OK so I'm totally behind the eight ball on this due to many other comings and goings on here at OT...but I have to thank Jaclyn at Urban Dwellings Design in Kansas City Missouri for a wonderful posting on Oliveira Textiles in September. She has an elegant, modern, high style shop and we are of course very honored to be included in her design pics.
Dawn

Thanks to Kelly LaPlante's genius website, The Green Grades-a website created to give "comprehensive reviews and evaluations of companies providing eco-furnishings", we are thrilled to have found Oliveira Textiles.
Jaclyn
www.urbandwellingsdesign.com
Urban Dwellings Design Ltd.

Hello and please check out this great event happening at RISD next week.
I've been graciously asked to join these noted Rhode Islanders: the topic - smart, sustainable design...RISD press release below....come join us.
Thanks very much,
Dawn

RISDCE Special Event :: Thursday, October 22, 7–9pm

Growing Greener Work

If you're thinking about going green with your own career, check out our symposium/topical discussion, Design, Industry + Careers in the Age of Sustainability. Charlie Cannon, RISD associate professor of Industrial Design and co-founder of RISD's popular Innovation Studio, will moderate and be joined by fellow thought-leaders Matt Grigsby RISD '05 ID, CEO and co-founder of Ecolect, Dawn Oliveira, co-founder of Oliveira Textiles (environmentally friendly fabrics for the home) and Meaghan O'Neill, writer/editor for TreeHugger.com and co-author of Ready, Set, Green.Design, Industry + Careers in the Age of Sustainability will help you learn which actions, materials and processes make the biggest eco-impact in the home and workplace, how to express your creativity while "doing the right thing," and maybe most importantly, how to inspire others with your own enthusiasm for positive change. The panelists will also discuss which sustainability-focused companies, locally and beyond, are thriving in this new economy. Thursday, October 22, 7–9pmTuition: $25 Space is limited; early registration is encouraged.
Pre-registration is required. Visit the RISDCE registration page for more information, or download a registration form and fax to 401 454-6218. Registration is also accepted by phone at 401 454-6209, or in person at the RISDCE office, 20 Washington Place, 1st floor, Providence.RISDCE – Where Art is for Everyone All ages and skill levels welcome!

http://www.risd.edu/ce

A Better World

Mark your calendars if you are in the New England area this weekend.
RISD Press release below:

Providence, RI to host annual “A Better World by Design” Conference
October 2-4, 2009

Rhode Island School of Design & Brown Students Create International Community of Social & Environmental Change.

Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) will invite a global community of innovative thinkers, professionals, and students to Providence, RI to explore, share, and create experiences of social and environmental design. This three-day internationally acclaimed conference, now in its second year, “A Better World by Design” (www.abetterworlddesign.com) will be held October 2-4, 2009 on the campuses of Brown and RISD in Providence, RI. Nearly 500 guests from around the world will gather to discuss innovative approaches and solutions to extreme poverty, access to basic resources, environmental degradation, the future of our infrastructure, and the design of our societies in order to create a better way of life. Global leaders from the fields of architecture, design, engineering, economics, entr epreneurship, environmental studies, business, politics, and global development will converge during this conference to discuss the critical role of design as an integrative application to improve the world and its inhabitants.
“Art and design have a powerful role in this universe – to take all of the complexity in our world and make sense of it on a human scale,” said RISD President John Maeda. “This collaboration between RISD and Brown is just one example of the difference we can make."

And I will be joining this inspiring group as an invited panelist: "Green Consumer Products", Friday, October 2 at 11:30 am at the RISD Museum. Lisle Room
Matt Grigsby, Ecolect, pvd@ecolect.net
Rosanne Somerson, RISD Furniture Dept, rsomerso@risd.edu
Dawn Oliveira, Oliveira Textiles, info@oliveiratextiles.com

See you there.
Dawn

Great 'greenwashing' article

Found this today through OTA memo.
http://www.bsr.org/reports/Understanding_Preventing_Greenwash.pdf

BSR excerpt-
"Consumer demand for more environmentally responsible products is growing. Once confined to a small market of environmentalists, consumers who choose green products over other options now represent 40 percent of the American market, according to Cone’s “Green Gap 2008 survey.”Although companies are paying it more attention, greenwash continues to grow. This is due largely to a growing demand for green-related products—and to the fact that the companies attempting to respond to that demand lack either the ability or the willingness to decipher and act on what is expected.

It takes time and diligence for companies to get the facts straight, not to mention committment. We're working at it.


Dawn

Yes, it's been a while...

Summer Project - Vintage bamboo chair, Yolo lo-voc paint, latex foam with organic wool batting, 100% hemp cover with OT's 'Madeira Vine' pattern in 'marigold' colorway.

