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Bono, Ali and Rogan's Socially Conscious Clothing Debuts at Barneys
Imani Powell
Mon May 23, 6:44 PM ET
Fashion Wire Daily - New York - "I don't know very much about fashion," confessed Ali Hewson, the wife of Irish rock star Bono, and a third of the team behind Edun (nude spelled backwards, pronounced Eden, like the garden) to a crowd of mimosa sipping fashionistas on Sunday afternoon during the Edun Fall 2005 trunk show held at Barneys Women's CO-OP on Madison Avenue in New York. "But what I do know is that when I buy clothes for my children, I don't want them to be made by other people's children; I don't want them to be made from someone else's despair." Which is why she teamed up with her husband and denim whiz Rogan to create a line of socially conscious threads that are all about respect for the people who make them. "It's a simple idea," adds Hewson.
The line of super chic duds include designer denim, carefully crafted cords, cotton shirts, blouses and tees made of natural materials such as cotton and hemp, and gorgeous blazers for girls and blokes. The collection is embellished with delicate details such as the Edun logo's signature floral motif, poems by Rainer Maria Rilke or heart shaped mother of pearl buttons, all crafted with love under the best possible fair-labor factory conditions in the developing world. Each item speaks volumes, whether proudly displaying "made in Peru" or featuring the slogan "shopping is politics" - personal touches that remind the consumer of their social responsibility towards positive change and to spend their money where it counts.
"We expect the world to change dramatically, but most of the time the world is changed for the better in tiny steps," Bono explained to the crowd behind tinted lenses after having apologized for any apparent fatigue (U2 played Madison Square Garden the night before). "People are thinking more about where they spend their money and what they spend it on, they're picking up an item of clothing and asking where was this made? Who made it? How was this made? And this is how the world changes, in tiny, tiny, steps."
Having spent a lot of time in Africa, Bono shared that the "credible, noble, dignified people of the developing world want less of our aid, and more of our trade, they want to do business with us, I think that's the American way and I think that we should do very well out of it."
After the applause died down, he insisted: "Just one last thing, my darling wife said that the only way she would get involved in this project is if I didn't have anything to do with the fashion!"
No worries. Ali and Rogan have managed to create a p.c. line without skimping on design, quality or fit.
"It's amazing!" Julie Gilhart, Fashion Director of Barneys told Fashion Wire Daily. "I mean it's fashion, it's stylish, it's all of the things that our customers want to wear and it's also helping to create trade in places where people need to work. We all have to have a conscious, and it's good to be able to buy things that you can actually wear that support that cause."
Finally, a very humble Rogan thanked Barneys for their continued support and Ali and Bono for the opportunity to collaborate on the venture.
"It's a privilege to work with these guys on a project that can positively impact the world," Rogan told observers while encouraging all to pick up a signature Edun tee, as a percentage of the proceeds would go to building a well for schoolchildren in Lesotho. "There's a million different ways to do things with a conscience and there's a lot more to do, a lot more to learn."
Bono, Ali and Rogan's Socially Conscious Clothing Debuts at Barneys
Imani Powell
Mon May 23, 6:44 PM ET
Fashion Wire Daily - New York - "I don't know very much about fashion," confessed Ali Hewson, the wife of Irish rock star Bono, and a third of the team behind Edun (nude spelled backwards, pronounced Eden, like the garden) to a crowd of mimosa sipping fashionistas on Sunday afternoon during the Edun Fall 2005 trunk show held at Barneys Women's CO-OP on Madison Avenue in New York. "But what I do know is that when I buy clothes for my children, I don't want them to be made by other people's children; I don't want them to be made from someone else's despair." Which is why she teamed up with her husband and denim whiz Rogan to create a line of socially conscious threads that are all about respect for the people who make them. "It's a simple idea," adds Hewson.
The line of super chic duds include designer denim, carefully crafted cords, cotton shirts, blouses and tees made of natural materials such as cotton and hemp, and gorgeous blazers for girls and blokes. The collection is embellished with delicate details such as the Edun logo's signature floral motif, poems by Rainer Maria Rilke or heart shaped mother of pearl buttons, all crafted with love under the best possible fair-labor factory conditions in the developing world. Each item speaks volumes, whether proudly displaying "made in Peru" or featuring the slogan "shopping is politics" - personal touches that remind the consumer of their social responsibility towards positive change and to spend their money where it counts.
"We expect the world to change dramatically, but most of the time the world is changed for the better in tiny steps," Bono explained to the crowd behind tinted lenses after having apologized for any apparent fatigue (U2 played Madison Square Garden the night before). "People are thinking more about where they spend their money and what they spend it on, they're picking up an item of clothing and asking where was this made? Who made it? How was this made? And this is how the world changes, in tiny, tiny, steps."
Having spent a lot of time in Africa, Bono shared that the "credible, noble, dignified people of the developing world want less of our aid, and more of our trade, they want to do business with us, I think that's the American way and I think that we should do very well out of it."
After the applause died down, he insisted: "Just one last thing, my darling wife said that the only way she would get involved in this project is if I didn't have anything to do with the fashion!"
No worries. Ali and Rogan have managed to create a p.c. line without skimping on design, quality or fit.
"It's amazing!" Julie Gilhart, Fashion Director of Barneys told Fashion Wire Daily. "I mean it's fashion, it's stylish, it's all of the things that our customers want to wear and it's also helping to create trade in places where people need to work. We all have to have a conscious, and it's good to be able to buy things that you can actually wear that support that cause."
Finally, a very humble Rogan thanked Barneys for their continued support and Ali and Bono for the opportunity to collaborate on the venture.
"It's a privilege to work with these guys on a project that can positively impact the world," Rogan told observers while encouraging all to pick up a signature Edun tee, as a percentage of the proceeds would go to building a well for schoolchildren in Lesotho. "There's a million different ways to do things with a conscience and there's a lot more to do, a lot more to learn."
