Summer Holiday must haves!!

Pachacuti – Classic Fedora – £50

Don’t let this trend escape you! Hats are everywhere this season. We love a classic panama to complement any summer outfit.

 

Komodo – Flo Dress – £90

The Flo dress is one of our favourites from the silver jubilee collection. Made from 100% cotton, it’s perfect for taking romantic strolls in the sunshine or on a long picnic with friends. And no one can resist a colourful floral print. It’s the essence of summer!

 

Komodo – Sam Tee – £47.50

A crew neck t-shirt is a staple piece in any summer wardrobe. Our Sam tee is inspired by the deep blue of the ocean and bright blue summer skies. Wear with a pair of cute shorts to the beach or dress up with jeans and wedges for those cooler summer nights.

 

 Komodo – Sobel Shorts – £45

The Sobel shorts are perfect for travelling. Made from lightweight rayon, they roll up small and crease-free and won’t take up space in your suitcase! Who knew tree cellulose could turn out so cute!?

 

 Matt & Nat – Schlepp Bag – £70

We have found the perfect bag to take on holiday. This Matt & Nat cork bag is just the right size for our beach towel, book and sun cream for the beach. And it’s perfect for wandering through the cobbled streets of a quaint little town on a city break.

 

 Komodo – Minnie Denim Wedge – £65

We love wedges. They’re the perfect heel for going out and about. Wear these 100% organic cotton wedges in the daytime with some shorts or cropped trousers. Or dress them up in the evening in a tunic dress or maxi for a more glamorous look. Every day should be a catwalk day!

 

 Pachacuti – Maya Hat – £56

Panamas are everywhere this summer, but why go with the classic all the time? Add a pop of colour to summer outfits with this aqua hat from Pachacuti.

 

 Komodo – Jules Jumpsuit – £50

Who doesn’t wish that they lived in Paris 6 months out of the year? Embody a bit of Parisian chic this summer in this fabulous jumpsuit. The light rayon fabric is perfect for those hot summer days, sitting outside a little café or bistro, enjoying the sunshine!

 

Komodo – Bizz Blouse – £35

Sleeveless blouses are a firm favourite in the Komodo office.  Made from 100% organic cotton, the Bizz blouse is lightweight and smart enough to wear for work. We wear ours buttoned up with a statement necklace and cropped pants.

 

 Pachacuti – Cruise Natural Hat – £55

Wear it when taking a stroll along the beach or when out and about in town for a spot of late morning shopping. This straw summer hat will ooze holiday glam with any summery dress you wear. Jessica Alba eat-your-heart-out! 

Tragic factory fire is the last straw!

You may have heard Joe Komodo last week on BBC World Service Radio speaking about the tragedy last month in one of Bangladesh’s garment factories. The factory which burnt down and collapsed has quickly become the worst disaster in fashion’s history, and seems to be the last straw! Hundreds of innocent women were burned and crushed to death whilst at work, making clothes, because there were not the necessary safety standards in place to protect them. With the death toll now surpassing 700 people, it’s awful that it took a tragedy like this to gain people’s attention.

This is not the first disaster to occur. Only last November there was a fire in another factory in Bangladesh that took 112 innocent lives. How long will situations like this go on for before companies decide to put proper measures in place to protect the workers that make their clothes? Calvin Klein, one of the leading brands, has begun this call to action by signing a solid building and fire safety pact, as a measure to prevent disasters like this happening in the future.

Various companies, including H&M and GAP, are mid-negotiation so it’s up to us to do what we can to get through to their CEOs. Avaaz has set up an online petition, to encourage them to take action. After all, everyone deserves to work in a safe environment.  It will take time and determination but together we can make a difference! Click the link and sign the petition, to make sure what happened in Bangladesh can never happen again. 

Victory is ours! Europe’s bees for the win!

It’s official, Europe has banned bee-killing pesticides. Hurrah! We initially thought it would be a close call, but the European commission have voted in favour of banning the insecticides. The ban will be put into play in the next few weeks and is the first complete continent ban on pesticides.

