OUR PROJECT 

Last week, Crystal, Janette and I went to Kyneton. We set up a photo shoot in the Botanic Gardens for the ENVELOPE 2012 trans-seasonal collection. Janette Hoe modeled and danced while Crystal Dunn took photos.
What an amazing day!
We call it Our Project.

The Common Sense Guarantee

ENVELOPE operates and is managed according to a certain process. This process was developed by Anthea van Kopplen, the designer at ENVELOPE over 10 years ago. The process is called LIDA - The Low Impact Design Approach. It is a holistic approach based on product lifecycle principles. ENVELOPE is committed to meeting the values surrounding environmental and social fairness and the need for all businesses to adopt a Take back system.

A design by Anthea van Kopplen for ENVELOPE made from offcuts donated by other fashion designers. Materials pictured are wool and silk.

A Take-back System is an industrial environmental process born from the white goods industry over 20 years ago in an attempt to reduce the amount of hazardous materials entering the environment, reducing waste. 

Our Take back system is a way of honoring 2 core principles of the business: no waste and longevity.

The materials we use are naturally indigo dyed, resistant to pests, antique and rare as well as being long lasting. ENVELOPE builds on the quality of these materials and the designs by offering you the opportunity to support us.

You have the opportunity to participate in making the world a better place by returning your garment when you no longer want it. Rather than throw it out. For a fee of between $100 and $300 we'll turn your Envelope garment into something new of your choice from the MINI range.

It makes sense doesn't it?  This is our Common Sense Guarantee.

ENVELOPE garden workshop

We want to share an image of our ENVELOPE garden workshop with you. My partner Andrew (Andy), with the help from family and friends, built it for me so ENVELOPE could have a home. The workshop has a wonderful outlook.

This is before...

All the materials from the original garden shed were re-used.

This is after...

The full glass window and door was a gift from Andy's brother-in-law.

Looking out over the garden from my desk.

Andy is a Landscaper, so he also built blue stone edging and created a garden around the workshop. We are now just waiting for the plants to grow. yay!

What is ENVELOPE?

1998 marks the very beginning of the ENVELOPE. I was studying an Master of Arts at RMIT and found an article in The Age newspaper about 5 snowboarders who dyed from the cold in the Australian Alps. They weren't dressed to suit their conditions and they froze to death.

Crystal and Taka in the original conceptual Envelope garment. The Envelope can be worn as a coat, dress, shirt or skirt

Fashion typically forgets about function. The boys were dressed fashionable. Fashionable clothing must be functional. Fashion must also be environmentally and socially responsible for it to be cool. I am concerned when fashion is socially and environmentally irresponsible and ENVELOPE strives to create change.

The business ENVELOPE is in, has developed in response to this concern.

ENVELOPE IS: a place for sharing ideas, how to make our world a better place.
We are an Educational, Design focused Fashion retail directed environmental and social design business. We want to work with you to help understand how to make our world a better place. The question is, how does Slow Fashion (read Sustainable Fashion) operate as a socially and environmentally responsible business framework?

ENVELOPE IS: in an ONLINE STORE @ envelope.bigcartel.com
We're currently making plans to sell Sustainable Fashion and accessories online and in retail outlets across Melbourne.

ENVELOPE IS: a collaborator.
We want to work with you on Art and Design projects.

ENVELOPE IS: an educator.
I teach a studio at RMIT University. It is part of an ongoing exploration in collaboration with Swensk. The question is how to teach a no waste principle,within a Slow Fashion framework, without losing your passion for making beautiful clothes.