The other day I paid for street parking in Bondi Junction with the express purpose of avoiding going into the Westfield complex. And if you know Bondi Junction you know that’s a decent whack of pocket change. Why did I choose to hand over my money when there is free parking at Westfield? Well to avoid the bright lights, the soullessness, the fact everyone shopping looks hassled and stressed (probably because they are). It’s impersonal, it’s transactional, and any interactions you have with other humans are generally forced and slightly awkward.  

Yes chain shopping has its conveniences and serves a purpose at times but I ask you, is this really how we want our shopping experience to be on a regular basis?   Does it always have to be like this?

I saw a comment on social media recently that said “every time you spend money you’re casting a vote for the kind of world you want”. I loved this message because it’s powerful and simple, it made me really stop and think about my attitude towards shopping. It’s time to take ownership for how we shop and where we shop, knowing that we have the power to shift demand.

What sort of business do we want to support and grow?

I’m happy to pay more to buy from locally run business because it makes me feel good. I’m happy to spend the time driving around to different spots in Sydney to support business that aligns with my values. That’s the choice I’m now making more often because- I trust local business and I like it’s diversity. I get personal service. I get connection. I often experience joy. Fancy that.

Let’s collectively work towards bringing the joy back to shopping!

Tluxe Wins 2018 Good Design Award®

The winners of Australia's Good Design Awards, the highest honour for design innovation in Australia, were announced at the Sydney Opera House on 17 May at the 60^th Annual Good Design Awards Ceremony.

Tluxe received a prestigious Good Design Award® Winner in the Fashion Design category in recognition for outstanding design and innovation.

The annual Good Design Awards is Australia¹s most prestigious Awards for design and innovation with a proud history dating back to 1958. The Awards celebrate the best new products and services on the market, excellence in architectural design, digital and communication design and reward emerging areas of design including business model innovation, social impact and design entrepreneurship. 

The Good Design Awards Jury commented - Tluxe produces timeless fashion basics that are classic yet contemporary in their appeal. The brand and its website have a directional design aesthetic edge, yet Tluxe is also highly democratic and sustainable as its pieces are made in a single size from a single piece of fabric.

The 60^th Anniversary Good Design Awards attracted a record number of entries. From the 536 innovative designs, only 260 projects were selected to receive the coveted Good Design Award®.

The winners were presented with the new sustainably designed Good Design Award trophy in Sydney. Special guest, Jan Utzon (son of Jorn Utzon, who designed the Sydney Opera House) presented the Good Design Award® of the Year on stage and congratulated all of the 2018 Winners.

Winners of the Good Design Awards will be showcased to the general public during Vivid Sydney, the world's biggest festival of light, music and ideas in Sydney from 25-27 May 2018 at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay.

Natural Fabrics 

Natural fibres can come from both animals and plants, plant fibres are usually a cellulose material and the animal fibres are a protein material. 

Examples: 

• Wool

• Cotton

• Linen

• Hemp

• Silk 

• Leather 

Natural fibres breath better than synthetic and are therefore better for your skin and more comfortable. They are however less durable than synthetic so taking better care of them becomes important. It’s also worth mentioning that the environmental impact of conventional cotton production is quite high which is why we use organic cotton. 

Semi Synthetic 

Semi-synthetic fibres are derived from a naturally occurring fibre through a chemical process. The naturally occurring fibre is harvested, broken down, and then reconstructed. This is most commonly done with cellulose. The cellulose is extracted from the plant, made soluble, and then spun into fiber. In many cases, this process can be done sustainably and creates a versatile fabric. 

Examples: 

· Bamboo

· Tencel  

· Cupro 

 Semi Synthetics fabrics have a beautiful drape and feel and allow the skin to breath. The Tluxe Bamboo Elastaine Cocoon Top has been a best seller for us. Both Bamboo and tencel don’t crush which makes it ideal for travelling, they also hold their shape and colour really well. 

Synthetic Fabrics 

 The raw ingredients for these fibres come from the petrochemical and crude oil industry. Most synthetic fibre is plastic which is manmade through the process of polymerization. Synthetic fabrics are more likely to harbour bacteria and absorb environmental toxins. Studies have also revealed that even plastics that are tested to be BPA-free emit endocrine disruptors (similar to BPA) when exposed to normal everyday wear. 

Examples: 

 • Nylon 

• Acrylic 

• Polyester 

• PVC based Faux/Vegan leathers 

High environmental impact during production. They don’t let your skin breath which isn’t comfortable and can also increase the incidents of body odour. 

They can take up to 200 years to break down and will leach toxins while they decompose and you definitely don’t want to get too close to any open flames as they’re highly flammable!! 

Tluxe is an ethical and sustainable clothing brand. We use a wide range of natural and semi synthetic fabric. We pride ourselves on using the highest quality fabrics that are easy wear, easy care.

The top 5 tips to become ECO friendly with your laundry

1) Cold washing  

It’s a myth that clothes don’t get clean on a cold wash, if you’re worried about getting out stains you can pre-soak with baking soda in cold water for an hour.

2) Wash your clothes less often

Did you know that 25% of fashions carbon footprint comes from washing the clothes we have.My rule, if it doesn’t smell and isn’t stained it doesn’t need to be washed! 

3) Use Eco friendly detergent

We are spoiled for choice these days with Eco friendly options. When you wash with standard detergents the chemicals will remain on the clothing and can be absorbed into your skin as well as being washed into the ocean. I’ve used a range of natural based laundry detergents and have not have not noticed a difference if the quality of the wash. We recommend Tangent garment care, which we sell on our website here.

4)  Line drying

I hope most people are doing this as a default but when busy it can be tempting to choose the quick option but line drying helps save energy and helps keep your clothing wearable for longer.

 5) Buy a Cora Ball

They stop microfibers from being washed into our waterways and oceans.

“Every time we do laundry, our clothes shed tiny microfibers (including      plastic), which go down the drains of our washing machines, through wastewater treatment facilities and into our waterways.

Everyone who wears and washes clothes is part of this pollution. Everyone who eats or breathes could suffer the consequences" Learn more about the problem of microfiber pollution here. 

The Cora Balls are still in production but hopefully available before Christmas, a perfect stocking stuffer for your eco friendly friends and family!

So there you go, being eco- friendly in the laundry can be really easy. It starts with awareness followed by some very small action steps.

 Photo credit - Missglasshome.com