12 March 2010 10:53
by Nicole
We wanted to show off this fantastic Organic Cotton Blazer as it’s an item every lady must have for spring and beyond. This classic blazer adds a hit of style and elegance completing every outfit. With its lightweight finish and fitted shape it complements all figures. Simple a necessity every wardrobe should have!
We wanted to show just how versatile this little black number can be and to show you just how it can be worn this season!
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THE CASUAL LOOK
For a more casual feel we dressed Emma in the perfect everyday attire, keeping her comfortable yet extremely stylish.
We teamed our favourite Organic Cotton blazer by Jackpot (£90) with a pair of Organic Cotton Ascension Alexis Straight Leg Jeans (£69). We also added this fabulous Braintree, organic hemp and cotton stripe knit top (£38) to wear underneath.
We just love the Nkuku Savannah Leather Case dyed from natural dyes (£115) we felt this look just wouldn’t be complete without it! Plus we all know how much we ladies like to carry around with us! Finally to finish off this look we did so, with a pair of these unisex eco- friendly trainers by Veja (£70). We also added lots of bangle to keep this look casual yet glamorous.
Emma’s looking fresh, stylish, and ready for a day out! Oh and of course warm! Thanks to our favourite Jackpot Blazer.
THE SMART LOOK
For a more formal occasion we teamed our favourite blazer with our gorgeous new geo print skirt, from Komodo (£45) giving Emma an edgy chic look. This is great for the evening or even to wear to work.
We then added the most versatile and comfy soft leather Where boots (£145), that can be worn as knee highs or ankle boots, great for a lady on the go.
Emma looks sophisticated and elegant, just fabulous!
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10 March 2010 13:33
by Simone
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Livia Giuggioli has been blogging all about sustainable fashion while she takes on the Green Carpet Challenge for Vogue.com. Her husband Colin Firth was up for Best Actor at the Oscars and throughout this awards season, she’s been on his arm wearing 100% sustainable dresses from all the hottest eco designers.
We are lusting after her latest ‘green carpet’ look which she wore to the Oscars. This beautiful upcycled evening gown was made especially for Livia for the Oscars.
Livia told Vogue “I’m wearing a dress made for me by Orsola de Castro. She is behind one of my favourite labels, From Somewhere and is totally on my wavelength. Orsola is the queen of upcycling so everything about the dress has been salvaged from the waste bins of some very prestigious labels, no less, so my dress will be made from waste but you’d never know. I’m also wearing ethical pink diamonds from Australia, by Cajella (on loan of course), and my bag has been made for me by Bruno at Roger Vivier from offcuts. It’s really beautiful.”
What do you think about Livia’s dress?
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05 March 2010 13:47
by Dieter
Whether you are a fan of vivid florals, tribal inspired boho chic, bold colours, geometrics or delicate hand prints the catwalks for Spring/Summer 2010 were full of prints. But you needn't worry if your budget doesn't stretch to one of the big designer names - Ascension has it all covered, here is a seletion of the best eco-chic styles:
02 March 2010 17:42
by Simone
This week's LOOK OF THE WEEK play's in the growing popularity of Geek Chic. What is that you ask? Where have you been! It's a fashion trend gaining stupendous momentum that is all about embracing your inner 'geekiness'. Think massive thick framed glasses, buttoned up cardigans, folding bicycles, comic books and of course ....Ugly Betty. Geek Chic is everywhere from the catwalks (remember Luella SS08?) to the deft hands of fashion frontrunners like Alexa Chung and littering throughout the streets in Brick Lane.
And like everything 'au currant' we have our very own ethical take on the trend. Take a look at Abbey's eco geek chic!
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What was your Inspiration for Nicole’s outfit?
Abbey : My inspiration was “geek chic”. We recently received these fantastic Bibico “Boyfriend” Cardigans in Cherry Red and Navy Blue (£60) that I thought would make a fun statement. I love the geeky look you see all the 'cool kids' wearing when you're walking through places like Brick Lane. I thought these new cardis would be perfect to nod to the geek chic look.
How do you think it suits Nicole?
