Venetia Falconer
  • Home
  • About
  • Events
  • Press
  • Podcast
  • Articles
  • Videos
  • Contact
Select Page
I wanted to address a few points that came up foll I wanted to address a few points that came up following my previous post about @PrettyLittleThing’s 99% off sale.⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ “This is their way of getting rid of deadstock. It’s better that they sell it than have it end up as landfill”.⁣ Deadstock or otherwise, the real issue here is overproduction at a price that is not truly reflective of the true social and environmental cost of the product. The more we produce, the more we send to landfill. A lot of textile waste ends up in the Global South which has huge social, environmental and health implications. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ “This is classist. Stop shaming people who can only afford clothes in the sales”.⁣ Let's be really clear, the people who need to buy their clothes in sales are not the problem. The consumers who are engaging in the most harmful practices are those with disposable incomes. When PLT sell a dress that costs less than a cup of tea, they’re inadvertently teaching us that clothing is disposable. They are also showing us just how little the people who make their clothes mean to them. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ “This isn’t just Boohoo, it’s luxury brands too”.⁣ Correct. The entire system is corrupt.⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ “LOL. You are all complaining about fast fashion but typing from smartphones”.⁣ In the current system, it’s next impossible to be a perfect ‘ethical consumer’. Instead of shifting the blame to individuals, let’s think about how we can collectively demand more from corporations. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣ “Can the influencers who work with these brands spread awareness about this?”⁣ They should be using their relationships with the brands to insist they do better and rejecting the contracts altogether - if they’re in a position to do so. A lot of influencers ARE doing this already, you just don’t hear about it. Follow accounts that take on slow and considered brand partnerships instead.⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ “I had no idea about this and recently bought items in their sale, I will throw them away!”⁣ That’s ok, you know now! But please don’t throw away these clothes, wear them! Celebrate the labour and dignity of the workers and demand change in a system that puts profit above people or planet.⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ Art: @ici.jozi, @judith_p.raynault, @heyimsakina ♥️
Just when we thought fast fashion couldn’t get a Just when we thought fast fashion couldn’t get any more frightening, @PrettyLittleThing host a “99% off EVERYTHING” Black Friday sale, reducing the prices of their pieces to as little as 4p 🥵⁣ ⁣ When a 95% polyester dress costs 8p, two things are for sure: garment workers are earning peanuts and our dying planet doesn’t have a fighting chance. ⁣ ⁣ @PrettyLittleThing @umarkamani @boohoo and @mahmudkamani: this is absolutely unacceptable.
Black Fridays will come and go, but fast fashion b Black Fridays will come and go, but fast fashion brands coercing us into buying new clothes that we don’t necessarily need, made by women who weren’t paid fair living wages, all to fill the pockets of their billionaire CEOs, will remain. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I sometimes get lost in my echo chamber when it comes to the fair fashion movement, but some of the stats in this carousel remind me just how far there is to go. And if they prove anything, it’s that there are limits to what we as individuals can do. ⁣ ⁣ My feed is filled with amazing small brands doing things for the right reasons. I wish slow, considered, sustainable, ethical and fair fashion was the standard. ⁣But we need legislation. We need caps on the amount of new clothing being produced. We need 100% supply chain transparency. We need the demands of garment workers met. We need fashion brands to actually clean up the harm that they’ve caused. We need a huge systemic shift. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ These are big topics for an Instagram post, so if you’re keen to learn more about what a new solidarity economy in fashion would look like, listen to the @RememberWhoMadeThem podcast. It’s a great free resource to learn about how we can best support garment workers and their unions (directly from the workers and unions themselves). If you like what you hear, you can donate to our Patreon: 100% of the money raised goes direct to garment workers and their unions. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Are you buying anything this Black Friday? I’m curious to hear. ⁣⁣ #OOOTD: coat is my man’s, trousers were gifted by @camilla.bloom last year and kicks are @vestiaireco ♻️
