item details
Greta Menzies; fabric designer; 2012; Wellington
Overview
Common Thread
This singlet and belt are from Starfish's collection Common Thread, designed for Spring/Summer of 2012-13.
Starfish - an eco-friendly label
'We aim to create well-loved, versatile clothes that peole will enjoy wearing for a long time because they wear well and the style is enduring'. Laurie Foon, 2008
Starfish was founded in Wellington in 1993 by Laurie Foon, who had formerly operated a re-fashioned clothing stall called Jive Junkies in Wellington's Wakefield Market. Throughout her career, Foon sought to take a sustainable and ethical approach to fashion, and to continue to make in New Zealand rather than off-shore. In 2007 Starfish became the first fashion company in New Zealand to receive an NZI National Sustainable Business Award for‘commitment to key sustainability goals, including energy, waste and transport issues as well as social responsibility and family friendly employment policies’. Where possible, Foon sourced locally-produced, organic fabrics, used dyeing and treatment processes that had a far lower environmental impact than the conventional alternatives textiles and used recycled elements such as belts and buttons. Aiming to be transparent, Starfish provided their clients with an eco-folder in all their stores which constained organic certifications, dying and printing standards and fabric information.
The items are made from 100% organic cotton and have been dyed to 'OEKO-TEX® 100 standard', which means that it is 'free of harmful substances and therefore safe for human health and the environment'. The 'OEKO-TEX® 100 standard' was introduced by the Hohenstein Institute and the Institute for Ecology, Technology and Innovation ÖTI (Austria) in 1992 to promote 'confidence in textiles'.
Starfish closed in 2013.