the official grace & cello blog

this article pretty much sums it up. the reason we slave, stress and persevere at grace & cello, is because we believe that business should be conducted differently. seriously … we are fed up with large corporate irresponsbility, in terms of how the environment is treated, and in terms of how people are treated. we’re not saying that large companies are always bad … but maybe, like this article is hinting at, smaller companies are more often capable of being better.

the reason we started grace & cello was to create high quality, fashionable clothes that didn’t needlessly hurt the environment (which most clothes do), and which weren’t made in corporate structures that used and abused workers because the bottom-line was the only line.

it didn’t have to be fashion, but we felt whatever it was it should be one of the basics … food, shelter, clothing … you know, those things you go to daily in the course of a lifetime. because if our daily lives aren’t sustainable, our socieites can’t be sustainable.

well, we’ve been working 3 seasons now (and we’re already sewing samples for our 4th), and it hasn’t been easy … but it has been satisfying.

i’m not saying all this to brag, or win sympathy. but, articles that speak about the beauty of small, dedicated companies makes me proud of the team we have, the vision we’ve set for ourselves. it makes me proud that we are following in a tradition of innovators who also cared about more than just making money. it gives me confidence that we can make meaningful change.

the article talks about anchor brewing… the first micro-brew in the usa, started in the hay-days of the 60s, when peace, love and lsd were all we needed …. well, anchor thought we needed good beer, too! clif bar, de kuyper, new seasons markets (in portland, oregon … one of my all-time favourite cities!), and comet skateboards all attest to how following your dreams, and adhering to your ethics, can be a successful model of business, too; these companies show that profits above all, and growth-for-growth’s sake aren’t the only way.

i want to be perfectly clear … i think all of these companies are awesome, and deserve our support!

some of our favourite boutiques have had to pass on some of our (non-organic) pieces, because they are more difficult to sell. while organics are more popular right now (and we are glad they are increasingly popular), we believe that we are more than just organics. we are also a small company that makes clothes in our neighbourhood. we know the people we do business with, and we are all working on a scale of business that is more humane, and better for society. and sometimes i think we need to speak more proudly of that.

so if you are looking for a suit, look to us. even though our wool isn’t organic (yet!), it is 100% wool, and contains no synthetic material. and, it is made ethically, and by people earning their livelihood in montreal. that’s more than can be said of most suits out there being worn to work each day. plus … if you’re looking for organics and eco-fabrics … we can help you out there, too!

anyway, i am going on … i realize. but, i was glad to see the idealism, success and joy these entrepreneurs speak to; i was glad to see how their ideals are integral to how they make their products. it re-invigorates me, and reminds me that we need to be proud too that we are doing our small, but significant, part in making our world a better place.

end of rant!

peace out!

just another quick note on how insane buying bottled water is. i’ve already made my opinion known in an earlier entry, but i was recently passed this piece that was done by national public radio (npr) in the usa about what goes into bottling water, and the growing demand there is for the plastic that goes into these bottles. this story is a tough one for me … i’d love people to at least recycle this plastic instead of throwing it out (and our oceans, rivers, roadsides and landfills are testament to our penchant for throwing out rather than recycling water bottles), but just thinking about all the energy that goes into making and shipping, and then collecting discarding bottles, and re-shipping them to china to re-make them into something else … thinking about all that is enough to tire me out.

can’t we just use the tap? we all know (by now) that it is usually the cleaner, safer choice.

c.

che kothari is a photographer and local toronto artist that is implicated at many levels; social justice, hip hop, photography, bgirls and bboys … you name the urban art form and he seems to be involved. his photos from recent travels seem lovely to me, especially tonight when my skin can’t seem to make enough room for itself to breath in all of this eastern humidity …

c.

