Vivien is the founder of Fifi Bijoux - a luxury ethical jewellery company based in Glasgow. Vivien believes there is no need for exploitative methods in the luxury jewellery market. Consequently all the sourcing of the gold, gemstones and diamonds is from socially & environmentally responsible miines of known provenance. Vivien's preference is to trade with fair trade co-operatives where ever possible.
"The gems & diamonds used in our jewellery are cut in workshops which do not use child labour or exploit employees. (Our partners promote the wellbeing & safety of employees as well as positive environmental models). We use fair trade co-operative cutting workshops wherever possible."
Favourite green/ethical activity? Walking my dog. It's great exercise, it’s a total stress buster, it's very sociable and I do it 3 times a day. It’s the best way to become part of the local community and sometimes I think for me with all of my international level of involvement in advocating fair trade and ethical practice, it would be easy to lose sight of things on the home front.
Fairtrade or organic or local?Fair trade as it offers a real solution to long term poverty alleviation to people struggling in the worst of circumstances. Organic sits well alongside that though, for sustainable solutions. And local whenever possible.
Best ethical buy? Dog poo bags. Totally 100% biodegradable ones from Ethical Superstore. We go through a lot of them on all those walks and have converted several other dog walkers!
What green/ethical products are you waiting to be designed? CD’s, umbrellas, razors..I go through lots and how to dispose of these? Can they please be made from something less horrid to begin with.
What is your personal ethical/green dilemma ?Travel. I only use public transport in the UK but I do have to make flights regularly (though I off set the carbon). I hear the sleeper train London- Glasgow might be stopping which would be terrible. I wondered if going by horse and trap might be my only option for these journeys.
Where/ who do you get your inspiration from?I carry a little pad everywhere I go, so I tend to work by making lots of little notes and sketches of interesting things; objects, things people say, details on anything from a building to a pattern or words which set me thinking. These all get laid on to a big board before I begin the next collection and then I group them and start setting them against themes. A picture begins to emerge of the trends I’m seeing developing and I can then define some clear imagery and reference it. When I’m happy with my story boards, I start designing.
What do you think the future if for ethical fashion? I think its going to be interesting in the next 12 months; we’re entering a period of economic difficulty. This could mean that people feel they can’t spend as much on organic or fair trade. On the other hand, it means people are more frugal and may look more carefully into how they spend their money and make more considered decisions.
For example, lots of people are switching on now to ethical weddings and finding that the costs involved can be far less than the standard ‘wedding packages’ which people were presented with before. Also, they take more control of each element and the couple’s I’ve met who have done this have really enjoyed the process.
I think in fashion, the ‘fast fashion’ mentally is beginning to fade out. So consumers are more informed and the idea of sustainability is much more in people’s minds when they are faced with soaring petrol prices etc. I think this is when people who didn’t see what the fuss was about before will suddenly ‘get it’ and feel they want to make their choices based on the future of the environment and thus our economy. Personally, I think organic local farming is the best possible solution for the UK.
What was the last green thing you did?Write each date of the local farmers market in my diary. I have decided that I will not shop in supermarkets at all any more – its farmers markets and local shops all the way.
What would be your once piece of ethical/green advice to give ethics girls? Enjoy making your choices, it’s a chance to express your values in your everyday life. You become part of something bigger. I find it hard to find clothes to fit me as I’m very petite and was looking for a new dress last year for an event. I called Jenny Ambrose from Enamore and she took a note of my measurements and made me a Pansy Print dress. It’s organic cotton and its now one of my key wardrobe pieces. Lots of ethical labels are small companies which can respond to your requirements and will be able to personalize things for you.
