Ben & Bear – well at this point I am not sure how are where it will continue in terms of the bags creation and manufacturing, as we had to close shop when i left Thailand. After I have had time to settle here in the Cape and see what can be done, I will look at the new face for Ben & Bear items. Already i have come across some amazing community projects who are truly doing what is needed to help instil a sense of pride and dignity back into peoples lives to give them the hand they so need to get on their feet. And this hand is not one of charity. Its one of giving people the ‘fishing rod’ to catch their own fish. Dambisa Moyo (http://www.dambisamoyo.com) is a woman to be admired. And I sincerely hope and trust that what she is aiming to accomplish (and has so far accomplished)  will be taken seriously by the powers that be. Charity is dead. It has killed the pride of so many people around the world (and also done alot of good that is now doubt) but it is not sustainable in todays world. And what i am saying here is not new. We all know it . We just  need to do it – each in our own small way. Empower someones life close by. Random acts of kindness and opportunity are never wasted.

2012 just feels like a year that is going to bring alot of light and fulfilment. The change starts in our hearts and minds, and them working together.

“Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world!”
- Joel Arthur Barker

Ben and Bear Eco Fashion Laptop Sleeve - Cocoon - New 2010 Collection

Our newly appointed Ben and Bear Singapore Sales Agent, Pearly Sun, has been actively promoting Ben and Bear already, and the word is spreading.We are thrilled to have her with us on the team and her passion and love of our bags is wonderful.

The new 2010 designs have been well received with our first sale today in Singapore!Thank you Brenda!  The range will be online by mid February, but please contact us if you would like to view or purchase them now.

We would also love to receive more ”transformation” stories for our book, so please send me your story of something you have changed in your life or in life/lives of other/s. We are hoping, with your permission when submitting, to print the stories and send one with each bag that is bought – anon of course! – to further inspire change in others.

Please send them in and enjoy Ben and Bear this year.  My email to send the stories is  raewyn@benandbear.com  and don’t forget to visit www.benandbear.com for our 2009 collection sale that is now on.

Ciao!!

New 2010 Berrii Eco Sling bag - recycled denim and community craft

”Business is the only mechanism on the planet today powerful enough to produce the changes necessary to reverse environmental and societal degradation.” – Paul Barken

Good, responsible business is needed. Again it reinforces why, though going the route of recycling in the fashion field is tough, its the only choice to make.

Ciao

rae

Ciao

Raewyn

Growing in Success in the Corporate Promotional Gift arena

Corporates are keen on Ben & Bear’s new eco friendly promotional products!

We have been overwhelmed with the success of our eco laptop sleeves in the corporate promotional product industry. Corporates are desperate to find unique eco friendly promotional items for their key events and Ben & Bears laptop sleeves, created from recycled inner tubes of tyre and lined with Thai silk and cotton handles, are proving to be in huge demand. Clients can customise them with their own branding and messaging, and we have also just done an order where we  jazzed the bags up a bit for the ladies, by using jewellery made in community projects as a design feature on the one side of the laptop sleeve. Colourful and elegant and most importantly the ladies loved them!

Ben & Bear is expanding their product range this year into the eco promotional gifts market, and will be creating products in the following areas of interest: conference bags, sports bags (golf ball bags, tennis racquet bags, tog bags, diving bags etc), CD holders and even picnic rugs and beach mats. And many more…

Our other key design this year will be eco wine bottle holders – for one or two bottles. Wine clubs in Singapore and Hong Kong have already shown keen interest and we are now targetting vineyards to see if they would like us to create their own customised wine bottle holders for their ranges.

An exciting year up ahead for this eco fashion brand – adventuring into new spaces to spread the eco recycling message!

Ciao

raewyn

Nymphe - reflective, stylish and unique

Our stylish Nymphe Sling Eco handbags are finding owners all over the world! Singapore to Alaska.

Nymphes are in abundance in Ben & Bear’s Eco-fashion bag collection. Beautiful maidens personifying facets of mother nature from the strength of the trees to the flowing waters and the majestic mountains. The Nymphes journey is everlasting, forever young, beautiful yet fiercely individual. Earth Fashion.

Appearing on bags in an infinite number of guises – elegant, funky, stylish, edgy…but always earthy in colours, pattern and belt style.

If you are reflective, stylish and unique, then join the Nymphes on their Eco path.

