This short film, Plastic Bag, by director Ramin Bahrani (Goodbye Solo)
traces the epic, existential journey of a plastic bag and is voiced by
Werner Herzog, one of the German New Wave’s greatest directors.
by Farah & Dana
by Katie Longmyer
My London crew will be touching down in NYC next week!
Protein has been around for 12 years, but they will be in NYC on April 29th for the opening of their NY office!
For those of you who don’t know, Protein is a worldwide network of experienced producers and promoters that provide invaluable local knowledge and credible connections to those “hard-to-reach” communities - basically if you are down with them, you have someone on the ground in over 45 cities in the world. That’s right kids - we’re going GLOBAL! Protein gets down with the best of the best (ahem…of course…) including Fact, RCRD LBL, Samurai.fm, Superfuture, Nike Sportswear, Fred Perry, Umbro, Red Bull, Sony Playstation, Nokia, MTV and Warp Films…and of course…yours truly as Good Peoples.
The Protein crew is in town for a speaking event that is invite only - but I’m throwing an after-party with them! Come out and meet the team and get to know what they are all about! Make sure you RSVP!
by Sophie
This cover is very aesthetically pleasing to me because:
a. I’m a sucker for LiLo drama
and b. I love religious references.
Will purchase.
by Katie Longmyer
My dear friend, who also happens to be a famed photographer, Kareem Black is notorious for living life to the fullest. As one of his many partners-in-crime I’m happy to co-sign that reputation and try to keep up with him when I can. I often see Kareem whip out his little hand held camera and snap impromptu photos when I least expect it. I always thought this was some kind of continuation of his art into his life, and always wondered where they ended up (other than his huge dual desktop screens).
Well..he decided to share with the world. Check out a glimpse of the real life of one of the most inspiring people in my life…
by Katie Longmyer
Bijules Vs. Ruvan celebrates jewelry genius and photographic elegance…Please come view the Bijules FW 2010 collection and its new additions with the support of EVA NY, BearFlag Wine, Pom Wonderful, and Akvinta Vodka… Take away images from Ruvan and Bijules!
Installation up for month of February at EVA NY!
OFFICIAL BIJULES AFTER PARTY
@ CHLOE 81, 81 Ludlow and Broome, 11pm - 4am
featuring Doyo (Stockholm) + Jacques Renault (Runaway, DFA)
Hosted by Jules Kim of Bijules + Katie Longmyer (Good Peoples)
by Farah & Dana
Beirut designer brings prisoners’ handbags to
Paris catwalks
February 4, 2010
Lebanese fashion label Sarah’s Bags has had huge success employing female prisoners to sew and embroider accessories.
London, England (CNN) — In the prisons of Lebanon, women are turning their attention to fashion and stitching their way to a brighter future.
They’re part of a program run by Sarah’s Bags, a Beirut-based label that employs convicts and the recently-released to sew and embroider handbags by hand.
For the past ten years, the program has steadily grown, after catching the eye of the Lebanese elite early on, including the wife of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri — still one of their best customers — and Queen Rania of Jordan.
Today Sarah Beydoun, the company’s founder, has plans to expand and has set her sights on European markets.
“We’re starting to exhibit in Paris. It’s part of becoming more international. We want to sell to more stores beyond the Middle East and the Gulf,” she told CNN.
Having already had a successful sales trip to Paris in 2009, Beydoun is planning to return in February, hoping to attract new stores. But unlike her clients at home, she says the European buyers don’t blink when they hear her bags were built behind bars.
“You feel that the fashion world doesn’t care where it comes from,” said Beydoun. “They just care about the end product … at least the buyers for the department stores.”
Beydoun said she won’t emphasize that fact at the upcoming Paris shows, but that her strategy remains “to target stores that can carry our story and not just our collection.”
And what a story it is.
Beydoun devised her business plan while working on a university thesis about women in prison.
Then with the help of House of Hope (”Dar al Amal”), a non-governmental organization that supports vocational training in Lebanon’s jails, Beydoun began sub-contracting handiwork to female inmates.
The women who work for Sarah’s Bags have been convicted for a range of crimes, from prostitution to drug dealing, even violent crime. Whatever the charge though, the opportunity to learn a skill and make some money has helped hundreds find hope of a fresh start.
“One of Beydoun’s proteges, who was convicted of murder — a crime of passion, told CNN that “learning to sew stopped me obsessing about my crime, it helped my situation.” She asked to remain anonymous as she does not wanted to be stigmatized for her crime.
Not all the women employed by Sarah’s Bags have worked out, however.
“There were those who didn’t meet deadlines, or would lie about when they finished their work, but we keep on those that are serious and those we can trust,” said Beydoun.
Several women have even become real partners, building their own teams.
“Slowly the girls started to come out of prison and they would come to my shop. I would offer them to work with me. Each girl would take her designs and go to her village and do her handiwork and teach a small group of women around her how to work,” said Beydoun.
Beydoun is now relying on these out-sourcing teams to help her ramp up production as Sarah’s Bags enters the Western market.
To make the leap, she’s tweaking her designs to make them more universal, which means less Arabic calligraphy and more conventional shapes.
However her wares fare abroad though, it looks like Sarah’s Bags will always have a devoted following of customers, and staff, back home.
by Farah & Dana
Oliberté is the first to market premium urban-casual footwear made in Africa. Africa is more than just poverty and Oliberté is the start of a revolution that shows, through urban footwear, this is the real Africa! Oliberté is not a charity – it is a company that believes you can change how the world views Africa and help build lives every time when you buy a pair of Oliberté shoes that are made in Africa.
by Katie Longmyer
I need one of these so I look good attempting to get down the mountain this winter. Check out even more beautiful Chanel accessories.