Finally! Our bees are getting the protection they need to keep them healthy and carry on doing their invaluable job for the world’s food supply. As we all know, bees are responsible for two thirds of the planet’s food crops. With the new European ban on the terrible pesticides that cause them nerve damage, bees are going to be able to pollinate in peace and continue their great work all over Europe.

They’ve finally received the recognition and protection from the European governments that they deserve! We couldn’t have done it without everyone’s persistent efforts. This definitely feels like a win for the bee community!

 

Harmful Pesticides Still At Large

After many efforts to get ours and the European governments’ attention, our poor bees are still not getting the protection that they deserve; harmful pesticides are still at large. The rate at which bees are dying is at an all-time high and something needs to be done urgently.

On Monday, the UK government plans to vote and side with the chemical industry, blocking the European ban on the harmful pesticides.

It is a known fact that out of birds, bats and other wildlife, bees are most responsible for pollinating our crops. With 75% of the world’s food crops relying on bees to pollinate them, it’s shocking that more is not being done in order to preserve and protect them.

The group of pesticides which affects the bees targets their nerve system, essentially causing the bees to have brain damage. This means that they will become befuddled; unable to find their way home. They will end up lost, and die.

Greenpace UK have set up a link with an email to send to our Environment Minister Owen Paterson, urging him to do more and have a better chance of preventing the UK governments’ block of the European ban.

Get emailing people, time’s-a-buzzing-away!

Give your clothes some TLC!

It feels like a lifetime ago when people would take the time to repair their clothes when they were torn or had a button missing. Nowadays, the easiest answer is often to just throw it away. We need to change the way we think about our clothes.

During Fairtrade Fortnight, Komodo got involved with Sew It Forward and donated damaged Komodo clothing for them to mend and give new life. Sew It Forward was launched in November last year, to remind people that getting rid of a damaged item isn’t the solution. Sixty years ago, our grandmothers would take the time to sew, knit, and mend our clothes, and that’s  exactly what Sew It Forward wants us to do now.

We love how creative some people got! Check out Bummi’s Komodo creation – with mended sleeves and some customisation. With a bit of time and creativity it was rescued from the throw out pile!

There are so many possibilities when it comes to repairing or customising clothes. Take jeans – ever have worn out or ripped knees? Don’t chuck them, save them! Put some colourful fabric on the inside of the jean and sew to repair the tear. Simple!

Buttons falling off cardigans and shirts is another common problem. Replace them with matching ones or choose a random selection for a more individual look.

So next time you’re about to throw away your old clothes, think about ways they can be saved and give them some TLC.

Your Independent’s Need You!

Independent’s Day is fast approaching, which less than three months to go; it’s time to buck up and really support our local retailers. Independent retailers play a vital role in our communities, making our local area special and distinct. It is sad to think that in 2012, more independent’s closed than they did open – time for a high street revival!

On the 4^th of July, the Independent’s Day campaign aims to drive shoppers to independent stores rather than the larger high street chains. Shops are also being encouraged to participate and download campaign materials from http://www.retailindieday.com/, and create a celebration of our independents that can spread throughout the whole town; building a lovely feeling of togetherness and support for our community.

Organised by the National Skills Academy for Retail, the campaign’s ambition is to encourage us to shop in independent retailers all year round, not only on the 4^th of July. With 92% of the UK retail industry’s make up being independent stores, it is essential that we appeal to shoppers to go to independent shops, which make our high streets so unique and individual.

So get out there, shopping and exploring, and find the local treasures that your town has to offer!

Mid-season spring essentials!

We are loving Komodo’s Spring/Summer12 collection, with its cheerful summer colours and floral prints it’s perfect for brightening up our days and tackling the chill!

Faye Shirt

 

 

This dandelion mist printed shirt is super sweet and terrific for this spring’s print trend.
Made from 100% micro tencel, it works well for both warm and nippy conditions.
£70

Pia Jumper

 

This crew neck stripe knit made from 100% merino wool is perfect if you want to effortlessly rock this years stripe trend!

