"Ecollection" at "Magic" - Las Vegas

Hello everyone.

I'd love to share some news about Oliveira Textiles today.

Our company has been included on a 'green' product website called "Ecolect", a Providence, R.I. based company with a presence in Chicago and San Francisco as well. Material: Oliveira Textiles - Ecolect

"Ecolect’s mission has always been simple, yet ambitious: to help designers find sustainable materials, to provide makers of new materials a space to publicize their innovations and create a vibrant forum for designers committed to sustainability to share their inspiration, occasional frustration, new information and everything in between." http://www.ecolect.net Matt Grigsby, a RISD alumni is the CEO and co-founder. We are excited about joining this list of committed 'green' designers & manufacturers.

In connection with our decision to join 'Ecolect', Matt has invited me to take part in a panel discussion in Las Vegas -- The "Ecollection" segment of "Magic"--the large fashion / textiles trade event that takes place every February & August. I am incredibly eager to meet the other panelists and learn as much as I can in 2 days about the extent of audience interest/knowledge in this sustainable marketplace. ECOLLECTION at MAGIC: Programs & Activities

I hope to see some of you there!

Dawn

Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine

Mexican Flavor - Phoenix Home & Garden

Our Anemone in new glowingly warm tones on our 100% certified organic, 13oz hemp herringbone is featured in January issue of Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine.

"ECO-FRIENDLY FAB"

"Soak up tropical flavor with Oliveira Textiles’ Ocean Collection of 'environmentally considerate' hand-silk-screened fabrics. Made from rapidly growing, sustainable Chinese hemp, the textiles’ enticing swirling patterns are created with eco-friendly water-based dyes. The fabrics, suitable for upholstery uses, pillow covers, window treatments and more, are available through design professionals and the company. For information on ordering, call the Rhode Island firm at (401) 396-9194, or check oliveiratextiles.com on the Internet."

Roberta Landman pg 50

Dawn

This Just In.....California Home & Design Magazine's 'Daily Finds'

Please click on this link to read/see a nice post by Assistant Design Editor Mikhael Romain from California Home & Design Magazine--the website.
Eco-Friendly Fabrics From Oliveira Textiles California Home and Design

Posted by Mikhael Romain
Monday, December 29, 2008 12:27 AM
"If you’re looking for a fashionable and eco-friendly way to upholster your favorite chair, check out Oliveira textiles. The Rhode Island company uses organic cotton and hemp fabrics for their designs that feature botanical and sea-inspired prints. The two collections, Ocean and Madeira, come in shades of blue, orange, purple and green. oliveiratextiles.com "
nice note to end the evening on...
Dawn

The New Year...and a note on new consumer safety laws

Well, here we are on the last day of a memorable year, 2008..... tumultuous is probably a better word. Frankly I'm excited about ringing in the New Year, and welcoming all the possibilities: a new president who is completely on board with fostering a green economy, a stock market that just might be getting off the rollercoaster it's been riding since the fall, new growth opportunities for our own small green company.....and for good measure, WORLD PEACE.

Since there has been a plethora of OTA Fiber Forum postings lately regarding
the new stringent requirements of the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/faq/faq.html
We wanted to just list some important points.
--The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 is a US law
signed on August 14 2008 by Bush. It imposes new testing and requirements
on manufacturers of apparel, shoes, personal care products, accessories,
home furnishings, bedding, toys etc..
--This law is targeted mostly toward children's products.
--The legislation reduces the limit of lead allowed in products for children to:
* 600ppm by Feb 10, 2009
* 300ppm by August 14, 2009
* 100ppm by August 2011
--There is also legislation for Pthalates, DEHP, DBP, BBP, DINP, DIDP, DnOp:
Levels must be set at 0.1 percent.
--The burden falls primarily on the retailers' end product(to the consumer)They
are being asked to "retest" their products(every SKU) to prove that the limits
are as stated above even if they are using certified organic goods, as our fabrics are; and ideally, GOTS certified fabrics. GOTS maximum lead allowance is .2ppm....far below what this CPSA ruling allows.
This new CPSA really seems excessive and, needless to say has upset 1000's of small green businesses who cannot possibly meet these new deadlines and requirements. We, here at Oliveira Textiles will gladly sign petitions and/or take part in a plan of action to revise these new regulations. Stay tuned.
HEALTH & PROSPERITY in 2009!!
Dawn & Deb

