Sustainable Luxury Design Workshops

Sustainable Luxury Design Workshop
ChooYilin, Terra Plana, JUJUBE® 
by Mishiel

The Sustainable Luxury Design Workshop is a combined effort by three sustainable luxury brands aiming to bring about greater awareness on ethical consumerism towards the sustainability of luxury fashion. The workshop that spanned over two days featured JUJUBE® Ecological Apparel Design, ChooYilin Sustainable Jewelry and Terra Plana environmentally-friendly footwear.

This environmental brand awareness event was held at La Villa, a dining haven that offers patrons a serene environment great natural lighting during the daytime. Our event planner Ms. Lily Lim of The Soiree Planner thoughtfully chose to host our event this location for both its delectable aura and for its energy conservation capabilities.

Ms. Olivia Choong of Sustainable PR kicked off the event with an excellent introduction of all three brands and giving the audience an overview of our focus. She then represented Terra Plana in introducing their line of high-end, earth-friendly footwear to the audience. It was amusing for us to learn that Terra Plana’s soles are made from renewable sources like rice husk composites, and that the special Terra Plana POP technology eliminates the need for glue in the assembly process—very much like JUJUBE®’s eco-centric approach towards material selection and design methodology!

Next, Creative Director Ms. Jujube Li shared with the audience about how JUJUBE® as a  company incorporates high quality eco materials into our modular design concept, and offers tips on ethical consumerism to the audience. (She is wearing the Aeolus dress in the above images.)

“By modular design, we can create exponential styles with minimal resource consumption and make a difference in the architecture of our wardrobe. As a committed ecological apparel designer, using only eco-certified materials in my designs ensures that they are from a renewable source and are biodegradable in the case that they are discarded after use, thereby creating a closed loop cycle in the consumerism process,” expounds Jujube.

Jujube in the Phoebe dress, adding the finishing touches to the visual merchandise display that Ersalina and I help set up earlier.

For the Sustainable Luxury Workshop, all three brands extended to our VIP guests special treats to thank them for taking part in our event.

JUJUBE® also carries an eco bag collection that is made of recycled beverage packaging and handwoven by a women’s cooperative in the Philippines.

Jujube explaining the luxurious feel and drape of Austrian company Lenzing’s modal—a type of lyocell textile derived from the barks of Beech trees grown in sustainable forests in Europe, and thereby EU Eco Label certified. We use only 100% Lenzing modal for the Bird of Paradise collection.

Dora S., one of our favorite models to work with, featured in our three hottest looks from the Bird of Paradise collection, completely made from EU Eco Label certified Lenzing modal.

JUJUBE®, ChooYilin, and Terra Plana are creating alternatives for each individual to take action and reclaim your right to a livable tomorrow. We don’t have to wait for big brands to make a difference ten years later. We can do it today!

Discovering Sustainability in Production and Technology

by Mishiel

Team JUJUBE at the Sustainable Fashion Seminar held on 24 November at the AAMA-TEX exhibition at Sands Expo and Convention Center, Marina Bay Sands .

Today, we attended The Asia Apparel and Textile Machinery Exhibition (AAMA-TEX) that is going into its 8th edition from 23rd to 26th November at Marina Bay Sands together with Jujube to discover more about the tools and equipments related to the garment manufacturing industry.

We learned that KANSAI is a dealer of industrial sewing machines and replacement parts for the shoe, garment, automotive, marine and leather industries, including Juki, Pfaff, Consew, Singer, etc. It was very insightful to see all these different tools that help create the fashion we wear.

We also visited the new brand “Accor” from Shing Ling Sewing Machine Co., Ltd., Taiwan that showcased all different kinds of sewing machines—industrial sewing machines, interlock sewing machine, chain stitch sewing machine, and knitting sewing machines.

I think this was Jujube’s favorite part on the exhibition—OptiTex Fashion Design Software. OptiTex develops innovative, user-friendly 2D and 3D CAD software for all cut-fabric and fashion-related industries. OptiTex’s fashion design software solutions are designed to facilitate collaboration among partners throughout the manufacturing process. They are not the only ones exhibiting, so we will have to do some research backend before we decide if the software will be useful for us.

Here we are—Management Assistant, Ersalina and Design Assistant, Mishiel attending the 8th Asia Apparel and textile Machinery Exhibition.

Designing for The Exotic Tropics

by Jujube Li

After months of sampling and re-sampling to revise the construction of our more eclectic pieces, we were finally able to shoot the key pieces that will be showcased in our new collection – Bird of Paradise.