I know this isn’t normally Nicole’s style, but it is always fun trying out new looks and Nicole was a great sport about it! I also think the colours really suit her and she had fun playing the “geeky” part. She said “it is something that comes naturally to me”. All we need is a pair of retro geek glasses to complete the look.
You told us about the great cardi, why did you choose the blue skirt and the grey top?
I suppose I was going for head to toe Bibico! Bibico is one of our favourite brands in the shop and the pieces always work really well together as well as separately. The 'Frilly Skirt' £30 is a really functional, comfortable item and the 'Vintage Top' £33 suits many different shapes. This whole look would really work many different ways and the best bit is that the whole outfit only comes to £123!
What sort of accessories would you suggest with this look?
I added Daisy Knights Molly Textured Bangles (£65-90) along with Nicole’s own wooden bangle. Bracelets like the Nkuku Naveena Bangles (£12.95) would also work really well as the natural colour of the wood echo’s the tone of the belt (which comes with the skirt!). Nicole just wore black leggings and boots, but this look would work well with thick grey tights and some funky Brogues too!
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02 March 2010 14:50
by Simone
Not sure what to get your mum this Mother's Day? We've made it easier to put a smile on her face on Sunday 14th.
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Just buy a GIFT VOUCHER from our stores and book her in for a complimentary styling session with a delicious glass of organic bubbly*.
She'll get:
- 1 hour of style advice from our in-house stylists including dressing for her shape, tips on revamping her wardrobe and the latest Spring trends
- Glass of organic champagne
- Chance to dress up in eco chic fashion to her hearts content!
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LONDON FLAGSHIP STORE
28/32 St Christopher’s Place
London
W1U 1NU
Ph: 0207 487 2558
Hours: 11am - 7pm Mon - Sat, 12 - 6pm Sun
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*Please note that right now our gift vouchers can only be redeemed in the store that they are purchased in. Offer ends on Sunday 14th March 2010
01 March 2010 17:24
by Simone
As you know, we have our fabulous SWAP SPOT in our London Shop for the duration of Fairtrade Fortnight.
Thanks to everyone who has taken part - we've even had many of you visit our store exclusively to SWAP! So, to build even more momentum, and to encourage you to join in the big swap, I thought that I'd share some of the swaps that have taken place so far ......
Claire saw our Swap Spot promoted on this very blog! She bought in a cute spring like green floral blouse and left with a brand new cream Frank and Faith organic cardigan.
Minako comes into our shop regularly and is helping us to spread our eco chic words! She left with a very cute fair trade silk dress by Alchem1st and now there is a very cool pair of bright orange tailored trousers up for grabs!!!
When Sarah head about our Swap Spot she loved the idea and popped in with a pile of unloved clothes. She swapped a pair of jeans for a gorgeous black Kuyichi shirt.
01 March 2010 15:22
by Simone
One fad that never fades is Breton Stripes. It’s an oldie-but-goodie that has yet again peeked out from beneath the winter layers of all our favourite dressers and designers and is sweeping us up in its charms.
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Ever since American starlet Jean Seberg made all of France fall head over heels in Godard’s epic Breathless, this simple style is virtually foolproof.
Why?
1. It's perfect for an everyday casual look
2. It’s an easy wardrobe update
3. It’s well priced
Although some people tend to shy away from horizontal stripes, we really believe this is a sea-worthy staple for all wardrobes and all shapes. This classic sailor stripe is most definitely a look we love for Spring and of with an array of styles and eco chic fabrics to choose from we can all embrace the call of ‘aye aye cap’n’.
Shop our ethical fashion nautical looks in our new STYLE GUIDE.
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26 February 2010 12:31
by Simone
Now, we all know that X-Factor winner Leona Lewis is an amazing singer but did you know that she is a strict vegetarian and dreams of creating her own ethical fashion line?
The ‘Happy’ singer struggles to find fashion that has been produced in line with her ethical stance – in her case this means NO animal products. As a result of her fashion dilemma she often turns to Stella McCartney’s animal free designs and has recently been chatting about her love for fashion and using her creative energy to create her own ethical fashion line!
