Pép debut at the Hispaniola Symposium!

Alex, Project Coordinator, wearing Pép vest at Symposium

This past Saturday Local Buttons and our Pép designs took part in a Symposium on the Island of Hispaniola at York University’s Glendon campus. The event, organized and hosted by six highly motivated, organized, talented and intelligent undergraduate women was titled Transcending the Border. It engaged in dialogues on the challenges of the political, cultural, developmental and social issues on the island of Hispaniola. The all day event was full of intellectuals, artists, students and professionals all looking to engage on topics regarding the Domincan Republic and Haiti. Check out theirwebsite here.

The conference opened with the lovely Alex wearing a Pép vest and giving a SHOUT out to Local Buttons!!  The morning remarks were followed by keynote speaker, Todd Kuiack, former York graduate and Ambassador to the Dominican Republic. Ambassador Kuiack is an engaging speaker and spoke to the issues of Canada working harmoniously with the Dominican Republic. While, undoubtably knowledgeable on the transactions and engagement between the D.R. and Canada, his speech did air on the side of economic praise and rederic, especially in regards to supporting Canadian mining companies in the D.R.

Panel sessions followed. We sat in on the first discussion with speakers talking on issues of Ethnicity and Citizenship. Melissa Breton, York PhD candidate, spoke to the issues of both the invisible and constructed borders between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. As the Dominican government is often unable to control the physical border it relies on immigration law to create borders within. These invisible borders are detrimental to all Haitians living in the Dominican Republic-both with and without legal documentation, as there is an unwillingness to distinguish between the two. Gender dynamics play a significant role and demand a high level of discourse as women are often ignored not only from the dialogue of migrant workers, but also face increased and additional levels of discrimination and lack of legal aid in the Dominican Republic.

Dr. Mendez discussed the additional racial discourse within the Dominican Republic, one that celebrates the ‘white, catholic and Hispanic roots while ignoring the African roots’. As such there is a constructed Antihaitianismo image.Those who fall under this image are often subject to mass deportation and roundups especially following the outbreak of cholera.

While there remain many, many issues in regards to the racial, ethnic and cultural discourses between Haiti and the Dominican, Dr. Mendez spoke of the light at the end of the tunnel-something he was unsure existed just a few years back. Dr. Mendez focused on the importnace of grassroots movements and small changes being made from within to create a greater demand for larger, structural change within the Dominican society. While not directly related to issues in regards to transcending Haitian/Dominican border, we do feel that Pép engages a social awareness and works from a ground level up within Haiti.

Consuelo setting up at the Symposium expo

Following the first panel, Local Buttons was featured in the expo where we met many others engaged in Haiti the Dominican Republic and Canada . It was such a pleasure to hear people’s enthusiasm for the Pép line. Many were quite engaged by what we are doing and graciously provided their support. We felt truly humbled by the intrigue. After months of working towards a goal it is so nice to be able to present ourselves and have the idea for truly sustainable and ethical clothing in an international context be respected.

Not only that, but we had a number of people ask if they could BUY our vests. We were so excited to have this response! We can not wait until we will be able to fill our first purchase order for a retail store, but also to contact those interested so that we can sell our fist Pép garments directly to the buyer:)

Thank you to the Alex, Alexandra, Tamaisha, Andrée, Kathryn and Shareefah for including us in the conference!

Another blog will follow shortly speaking to the second half of the conference-an acccount that includes an artistic and human element.

Many Thanks

I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks.

-William Shakespeare

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to our Indie Go Go fundraising campaign, be it through donation and/or publicity. We could not be more grateful or happier by the outcome!

Between online fundraising and snail mail we were able to raise $3326.00 for Design Junction’s Pep Line. The money raised will go towards making an initial order, creating a documentary and launching a fashion show. Our goal is to launch the fashion show late March, where the new clothing items will be showcased alongside our documentary. Rest assured updates on the progress will follow.

As mentioned via Indie Go Go rewards for donating we would like to mention the following people for their contributions:

Mike Bradley, Randal Cannon, Dixie Champ, Jill Grant, Anna McIndoe, R. Lehrman, Vivian Manning, Peter Mitchell, James Positano, Harry Pringle and Victoria Vaseleniuck, Bill and Maggie Pringle, Don and Louise Pringle, Geoff and James Pringle, Chantel Carbno, Rob and Joanne Pringle, Anthony Sterling, Christine Sterling, Kate Tognotti

Much love and thanks.

The Buttons

It’s the Final Countdown!!

Design Junction. Art by Dani Benton

If you have been following our blog, you have heard us speak of this before. But here we go: Our final plug for our Indie Go Go fundraising campaign. Why might you want to support Design Junction? Let us elaborate.

What’s Different about Design Junction?

Design Junction is solution driven.  It supplies the demand for an avenue to engage in ethical business development that offers an alternative purchasing market for buyers in the apparel industry.  Design Junction is proud to work with the growing community in pursuit of constructive solutions for the challenges presented within international business operation. Design Junction works on behalf of the betterment of all its partners with the intention of continually improving livelihoods and wellbeing through ethical employment and profit sharing. Pép is modeled to be self-sustaining through sales.

Help fund the successful take-off of Pép, because it has a bright and driven future! For the past two months we have been running an online fundraising campaign on Indie Go Go to try to raise $5000 towards setting up Design Junction. With only 3 days left on our online campaign we urge you to check it out here at http://www.indiegogo.com/design-junction

First help Pép into Retail, and then we can talk expansion!

