If you are into independent design this is a must see and some more great street art as well. Originally Built in 1846 as the fabric production plant ' Companhia de Fiacao e Tecidos Lisbonenses, the LX Factory is steeped in cultural and artistic history.
We also took the beautiful climb up to the Castelo dos Mouros (The Moors Castle) in Sintra. A ruinous castle that is set amidst the lush forests of the Serra De Sintra. The castle got it's name from the Moors who constructed the castle at the beginning of the eighth century. The views up there were amazing!
I met the guys from TesPack at the Wearable Technology Show in London and it wasn't long before I was suggesting a collaboration for our future projects. I traveled to Valencia to meet the team who were extremely welcoming. We met during the day at their studio to discuss the project and then again one evening for dinner and drinks and discussed life. I hope to be in a position this year to move this project forward and collaborate with Tes Pack who have just been listed in the Forbes top 30 entrepreneurs under 30 after winning numerous other awards. You can read more about them and buy their amazing revolutionary mobile power systems here @ https://www.tespack.com/
Valencia and The City of Arts and Sciences
Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències in Spain.
Valencia science park
]]>We have our friend Maxi Jazz to thank for instigating the idea of making hats with the cork ‘leather’. He asked if we made hats and it got me thinking, with the cork being warm and waterproof it could make a practical and unique material to use for making hats.
I searched out one of the oldest and one of the last standing hat makers in Yorkshire who specialised in making Flat caps and eight-piece/baker boy style hats. They are a small family run outfit who make luxury hats for big brands including their own, Lawrence and Foster. Typically working with traditional tweeds we had to sample some hats to test with the new cork ‘leathers’. The sample came out great and we sent some down to Maxi; they were too big! But happy with the samples and having rolls of cork in the studio it made sense to extend our range, make up some hats and see if people like to buy them.
The first FABRIKK cork samples -
The Baker Boy & The Flat Cap in Coal Black Cork
In the first instance, we communicated with them on the phone and via e-mail when we were at the prototyping stage. The communication was tricky as my Italian is terrible and their English wasn’t any better. Then, suddenly the whole company seemed to disappear from the World Wide Web completely? And you can imagine the panic I was suddenly struck by then!
Had the company gone bust??? Was this the end of my dream to produce illuminating bags!? It’s the gamble you take when starting projects that rely on third parties. I scrambled through my diary for their phone number and an Italian gentleman managed to explain. Thankfully, they were still going to be producing the materials but the patent and licensing rights had just been sold to another company. Another company who could communicate well in English, fortunate for us and who had completely re-structured the way we could buy the materials. The changes made it much more flexible and easier for us to work with them. It also meant we could have a lot more flexibility with our design’s as well.
After producing our first few samples I was excited to go over to Milan and meet them as they were very keen to see how we had worked with their new materials as well. It’s always amazing to travel and I love Italy! Any excuse going. It was a great pleasure to meet and work closely with them on the development of the project. There aren't any photos taken inside the suppliers as quite often they don't allow clients to see their secret processes. But there is always time for a bit of exploring; whilst in Rome.
Milan - Italy
It’s good to meet important suppliers face to face and build relationships, especially when you are trying to negotiate a better deal on materials at sky high prices! Also, you get to see everything they are doing first hand and any new developments they are working on. It’s a lot more interesting and beneficial to see things in person than just look on a website if you have the chance.
We also shopped around the for the best cork ‘leathers’. There are a few out there and we were searching for the best! After receiving and testing many samples we found two exceptional suppliers, one in Portugal and one in Florence. The company in Florence produce an extensive collection of cork materials that were not all on the website and were not send out as sample packs. They produce hundreds of different colours and designs and the only way to see them all is to visit the factory or catch them at a trade show like LINEAPELLE in Milan, I highly recommend if shopping around for new materials and hardware.
I would spend all day in their cork showroom. Selecting samples and talking to them about the different finishes, usually taking home around 200 + samples to whittle for our first and future collections. Exhausting but so much fun! And amazing to think that just one material has endless possibilities and it’s ecological, I’m in heaven!
Florence - Italy
]]>We are passionate about working with and supporting local manufacturers and engineers in developing the electrical system and the handbags. It was also important for us to be able to easily communicate face to face in the development of the first samples.
Looking back without this close communication it would have made explaining the new technology and ironing out issues a lot more difficult. I have always found face to face communication the most efficient and pleasurable way to work. From this, I have built a solid, professional and friendly relationship with our partners in Wales.
Feeling slightly nervous and really excited about our first ever manufacturing run, we went down to Wales with our friends at Capture Lab to film them in action! It was a full on day of filming and photography by the end of which I had our first bag over my shoulder and out of the door for sampling. It’s an unbeatable feeling to see a concept you have been working on for years come to real life and an amazing journey along the way.