After many heartwarming and wonderful stories about peoples various journeys of transformation, we have chosen our winner – Liz from South Africa. She has thoroughly embraced her Ben & Bear original eco fashion bags that she bought, has spread the eco message by sending them as gifts, and has an inspiring tale to tell. We thank her for her support and also her lovely story – a great act of courage to share it.  Thank you to all those who have bought Ben & Bear eco bags and sent us your stories, we appreciate your support and for helping us get our message out there, along with the many others  doing the same. Liz have a great time in Chiang Mai!! We would also like to thank our two sponsors of this amazing prize – The Life Change People , and the Puripunn Baby Grand Boutique Hotel in Chiang Mai

Please read Liz’s story below:

How does one begin to write something of such magnitude and influence in ones life?  How do I put words to paper and share something so intimate yet so profound?  Isn’t life about transformation and change on a daily basis, not one day equates to another.  Each day we grow and develop and make choices that ultimately influence us in some way for tomorrow.  However, I am first to admit that there are significant moments in our lives that impact us and change our course of direction.  I will share one of those moments with you.

Easter, approximately 14 years ago, I was at home with no fiancé and my fiancés friend/roommate in the other room, both of us enjoying dreamland when I was rudely awoken by a man shaking me awake, only to look up into three very aggressive and angry faces.  The leader pointed a screwdriver at me and proceeded to say “be quite or I will kill you”.  It is amazing what thoughts go through your mind and what bargains you strike with God whether you believe in Him or not.  I was no different.  Being a person who prided herself on being good at Karate I was planning all the things I would do should ABC or D happen.  Being a young female they obviously thought that I was some helpless young girl and tied my feet up with tracksuit pants and my hands in front of me.

Before I continue let me share a little of myself at this stage in my life.  I was a very self conscious and extremely shy girl.  I termed myself weak in so many aspects of my life, to numerous now to mention, and thought myself a failure to society.

During this whole event a strange thing came over me.  A strength and sense of knowing came forth, out of nowhere and I knew that I would be just fine.  My memory started bringing up useful information, such as the article I once read on rapists and how they are turned on by fear.  My first step was therefore, not to antagonize any of them, and not to show fear.  Rapists are turned on by fear, or so the article read.

The one big concern I did have was for our friend in the next room for I had heard him shout “HEY” and then there was silence.  I have an active imagination and will not go into any detail as to what I thought they were doing to him.  During the course of the robbery one of the men came and sat next to me on the bed, I just recall the way he reeked of alcohol.  At that particular moment he decided to share with me the information that my “friend is ok”.  The relief that I felt was of paramount proportions.  At least I knew that he was alive, and I was truly grateful.

At one stage through the robbery they came into my bedroom all three of them.  The one lifted the duvet up over my head and my nightie went flying with it.  Cold fish, cold fish is what I kept chanting in my head, all the while with this innate knowing that I would be fine.  It is amazing how that instinct for self preservation and survival takes over. As miracles would have it they turned and walked out.  Several more things took place over a course of about one and a half hours, but none which lend more significance to the story.  After further binding me with telephone cords, taking my engagement ring off my finger and locking me in my room they finally left.  I managed to untie myself climb out my window go for help to get my friend/roommate out of the other room.

Looking back on that night people would, and do still say, how? what? and why?.  When my response was one of a positive nature they could and cannot still understand.  I look back on that night and see someone who I had never noticed before; a strong, beautiful loving and forgiving girl.  I hold no resentment or animosity towards them or the people they represent.  All I can do is to say thank you. It took a monumentous event for me to begin noticing the person I am.

In closing the reason I wanted to share this particular story is so that I can say to whoever is reading this, never ever take yourself for granted and what you think you are or represent.  We are not the sum total of the events in our lives but so much more.  Embrace who you are and allow yourself to blossom, find that “strength” in you.  Don’t wait for something of such a drastic level to wake you up to the untouched pool of Grace and beauty that is you.

With this I send my love and “strength” to all of you so that you may take it for yourself and pass it to others.  Hug yourself and love yourself and watch yourself grow.

With much love to all

Liz

Eco Shopping this Christmas is easy with Ben and Bears fabulous eco bags!

Our recent press release on Ben and Bears Christmas Sale -

By purchasing a limited edition Ben and Bear eco bag, environmentally friendly consumers not only get a great looking handmade handbag and make a sustainable fashion statement; they can also enter to win a 5-night / 6-day Life Change Programme at the 5-star luxury Puripunn Baby Grand Boutique Hotel in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Ben and Bear eco fashion bags are individual statements emblazoned in colours and cuts to reflect the personality of the wearer.  Recycled vintage rubber tyre inner tubes, clothes and belts bought in the markets in Bangkok are fused together to create stunning individual eco and animal friendly chic handbags, purses, shoulder-bags, and laptop computer bags.

Green shopper Angela Brennan recently purchased a Ben and Bear Imago bag for herself and plans on a Christmas gift from the Nymphe collection for her mother, “With a Ben and Bear bag I am making a conscious decision to give fashionably and responsibly this Christmas.”

Innovative eco-chic Ben and Bear, don’t use new materials or mass-produced features to express their unique style; but rather incorporate reused and recycled materials obtained from small community businesses into their eco fashion accessories.  Styles inspired by Africa merge with materials and craftspeople from Asia to produce wonderful bags.

