Black Friday & promotion spam

Retailers spam promotions, and if Black Friday was not enough, early black Friday is here too!

Still the distribution model has clung to this policy as the only strategy to attract attention. Forget evolution from brands and retailers. Educating people towards an improved and conscious consumption model is not on their agenda. Not worth it.

Obsessive promotions are the outcome of a hyper-saturated market derived from the overproduction model.
Also, the lower the quality of products, the higher the mark-up, allowing discounts (real or fake?) that can reach -70%.
But the purchasing illusion is safe.

Heavy discounts and obsessive promotions are indicators of a sick system.
The environmental impact fostered by Black Friday and never-ending promotions is really huge. Not to mention the ethical implication, if you do not pay the full price of products, someone will pay for it. So we go back to the disturbing modern-day slavery.

As a matter of fact, there is too much of everything, and our blind habits contribute to feeding this vicious cycle, which has no way out.

Black Friday & promotions spam - Image of a shopping bag - Pointless shit
Image via: drops of devotion – Tumblr

The solution to Black Friday & obsessive promotions

Is it possible we cannot find a better system?

In fact, the solution is a distribution model that abandons large quantities to shift towards good quality. A sustainable production system that grants proper living wages and limits its impact on the environment. Things made to last and healthier consuming habits.

In this balanced context, promotions and discounts would be necessarily limited.

Changing attitude is a necessity. We started from us first, adjusting our activity to an evolved lifestyle. So, we offered a thoughtful consuming model represented by a capsule selection of quality pieces.

We don’t lure consumers by offering crazy discounts. But, we try to educate ourselves and our audience on meaningful consumption.

We respect people, and we understand the worth of their work. We appreciate the products we select. We value quality, and we value our customers.

Modern humans are conscious consumers.
Say no to Black Friday! We don’t need all that stuff.

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Climate change, Fashion Taskforce and private jets

Climate change is the alarming issue we discuss frequently, but the sad irony behind the latest news is creepy.

G20 and COP26 – the world leaders meetings to address climate change represented the bla bla bla we are used to hearing. Words, not facts. In some cases, they offered us something to laugh about with their sleepy faces. Even if there’s nothing to laugh about, in fact, we should only cry for what we did to our planet, as it wasn’t our source of life.

Does it make sense to discuss Joe Biden flying on his jet to Rome and then to Glasgow? Is that the point? How about the other 400 VIP jets that landed in Glasgow for the occasion?
The problem wasn’t Joe Biden’s flight. The problem was all of them gathering together – 400 flights for a climate change summit! That is ridiculous!

To make it really sustainable, wasn’t it better to arrange a zoom meeting?
Perhaps they had some problem with their wi-fi. Or maybe, world leaders intended to make it appear more spectacular to make us believe they are doing it for real. Of course, they needed more impressive backgrounds than computer screens.

climate change - Killing me softly by Gianluca Traina
Killing me softly – by Gianluca Traina

The agreement: -30% gas emission by the end of the decade, and halt deforestation by 2030.

However, acknowledging that China, India and Russia didn’t show up is so sad. They can say whatever, but if the biggest polluters are unwilling to sit at the table and openly find a solution, we have lost at the start.

As a matter of fact, after the Paris agreement in 2015, nothing positive followed. On the contrary, a lot of bad events occurred.
That is the demonstration that capitalism will never change. And money rules even when the house is burning.

At G20 in Rome, Prince Charles guiding a Fashion Taskforce, launched the idea of the Digital ID: a digital passport that carries all the information of a garment in order to provide transparency and traceability.

Although they are the Illuminati, those who created the problem cannot be the solution. All the businessmen with skin in the game have no interest in real change.

Eventually, Draghi thanked the climate activists. And undoubtedly, that is the pathway to follow. Make the change and trust ourselves, not the world leaders.

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The Lambswool Sweater

November, temperatures are cooling down, and it’s time to introduce our new arrivals. A limited number of pieces selected with specific attention to quality and design, aiming to build a capsule wardrobe of timeless clothing. Indeed, that is the essence of a sustainable style.

Wool sweaters, with their masculine image and warm feel, represent a fascinating clothing item. The timeless identity is intrinsic and well represented by a good design choice.

We picked out this sweater from Zucca – we appreciate the meticulous sense of design that identifies Japanese designers. Details are many but always mixed with a good balance and unusual proportions.