JUJUBE’s Bird of Paradise inspiration board

While the concept of this collection was inspired the exotic creature known as the Bird of Paradise, the color palette was taken from the vivacious fauna found in the lushness of the tropics. Just one degree away from the equator, we have more sun and moisture than anywhere else in the world. Like the Bird of Paradise, the fishing village-turned-island metropolis is truly a rare yet stunning occurrence along the world’s infinite time line. In reflection of this island paradise where we are located, we have named the color palette ‘Citrus Passion.’ The summery hues celebrate the lack of winters in this part of the world, where we live basked in sunshine and youth-preserving humidity 365 days of the calendar year.

The most beautiful of all is the Bird of Paradise.

Designing in response to the climate and to the fabric of society that binds us to each other comes from my days of architectural training. Surprisingly, this thought process in design that seems so logical and natural does not always apply to the high-octane world of fashion, fueled more by desire than by practicality. Designing for a society where image means almost everything, there is a need for the dramatic, a need to impress upon the memories of those we meet.

The inspiration from a creature as rare as the Bird of Paradise propelled us to break free from the fetters of mundane everyday life by creating unique pieces free from mental gravity.

one degree from the equator

For such a deep level of engagement in design, the location for the shoot had to be just as wildly sensual and surreal. I traveled all across the island with my assistant—camera in hand—searching for that anomaly amidst urbanity.

By what seemed like preordained will, we came to a winding cobbled path along an obscure road. It was connected to the highway, but nobody seemed to notice it. A dangling wooden sign led us further into a rich enclave of garden plant varieties that seemed haphazardly yet deliberately cultivated.

When I came to a clearing where vines from a tree branch hung over a stone masonry structure that had an essence to it bordering on Byzantine, I knew right away that this was the perfect setting for our Bird of Paradise collection.

The stone masonry structure that enraptured my senses.

Little did I expect to meet an acquaintance just as we were encroaching upon the entrance to a humble stucco building tucked behind the dense foliage it was surrounded by.

‘Hello stranger, what a surprise to find you here of all places! Aren’t you supposed to be in Abu Dhabi?’ I asked in amusement.

‘Oh, whoa – Jujube! What in the world are you doing here? This is my first day of work here. What a coincidence! Come on, let me introduce you to my boss,’ the acquaintance responded with a big smile as the green wooden door swung open to a middle aged man inside.

covert building on the left, tucked behind foliage

And by that miraculous intervention, is how we managed to obtain permission to shoot on site. The otherwise covert establishment may have very likely simply turned us away had it not been for the very exact second our chance encounter occurred.

A few weeks later, post-email correspondence and confirmation, we were ready to head back to the secret garden yet again.

It was an exceptionally early day for everyone at JUJUBE®—by the break of dawn, we were already done with packing the outfits, shoes, and jewelry for the photo shoot. Including some pieces from our capsule launch collection, there were 26 outfits to be shot in total. We had to break down the length of the shoot right down to minutes—to be timed by assistants Madeline and Geraleine—just so we can get all the items shot within little more than half a day.

We set off for our outdoor shoot location with a great deal of excitement built up from the week of planning, but the sky was unexpectedly overcast with dense rain clouds. Within minutes of this realization, raindrops started to hit the windshield. En route to the outdoor location for our photo shoot, we had to reign in the whole cast to the studio so that we can start with the indoor shoot instead. Thankfully, everyone on the team was a good sport about the change, and little time was wasted due to the pre-planning efforts being made.

At the studio, we started by unpacking and steam ironing each individually-encased outfit for the photo shoot, and placed them in order on the rack. The photographer had begun setting up his lighting and camera equipment in the meantime, and the make up artist Iris was already starting on the first look for our model.

Geraleine and Madeline preparing the outfits for the indoor shoot

It ended up taking us a whole hour to set up for the indoor shoot, but all was worth the while, with Dora carrying off our outfits effortlessly.

Being a professional, reliable, considerate, versatile, and amicable model, Dora portrayed the JUJUBE® woman very well. She arrived on time, did not make a single complaint throughout the entire ordeal, and gave us everything we hoped for from girl-next-door to exotic-animal-in-the-wild.

The arrival of the new collection is coming very soon to you at Parco, 2F Millenia Walk and also our new stockist at Terra Plana, 2F Mandarin Gallery. Do keep an eye out for our stock arrival!

Project Skyline

by Jujube Li

Is it August 9th again? This year, the tropical island state turns 45. In only half a century, what used to be a fishing village is now a metropolis with skyscrapers mushrooming everywhere. Teeming with the brightest minds and talents from every corner of the world, it is no wonder that tiny nation is progressing far beyond its ASEAN counterparts.