We hope you find one that you love!

raewyn x

Many people ask me “What is this ‘Litema design’ that you were so inspired by?”, so I thought  this was a good place to write some more detailed information on it and why it has inspired my eco fashion bags to such an extent.

It is a tradition of the Basotho people in Southern Africa, where women decorated a house after the men had finished building the house.These superbly decorative designs are soft and flowing geometric patterns that are applied with fingers, forks and sticks on the walls of houses. The patterns are sometimes coloured with natural pigments or commercial paint and stains and stones, embedded in mud and relief designs, are sometimes used as a more permanent effect.

Litema (pronounced as “di-the-ma”) is derived from the word “ho lema” which means to cultivate, and “tema”, which denotes a ploughed field. The geometric patterns initially appeared on the inside of homes and it was only in the 19th century that it appeared on the outside of homes. In contemporary times, the practice of Litema appears to be a seasonal phenomenon associated with special events such as celebrations and religious ceremonies. It not only announces births, deaths, the arrival of Christmas and Easter and, weddings but also serves as a reminder of the passage of time.

An entire village might be decorated before special events.  A chief artist or advisor was traditionally called upon to direct and advise the women of the village on the types of design or methods of application. Whilst squatting and drinking tea, the most skilled Litema artist would sketch her intentions in the dust, with this special occasion soon becoming a social event in itself. Women then set out to work once a consensus on a design had been reached, but nowadays it appears, each woman (possibly joined by members of her household and daughters) prefers her individual design and house decoration. The start of decorating times is one of much excitement for the designers as well as friends and neighbours who generously participate in terms of giving advice and moral support. Again, a perfect opportunity for a social get-together! The tradition of mural art in Southern Africa, and in particular the tradition of Litema, is not of recent origins and records as far back as the early 1800’s speak of these wonderfully,  ingenious designs.

“Its walls were decorated with delightful representations of elephants and giraffes…In some houses there were figures, pillars, etc moulded in hard clay and painted with different colours that would not have disgraced European workmen. They are an ingenious people.” Missionary John Campbell, one of the oldest written accounts of Litema murals, 1812

Mimicking the seasons of flowers, Litema blooms with the arrival of spring and wilts with the approach of winter. It ‘’dies’’ with the temporary surface of the mud it adorns. The design cracks as the sun dries the mud, and then the rains come to wash away the ‘dead’ design, making way for new decorative opportunities, new beginnings, new journeys of artistic expressions. This life cycle of Litema symbolizes the design and eco ethos of Ben & Bear – as we create our eco chic fashion bags from materials that have reached the end of their old life, but then as the ‘’rains’’ of creativity come, we sweep away the ‘’dead’’ and create their new life as Ben & Bear sustainable fashion bags.  We want the story of transformation, using the old to create the new,  to be the cornerstone of Ben & Bear eco bags, and Litema says it all for me.

Basothu house in South Africa, using the Litema design style

As a start to my blogging days (first time blogging ever!) , I thought the best way to let you know why my Ben and Bear brand is so close to my heart, and motivates me to do well with it, is to share some background info with you. Not too boring i hope! Enjoy the read, enjoy the Ben and Bear eco bags, and I look forward to the conversation and journey we are now starting.

Inspiration for  my work

I have always loved and been inspired by colours and shapes and the patterns they make in our environment. And due to this, I was greatly inspired by the Litema design practice of the Basothu tribe in South Africa who use their natural surroundings, and the colours and patterns from this, as inspiration for their art. Then, whilst living in Singapore in a few years back, I won a hand crafted handbag created from old clothes made by a South African community, and I just loved how they had used colours and patterns to create these gorgeous bags. It inspired me to think about how I could make a designer bag from recycled materials and also use the Litema design practice. Now, five years later, I found the perfect second hand materials (inner tubes, old clothes and belts) combination to make the bags I have been wanting to create for years. Using recycled materials has always been important to me as I want in my own small way to try and inspire people to use what we have already in our environment and transform it into a ‘’new product’’ and give it a new life and use. We all know the impact the constant ‘’manufacturing of new goods’’ is having on our environment, and we need to start changing the way we think about making products moving forward. Supporting community business through purchasing products to create our sustainable fashion bags with is also on our future agenda, but I will go into this in more depth in Q3.

Description of my design aesthetic?

