Eco Fashion World

I have the terrible habit of calling people by their name and then add 'sweetie'. Not people I haven't met before of course, but if I know them for one day, they might run the risk of being called 'sweetheart'.

As a yeti I walk into the beautiful university building of Oslo's business school. It's 8.30 and I'm meeting Eivind Ødegard of Fin that just received the prestigious Nåløyet award. 'Doesn't matter you look like you just survived a snow storm including red nose, messy hair and boots that leave a muddy trace, you're meeting with a girl, she'll understand', I tell myself. 'You must be Kim', I turn around and see a tall and attractive guy with brown curly hair smiling at me. Eivind?

Surfing the internet this weekend, I found this fun video clip on the website of Threadbanger.com. And between you and me, it made me start dancing through the living room. So I guess that says enough…

That we are facing a cultural shift towards a more sustainable and happy world is my personal certainty. Reading all the online magazines and blogs about eco-fashion makes it clear to me that a lot of people spread over all continents are aware of this global movement… But in between all this hope and positive signs of change I sometimes need a reality check.

The last few weeks I’ve been very excited to organize a talk show and exhibition: “Style will save us!” I am really proud that Shammy Jacob, director of Sustainable Ventures, will tell us about Nike Considered Design. The aim is to inspire and inform Amsterdam creatives on sustainable trends and developments in design and fashion.

What to do when you've been working for fashion glossy's for thirteen years and are tired of writing about the season's trends? You have a few talks with government officials and the founder of Oslo Fashion Week and give birth to NICE! I meet Tone Tobiasson in Café Bacchus in downtown Oslo where she passionately narrates about NICE. Although NICE started as a Norwegian concept, it has quickly moved to become the Nordic Initiative for Clean and Ethical Clothing. The collaboration between five Scandinavian countries aims to move the fashion industry beyond eco labeling with a comprehensive program involving fashion schools, new legislation and a Code of Conduct.

It is the second time I have the opportunity to sit and chat with Aurelien Conty, founder of Mision Misericordia a cool brand (very popular amongst fashionistas) made in Peru with strong social and environmental principles at its core.

I regularly surprise people with my name: Kim is a common name for Chinese men. And then they meet me: a 2 meter tall and skinny redhead. It's not easy to be anonymous. I often joke that Dutch people are all tall, 'you know, when the water is coming, we still need to breathe…'. I could also say that I need my height to look beyond. Because 'kim' actually means horizon.