Indie Designer: Mila Ateva of Sassa Björg

'Bright Lights, Deep Shades' collection by Sassa Björg

So as part of the ongoing sustainable fashion debate, I have decided to start featuring the profiles of independent fashion and accessory designers who might not be using eco-fabrics or recycled materials per se (if at all), but instead have made a commitment to producing their designs locally – creating sustained jobs for talented artisans and sewers in their community, and subsequently, providing a way for artistic and cultural ideas to prevail.

Sassa Björg designer, Mila Ateva, being a bit 'sassy' 

(photo credit: Nadya Kaneva)

Mila Ateva of Sassa Björg understands what it means to be indie. She creates all of her designs in a bright and colorful atelier on a garden back street in central Sofia, Bulgaria, and during the rainy afternoon that I visited, she had a dedicated seamstress working away on a sewing machine that was surrounded by a rainbow of thread spools.

Sassa Björg atelier in central Sofia (polaroids by Abigail Doan)

I immediately thought to myself that this is how we should see garment workers working – kindly treated, in dialogue with the designer, and stopping at intervals to ask questions and tweak the designs. It was an inspiring thing to witness. It was a true crafting partnership.

My new wool fiber piece from Sassa Björg

Sassa Björg collections celebrate women with a killer independent spirit, and as designer Mila Ateva revealed to me over coffee, women of all ages collect her pieces as a way to add some edginess ("kinkiness") to their lives and closets. All ages? That sounds pretty sustainable to me.

I loved being able to go through racks of Mila's latest designs while we chatted. The fact that some one was on-site making something during the interview totally energized the combination workspace and retail set up.

The new 'Bright Lights, Deep Shades' collection featured here should definitely be snatched up by women all over the planet, although I think that it is pretty cool that savvy shoppers in Sofia know that their favorite picks are only one of a few in existence globally. For now.

Visit the Sassa Björg Facebook page for information on new designs and events. You can also find a curated selection of pieces online at parAvan.

(image credits)

photographer: Vasil Germanov

model: Yana Gerova

hair:  Lubomir Petrov

make-up: Slav

Feature Interview on The Sugar Diaries

  Abigail Doan at The Land/an art site in New Mexico

 handmade paper, vegetation, and sun-powered lighting

I am thrilled to share news that I recently did an interview on sustainable fashion, living, and art making/crafting for one of Hungary's most stylish blogs, The Sugar Diaries.

Here is an excerpt:

"I think that it is important to take small steps to do those things that are achievable and meaningful in your immediate sphere. This could be something very poetic like trying to start a windowsill garden or repairing old clothes that you like but can no longer wear. Using one’s hands brings one closer to the source of a true existence. Buying green is not the only way to go green. I find that people in my neighborhood here in Sofia, Bulgaria, are living very sustainably in ways that are not necessarily trendy. For example, they till small patches of soil outside of their buildings, use the clothesline for drying garments, and certainly have small bundles of garbage that they take down to the street bins. Some times these bags are so tiny, and they obviously have been able to do this by buying food that does not come in packaging and at a higher cost. I also see the older generation canning lots of vegetables and preserves as well as mending textiles that they hang on their terraces. There is a grace to this way of living that is not about being able to afford eco-friendly clothing or design objects, but makes perfect sense for the environment and a life well-lived. This, for me, is what true sustainability is all about."

You can follow The Sugar Diaries here.

Reet Aus In The House

Reet Aus 2010 from Reet Aus on Vimeo.

This is sort of what my day feels like, the non-stop motion that is, not the gorgeous clothes. Reet Aus is one of my favorite designers of the moment. Stay tuned for more reporting on eco fashion collections from Eastern Europe. I am heading that way soon.