I like to think of myself as eco-friendly. Our family carried re-usable bags in the 1980s, we gathered newspapers for recycling before any programs were in place, we always had a compost in our backyard and I think about what I buy for its packaging content. But, sometimes I mess up. Sometimes I am not sure what to do with a product and maybe it ends up in a landfill when it could be recycled. I am always open to new eco info that makes it easier for me to do my part.
What to do with that much loved, cozy shirt that you would never be caught wearing outside your home, with the big stain on the front, with the holes in the side, that you realize should go on to shirt heaven? That you can't donate, well, because nobody should really wear it? Or how about those socks that you would be mortified if anyone saw on the bottom? Or that Christmas cardigan from Aunt Edna that wouldn't even make a great Halloween costume? Or the much loved clothing remains of the last in line in the kiddie hand-me-down pile? If you've got something worn, torn or really out of style, H&M wants it and has launched H&M Conscious, a program to recycle or repurpose textiles.
Every year, tons of textiles end up in landfills but as much as 95% could be used again. H&M wants to help decrease the amount of fashion being wasted and will reward you for helping out! For now, stores are only accepting clothing — any piece, of any brand, in any condition — and will give you a voucher for $5 off your purchase of $30 or more for each bag of clothing you donate with a limit of 2 shopping bags per day. H&M will not profit from any of the returned items. Revenue generated will be used to reward customers, make donations to charitable organizations and for further investements into its recycling program.
So where will your donations go?
You can hand in your donations to any store. Now, it's time to purge that sock drawer!
Photo: H&M
I speak with many groups of girls of all ages about body image and self-esteem. I try to teach them the power they have in their hard-earned allowance money — either now or in the future. A lot of that power comes in the form of what magazines and goods they will decide to buy in the future or are currently buying right now. We talk about what silent messages fashion photos can send, what stories a fashion editorial conveys and how girls and teens of all shapes and sizes feel when they are included in fashion or excluded. They learn from me and I learn from them. I am so honoured to hear the intelligent and heartfelt questions and comments during every presentation. They are passionate kids!
In my last few lectures I have had the privilege of discussing a diverse fashion editorial that has just come out in both Elle Canada and Elle Quebec starring two of my models from Ben Barry Agency — 73-year-old stunner Valerie Ramsey and the lovely size 14 Emily Nolan as well as several other amazing models of all shapes, sizes, ages, and ethnicities. Curvy Canadian Justine Le Gault even landed the cover of Elle Quebec! It was inspired by a fashion diversity research article my business partner Dr. Ben Barry had written last year for Elle Canada that received worldwide attention.
I told one group they could all grow up to be rockin’ grannies not afraid to have gorgeous white hair if they so wished and explained how Valerie had just done a fashion shoot and starred on ET Canada — in her '70s! One girl was so excited that she practically leapt up and yelled,” I saw her on TV! She is so cool! She has the longest white hair! I LOVE her!” I could hardly contain my grin. This girl didn’t see age. She didn’t see limitations. She didn’t see fashion “rules.” She just saw a super cool woman on her TV. Period.
73-year-old Valerie Ramsey in Elle Canada and Elle Quebec
Justine Le Gault for Elle Quebec
I show them that models can come in all shapes and sizes and ages — just like the fact that they and all their friends are different. That they have the power to make change — with a purchase of a magazine with a positive slant, through their hands with what they create be it a diverse drawing, a computer image, a garment, a future magazine spread... their thoughts.
So, I ask you to support magazines like these that are positively trying to change the future fashion landscape for your daughters — and the current one for all of us of all shapes, sizes, ages, and backgrounds. Send them encouragement on social media, fill out a comment on their websites, or better yet, buy one of their magazines and sit down with your daughters (if the fashion and content is age appropriate) for a few minutes to show them how cool diverse beauty is. And then one day it won’t be diverse. It will just be the norm.
All Photos courtesy of Elle Canada and Elle Quebec
I have been in the fashion industry for almost 20 years so have been privy to what happens behind the scenes and have seen how the production of images has changed over the years — especially when photography moved from film to digital. Where originally expensive retouching was used by a select fashion few to remove stubborn last minute pimples in beauty ads, in a few short years, it has been replaced by computer artists shaving pounds off bodies and eliminating years of living from faces. And now many of us even have many high tech photo manipulation features on our phones and computers!
There is a need to retouch a fashion image for many reasons, say if a button falls off mid-shoot, if make-up powder falls on a model’s face, if a garment has a rip or discolouration, to remove scuff marks on a set floor etc. But why do some companies need to manipulate an image so much that we don’t even recognize the original image? When curves are downplayed and laugh lines are erased? Dove has decided to take aim at this with its recent project Photoshop Action following in the footsteps of its popular film Evolution from years ago.
Dove targeted directors, graphic designers, and photo retouchers, the people behind the fashion scenes responsible for manipulating the images we see. The action offered was a free downloadable “beautify” application to add a glow effect to photos they were manipulating. But much to the surprise of the retoucher, once applied, all changes made were reversed and the statement, “Don’t manipulate our perceptions of “Real Beauty,” was left.
As a model who has delighted in seeing my photos used properly and cringed at witnessing my image being overly manipulated, badly retouched and sometimes barely recognizable, I applaud this initiative to draw attention to something that is spiraling out of reality. When many grade schools are now offering airbrushed options for school picture day, something needs to be done.
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