The video photographs from that day below
Video by @ Capture Lab - http://www.thecapturelab.com/
Photography by @ Capture Lab - http://www.thecapturelab.com/ & Fabrikk
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This study also helped me gain a better understanding of the handbag industry, and the processes involved in material and product manufacturing. With a strong focus on new materials, I was interested in finding a better alternative for the exterior of my bags – as opposed to the environmentally destructive – and cruel – option of using animal skins. I was on a quest to design a handbag that’s better, inside and out!
My design process began with collecting visual research and making mood boards to inspire my exploration of form, and inform what I wanted my bags to look like. Similarly, my research into new materials, their usability and their production processes inspired the design – which started life as a series of sketches.
Once the detailed design drawings were finally finished, it was time to develop the initial prototypes – working closely with the developers of the new fibre-optic materials to learn how to work them into handbag designs. My aim in this part of the development was to determine if the materials were actually fit for purpose – was the light coming from the material bright enough? Was the material strong enough to line a bag? Would it give off heat when powered? (Wouldn’t want it to melt my chocolate bar!) I also needed to learn how to physically work with the material whilst manufacturing my bags, establishing any limitations or weaknesses.
The initial prototypes were mocked up with a wool felt exterior, and a fully working switch system which operated the LED lining when the bag was opened and closed. The pictures below show the development of my very first working prototypes. Once these were completed, I was able to start the exciting process of testing the new tech of the material inside!
Luckily, the initial testing was a success! After the testing period, I knew where we needed reinforcement moving into manufacturing. With all this information and a rough idea of the material costs, I set out to finalize the designs, and find a UK manufacturer I could work closely with.
It was another two years in searching, testing and prototyping with different ideas, materials/processes and hitting a few brick walls before we would get to a manufacturing stage. In this time, we tested a variety of options and settled on the sustainable, cruelty-free cork leather for the exterior of the bag.
I was passionate about making FABRIKK a British-made brand, due to the need for me to work closely with the manufacturers, and for ensuring high quality and transparency along the supply chain. Building a close relationship with our suppliers and working one on one with our manufacturers would be crucial to the success of the brand.
We want to nurture great working relationships with ethical suppliers and support British businesses – so will continue to keep all our manufacturing as local as possible.
New materials have the potential to dramatically improve the functionality and impact of Fabrikk products, and revolutionise our production techniques. My aim is to explore the potential of new materials and use them to create timeless, functional products with added benefits for the wearer.
Like windows with self-cleaning glass (I wish I had!) or materials that expand or contract with changes in moisture or temperature, the potential application for new materials is truly mind-blowing. When I discovered recent developments in fibre optic LED materials, l considered the possibility of replacing the traditional lining of a handbag with a material that lit up when the bag was opened; it seemed like a logical decision considering I’ve been struggling to find things in the dark for years!
LED fibre optic materials
FABRIKK VELA - LED Cork Handbag
My studies in product design at the university to a Masters level was definitely a major influence on starting the Fabrikk brand. Researching all the new materials, the industry, and its players were incredibly interesting definitely helped to steer the direction of the brand. Some of these influences can be seen below.
Sylvia Pichle - Zilla Tote Bag
A young Italian architect who designs handbags drawing on industrial materials typically reserved for insulation, interior decoration or even air filtering. Pichler creates curious, elegant bags under the moniker Zilla.
Doreen Westphal.
Doreen Westphal creates bags made from recycled rubber inner tubes and felt. Each design is unique, and the finished products have a tough, urban feel with an underlying sense of softness
Ilaria Venturini - Carmina Campus.
Some materials create huge amounts of pollution and require terrible, low-paid and toxic working conditions to produce. Rising awareness of this has led to a recent surge in transparency within small businesses, and a rise in small independent businesses that focus on transparency and ethical practices. At Fabrikk, we’re committed to innovation and new, ethical business models.
An incredible and inspiring example of such a business model is that of Ilaria Venturini Fendi, a progeny of the prestigious fashion empire Fendi. Ilaria left the glamour of the fashion world and became an organic farmer near Rome. But a few years later, she found herself back in the fashion world under very different circumstances. In joint development with the International Trade Forum’s ethical fashion program, Illaria launched Carmina Campus: her ethical brand of bags and accessories.
She’s since seen significant sales in Japan, Europe, and the United States. Carmina Campus has become one of most innovative ethical fashion labels in the world and is steadily growing in popularity. At the 2009 G8 Summit in Italy, the women in attendance, including Michelle Obama, were presented with a messenger bag produced from waste materials by disadvantaged women in Cameroon. The philosophy behind her brand is based on environmental consideration and social development; we need more Carmina Campus in this world!
The development of new materials and creative use of reclaimed materials are sure to be never-ending and set to get even more exciting! Taking a closer look at the fashion industry as a whole has inspired me to seek out alternative materials with benefits not only to the consumer, but to the lives of those who produce them, and the environment. At Fabrikk, we’re very aware of the importance of ethically sourcing and producing all of our products.
The need for high-quality, long-lasting and functional products alongside with business practices that have social and environmental impacts at their heart is central to Fabrikk’s ethos. I will continue to look for ways to improve the environmental impact of our products and seek wherever possible to positively contribute to society.
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