Happy New Year! If you have been following the various word-of-the-year shortlists and design trends, you may have noticed that the Danish hygge has recently been dethroned by a new Scandinavian it-word – the Swedish lagom. Lagom is translated loosely into English as the Goldilocks principle of ‘not too little, not too much, just right’. While … Continue reading
By the end of this week, most students in the northern hemisphere have gone back to school. Yet learning is a life-long process, and the start of a new school year is a perfect opportunity to acquire new skills – be it basic sewing classes or a comprehensive university degree. Here is a roundup of … Continue reading
Giving a talk at TEDxGeneva 2017 titled “Slow Fashion – Food for Thought?” was a dream come true! The experience was both nerve-racking and magical, and I am still under the event’s spell. It was a pleasure to work with the very talented and committed TEDxGeneva team and to bond with fellow speakers, each of whom had … Continue reading
From microfibres in your fleece jacket to the ubiquitous plastic straws, our oceans are choking with plastics. Each year, some eight tonnes of plastic are dumped into our seas. A portion of mussels could contain 7 micrograms of microplastics. And after years of scientists’ warnings, it seems that the dangers plastics pose to the marine … Continue reading
Horses for courses, as the saying goes, and lace rhymes with race. And not just any old horse racing event, but the race: Royal Ascot. Earlier this week, the Duchess of Cambridge caused a stir in her white Alexander McQueen lace dress on the opening day of this must-see event for both racegoers and fashionistas. … Continue reading
Spring is in full swing and it is my favourite season bar none. With Easter just around the corner, it is also a time of hope, renewal and regeneration. Here are some inspiring spring-themed initiatives with a purpose. Spring in the Desert Due to severe drought, most inhabitants of the hinterland region of Sertão, Brazil … Continue reading
It’s hardly an overstatement that many of us hope 2017 will be an improvement on its predecessor. In my case, after a fast-paced 2016, I hope that this year will be slower (hence being slow in writing my first 2017 post for green stilettos). Here are a few things I’d like to take slowly this year… … Continue reading
Earlier this month, the music world mourned the passing of one of the brightest stars of the century, David Bowie, who was known for his fearless and inimitable fashion sense. He was the ultimate British eccentric who was mixing three piece suits with jumpsuits, wearing make-up and high heels, and gender bending before the term even existed. This … Continue reading
2015 was, by many accounts, a tumultuous year in fashion, marked by high-profile changes at the helm of major brands and the tightening grip of luxury conglomerates both on- and offline. Some pundits predict an impending industry-wide crisis brought about by the ever-faster fashion model. As The Independent’s Alexander Fury points out, “’Fast fashion’ is … Continue reading
Aside from chocolate and watches, Switzerland is world famous for its banks—and their gold reserves. In fact, 70% of this prized metal is refined in Switzerland. A little while ago I attended a conference titled ‘Clean gold: is it possible?’ organized by SWISSAID. Held in a historic Palais Eynard in Geneva, the event brought together representatives … Continue reading
green stilettos 