To be featured in an art installation inspired by the nation’s skyline created by WY-TO architects was an honor  I am not sure JUJUBE® quite deserved. A non-citizen of this tropical republic, one can only feel exceptionally grateful to be part of such an artistic collaboration. Then again, it is this eagerness to diversify and to stop at nothing to reach new horizons that has made this island what it is today.

Usual suspects appear amidst the cocktail-clenching crowd feasting on hor d’oeuvres—fellow designers, media members, retailers, and of course, the occasional off-beat socialite with a penchant for the arts. Making merry with small talk, clinking of glasses, and clicking of cameras, clusters break away to discuss new ideas in new formations.

My assistants Geraleine and Madeline have disappeared. Meanwhile, the conversation had morphed from discussing the magnificent designs on display to the challenge of surfing in Southeast Asia. A 13-year old blogger jumps into the conversation, only to be lured away by sharp witted retorts from a predecessor of the same first name.

What I most appreciated about the launch of the amazing work of art before my eyes was not so much the media, the food, or the merrymaking. To the satisfaction of my eco-subconscious, the 260 reused cardboard boxes used as basic modules in sculpting the piece held up all 20 odd mannequins quite firmly. If only each cardboard box represented 18,000 energy-saving, environmentally conscious households here, this would be the greenest nation on earth.

As the tide of merriment fizzled out into static noise in the background, my assistants magically reappeared before me, seemingly just as content from having their fill of the night’s offerings. It seems only yesterday I was in their shoes, filled with craving and wanderlust. Today, nothing quite satisfies me as seeing the young ones get their fill, and get better with time.

What will they have accomplished for this little island state forty-five years from now? Will the world have become a better place for their children?

Green Drinks

Artery Bar, Red Dot Museum

by Madeline Teo

It has only been two weeks for us here at JUJUBE^®. As Jujube had to jet off to a business trip overseas, Geraleine and I were left on our own to attend our first social networking event. Geraleine finished up on the last of the sketching and inking and as I closed the Excel spreadsheet, I put the grid of styles and numbers behind me in my mind to prep myself for the upcoming event.

Hopping on the subway, Geraleine and I wondered to each other who we were going to meet and what we were supposed to say to people we don’t know. During our conversation, I realized that we both dressed up for the event. She was wearing a long black knit dress and I was wearing a white sundress. For people who don’t really wear dresses, this seemed like a big deal to us.

. . .

After a long day at work, we found ourselves unwinding to Green Drinks at an extended happy hour from Atery Bar. The joint was littered with other eco-minded individuals much older than us. We felt slightly out of place, but Olivia the organizer was a real sweetheart and helped us ease into the seemingly black-collared crowd.

Oh yea. Just a little background info—Green Drinks Singapore is a non-profit environmental group that seeks to connect various communities, businesses, academia and government people come together. Basically, they plug the information gap that exists in the local socio-scape by organizing these free-for-all roundtable drink sessions every last Thursday of the month.

Today, we had Steve McCoy from Green Drinks KL sharing with us about “Sustainability: Changing The Way We Change The World.” He talks about the environmental movement in our world today, and prodded us to re-examine our approach towards life. A highly regarded individual, Steve has spoken at events like the World Islamic Economic Forum and the International CSR Conference.

In this session, Steve highlighted that making the move from living in an unsustainable world to a sustainable one in the time we have to do it requires an end to “business-as-usual” mindset—not only in the corporate and political worlds, but also in the ‘lets-make-the-world-a-better-place’ world.

Steve will look at the environmental movement and think aloud about whether it has what it takes to see us though to a post-consumer society. If not, then how different does the ‘sustainability’ movement need to be than before — is it a question of a few small changes, or something much more radical?

Along the way, Steve also talked about “fungus and framing”— he asked whether we all have AIDS now, discuss how not to parachute cats, and look at the essential ‘midwifery’ skills of amoeba dissection, prospicience and thumb-wrestling – all with the aim of provoking thought and stimulating discussion.

Some details of the talk captured above was taken from Green Drink Singapore’s Facebook page; please click on the link to find out about more upcoming events. See you there next round!

 

First Post

Looking back at how far JUJUBE Ecological Apparel Design has come in the past two years, I can’t help but wonder how far we have to go in order to achieve our ultimate goals. What are our ultimate goals? To make the world a livable one, as well as one worth living in for the future generations of humankind.

We only have one habitat and one lifetime to make a difference. We can make things worse, or make things better. The problem is in defining exactly what better means, because “better” is defined by the values we adopt over time through what we are taught to believe.

What is better?

Is it better to be able to show off the latest fashion item at the expense of the environment and other people’s well being? Or is it better to be able to have an environment to live in so you can show off the latest fashion item and have people around you to show it to?