Time Travel - Domino Magazine - March 08

Ok, so we recently discovered after some serrendipitous web surfing that our "Shellgame" fabric was featured on The Today Show with Al Roker way back in March 08 coinciding with the release of Domino Magazine's second annual green issue (in which our fabric was also featured as draperies)....we were just tickled to see Al, and Domino's Contributing Style Editor, Chassie Post, fondling our 100% Hemp fabric..ooh la la...click on the video below. (Oh and YES, we would have loved it if our company had been mentioned...next time around, oh yeah!)
Dawn

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Green Drinks Newport

Good morning..I have to share:

I attended another Green Drinks Newport (RI) event last night; this month, hosted by a company called Farmaesthetics, http://www.farmaesthetics.com/ (Green Drinks is an international organization that allows people in the “green” and environmental community to come together. Through this network people have made friends, found jobs, exchanged information, developed new ideas and have helped others in the field with special projects. Most of all, people have fun!)

The gathering was in their very first retail shop located at 144 Bellview Avenue,

a pristine, and inviting space....where, last night they were offering "endangered cocktails"...a turn of the century recipe for a kick ass cocktail.....yummmm. The owner, Brenda Brock just couldn't be nicer

and what a wonderful success story. Growing up in a 7th generation farming family from rural texas, she had always created these unique recipes ..a 'trailblazer in "green" skin care..... She started selling her product at a tiny farmstand in Portsmouth, RI,,,and with luck and determination has grown her business into a nationally recognized brand....

Committed to "Sustainable Beauty®", all Farmaesthetics products are 100% natural utilizing certified organic herbs, flowers & grains from American family farms. Today her full line of 100% natural skincare products for face & body are used & sold in the finest spas & retailers in the world, including Golden Door Spas, Four Seasons Resorts, Terrain & ABC Home & Planet in NYC.

Farmaesthetics was recently named to Women's Wear Daily's 2007 "It List" of "The Green Brands Defining Organic Skincare".

And I can speak from experience..her product is really incredible...the truly intoxicating aromas alone are enough to keep you coming back....fabulous!

And on another exciting note, I have agreed to teach a class on Sustainable Textiles next summer at RISD...I am really looking forward to sharing all that we've learned here at Oliveira Textiles over the past few years with future textile designers, manufacturers and interior designers....

I'll keep you posted.

Have a great weekend...

Dawn

Pleasant Surprise

Ok first and foremost, we want to say thank you to Harmony Susalla of http://www.harmonyart.com/ for graciously promoting Oliveira Textiles on her blog. Your generosity is an inspiration.
Hope you overindulged on your 40th birthday....!!

And, though we don't normally see our fabrics used in fashion because the weights are a bit heavy...Sarah Waldo, a talented, local Providence Designer of children's wear (Parsons alum) has done a lovely job with our MysticBlue and Redcoral Anemone prints for her Spring 09 collection. See her "Sadie Coat" below or go to her website at http://www.sarahwaldo.com/. I am just so excited to see how adorable these coats turned out...thanks very much Sarah!

P.S. We do not have our new prints diplayed on our website yet, but we will....I'm working with my webdesigner to figure out a way whereby I can load all these new pics and info 'myself'....appreciate your patience.
All the best
Dawn

Hippie Holiday at Barney's New York

Barney's Deptartment Store and Simon Doonan in conjunction with "Earth Pledge", have created a fun eco promotion: and, whether our fabrics are chosen or not, we are very proud to see our name mentioned as donors of fabric for this exciting event.....
Dawn
PEACE, LOVE & SUSTAINABILITY New York, NY, Nov 16- Earth Pledge is pleased to announce its new project to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Peace sign. Earth Pledge's FutureFashion initiative celebrates environmentally conscious fashion by working with industry leaders to promote renewable, reusable and non-polluting materials and methods. This season's collection is a collaboration with top fashion designers to create one-of-a-kind environmentally friendly fashions incorporating the peace sign. Designers were given free reign to incorporate the iconic symbol into their designs, while utilizing sustainable materials and techniques that reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing and production. The peace inspired, eco-friendly fashions will be unveiled on November 16th in the windows of Barneys New York's flagship store at Madison Avenue and 61st street. Earth Pledge and Barneys will kick off the holidays with a 60's themed shopping event, where the designs will be displayed through January 1st 2009 as part of the retailer's Hippie Holiday windows. Participating designers included Zero Maria Cornejo, Derek Lam, Calvin Klein, Doo.Ri, Behnaz Sarafpour, Diane von Furstenberg, Proenza Schouler, Three As Four, Thakoon, Rogan, Isabel Toledo, Rodarte, Philip Lim, Martin Grant, Band of Outsiders, Giambattista Valli, Alexander Wang, Rag and Bone, Narciso Rodriguez, Marni, Michael Kors, Maison Martin Margiela, Moschino, Stella McCartney, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, Duro Olowu, Dosa, and Natalie Chanin.Designers used materials such as organic cotton, merino wool, linen, recycled fabrics, PLA, tilapia sea leather, pina, vegetable tanned leather, and even 'Peace' silk to create one-of a kind, sustainable pieces.


