Hang on to your strappy stilettos ladies, I am about to confess something that most women will need the vapours for……..I do not like shopping. Never have and possibly won’t in the foreseeable future. Whether I am missing a girl gene, or my DNA has mutated, shopping is an activity that leaves me for cold. I would rather lick a hot iron than spend a day wandering around boutiques, shoe shops, and the make-up counters in the super stores.
However when I do see something in my travels or something catches my eye as I race from one errand to another, and it sings to my soul, I will happily purchase an item, perhaps two . Such was my delight in discovering the Sinerji Clothing boutique next to the natural Food store in Forest Glen.
The clothing here is eco-friendly, made from organic cotton and the designs are so varied there is something to fit any and all body types., even for the men. What caught my eye as I balanced my coconut milk yoghurt amongst fresh produce racing back to my car, was the flow of the fabric draped over the mannequin on the footpath. It just looked so beautifully designed and created.
These two women, Alice and Louise, who have brought their dream to life, are completely passionate about their product and go out of their way to help you find just the right piece for you. Many of the pieces of clothing are designed to mix and match.
Being a touchy, feely kind of gal, I was so surprised with the sensation of the softness of the cotton fabric and how easy they are to wash. As you have probably guessed, I am pretty tough on clothing and the pants I purchased have passed the test, which in my world is miraculous..
This is what the Sinerji girls have to say…..
We use a hand loomed organic cotton, and the thread is dyed using natural, vegetable based dyes. There are no chemicals added to our fabric or dyes. We design here in the store in Forest Glen, and do all of our playing with patterns and sampling here. Louise travels twice a year to work directly with the network we have formed in Northern Thailand.
There are 3 villages involved in the production of our fabric, and sewing our garments, and they are all in the same region, so we can work directly with everyone. Community is really important to us, and we are so lucky to have been able to form a network that links us to these communities, and them to each other. There is so much to be gained by working in this way. We work within a fair trade framework, which means that we stick to the ten underlying principles of fair trade for all aspects of our production. The sewers work from their own homes which allow them to work in and around family commitments, and without travelling long distances. They are paid well for their work, and supported with a manager who assists them with zips, patterns, fabric and any problems that arise. Each person works with 2- 5 patterns for the year and we go through them together at the start of production for each upcoming season, to iron out any difficulties.
We have found that with a few years of patience and diligence that we have a beautiful group of people who work extremely hard to create perfect garments for us, and we have been able to employ more people over the past 2 years as we have grown. We are not interested in creating a large production team; we believe in keeping our production small, manageable and personal, and keeping the integrity that Sinerji has had since we began.
Having said that, we are really excited about the developments we have planned for this year: we can’t tell you what is on the agenda just yet, but we have a bit of a surprise planned for April and further down the track too.
From a confirmed non shopper, I strongly suggest that you pay a visit and find something truly beautiful for yourself. My confession, I have a couple of pairs of pants in different colours and I will be back for another pair a couple of skirts, they are THE most comfy pants I have ever owned.
To contact Sinerji, visit them at their shop at Mons rd Forest Glen ( next door to the Natural Foodstore) or through these connections.
Thanks Louise and Alice, I really LOVE your work……
facebook: www.facebook.com/sinerjiorganic
web: www.sinerji.com.au
twitter: @sinerjiorganic
email: info@sinerji.com.au