actually, we just had a little bread emergency since ours had gone moldy … so i trudged my way out to the only place open this time of night (close to 10pm), which happened to be a big food distributor here in canada. we don’t go there often, but nowhere else was open. anyway, while walking the two or three aisles they dedicate to organics, i was struck by how insignificant the organic section was in that mass of processed, and largely unhealthy, foods … and then, by how few small companies there were in that little organic section, and by comparison, how well represented were the big corporate entities who had wisely jumped the organic band-wagon.

surprisingly, i didn’t find this realization depressing, but reassuring! it reminded me of how important it is that we support local and/or small producers, because it is here that we will make meaningful change. because these companies are the ones that care … not the big corporate industrial farms and packers from california and florida. and as i picked up some organic spelt bagel/buns from a local organic bakery (one of the few local products there), i felt good that at grace & cello, a bunch of insignificant but dedicated souls are working to do the same thing in the fashion industry … namely, put out a sincere product in a sea of corporate opportunism.

little realizations like that make the rigours of production (which we are in right now!) a lot easier. remembering the ‘why’ provides so much staying power …

night!

c.

… not that you asked, or anything.

remember last week when i mentioned the great article i read in the july issue of harper’s concerning detroit and the return of the environment to that once great urban centre? well, the same author who penned that piece has been trying to arm savvy environmentalists to combat lesser environmentalists who have jumped on the nuclear band-wagon … for those wishing to argue down friends and family hell-bent on nuclear (and i speak literally here), you might enjoy this read. while i don’t think she defended her point as well as she could have, i appreciate the effort, and completely side with her way of thinking.

we shouldn’t let the current climate change environment open the door for the adoption of such bad ideas as nuclear energy.

c. 

i love night sounds. crickets, frogs, toads and night birds, especially. cicadas are cool, too. and the nice thing is that around my place here in montreal, i have 3 different species of crickets that keep the rhythm going nights. two perch out front, and seem not to mind at all that a whole other animal is chipping up a storm less than 5 feet away; and, the third one is out back. i couldn’t imagine nighttime without crickets. it’s like running water for me … there must be positive ions associated, or something. or maybe a universal language of song, or some such nonsense.

frogs and toads; c’mon! there are so many i won’t even go into it here. although, there aren’t any in my neighbourhood. when my partner was working out on an organic farm last summer, however, i would drive out there frequently, and upon emerging from the timeless vacuum of my nighttime (rented) car, i would always be struck by out loud eastern nights are! … and how beautifully warm and welcoming. a veritable chorus of biodiversity.

night birds in montreal are primarily the common nighthawks, which is fine by me since this bird has long been one of my favourites (see pic above). they belong to the bird family known as goatsuckers, because hundreds of years ago it was believed they suckled on the teats of goats due to the incredibly large mouths they have! ah, sheesh. the good ol’ days …

the east is different than the west, btw … in terms of night sounds, i am speaking specifically here. i come from the west where the pine and spruce forests sit wonderfully silent most of the night, except for excitable owls and the odd insect here and there. well, there is always a period of coyote cackling and wolf howling, but you know what i mean … there are sounds in the west, but nothing symphonic like there is out east … there is beauty in each.

another favourite summer night sound for me, here in my little neighbourhood tucked lovingly into this fine town, is the ‘night time conversation’. this conversation wafts into my window at all hours of night, from couples or groups of people doing all sorts of things, i guess. coming back from shows, going from one house to another, walking and talking aimlessly … falling in love, maybe!

i actually don’t know what these people are doing, to be honest. i often wonder. i think, ‘how can it be that these people are still up, and that they sound so awake?!’ … but it really pleases me that they are there. it pleases me to know that other people are living different lives than me, with different concepts of what day and night mean. this pleases me like 3 crickets please me, chirping me softly into a sense of deep, comfortable slumber. maybe because it reminds me that my concept of how i organize my day isn’t the only one; which means i could potentially change, should i choose …

i’m tired, btw … but just wanted to say hi! just wanted to let it be known that montreal is beautiful, and the summer feels like it is really just coming into its own. it seems like summer has finally reached its zenith; that it has just now achieved its essence. so funny that soon (in about a month) it will be closing in on autumn! alright alright; i won’t start with that. but, sometimes it just amazes me how short summer is, and how i always seem to remember it for its shortest, but most brilliant peak of existence!