Ethical, simple, bold, transformational, imaginative

Inspiration behind the interesting choice of materials -  recycled inner tubes of tyres, vintage clothes and belts

I was inspired by the South African recycled handbag I won in Singapore 5 years ago, where I saw how they used old clothes to hook knot through hessian to create their bags. Still one of my favourite brands of bags! www.mielie.com So when I was looking for materials to create my ethical fashion bags, I knew I wanted to use old clothes and belts but was struggling to find the base material. I was in an initial meeting in Bangkok with the manufacturer of my bags and I saw some inner tubing and a waste basket they had made from it. I asked them if we could test making a bag with this tubing and it worked! We had a few development challenges but it finally worked. I then found on the internet that there were 2 other brands using inner tubes for handbags, one in the UK and the other in the states. None of them used much colour or patterns on their bags, unlike how I design mine with the colourful circles to create some life and character in them and making each bag 100% bespoke and its own personality. Using 4 circles also has a significant numerological meaning – appropriate endings – which is very appropriate for our eco bags.

To further get the environmental message out, every eco fashion bag we sell, is packaged in a recycled t-shirt drawstring bag to carry it home in and store it in.  The message being here that we don’t need to use plastic or paper, but rather let’s recycle what we have in overwhelming supply that will only fill our earth one day as trash.

We are also planning on working with community businesses who make jewellery and other craft, such as bracelets, necklaces and pendants, which we will use to decorate the bags with to create our stylish, simple brand, all the while helping community businesses become sustainable. And I would love for the Ben & Bear brand to branch out into more fashion and lifestyle products that we can support more and more businesses to get their products to market and create income for them. The vision is for Ben and Bear to evolve into a strong global brand, and act as a sales, marketing and PR platform for free and fair trade products, sold under the Ben and Bear brand label. At the moment we are buying hand- beaded butterfly strap bling to hang on each bag, which are made by a Phuket, Thailand based charity organisation who offers sex trade workers alternative avenues of work by teaching them new skills that will empower them  to start new lives. As our sales take off, so too will their income and ability to assist more women and children who are stuck in this devastating lifestyle.

Response to the Ben & Bear Eco Handbags

People love them and find them intriguing and funky, especially because the concept is making them from second hand materials and it feels like a ‘’good conscience’’ buy. The use of the inner tubing really fascinates people and they love the ‘’characteristic and comfortable’’ feel the old belts and clothes give them. The tubing gives it a very edgy look and it seems to appeal to people, and creates that feeling that this product is different.

Ben & Bear’s Customer profile

I think people who are looking for something different, bespoke and classic and also something with a conscience behind it as we move into a new era that is now starting to really focus on  environmental and social issues, are the people who will like my bags. I am sure they are not everyone’s cup of tea, but that is fine. These bags, with their ethical fashion story behind them, need to find owners who resonate with them and their story, and hopefully inspire their own transformational stories.

My thoughts about the current state of the Earth/Environment

We need to seriously start changing the way we think and live – and the ‘’things’’ we purchase is a major part of this. There needs to be a change in conscience behind buying in today’s world – people need to value where, how, by who and of what  the product has been made, so they can make a choice to support companies that are responding to this environmental and social crisis we are in, and to force ones that aren’t to now make the change to better practices. It’s a shift away from short term gain and excess to long term sustainability and balance for all.

Involvement in any other forms of environmental activism

Not on an organizational level, but endeavour to live a life where we make better choices, and to teach my son these, and which if we do our small part will impact on a collective global level. I am now in a stage in my life that with Ben and Bear i am hoping to do more going forward in ways that I can. I have always been inspired by the following parable –

An old man had a habit of early morning walks on the beach.  One day, as he looked along the shore, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer.  As he came closer he saw that it was a young woman and she was not dancing but was reaching down to the sand, picking up starfish and very gently throwing them into the ocean.

“Young lady,” he asked, “Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?”

“The sun is up, and the tide is going out, and if I do not throw them in they will die.”
“But young lady, do you not realise that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it?  You cannot possibly make a difference.”

The young woman listened politely, paused and then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves, saying:

“It made a big difference to that one.”

Future  plans/goals for Ben and Bear

At the moment I am focused on getting the Ben & Bear eco fashion bags brand launched in the region and hopefully further afield, and to get the message of recycling and transformation out there through them. We want sales to grow as the more we sell the more we are able to purchase community products, which further enables them to develop themselves thus creating the self sufficiency cycle that is so desperately needed around the globe – self-sufficiency through ownership of sustainable, community business.

Sustainable fashion is a growing sustainability design philosophy and trend with the goal to create a long term system which can be supported indefinitely in terms of environmentalism and social responsibility. So Ben and Bear’s ethical, desirable and very on-trend eco fashion handbags highlight the environmental focus by us breathing new life into redundant materials to deliver a style that is utterly original, and gets the message across.  I also envision supporting community businesses to become sustainable by purchasing their products to create new cultural ranges of Ben and Bear’s ethical fashion bags.

With an ever increasing number of people wanting to purchase products of brands that are supportive of the environmental issues we face and who are also socially responsible, fashion decisions are changing the world over to eco fashion brands.

Much work still to be done by all!

ciao

Raewyn