FutureFashion has been generously sponsored by vendors such as Col de Mar, Eurolaces, Lenzing, Harmony Art, Indigo Handloom, Ingeo, Jasco, Syka, Windochine, Ultra Fabrics, Ten Fold Organics, Pickering International, Lulan Artisans, Vermont Organic Fiber Co., Oliveira, O-eco textiles, Sofarsonear, Hemp Traders, Robert Kaufman, Seidra Textilweire, Rechberger, Near Sea Naturals, Masters of Linen, and Q Collection.



Earth Pledge will also make a peace offering by giving out scarves made locally of sustainable materials. The low impact dyed organic wool is from Vermont. The worms survive in the making of the Peace Silk appliqué, and the label is organic cotton. This scarf was cut and sewn on the same street as the midtown Manhattan Earth Pledge eco office. The fermata – the musical scoring notation telling musicians to sustain the note at their discretion – is used over the earth in the Earth Pledge logo, and over the peace symbol on the scarf. Leslie Hoffman, Earth Pledge's Executive Director says, "Never has it been a more important time, with worldwide current events as they are, to spread the message of Peace. The fashion industry has a strong affect on this generation of consumers and we are demonstrating that style is attainable without sacrificing environmental values. The designers have produced stunning looks that capture the quality of the fabrics while embodying peace in every piece."Earth Pledge is a leading non-profit for providing innovative, sustainable solutions for businesses worldwide. Through its FutureFashion initiative, Earth Pledge collaborates with the world's leading designers, fabric mills and farmers to create successful solutions to the current environmental crisis. Earth Pledge provides consultations on reducing the carbon footprint and advises on alternative approaches that save money, increase returns on investments, and accurately communicate progress. Through its unique connection to academics, industry leaders and media, Earth Pledge provides manufacturers and designers cutting-edge solutions to sustainability concerns. Earth Pledge has partnered with an extraordinary roster of companies, all of whom share the conviction that sustainability is fully compatible with luxury and a contemporary lifestyle.

New Colorways

Well here we are in November, post election and mid bailout......and in spite of all the mayhem, we at OT are thinking positively and working diligently towards a brighter, greener future...mayhem, 'schmayhem', designers must design.
We are glad to announce that some new Anemone colorways and a new pattern called Madeira Vine have arrived. The New Anemones in: WildPlum, SunOrange & StormGrey feature a ground cloth of 100% Certified Organic Hemp in a herringbone construction. It's naturally soft and supple.
Our new dyes are 'fiber-reactive' and Oeko-Tex approved!
The Madeira Vine in ShaleSand is also printed on our herringbone, the Marigold colorway glows on our original Hemp twill. (name inspired by one of the beautiful Portuguese islands near The Azores)
Additionally, we will have 2 new patterns coming soon. We can't wait to share them with you.
Please contact one of our reps or you can call our office directly.
Our new, New England Regional Sales rep is:
The Laurel Guild Purveyors of Fine Textiles and Exceptional Furnishings
Post Office Box 812898 Wellesley, MA 02482
617.834.8040 P
617.517.5408 F
lauribattista@thelaurelguild.com

Thanks for visiting.
Dawn

The Island of Madeira
Anemone / WildPlum

Anemone / SunOrange

Anemone / StormGrey

Madeira Vine / Marigold

Madeira Vine / ShaleSand

The Election

Today we live in a new America!
It's about time.

Dawn


An Indonesian schoolboy reacts to the announcement that Barack Obama had won the election for the U.S. Presidency Wednesday Nov. 5, 2008 at Obama's former school in Jakarta, Indonesia. Throngs have packed plazas and pubs around the world to await U.S. elections results, many inspired by Barack Obama's promise of change amid a sense of relief that no matter who wins, the White House is changing hands. (AP Photo/Ed Wray)