Thursday, December 16, 2010

NiKO the designer!

Hey!

As i have already started writing yesterday, there were so many stories in Brussels! To see what we did, and how great it was check this website. You ll even see me in Orange magazine! You are excited,right?

Ok, then here is NiKO. If you want to have a great, creative, fashionable, 'green'
,socially responsible piece of cloth in your closet. Yes, im talking about clothing and how different it can be from the way you have been subjected to. NiKO have been living in Kenya for 4 years and designing garments from recycled parachutes and jewellery from dead wood. Previous sentence is partly how she defines what she does. Frankly can't find better words to explain. That is not all. To be sustainable, being environmentalist is not enough. You are supposed to be socially responsible and financially sustainable as well. About social responsibility, her business is doing well with paying fair price for people who they work with. Besides, with a percentage of her sales, she contributes to education of Maasai girls. i may miss some few points, so check her business site to be amazed!

Now, we come to part that i like most: talking about her as a friend! It is impossible to notice her. i mean how many people can you find in Brussels' streets wearing a sleeping bag as a coat and parachute as top and jewellry from beautiful wood? i saw only one:) Of course, it is not the only thing that you may notice. She is brave enough to critisize 'fashion industry'as a person who works in the industry (but in a very distinguished way) and 'entrepreneurship' as an entrepreneur.

As last words, i want to share what she said when we tried to find an answer to 'how?' question:

'It is a bit of a paradox that we meet here and talk about how to engage more entrepreneurs. Are entrepreneurs, consumption, wanting too much and having the choices all the time the problem that drives the world down? Even the GreEn way might not make it better. How much is enough? Maybe stopping entrepreneurship in general is the only green way.'

Although i would disagree with enterpreneurship part,isn t there a piece of ugly truth in these sentences?

Lessons to be learned:

1) Even the most polluting industries may become greener.
2) My very dear Greek-Danish friend NiKO, thanks for 'kodak times' and making my mind parachute-like!
3) i stopped eating packed.. again! Just fyi!!


Cheers!!