Have you given Mother Earth the break that she so well deserves? If millions of people participated in MAKE SMTHNG Week, Mother Earth would thank us for the breather. The international festival organized by Greenpeace, Fashion Revolution and Shareable aims to raise people’s consciousness on the depletion of the earth’s resources due to our wasteful over-consumption.
Our practices on mindful consumerism should fit us like a glove. What works for one, may not work for the other. Each practice may be unique, but they are great if they are all done for the benefit of Mother Earth. To celebrate small victories, MAKE SMTHNG Week rewards every mindful earth-warrior wannabe.
5 Reasons Why Eco-Warriors Will Love MAKE SMTHNG Week
5. You can swap clothes.
Snag those lovely tops!
What better way to re-haul your wardrobe the earth-friendly way than by swapping your clothes instead of buying new ones? At MAKE SMTHNG week, you can turn in your clothes for swapping. Just make sure they are washed and in good condition.
4. They feature novel food concepts that advocate mindfulness.
Get your healthy fix from Hippie Happy Bowls.
Foodies will love the unique food concepts at MAKE SMTHNG Week. There is Hippie Happy Bowls, for example, a plant-based food business that observes low-impact-business-zero-waste practices. Kudos to Hippie Happy Bowls for encouraging customers to bring their own containers, too – good and healthy delight done right.
Grab a bottle of cold brew at Dream Wide Awake
Drinks are just as important as food, and while I am not a coffee lover, I love the mobile coffee-cart concept of Dream Wide Awake, which makes the business cost- and time-efficient. The best part is that their handcrafted cold and hot brews are served in reusable bottles.
3. They have cause-oriented workshops.
CustomMade Crafts Center on dyeing with Philippine Indigo
It’s not everyday that we get to meet people who share their advocacy, and teach new skills that we can utilize to carry out sustainable fashion goals or maintain a zero-waste lifestyle.
Upcycling old shirts into T-shirt yarns or tarns and made into necklaces.
The workshops at MAKE SMTHNG Week included a discussion on traditional dyeing with Philippine Indigo by Yana Ofrasio and Joy Ann Chua, and an upcycling workshop by Upcycle This, Philippines, both of which were inspirational, fun, and educational all at once.
2. You can meet advocates of different causes.
Miss Ria Persad and her attendees in her talk, “A Mindful Life: Beauty Inside Out.”
Crowned Miss USS America Pageant 2017 Ria Persad graced this year’s final series of MAKE SMTHNG Week in the Philippines to talk about “A Mindful Life: Beauty Inside Out.”
Ria Persad
For her, mindfulness is slowing down, paying attention to what you want, and being deliberate about it. The participants of her talk were quick at coming up with resolutions to push forward with their ideal practices that benefit the planet.
Aside from her talk on mindfulness, Miss Persad’s discussion on sustainable practices in fashion reflects her work as a climatologist. With textile production being one of the most polluting industries, where 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide are emitted (high levels of carbon dioxide emitted in the atmosphere cause climate change), she encouraged the audience to choose alternatives when re-hauling their wardrobe for a cleaner and safer environment.
1. There is always something new.
This year’s final series of MAKE SMTHNG Week took place at SHARVD, a co-working space in Makati, which fosters collaboration and community-building – ideals that we need for this event to take place.
According to the CEO of SHARVD, Ignacio Campos Domingo, his co-working space breaks the barrier among groups through its functionality and design, so they welcome different types of people who want to make use of their place. Not only does SHARVD offer a dynamic space, it also strengthens the collaborative efforts of a community that promotes values in line with theirs.
Full Think Tank Room of SHARVD where the workshops and talks were held for MAKE SMTHNG WEEK, December 1
SHARVD cares about making things last. The structure and design of the co-working space screams efficiency, comfort and modernity. The design of the place serves its purpose: to have people collaborate and communicate clearly and efficiently. When the events took place last December 1, everything was organized and convenient.
Earth-warriors will especially fancy the details, such as the repurposed wood for the ceilings at the lounge area, a humbling effort to care for Mother Earth. Speaking of repurposing, SHARVD breathed life into an uprooted 300-year old acacia tree by transforming it into desks. SHARVD also takes pride in its eco-friendly furniture, lovingly made by local craftsmen from the Quezon province.
Fashion Revolution Philippines Team, left to right: Liz, Sophia, Carla, Ysabel, Eleni, and George.
(ALSO READ: Did you know the Philippines is running out of water?)
MAKE SMTHNG Week celebrates avant garde ways of protecting Mother Earth. Kudos to Sophia Calugay and the rest of the Fashion Revolution Philippines team for making this happen. Having pulled this off successfully in the Philippines marks our determination to give Mother Earth the break she truly deserves. I can’t wait for the next MAKE SMTHNG Week!