I’ve been so excited to share this with you! For I’ve been so excited to share this with you! For the past two months I’ve been working with my favourite ethical candle company @WAndWWorkshop to create two very special festive spiced candles, with proceeds going to brilliant causes. ⁣⁣ ⁣ 💫Together we are encouraging people to join us in spending less time online from the Winter Solstice on 21st December to 4th January. Our two candle collaborations, Solstice and Campfire, serve as reminders to disconnect from our screens and reconnect with nature. ⁣⁣ ⁣ ♻️These hand-poured candles are vegan, cruelty-free and made from 100% recycled glass which is super durable so can be reused time and time again. All the product and shipping packaging is plastic free and the labels and boxes are made from recycled paper. ⁣⁣ ⁣ 🌲Solstice is sweet; it has scents of casis, redcurrant, raspberry and apple, with a base blend of musk and sandalwood. Campfire is spicy and earthy; it has opening notes of ginger and cinnamon bark with hints of lemongrass and a base of moss, vanilla and amber. ⁣⁣ ⁣ 🕯The candles are priced at £25 and for each one sold, £10 will be donated to and split between two charities. The first is @FareShareUK who believe that no good food should go to waste. They redistribute surplus food to charities that turn it into meals. The second is @BlackMindsMatterUK who understand that treating mental health must be a priority in the fight for equality and welfare of black people in the UK. Their aim is to link as many Black people with certified, professional, Black practitioners, keeping a focus on confidentiality and dignity.⁣⁣ ⁣ As always, please do not feel as though you need to buy in order to do a good thing. You can absolutely donate directly if you’re in a position to do so, I’ve left links to both charities in my stories. If you would like to buy a candle, thank you! I hope they’ll help you create a sense of tranquility in your space and you love them as much as I do ♥️⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ #Offline48⁣⁣ #SustainableGifting ⁣ #WWxVLM
I was hoping I’d have some good news to accompan I was hoping I’d have some good news to accompany this smiley autumnal photo with, and I do! ⁣ ⁣ Remember when hundreds of you put the pressure on @Mango to meet the demands of their garment workers a few weeks back? Well, thanks to Dihuali Factory’s brave workplace union, the workers from Yangon in Myanmar have won reinstatement, photographed in the second slide returning to work today! WE LOVE TO SEE IT! ⁣ ⁣ Holding brands accountable on social media is powerful❣️Especially when we stand in solidarity with workers and their collectives and unions. Thank you to everyone who is using their voice and platform for good ♥️ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #OOOTD⁣ #SolidarityWithGarmentWorkers⁣ @RememberWhoMadeThem
I’m aware that a lot of what I share on Instagra I’m aware that a lot of what I share on Instagram can be quite heavy and in the same way that I try to balance action with rest in my own life, I’m going to pepper some of the quieter things over here too. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Since we entered lockdown 2.0 here in the UK, I’ve noticed how reliant I am on rituals and habits that bring me joy, familiarity and a sense of calm when life feels out of control.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I’ve been writing down a “calm feelings to remember” list in my journal that I refer to even when all my body seems capable of doing is doom scrolling, over-analysing and catastrophizing. These things keep me present, which is especially helpful as I have one of those minds that loves to be anywhere but here. Rest is so important and we are deserving of it. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ The calm feelings list includes things like… ⁣⁣ ✨Morning meditation⁣⁣ ✨That first sip of coffee⁣⁣ ✨Going for a long walk⁣⁣ ✨Fresh sheets ⁣⁣ ✨Lighting my favourite candle ⁣⁣ ✨Doing my skincare regime ⁣⁣ ✨Getting lost in a good book⁣⁣ ✨Turning my phone off⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Accounts worth following to inspire calm: @TheNapMinistry and @JustBreathe.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I asked you to share your favourite rituals with me on my stories today and the answers were SO LOVELY. Also reassuring to know I’m not the only caffeine addict. You’re welcome to leave them here too if you’d like ♥️⁣ ⁣ 💕 hair cut: @Kamila_Pruszek (pre-lockdown) @BlueTitLondon.
  • How To Plan The Perfect Staycation
    Read Venetia’s post on Eco Age about her tips
    for planning an eco-friendly staycation.
  • Slow Fashion Exchange Group
    Click Here
  • Watch My Latest Youtube Video
    Click Here
  • Venetia’s Podcast
    Click Here
© 2020 VENETIA LA MANNA