“I’m trying to make that happen as soon as I can” Lewis told Vogue.com “it’s a challenge mostly with shoes as I don’t wear any leather and am very ethical about what I wear. I love wearing Stella McCartney, but one day I hope to have my own line of ethical clothes and accessories,” she said.
So will this be a Stella/Leona collaboration? We are rooting for Leona to take her line one step further and also consider using organic cotton, alternative fibres and produce each piece with fair trade in mind. We’d be most happy to help!
26 February 2010 11:51
by Dieter
Politics can be a rather boring and dry subject, but nonetheless it's an important one. Not so long ago, women for example didn't have the right to vote (New Zealand was the first independent country to allow it in 1893!) and in Kuwait women can only vote since 2007. Funny to think then that so many of us here decide not to use our voice when others are fighting so hard for it.
To raise awareness Amisha Ghadiali founded Think Act Vote, a campaign to inspire people to think about what they believe in and vote in the next election. She says: “If politics were a fashion label, you wouldn’t wear it. We want to use creativity to create a community around the choices we make for our future.”
Amisha has partnered with pioneering, ethical fashion label Komodo and launches a design contest for a carbon neutral Think Act Vote T-shirt. Get your creative juices flowing, upload your designs on http://thinkactvote.org/ by 12 noon on Sunday, 7 March and don’t forget to include the words “Think Act Vote”.
The public will shortlist their 10 favourites, with the winner being chosen by the Think Act Vote judging panel, consisting of none less than ethical supremo Katherine Hamnett, illustrator Daisy de Villeneuve and ‘anti-preneur’ Cyndi Rhodes.
Katherine Hamnett said, “Thousands of people have died and are dying all over the world for the right to vote. It is one of our most precious possessions. Use it before we loose it.”
The winning design will be announced this April and be produced by Komodo, available to purchase online and in selected shops across the UK.
24 February 2010 23:57
by Simone
It’s the Fairtrade Foundation's annual Fairtrade Fortnight, now in its seventh year, and this year it’s all about the BIG SWAP.
Every year the Fairtrade Foundation run an event in the last week of February and first week of March to raise awareness of the Fairtrade mark. It’s a chance for us all to think about the difference we can make to producers’ lives by buying Fairtrade certified products. And it’s the perfect opportunity for us all to MAKE A DIFFERENCE and switch to Fairtrade.
I love this years theme of the BIG SWAP. It’s something that everyone can get involved in and it’s easy. All you have to do is swap your usual stuff for Fairtrade stuff. If you’re swapping to Fairtrade this fortnight make sure to enter your swaps on the BIG SWAP website. The Fairtrade Foundation want to know more about what people are swapping as proof to show just how many of us out there are supporting Fairtrade.
Are you clued up on Fairtrade? Here is a little bit of info on the two questions that we get asked time and time again:
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WHAT DOES THE FAIRTRADE MARK MEAN?
You will have seen it, but do you actually know what it stands for? This mark is an independent verification for consumer products that guarantees that disadvantaged producers are getting a better deal. There is a rigorous (and time consuming) process that a product needs to go through to display the Fairtrade mark. It needs to meet standards set by the Fairtrade labelling Organizations International (FLO) which measures a product against environmental, labour and development factors. By sporting the Fairtrade mark you can be sure that a fair price has been paid to producers – and also a premium above this which helps producers to cover the cost of production and put money back into their communities.
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BUT AREN’T LOTS OF PRODUCTS ARE LABELLED FAIRTRADE WITHOUT THIS MARK?
You’ll see the Fairtrade mark throughout 18 different product categories from fruit, wine, coffee, sugar to of course cotton. In fashion, cotton is the only material that is currently measured against the Fairtrade standard. Lots of products that we stock at Ascension aren’t made of cotton so can’t be measured against the Fairtrade mark. But there are two other stamps of approval that you can look out for to help guarantee that producers are paid a fair wage. These are the WFTS – World Fair Trade Organization (formerly IFAT) and the British Association for Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS). If a product claims to be Fair trade but doesn’t carry any of these marks – you should ask why this claims to be fair trade.
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