Ethical shopping in Berlin
November 20th, 2007 by Frans Prins Posted in Blog
Where to shop clothes in Berlin when you want to get it ethical? Lately we get a lot of questions where to get organic textiles or where the ethical fashion shops are in Berlin. Now when we went shopping for ourselves, discovered it still is a rather difficult question. There is not a specialized shop, but if you do your best, you can find really cool stuff fair trade or organic.
Off course there is American Apparel. However cool they might be, they are not really organic or fair trade, but always the number one in the media when there is written about ethical fashion. Fair trade jeans brand Kuyichi is to find in several shops, although the collections are often rather small, we found only one male jeans, which is rather disappointing. There is the Berliner label Slowmo, great organic streatwear with limited collections. Okay, actually there is really a lot, you just have to make the efford to find it. Either chique labels like Noir, Misericordia, activist shoes from Vegetarianshoes or Blackspot sneakers at the Veganladen or eco-hemp clohting from the Hanfhaus in the Oranienstrasse.
We first went to Prenzlauer Berg and found a few rather priced down clothes from Patagonia, who integrate organic and recycled materials in their products. We also found a pear of sneakers from the French shoelabel Veja, pretty stylish sneakers from organic materials. We went to Mitte and searched for Howies, but we did not succeed. In stead we found a nice organic jeans from Lee. We believe it is best to buy from brands that are truly ethical and not only selling a few organic items to greenwash their image, nevertheless it is also great that one can find organic clothing from quite a lot of mainstream brands. And not to forget to notice, the great organic recycling label Pamoyo is coming to be sold in Berlin really soon!
Searching for a lunch place we passed the LPG at Kollwitzstrasse, claiming to be the largest biosupermarket of Europe. The concept of the LPG is that every costumer can become a member and shop with discount. Two flours of organic
products, with large meat and cheese counters, big nonfood area, childrens corner, and even a moving staircase. For dedicated bioshoppers this is quite a shock!
Geheimtip: on the first floor there is a soft, read couch where you can relax and drink a free cup of coffee. The canteen next to the entrance sells fresh soups and meals for 3-6 euros. We had a pasta with spinach-Gorgonzola sauce, a Broccoli grattin with salad and lemon whater for 10 euros, not too bad for Prenzlau. A popular place, and it does not seam to disturb any bio-shopper that all the Furniture is from Ikea. Something we found disappointing was to find cotton clothing in this biosupermarket without being controlled organic. Some work to do!
In genral one can say: organic is coming! In food we just stumble over the new biosupermarkets, take-away-shops, etc. For clothes it will come, and 2008 will be the year that ethical fashion getting more available in Berlin.
Visiting a natural textiles store (naturtextilien) we asked if they sold organic textiles. We were treated as if we asked for Satan. That organic is a religion, that it is all nonsense, that all their materials were natural, etc. Just when we left in full shock, we saw the cross hanging on the wall. A religious conflict just over organic cotton? It made us think, and when we later where in the bookshop Pro QM we had the idea to make a book about the connection between cultural creatives, LOHAS, and worldviews.
One Response to “Ethical shopping in Berlin”
By N.J.Bond on Mar 23, 2010
Hi all there,
Searching for Organics. Shocked to find none in European and U.S. and U.K. I did such a search as early as 1976. and got shocked to find none.
I am a team member of one enterprise group formed in India on this project and that was to re discover India to India , on an assignment of study the post colonial Eruope on Organic and Natural textiles market situation I travelled all ove rthe world.
First of all I searched in the minds of top Denim Jeans manufacturing European companies for in the then West Germany a week full.
When ever we search for truth and real you will find them in dark recess of human mind only not in the Malls, where lights on. It was my reserch experience , backed by one Italian Denim weaving company also .This company had connection with our family for Indigo Dyes once before 1940 . Latter they visited India to our bio-valley and asked us to re produce Indigo and supply.A gap of 28 years .
Many of my family members and science graduates in family did not extend co operation till recently. The project was not taken up in commercial scale , but I tried it on advice of one old family member, pursued till its end.
It was such situvation science-Indigo will kill all our market effort.I was true I was killed in it many times.It pulled me alive, before end, and ill luck chased me like dog for degades.
It is Saturn. But not the evil one . It is the one benevolent many people do not know . It is the Spirit existing in material form and visible only to Mystique-Artists and European Homeapaths artist ,not for many in this world.
My Journey : Includes one trip to Indonesia MAKKASSAR, Between 2002 to 2004 where we were told Japnese are dying Denim there. Shocked , it is Indonesian doing batic and sending to One Japanese company.I found only MOP buttons on treasure Island.
More and more it was scarce to see some one doing the original Indigo Denim on organic cotton more and more I became curious to take it up and do it.
Many of our ancestors supplied Indigo Dyes to traders of British Raj in India . Now my journey to find Indigo denim jeans turned into voyage , and end less voyage.
It is how I arrived Rome again to meet my contact . This time I had Indigo 5 kgs in my hand . But by 1984 that very company changed its business of denim weave into New buck synthetic leather. They are there in Thorviyanica scalo, there to Rome near a village hearing that it makes the best weave quality Denim for Levis brand in use for German market. We were shown and given few jeans pant of that weave . But dye is not natural Indigo .
The project is some thing great and first of its kindg, if done. I took next 25 years searching and researching . More than 100 expriments compleated . Finally in 2006 I got what I wanted in global quality in rural cost to manufacture.
Ater 25 years search of production of Totally Organic Jeans spent one weaving cut and fabrics trend study.
To my shock over shock now when I succeeded in my long cherished goal I encounter the Nano Science as the last formidable enemy. Synthetic Indigo took 100 yeras to became popular in textile dying after it was invented in 1840. But nano science need not take that long to pollute the human blood from DNA level on.
What should I do now . Fight the Nanao science, fight the Synthetic Indigo .
Or, simply shout on walls about Organic (GOTS- certified ) Natural Denim Jeans as Art of Ecstasy. I am in the dark . Your blogs all shining like stars on the sky.
During my search in 2000 I met one Mystique his golden advice was proving true.
1. Indigo is Spirit of India , it is the best body scavenger of all debries of moden day pllution ,one can live in health and dye disease free, but the vested interested group will not allow it prosper and become popular.
2. In the 1000 years of known history Organic cotton Natural Indigo dyed textiles has been existing and never will become familiar amoung crafts men, for it eats Rites and Drinks Ceremonies and need the talents and genius of well preserved rural community to make it success.
3. Make success and the busniess will bring money ,and it is always there .
4. While you are on search do not hesitate in dark places truth is lost there, not where light is on.
5. Organic Natural is a legacy from MotherNature , it is not for all, it is meant only for Conciouse souls , by conciouse maker by ethenic ethical workers.Geography, history,tradition,culture counts not only ration,logic of principles of science. Blend both only then you get it.
No wounder one gets shocks , when searching for Organic Natural. IT IS THE SPIRIT in material form.
View few of the Art of Ecstasy in my web site .