This pull is both classic and modern at the same time. In fact, it is a modern revisitation of a classic piece. Nevertheless, you will never get tired of wearing it.

Discover The Lambswool Sweater

The Lambswool Sweater by Zucca
The Lambswool Sweater – ZUCCa

The material is soft lambswool – made in Japan.
The colour: a blueish green. A unique hue to enhance your wardrobe.

The design point: sophisticated but easy to wear.
It is oversized and has a voluminous feel, but its short length makes it look neat.
It features a ribbed round neckline, cuffs and hemline. And ribbed details along the sleeves too. Moreover, two crossing ribs point to the front and back of the garment.
The hemline is asymmetric, meaning that the front side is shorter than the back.
Two side slits give extra comfort to the movement of your body.

You will have no problem coordinating this item with the garments you already have.
The knit, which is a modern arrangement of the basic shape, goes well with any bottom. From elegant outfits to casual styles, you’ll make multiple combinations. Try it over a dress too, or pair it with jeans for a cool everyday style.

Think twice before you buy. More is not the answer, nor is disposable fashion.
Quality over quantity is the way, a value we embrace and want to share with you.

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Belief and bias

Confirmation is the title of a brilliant play we saw last week at Teatro Litta. We received the invitation from a friend we made through our boutique, and it seemed something different.

“If we only try to confirm the things we think we know, then there is a whole sphere of possibility that we will never allow ourselves to know.” The sentence on the invitation was so intriguing.

The play was written by Chris Thorpe in collaboration with Rachel Chavkin and translated into Italian by Jacopo Gassman. Directed by Claudio Autelli and played by Woody Neri.

In shaping an intersection between solo and conference show, Thorpe set off an exploration to understand how we build our beliefs.

The text develops around a series of research on confirmation bias. In short, we tend to form our ideas, mental schemes, and relationships starting from prejudice – the confirmation bias.

Confirmation: a show to challenge your beliefs

Undertaking a dialogue with the public, the performer prompts us to find a link on a short sequence of numbers. That is to explain how easily we tend to find confirmation of something we already know. Then, the investigation evolves in a conversation with a far-right extremist aiming to find common ground.

“We could have similar tastes. For different reasons, we could both prefer the same local bar rather than supporting capitalism and big chains.”

The performer piques opposing political sides, and on this point, it’s obvious that a thoughtful interaction among the parts is crucial. But, when he enters into the dialogue with an extremist who is a racist, white-suprematist and holocaust denier, we have to admit that it gets complicated.

The conversation is both real and imaginary, and it pushes those who have liberal ideas to the limits keeping the audience on the hook. Indeed, more than an hour and a half passed like a bolt, mind-blowing. We couldn’t believe it was already over.

See the show, read the book.
This challenge to our beliefs is a good exercise for our contemporary time.

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The hypocrites

Modern slavery is a topic we frequently discuss because it is horrific and unacceptable. Even more, we are concerned by the context of hypocrisy around it.

Brands are the new gods. Sell people a famous brand, and you’ll get silence and blindness in return.

However, as members of an evolved society, we cannot turn our heads to the other side pretending nothing happens.

The exploiting system based on forced labour and minority oppression has a direct link to superbrands. Not only fashion brands, to make it clear. Indeed, every field finds benefit and — profit — in this rotten practice. In fact, there’s no better way to maximize profit.

Even though we are a drop in the ocean, we think it’s important to put out our words to help raise awareness about this issue.
Popular magazines shed light on it, but people don’t like reading. Or they don’t care enough about things that do not affect them personally. Which, by the way, is a scary attitude.

So, how can you make the message resonate with a large audience?

modern slavery - via Enes Kanter
Modern Slavery – via Enes Kanter

Here comes Enes Kanter, an NBA player. We admit we know nothing about the sport he plays. Zero. But that’s not the point. In fact, we admire him for his bravery in showing up consistently in support of human rights. For many that tend to hide, there are a few who talk out loud.

And so, it was with immense pleasure that we saw his recent posts about the Uyghur minority, forced labour camps and brands hypocrisy, asking Nike’s accountability.

We need more brave humans like Enes Kanter to speak the truth to reach the masses. Just like we need more people that open their eyes and feel touched. Fundamentally, we must find a way to put an end to this exploitation.

Hypocrite Nike - via Enes Kanter
via Enes Kanter

If, as humans, all we could do was develop new forms of slavery in order to feed our fake needs, we have failed.

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