Ethical Designer Spotlight: Hendrick Boards 4 Barks

I am so excited and honoured to introduce you to William & his paw-some friend David! This dynamic duo first caught my eye with their stylish tees but after a little digging I discovered that great design was only the tip of the iceberg. You'd be barking mad not to love Hendrick Boards!

Q. How would you sum up Hendrick Boards in 10 words or less?

An eco-friendly apparel and board company giving back to animals.

Q. Can you tell us about how you met a handsome fellow called William? How did this meeting change your life?

I founded Hendrick Boards in 2011 for one very small reason – my rescue dog, William. I adopted William from a local shelter in Orange County, CA after William was chemically poisoned via his mother during the first weeks of his life. Not expected to live past 1 year, I nursed William back to health. 

Q. What is Boards 4 Barks?

Combining my love of art and skateboarding with my passion for animals, I started Hendrick Boards and created the "Boards 4 Barks" collection of skateboards and apparel to give back to animal shelters and pet adoption programs across the nation – helping animals, like William, find loving homes. 

Q. When did your love of skateboarding begin?

My dad had taught me and my 3 brothers how to longboard and surf when we were all 8 (I'm a triplet). So he had his hands filled with us all trying to skate and falling around ha! We have all been skateboarding and surfing for years.

Q. How does the culture and lifestyle of Orange County influence your designs?

Hendrick Boards’ apparel and accessories pay homage to the Orange County lifestyle – the coastline, ocean and beach environments – while portraying skateboarding not just as a sport and activity, but as a way of life. Hendrick Boards’ apparel designs are made from eco-friendly, water-based paints and dyes; accessories, such as the Hendrick line of bracelets and necklaces, are constructed of natural materials including hemp and bamboo beads. 

Q. What steps does Hendrick Boards take to ensure a low ecological footprint?

Decks are crafted from bamboo, a strong, durable and renewable resource, making every board purchase better for you and our planet. Eco-friendly, handmade paints and stains made from coffee grounds are applied directly to the deck, revealing the natural bamboo wood grain, which gives Hendrick Boards its signature look. 

We have our 100% organic cotton apparel printed with eco-friendly water based inks. Our accessories are also eco-concious whether its our eco-canvas "I'm a Rescue" bracelet our our bamboo and hemp Newport bracelet and all these are helping rescue animals.

Q. Does William have a favourite toy?

Ha, yes he does! His favorite toy is a squirrel stuffed animal I bought for him the first day I picked him up from the vet's office after his first surgery. I gave it to him on our ride home and he has never spent a day without it! He even sleeps with it in bed! I think it gives him comfort and reminds him of me! :)

Q. What new adventures are on the horizon for Hendrick Boards?

We are so excited for the future! We have our sponsorship program coming up in 2012 where we sponsor brand new young athletes and the pledge as part of our sponsorship program is for them to be healthy and responsible athletes. We are looking at expanding our retail presence throughout southern California. We are really excited about our Spring/Summer collection for 2012 where we will be expanding our Boards 4 Barks collection with products and community outreach programs.

Boards 4 Barks Women's 'Kitty Tee'

Boards 4 Barks Men's 'Chi Tee'

Women's 'Dana Point Tee' made from 100% organic cotton

Men's 'Back Bay Tee' made from 100% organic cotton

Women's 'Henry Huntington Tee' made from 100% organic cotton

 You can also visit Hendrick Boards on Facebook and Twitter

Fiji Fashion Week Snap, Crackles and POPs

This Saturday I was invited to check out Fiji Fashion Week's pop-up catwalk show and 'live mannequin' display at Tappoo City. Fiji Fashion Week 2011 kicks off it's main program next week!

Ellen Whippy-Knight, Managing Director of Fiji Fashion Week, gives some background on the up-coming shows

Ms Whippy-Knight was sporting these fun locally made and locally designed earrings

Backstage with some of the models



 After a quick visit backstage it was almost time for the show to begin. 

Hair stylist team for Fiji Fashion Week

The clothes featured in this mini fashion event were quintessential beachwear brands Quicksliver, Billabong and Roxy. Think casual chic, pared down effortless styling, bare feet and beach hair.

This pop-up show was a strangely Aussie experience!

I'm completely in love with this wolf tee!

Super cute high-waisted shorts!

I couldn't help getting a shot of Fiji Fashion Week's Moii Watkins getting some snaps of the models

This is pretty much my usual beach outfit - loving the pink!

