November 2008 dates the launch of the Moksa Surya brand and collection in London. Uganda born designer Farah Damji of Moksa handmade in London offers us a sneak preview of her Spring/Summer 2009 ready-to-wear assemblage of fourteen pieces.
Pictured is a Freedom Tee fondly titled Tree of Life. The black applique flowers are from a roll of vintage silk found in a charity shop in Cape Town. The beads, sequins and crystals are a combo of new and recycled.
Each garment will only be produced in limited editions of one hundred, following strict fair trade standards of ethical fashion. Material details include organic denim, Peace silk and Tussah silk. Also find recycled antique and vintage materials. An example is an old saris for the lining of a Dragon Coat and vintage borders for embellishment.
The new label is inspired by the existing body of Moksa pieces, which draws upon the old to create something new. The company represents fashion consciousness as a socially responsible business model by using only materials which have been sourced through ethical and fair trade suppliers.
I’m so impressed with the Freedom Tees part of the collection. Each shirt is embellished by prison inmates through the charity Fine Cell Work. The tee’s are made from organic cotton sourced in Turkey and are created by a cooperative in Gaza and the West Bank.
There is a story behind the making of Farah’s designs. Like many humans, she got a good but stressful job that lead to mind-altering substances, bad relationships, — and then prison for twenty one months. Obviously she turned a bad experience into a positive life journey. Hence, Farah’s fashion skills were self-discovered in prison.
Through Fine Cell Work, Farah’s garments are embellished by inmates in the UK prison system today and she’s an ongoing inspiration to those who have lost their way. Farah proves to others that we all have the potential to put our pasts behind us and empower our creativity.
In everything made for the Moksa Surya brand, there is a fingerprint of sustainability. And in all that Moksa team workers do, respect for Earth is honored.
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