Design Junction will operate through digital and direct communication of designers and garment makers. Designs and consultations can be done digitally between Toronto and Port-au-Prince via video conference calling, email and phone calls. The internship program being developed for Canadian designers will facilitate the opportunity for designers to work directly with the tailors to co-design and produce garments for Pép. Not only will design skills be exchanged, but interns will be selected to work in the information technology and systems, production management, and marketing departments of INDEPCO. Haitians and Canadians will benefit from the professional work exchange offered by this unique cross-cultural work experience.

With measured and conscious steps, Design Junction plans to make Pép a Big Deal in the design community.

For a little more information you can check out a radio interview we did with George Christie on Iceberg 85, Sirius Satellite Radio. The interview ran December 25^th and 28^th and you can listen to it here:  http://www.georgechristie.com/local%20buttons/Local%20Buttons%20Sirius%20interview%20clip.mp3

Pep vest modeled by Sarah Jurgens

The Pép Story!

Mr. Hans Garoute kindly elaborated on the story of Pépé to reinforce our confidence in Pép as a name for Design Junction’s refurbished Eco-clothing line. The story is interesting!

The Salvation Army was front-runner in a growing trend to send used clothing to Haiti in the 1960s. Large and growing volumes of second hand clothing from North America were being sent to Haiti in order to clothe the poor. Mission groups joined the movement, and the transfer of clothing grew exponentially. Pép means “the people” in Haitian Creole.  The used clothing became referred to as clothing of the people, Pépé . Pép became Pépé as it was distributed to the people as “Pép! Pép! Pép!”, which gave way to just “Pépé ”.

The first people wearing used clothing were frowned upon. It was a shame to be seen wearing Pépé . Not only did Pépé reduce the self-esteem of so many Haitians but it damaged the fashion industry in Haiti. Haiti had once been a big manufacturer of denim.  New clothing stores simply could not compete with the mass import of clothing at such low prices. To this day there is no strict quota on the volume of used clothing entering Haiti.

Purchasing Pépé from the markets of Haiti to be taken apart and re-made into a stylish and unique refurbished clothing line rang positively with every Haitian we spoke to. While some could hardly believe there was a market for such clothing in Toronto, they liked the idea of returning used garments with value added to North America. Making the clothing while we were in Haiti was a very valuable experience that depended on the design and tailor skills invested by everyone involved.

Lionel Etienne, a previous ambassador to France, felt that the model of Pép “brings back the self-esteem of those wearing Pépé ”. Anne and I couldn’t be more encouraged. Many thought, what a unique and interesting idea! And everyone encouraged us to pursue its success. We are in hot pursuit! We have amped up our indie-go-go profile with pics and a video clip shot in Port-au-Prince. Contributions will help fund the first clothing order for Pép that will be placed in Toronto retail!!

Thank you to all our new Haitian friends for the encouragement! Including but not limited to, all the employees at INDEPCO for working with us and having us in their space, Hans Garoute for developing project Design Junction and its Pép line with us, Aida Garoute for her inspiring designs, Lionel for his gracious hospitality in his beautiful home, and Jean-Paul Faubert, the Haitian Country Manager at DHL in Port-au-Prince, for offering us a discount on shipping Pép clothing to Toronto.

WATCH OUR VIDEO CLIP !! HELP FUND THE FIRST CLOTHING ORDER!

Visit www.indiegogo.com/design-junction

Vests and More!

The vests are here in our hands, making our project, Design Junction, that much more tangible. It’s kind of crazy to think of how far our project has progressed and developed since that cold day last February in T.A.N. cafe where Local Buttons: An Ethical Fashion Show was born. Since then we have developed our business, tweaked our ideas and launched on an adventure we would have never seen coming just one year ago.

Holding the vests in our hands, we can almost imagine how a mother must feel the first time she holds the child she carried for 9 months. Well maybe not quite the same feeling but you get the idea. It was a milestone for us. These vests were once just a figment of our creative imaginings. And now, here we are looking to further develop the clothing line ‘Pep’, meaning ‘people’ in Haitian Creole.

Throughout this quest we have learned a thing or two. Many of these practical lessons would have been tremendously helpful to have discovered along the way in our University education, i.e. true project development and management. Launching a project seems so simple in its essence. When you think about it superficially it appears as though it should be easy to have garments made ethically and sold readily. It’s slightly more complicated. In a recent meeting with Lalla Haidara, the project manager for the African and Haitian branch of the  Trade Facilitation Office Canada (TFO Canada), we discovered just how much there was to importing and exporting (we were shown a 22 module manual on the ins and outs of exporting…we were slightly overwhelmed to say the least). Regardless, we left the meeting in good spirits as she fully endorses our project. All that is left now is the funding…the never ending conundrum of funding.

However, we have been met with warmth, enthusiasm and tremendous support along the way. From friends who readily listen as we ramble about our plans, to mentors who sit down and help walk us through processes of project development, grant and proposal writing and to our supportive families. We honestly cannot wait until we can in turn help everyone who has helped us.

As we prepare for our trip to Haiti, laden with new patterns to be developed into beautiful, refurbished, ethical clothing, we are re-energized and enthused. Just this week we added photographer to our repertoire as we had a fashion shoot showcasing three vest designs with our dear friend and talented actress and model Sarah Jurgens. For more information on Ms Jurgens please click here.

Here, photos from said photo shoot are featured. We are excited to return from Haiti with new garments and to launch a fashion show event launching Design Junction to the Toronto fashion scene, featuring the line Pep.