Vancouver Cycle Chic Week

So you know we are big supporters of the bike scene in Vancouver, and with bike to work week coming to an end we thought there was no better time to do another bike posting. Hopefully you remember our March 27th interview with Josh Bloomfield of City Cycle Tours and the amazing tours they give throughout the downtown core. But, this week we want to let you know about the great project Vancouver Cycle Chic's putting on. Vancouver Cycle Chic is a photoblog, created in 2010 by a bunch of friends who love style and bike riding.

 

Vancouver Cycle Chic's latest project includes short films of Vancouverites who ride their bike with style. Including people of all ages, race, and gender. 

This is the debut of four of these films over at Whoa! Nellie bikes at 2539 Main Street. Stop by for some drinks, bikes, style and music (provided by Michael Champion and Tim the Mute). 

Cycling is, in my opinion, the best way to get around the city! Especially with all the bike lanes continuously being added to create safe riding routes, so any positive promotion is good promotion. I know we are very excited to head over to Whoa! Nellie to check out the short films and meet other cycling enthusiasts.

Photo Credits: Van Cycle Chic

Interview with: Lexi of Daub & Design

FJ: Daub & Design is a local textile design studio. What began your interest in textile design?

D&D: My interest in textile design was fuelled by a desire to have unique fabrics for my own designs. 

FJ: You are quite active in Vancouver’s Fashion Industry.  How supportive do you find the local industry?

D&D: There's definitely a growing community here with people becoming more aware of sustainable and locally produced goods, which of course, we love and always keep in mind when developing our line. From a manufacturing standpoint, it can be challenging. Trying to find specialized help can be tricky as many businesses have moved offshore. 

FJ: Do you think local designers can use Vancouver push to be environmentally conscious to gain international awareness?

D&D: Yes, to an extent. Their involvement in events like Eco Fashion Week and global publications, both online and print, helps with a larger reach.

FJ: What are your favorite places in Vancouver to get your hands on locally made fashion and accessories?

D&D: Twigg & Hottie, Dream Apparel & Articles for the People, Meadow Gifts & Apparel, Bird on a Wire, Favourite Gifts...there are quite a few great little shops around town. Events like Make It, Spend on Trend, Got Craft? and Circle Craft Christmas Market have a great selection of both emerging & established designers present too.

FJ: What is the top must-have piece Daub & Design is bringing us for Spring 2013?

D&D: Our Adriana legging is perfect year-round. It's offered in 5 basic and 3 limited edition colours. The Adriana leggings is perfect for the girl on the go: the fabric wicks away moisture and keeps the body cool during physical activities like yoga or spin class, and they are easy to wear with flats, boots or heels for a more sophisticated look.

FJ: Other than making an appointment at your awesome Vancouver studio, where can we find Daub & Design next?

D&D: We're doing a couple special events around town: one where we're offering kids leggings with partial proceeds going to a family in North Vancouver, who has a family member with brain cancer. Another called "Summer Solstice" will be to raise funds for local charity "BabyGo Round". Keep an eye on our Facebook page for more information.

 

And you can check out their website for all the exciting things Lexi and the ladies will be doing this summer, and shop the collection at daubanddesign.com

- Fair JAKE

The Waterless Way; CO2 Dyeing

As we have mentioned in the past, Fair JAKE aims to be an environmentally and socially conscious company, so we are always trying to keep up to date with any advancements that can help to reduce the fashion industry's footprint. In past posts such as "Life Cycle Assessment" and "A Little Intro to Eco-Fashion" we have talked about the damaging impacts on the environment; but have not talked about the advancements that been made to reduce this footprint.

Today's post is going to focus on dyeing! We love prints, so dying has always been one of our major hurdles as eco-designers; therefore, we are always looking into low-impact dyes and dye processes. The use of natural and organic fabric tends to mean we don't have to worry about our greenhouse gas emissions as much but we do have to watch out for our water consumption levels. So, you can imagine we were quite intrigued when we found out about DyeCoo's waterless dyeing process.

DyeCoo uses CO2 to dye the fabric and not only is no water necessary, but no drying is necessary and 90% of the excess is then recycled for later use. This shortens the energy usage massively, and believe it or not no chemicals are used in the process. It is just a matter of changing the temperature and pressure; “When carbon dioxide is heated to above 31 degrees Celsius and pressurized to above 74 bar, it becomes supercritical, a state of matter that can be seen as an expanded liquid, or a heavily compressed gas. In short, above the critical point, carbon dioxide has properties of both a liquid and a gas. In this way supercritical CO2 has liquid-like densities, which is advantageous for dissolving hydrophobic dyes, and gas-low viscosities and diffusion properties, which can lead to shorter dyeing times compared to water.” And all of this can be done at the same plant!

The only downfall is that it is more expensive and they are yet to find a way to include natural fibers in their processes. So as most dye processes are a no-go for synthetics the CO2 technique is the opposite thus far. DyeCoo is working on making it possible for cellulous fibers as well, which means this process is a "game changer" as stated by IKEA's chief sustainability officer, Steve Howard.

                                                      

We hope this is just the beginning and that the processes become more and more beneficial as well as more affordable, for us small, local designers trying to make a difference.

-Fair JAKE