but, tonight i feel content, and happy to be sitting here … listening lazily to night sounds on st.viateur. tomorrow, we will make some fair-trade, eco-clothes, how-about …

c.

ps - thanks kristinl356 for the nighthawk pic and shadow mason for the night pic!

i’m quoting democraticspace, who seem to have a knack for writing insightful titles, and calling people who don’t agree with them stupid. i have to admit, though, that i agree wholeheartedly. design is something we love and cherish at grace & cello, and so seeing how poorly our cities have been designed causes us a considerable amount of frustration and disappointment. democraticspace does a good job of explaining how urban planners need to start working to design great cities, and stop spending all their time, effort and attention figuring out how to move cars around.

great cities involve mixed use planning, and are built in such a way that people don’t need to get in their cars to get milk, access their recreational activities, or even go to work. since we’ve talked quite a bit about the idea of eco-cities this season, i won’t talk your ear off anymore, except to say this blog is a nice concise summary of where we as north americans need to go if we are to create truly healthy cities …

c.

seems like garbage is on a lot of people’s minds these days. here is a lady who isn’t at all comfortable with waste, and so she works to reduce hers by as many fashions as she can think up. have you ever composted a leather camera case?

c. 

in case you were wondering, sometimes i have to pull out those crazy long titles to honour henry fielding and his lovely novel ‘tom jones’ (… in which he was very fond of sentence-long titles for his sections, always providing me with a little chuckle before each chapter of high drama). sorry to transfer my age-old, personal jokes on you!

as for environmentalism and whether grace & cello is truly on the cusp, i present ‘exhibit A’ before the jury: quebec. it is where we live and work after all, and it is also a lovely example of what i am getting at. but wait, maybe that isn’t the best place to start … perhaps ‘exhibit B’ is a better introduction to my topic: biodegradable plastic cups for iced lattes at the local organic and fair trade coffee joint up the street, and the confusion this throws me into.

oh well, i’d feel odd about starting with B (being a by the book sort of taxonomist), so: 

A: quebec calls itself a nation most of the time (even though it is still ‘officially’ a province in the federation of provinces that is canada). this movement to call quebec a nation started with a group of very passionate, dedicated and intelligent folks way back in the 1960s and 1970s who had decided enough was enough. it should be said that these original separatists worked tirelessly and won a great many battles that were pivotal in defending the unique francophone culture found in quebec. without this work, it is certain that quebec would not be as vibrantly francophone (and therefore unique) as it today.

but times have changed, and today the younger generations seem to respond differently to the idea of separating from the rest of canada. many are more passionate about global questions, such as the environment … and these find that talking only of quebec misses the point that we are global citizens with more pressing issues, such as globalization, environmental degradation, and war-hungry profiteers gone mad. the younger generation that still believes independence is important for quebec (and there are many), see the way to get there and the issues at hand differently than the older generation who were responsible for getting the ball rolling in the first place. 

so, in quebec there is a lot of tug of war between the old and new guard regarding what is right, and where quebec should be going in terms of independence. the movement is divided, and at a cross-roads.

voilà ‘exhibit B’: biodegradable plastic cups for my organic, fair-trade iced latte (which we did not buy at starbucks, btw). such a little thing can really shake my confidence! let me say first of all that this was an emergency stop for coffee, and we were torn about getting anything at all because we didn’t have our go-mugs and we hate taking disposable cups to go. in a brilliant stroke of reasoning, we justified to ourselves that if we got an iced drink it would come in plastic, which we could recycle. not ideal, i know, but still a good second place in a pinch. then came the news that our cups were actually biodegradable…

so…explain this for me, the old-school environmentalist. am i supposed to throw this plastic-looking cup into the garbage? or am i to put it in the recycle bin? it seems that if it is biodegradable, it should go into the garbage since that’s the whole point, not to mention the fact that it’s a plant-based material that likely couldn’t recycle anyway … but seriously, can it be a good idea to throw thousands of biodegrable cups into the landfill each day just because we can? landfills are so overflowing that many biodegradable things have a hard time decomposing. in an era when garbage is our most abundant social invention, do we really need to create more garbage, even if it will eventually, one day, sometime decompose?