I adore a vibrant purple tee and this model is rocking her's brilliantly!

Who likes short shorts? We like short shorts!

A reflective moment backstage after the show

Fab over-sized tee that can be worn with shorts or as a dress over a swimsuit

Perfecting their pouts ;o)

It was really lovely to see that the family and friends of the young models were there to cheer them on!

Proud Father with his daughter who is modelling for this year's Fiji Fashion Week while also sitting her final exams at school!

One of the fabulous models with her delighted Mum

The models getting a quick debrief after the show

Tickets to Fiji Fashion Week are still on sale...if you're in Fiji make sure you don't miss out!!!

Before heading home for lunch and a well-deserved swim (the weather here is absolutely stifling right now!) - I swung by the 'living mannequins'. 

A study in stillness

You can visit Fiji Fashion Week on Facebook and Twitter

Ethical Designer Spotlight: Bliss Joy Bull

Grab a cuppa and enjoy my interview with the effervescent Ananda Joy Duszynski, founder of ethical label Bliss Joy Bull.

Q. Okay, I have to ask...where did the name Bliss Joy Bull come from?

The name has everything to do with where I came from. I grew up in a small rural town in Iowa. I went to a school that incorporates Hindu teachings and meditation into the daily curriculum. It was formed by Maharishi, formerly a guru (teacher) of the Beatles. My full name is Ananda Joy Duszynski. As long as I can remember my nickname has been Nandi. In Hinduism, Nandi is the name of the bull that the Hindu god Shiva rides. Ananda means "bliss" in Sanskrit. So, to simplify:

Bliss = the meaning of Ananda in Sanskrit

Joy = my middle name

Bull = a representation of my nickname, Nandi

Q. How did you start down this path of ethical design?

It really had to do with my upbringing. I think it began by learning about organic food and sustainability at an early age. Living in a rural community and being affected by CAFOs (confined animal factory operations) made me think about where my food came from, which in turn made me want to know where my clothes and accessories were coming from as well. It is a continuous process. I learn about designing more ethically the more I design.

Q. If you had to choose another career for yourself, what would that be?

Either a chef or a pastry chef. I had considered going to school for this, but changed my mind after attending a week long course at the Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago during high school. It was just too fast pace for me. I recently moved back to my home town and have actually done some cooking and baking for families as a side job.

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about what makes Bliss Joy Bull an eco-conscious label?

My impact is very small. I make everything myself in my studio. I try to use materials in a more wholesome way; to extend them. I get most of my supplies secondhand; either thrifted or given to me by friends and family. If and when I use dye, I use low impact non-toxic dyes. I try to create as little waste as possible. I keep all of my fabric scraps and threads that are too small for anything else and use them as filling for handmade pillows. My purpose is to extend the life cycle of items and I hope to keep these items out of the landfill for many generations to come.

Q. What advice would you give to designers who are interested in becoming more sustainable?

I think the main thing is to do your research. Some important questions to ask: What is the impact socioeconomically/environmentally of the fabric, dyes, manufacturing processes and the like? Are workers being paid a fair wage for where they are living? Are workers being overworked? What happens to the leftover fabric and thread? I think these are just some of the many questions to answer before starting a sustainable company.

Q. Which ethical designers inspire you?

I used to work for a small independent fashion company, Feral Chidle, when I lived in NYC. Feral Childe is a design duo; Alice Wu lives in Oakland, CA and Moriah Carlson lives in Brooklyn, NY where I went to work. They both have fine arts backgrounds and create most of their prints which creates the foundation for their collections. They use sustainable fabrics such as organic cotton and hemp. I have also dabbled in zero waste design pattern making, where no fabric scraps are left on the cutting floor. Timo Rissanen, Tara St. James, and Holly McQuillan inspire me to push my pattern making skills in zero waste design.

Q. What is one of the most personally rewarding pieces you've ever produced?

Hmm, that is a tough one. I recently made a bridesmaid dress for a friend, as well as a dress for myself that I wore to a friends wedding. I’m still growing so much as a designer, I feel that each new piece I make has a little reward of some kind. It’s also rewarding to see how far I’ve progressed, even compared to last year.

Q. What does the future hold for Bliss Joy Bull?

I’m working on starting an artist co-op in my hometown. I hope to grow my business that way and also create a larger artist community. I’d love to expand Bliss Joy Bull enough to have someone helping with cutting and sewing in my studio!

Check out the Bliss Joy Bull website, Etsy shop and follow @nandid on twitter!