So, here are a few updates:

Our fabrics have been accepted by Material Connexion to be placed in the world's largest innovative materials library accessed by Fortune 100 companies, architects, designers and more. They will be displayed in 4 locations; New York, Bangkok, Cologne and Milan and in the online database. We are really proud to be included in this great source of environmentally safe products.

http://www.materialconnexion.com/

September

• I will be 'co-teaching' another RISD continuing ed class entitled "Eco-Materials for Interior Design". Matt Grigsby will share his expertise in Industrial Design and I will share my Textiles expertise. (go to www.risd.edu/ce for more details)

October:

• 10/04/09, 2 day event - RISD's 'Build A Better World'. It's a student organized event with some notable speakers. I will be on the 'Green Consumer Products' panel and am really looking forward to sharing our research on creating safer, healthier textiles.
• 10/22/09 Thursday, 7pm-9pm - RISD has spnsored a symposium called 'Design, Industry + Careers in the Age of Sustainability'. There will be 3 of us - all Rhode Islanders *Matt Grigsby ( RISD alumni and CEO/Founder of a great green materials sourcing group called Ecolect based in Providence and Chicago.) http://www.ecolect.com/ *Meaghan O'Neill http://www.treehugger.com/ (Meaghan is one of the original founders), *Dawn Oliveira - http://www.oliveiratextiles.com/ (Veteran Textile Designer / Educator) Go to http://www.risd.edu/ for further information.

Thanks for checking in..... Dawn

RISD Summer Class Recap

So my foray into teaching was fun and rewarding.
Thank you Cara, Emily,and Lynne. Your interest and enthusiasm in Sustainable Textiles made teaching a pleasure. I look forward to seeing all of you in October at RISD's "Build A Better World Event".
Dawn

OT in 'Apartment Therapy'

Some Nice press for Oliveira Textiles thanks to our wonderful Newport, R.I. PR company, www.6square.com . Thank you Kara DiCamillo.
click link
Apartment Therapy Boston Sustainable Fabrics Inspired by the Sea

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We love it when locally-made, environmentally-conscious products find their way into our mailbox. Add a dose of New England inspiration into the aesthetic and it really makes us smile. Introducing the debut line of eco-friendly fabrics inspired by the ocean from the Rhode Island-based company Oliveira...

Also, I'm heading down to NYC on Friday, June 26, to visit the showroom of our newest representative: AM Collections in SOHO - 584 Broadway to be exact. Oliveira Textiles is thrilled to finally have a presence in our favorite city!

And because it's so important to mix pleasure with business, I look forward to seeing 5 of my dearest friends from Polo and Liz for a wonderful Indian dinner. A few hours of R&R will truly be welcome.
Dawn

Oliveira Textiles in great company on Treehugger today.

THANKYOU!

11 Eco Upholstery Textiles Revolutionizing the Global Market

by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 06.10.09
Design & Architecture

4. Ocean Collection from Oliveira Textiles

Photo left: Anemone made of hemp & organic cotton, twill. Photo right: Shellgame in 100 percent hemp, or 55/45 hemp/organic cotton, twill. Photos via Oliveira Textiles

For whimsical eco textiles, look no further than Oliveira Textiles. The firm's debut Ocean Collection is made of sustainably harvested and rapidly renewable hemp, (like Ecotextiles, it is sourced from Romania), and organic cotton grown, harvested, and woven in Turkey. Check out our interview with founder Dawn Oliveira.

Dawn

RISD reminder...

Thought I would share this information with all those who visit our blog and ask that you pass it on....thanks .

New this Summer! RISD Continuing Ed has several new courses that focus on sustainable materials for a variety of design applications, plus many unique new fine art and design offerings, and several new courses in The Business of Art + Design that should be of interest to all. Here are links to a few of the new courses, or check out our full course list for all summer offerings:Sustainable Textiles: Farm to Shelf (TEXT-1961)Green Materials and Design: Exploring Process + Product (INDES-0280) Vibrant Vector Design (COMC-0899) Landscape Design History: Focus on Newport (PRES-3917) Painterly Prints: Gelatin Monotypes Workshop (PRINT-4399) Experimental Relief Printmaking (PRINT-4398) Intellectual Property for Art + Design: Be in the Know (PRAC-0173) Contracts: What Artists + Designers Need to Know (PRAC-0174)

On a Bright Note...

We've discovered some new web press from Design Trade Magazine.
Design Trade Magazine: Ocean and Madeira Collections from Oliveira Textiles

And on a new twist, our Anemone pattern has been selected for a book cover illustration. The book is a historical novel titled The Coral Thief written by Rebecca Stott, to be published by Orion Press in the UK.....sneak peek here. release is fall 09.And, back in April our Anemone pillows were included in Newport Life Magazine's feature, 'locally made'.

Sincerely,

Dawn