£60

Celcil Tee

 

Made from 100% lovely organic cotton, this lime t-shirt will splash your outfit with colour, giving you a feeling that spring is in the air! 

£30

Gasper Cardi

We’re loving this croal cardi, as it just evokes memories of summer and warm sunsets. This colour is ideal for now to lift any mood, bringing a touch of summer to your wardrobe even in this cold weather! 

£60

No honey no money!

Back in January Avaaz was assembling a petition to ban certain neonicotinoid pesticides that have evidence to demonstrate that they are responsible the deaths of countless bees. Over 2.5 million people signed this petition and which was then presented to the European Commission, who proposed a ban just days  later! Woop!

More still needs to be done however to save millions of bees’ lives. They are disappearing at an increasingly alarming rate all over the world. Due to them being responsible for 90% of the world’s plant pollination, this is going to not only affect our crops disastrously, but also the £25bn that it generates for the food supply industry. Some countries such as Italy have already banned some types of pesticides, and have seen as a result its bee population numbers rise!

In less than 36hours the EU is going to take a vote, and decide whether or not to ban the toxic pesticides that have been killing our precious bee population. Avaaz has created a message box that will direct your email and message to the Minister for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs, in a push to overcome the pesticide lobbyists that want to prevent the ban. If you too wish to do your part and stand up for our little bees then click here to be directed to the Avaaz website.

Don’t waste any time, we need to get the message out as much as possible! Tweet, buzz, email – Save the bees!

SOS!!! 24 hours to save the Orangutans

With a growing discussion on fuel costs and electricity bills, there is a mounting need to find alternative energy sources from fossil fuels. You may think, solar, hydro and wind power would be the route to take as alternatives, however, the demand for palm oil is on the rise, with disastrous consequences for our planets precious orangutans.

Orangutans live wild and free in the forests of North Sumatra and Aceh, and should be left to do so safely. Their habitats though are being destroyed, having their homes ripped away from them due to the selfish demand of palm oil that are being used in our products and as an alternative energy supply. With only an estimated 6,600 orangutans left in the wild, if we do take urgent action, there is a catastrophic  chance that the adorable orangutan population may be the first species from the Great Ape family to become extinct.

The Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS) are dedicated to protecting the orangutans and raising awareness for their cause. Tomorrow a vote is to be held, deciding whether or not the UK is going to burn half a million tonnes in power stations, which we will be financing with our bills. I urge you to write an email to your MP to get the message through that we need to protect the lives of these innocent creatures. You can find a template letter on the SOS Website.

We’ve got less than 24 hours, so go! Go! GO!!!!!!

Fairtrade Fortnight events

It’s Fairtrade Fortnight until Sunday 10th March and we’re getting involved! We’ve come up with our three favourite ways to celebrate:

1) Eat Fairtrade food

We stumbled across these fair trade brownies when some ‘Try Me’ samples were delivered to our PR agency and boy, did we love them! Gooey, chocolately, handmade and 100% fair trade – don’t think brownies get better than that! If brownies aren’t your game, then get in the kitchen and whip up your regular meals, switching ingredients for Fairtrade where you can.

2) Get Chit Chatting

On 4th March, the Design Museum in London is hosting a PechaKucha night (derived from the Japanese word meaning “chit chat”) with a fair trade theme. We tweeted about the amazing Made By Node rugs a few days ago and they’ll be there talking about their work, as well as loads of other inspirational speakers that are involved with fair trade. Not to be missed! Buy your tickets at the Design Museum but hurry because they’re predicting a sell-out!

 

3) Take part in Mini March

Despite producing 70% of the world’s food, over half of the world’s hungriest people are smallholder farmers. The Fairtrade Foundation are petitioning David Cameron to champion a better deal for these farmers at this year’s G8 summit and you can help! Create your own Mini Me online to join the Mini March on parliament and ensure a better life for the people producing the food we love.

 

How will you be getting involved?