Small Business Saturday is an alternative to Black Friday when Americans are encouraged to patronize small businesses rather than big box stores. Last year, to promote Small Business Saturday, American Express had a video competition for small businesses. I forget what the prize was exactly, but it was good and we wanted to win it. So we wrote up a script and practiced a bunch. The best video camera we had was on Taylor’s iPhone, so we shot it on that. Most of the other videos submitted only had the owner talking about the business, so we thought we stood out by including the whole staff. To our chagrin, we didn’t get selected.
Ethical Fashion Blog
In September, Kristin and I visited the women’s cooperative in Nepal that makes many of our dresses, tops, and pants. It was so amazing to get to know the women and see the whole process. I hope these photos and video clips convey that.
^ The motto of most Americans. We don’t have to wait, so why should we? With easy, cheap fashion at our fingertips, larger companies know that they have to keep up, but in doing so they often leave a trail of destruction in their path. With so many recent tragedies in eastern countries, there’s an abundance of informational articles and stories floating around. If you aren’t that familiar with the topic, none of the articles are as approachable as this one-minute video from Online MBA, which contains a concise summary of the impact of “fast fashion.”
From the owner of Mint Green Boutique in Davenport, IA, comes this lovely family photo. How awesome are the pink & tan stripes with the Applique Plume skirt?
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Wondering how to transition your favorite Mata pieces into fall?
Let me show you how I do it!
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Let me show you how I do it!
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. It’s one of the few times that we can all tap into our inner child, dress up, and eat lots of candy. And who doesn’t love candy? But recently I learned that much of the chocolate handed out to children on Halloween is produced using child labor. (For more information, click here.) Let’s ensure that all children have a truly happy Halloween by supporting fair trade chocolate producers and avoiding chocolate that uses child labor.
New York Fashion Week has ended and the international shows have begun. It is just getting cold enough to get out our fall boots and sweaters, but we have already started thinking about the spring/summer favorites from the shows!
Mata Traders does it once again. Their color inspiration for this season was heavily deco-inspired. They are calling it ‘Romantic Folk Style’. The prints are modern and architectural, but the colors are soft and cozy – a great juxtaposition. Each piece is injected with romance, each color combination is down-right pretty. They beg to be layered up and worn on crisp fall days, or adorned with jewels and donned to a fancy party. Mata’s Fall 2012 collection leaves you wanting more!
One of the most amazing summer opportunities for American teachers is Teach With Africa. This non-profit organization places experienced educators in underserved schools in South Africa to both teach and learn. The org works closely with local partners to support academic programs, sustainability efforts, and social entrepreneurship initiatives.
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Our friends Ian and Lauren celebrated the 1st birthday of their little dumpling, Hemingway, a few weeks ago (that’s the birthday girl there on the left). It was a lovely occasion in the park, but wouldn’t you know it, Maureen and I showed up in the same dress.
The first half of our Fall collection has arrived, which includes the full and flouncyApplique Plume skirt. It’s a great skirt for a girl on the go; pair it with a bright blouse as you dash out the door.