The IOU Project

The IOU Project offers scarves, shirts and dresses; and it creates a direct link between weavers and artisans.

How it works.

Each item is unique because it starts with one particular piece of hand-woven cotton fabric called a madras check.

These fabrics are collected from weavers in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, where the craft has been practiced for centuries. From there it goes to a participating manufacturer in Europe. 

Individual items are cut from a particular madras check, ensuring no two items are quite the same. 

The items are sold only through the IOU Project website, however an individual can become a reseller of any particular item.

An experiment to rethink how goods are produced and sold in a way that benefits everyone.

Manuprasad Mathew

Manuprasad Mathew is from India and he grew into be a designer.
"Since I was a child, I had a knack of making and crafting objects […] it was my favorite leisure time activity".

"Design is all about Happiness […] because in the end it is the happiness that makes the difference".
Portfolio.

Molly Pryke

Molly Pryke is a shoes designer.
Since her childhood she knew she was going to be a designer. When she went to the V&A museum in London, and she saw Blahnik design and illustration, she knew shoes design was what she wanted to do.

"I wanted to design something you can use, something quite sculptural […] art for the feet".
Portfolio.

Jennifer Cantwell

Jennifer Cantwell is an instinctive designer; most of her inspirations come from children, their absence of judgments influence, and their freedom to express themselves.

Photographer: Tommy McAdams - Model: Oz Ozyalcin

"Over thinking is the most negative thing I can do while creating. When I let things happen naturally […] I am entirely happy with the outcome".

Portfolio.

Kelly Wenrick

Kelly Wenrick is specializes in menswear.
"I like the craft and problem solving of tailoring and menswear construction". 

She defines herself a tomboy; that's way she understands what men appreciate in clothing, a field where functionality is in harmony with fashion.
Portfolio.

REPORT #1

From tomorrow to next Tuesday, in Milan there is F/W 2012 menswear fashion week.

Beside all the famous brand that are going to showcase their fall winter 2012 collection, I would like to point out the opportunity White is giving to new designers to showcase their collection to buyers and media/press.

Also BKFW{end} is promoting emerging apparel or accessories designer. The dead line to apply (application form) for showcase your women/men line is February 28th 2012.

Ludovico Loffreda

Ludovico Loffreda is a talented and versatile fashion designer.
He does not fear to challenge himself by design men or women wear. His style is simple and clean, with a deep research about proportion. 

Herno - Collision

"I like to play with proportion, however, when I design, I keep a sportswear approach".
Currently he is working as an intern for Jil Sander, men department.
Profile.

Jadelene Tang

Jadelene Tang is a illustrator and a fashion designer passionate about shoes.
Her interest for fashion blossomed when she was poring over her first glossy magazine and lusting after a girlfriend's most recent stiletto purchase. "I was choked up with emotions, and then I started to sketch".

"Design is a method to solve problems […] a language to communicate. Nowadays sustainability and business ethics are becoming the design focus".
Portfolio.

Natali D

Natali D is a stylist.
She is from South Africa; later on she moved to London where her "eyes were really opened to the fashion scene". Now she is working in Shanghai, a metropolis where the "fashion scene is going through a very exciting period of transformation".

In London and as well in Shanghai "fashion design does not conform to rules, and you have so many different amazing designers on the scene as well as emerging designers".
Portfolio.

Button, new year and other stuff.

Last year luxury brands grew. However the aim of this blog is to promote new talents, not famous brands.

Our work is to give more visibility to the new generation. Young designers have a different approach to creativity; they research a new aesthetic of beauty (or ugliness); skillful person able to discover new fabrics or capable to elaborate old materials in different and unusual way. Those are the reasons why we like to work with them.
 

However, young designers do not have the visibility and notoriety of famous brands. So, what is going to be their future?