that was my gut reaction as i held my cup over the garbage bin, the scene startling to the eco-nerd in me … i couldn’t remember the last time i had thrown a plastic vessel into the garbage! but, i forced myself to acknowledge that perhaps this was the better option. all the energy and fuel that goes into collecting and recycling goods is a toll on the environment and our city coffers. perhaps it made more sense to create things that just disappear when thrown away rather than collecting and recollecting goods ad naseum.

and there are many turns like this in the new eco-discourse that i find jarring: consuming to green the plant? or, plastic over cloth; dishwashers over hand-washing; and, biodiesel over not driving a damned car in the first place … the list goes on.

it seems to me that the environmental movement is changing, and sometimes i catch myself doubting the new tendencies. maybe the old guard in quebec has rubbed off on me a bit? perhaps i should go with the flow more and throw away biodegradable plastic cups at breakneck speeds without even a hint of guilt?

i don’t know if can go that far … i have to be honest! after all, one generation can’t do this stuff alone, right? it must be that the best ideas will come with a sort of blending and breeding of different worldviews and plans for moving forward. reminds me of the youth arts forum i was at last month. at one moment when things were getting very pro-youth, and leaning slightly towards ‘out with the oldies’, a very neat, wise man from some caribbean country reminded us that young people don’t live in the world alone, and we shouldn’t pretend that they do. the best future, he said, will be one we’ve all had a say in…

c.

i hate to start all these entries the same way, but … i read a great article the other day! i found it in the july issue of harper’s; a story recounting rebecca solnit’s interpretation of what is currently going down in downtown detroit. she starts by painting a picture of a city that: 1) once boomed, attracting millions of workers to fuel local industry; 2) then emptied as white folks fled to the countryside; and, 3) is now reverting to a natural state, where green is taking over concrete and steel, and people are able to grow their own food, listen to the crickets nights, and otherwise touch earth, breath clean air, and look off towards a horizon.

her narrative is intriguing, because it works to highlight the incredible opportunity facing those who still call (downtown) detroit (i.e., not the suburbs) their home. unlike any other city on the planet, detroit is greening, and not in some superficial way that sees city councils buying more hybrids but driving just as much or more; people recycling but never reducing their consumption habits; and new greenies buying their organic coffee in disposable cups, and groceries in plastic bags.

no, this greening is of a literal kind, with trees, grasses and flowers overtaking abandoned homes and concrete foundations. this greening leaves neighbourhoods with the earth necessary to grow a good majority of their food (in the summer), and with the space and biodiversity necessary to allow residents to truly interact with and get to know the planet that supports us.

detroit is the inverse of everywhere else. while every other ‘green city’ in the world consists primarily of a concrete core (with touches of green) and ravenous suburbs left free to expand relentlessly (and thoughtlessly) outward eating up bundles of biodiversity, downtown detroit is opening up, letting the floodgates of biodivesity spill its abundance right back into its heart.

solnit asks (with poorly concealed desire) if this could be what all north americans cities can expect as the oil dries up. she suggests that detroit might be living through first what all of us will be made to endure at some future date. difficult to predict, but i agree that those fine people living in downtown detroit have a unique opportunity to put prinicples of sustainable development to the test, and there are indications that they have already begun leading the charge.

it could be that detroit is the only place that could possibly lead the way … after all it was here that north america was shown the new way to model society — the model T society.  … so detroit, why not save us from our zealousness and show us yet another option, this one designed to get us out of the mess that is north america today, where economies and social structures aren’t ashamed to benefit local communities, and where we are able to see that small too is beautiful at times.

c.