“I am on a mission to change the world one scarf at a time. The Blue Fashion Scarf Collection in collaboration with The Commonwealth Fashion Council is a timely and important message through fashion to save our oceans and ocean life, crucial for the well being of our planet. Our home. “ says Neishaa Gharat, Creative Director of House Of Gharats.
Discover the ‘Blue Fashion’ collection created by the House of Gharats in collaboration with the Commonwealth Fashion Council. A silk scarf collection for both women and men, In which luxury meets sustainability. A voyage of discovery not seeking new landscapes but having new eyes, in the words of Proust, best describes the design inspiration of the Blue Fashion Silk Scarf collection. We shall swim through Neishaa Gharat’s creative vision of incorporating key influences into illustrating the Blue Fashion Silk Scarf collection; From the Queen’s corgis to Mickey Mouse toys to submarines, this scarf collection is filled with luminous yet hidden treasures. Join us as we unravel more about the new collection and our collaboration.
We at House of Gharats believe in creating conscious luxury for artful dressing and living. Our motto is to be As sustainable As Possible, As Soon As Possible and we’re on a mission to change the world one scarf at a time. The Commonwealth Fashion Council is a not for profit organisation uniting over 20 national fashion councils and weeks from across the Commonwealth Fashion Industries1. Together we’re working in alliance with the Blue Charter agreement to be at the forefront of the decade of the ocean. The Blue Charter is an agreement between the 53 Commonwealth countries, which started in April 2018. In the Blue Charter, Commonwealth countries agree to actively cooperate to solve ocean-related problems and meet commitments for sustainable ocean development, with particular emphasis on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 14 (Life Below Water).²
Therefore, we have teamed up to create scarves inspired by the ocean and its creatures, we are calling it the Blue Fashion Silk Scarf collection. We believe this sustainable fashion silk scarf collection adheres to the vision of the Commonwealth Blue Charter which is to create the ‘Blue Economy’. The Blue Economy is a concept which encourages better stewardship of our ocean and its resources, to improve the lives of communities. The House of Gharats is also pushing forward the ‘100% Made in the Commonwealth’4 initiative which puts the Commonwealth first, what this means is that it will support cross-regional trade, exposure and income to encourage designers and manufacturers to think more about their impact and encourage sustainability and ethical processes across Commonwealth fashion initiatives.
Commonwealth Fashion Council & sustainable fashion
The Commonwealth Fashion Council (CFC), is focused on programmes of furthering fashion education, sustainable development, youth and gender empowerment and trade across the Commonwealth. As a non-profit organisation, they rely on the strong relationship that is found in the Commonwealth family, this has allowed the CFC to engage with governments and fashion industries within the Commonwealth. Their goal is to create a lasting and meaningful network with different fashion sectors around the globe, in accordance with the principles of the Charter Commonwealth¹.
Submerging ourselves into the ocean
The ocean may have been seen as something that has divided us into lands. For most of human history, our oceans were seen as something of an abyss, a no man’s land. At House of Gharats want to highlight the beauty of our oceans with its vast coral reefs that teem with life and basks in all the colours of the rainbow. We want to bring awareness to the critical damage caused by human activities that could bring an end to coral reefs. The Coral reefs provide a home to about 25% of all marine species and are the most diverse of all the planet’s ecosystems, rivalling the diversity found in the Amazon rainforest5
This Blue Fashion Silk Scarf collection depicts the life that flourishes in the depths, but the message of this collection is that these underwater communities could soon disappear. We hope to open people’s mind to save our coral reefs, and change their perception of oceans; We want people to no longer to see the ocean as an abyss of where our trash can be dumped but as a home for other life forms. Our goal is to change people’s perception and the treatment of our oceans, to see it as uniter for people to work together to save it.
Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has shown loud and clear advocacy for the renewed commitment by the member countries of the Commonwealth Blue Charter to support coral reefs by creating an action group with the mission is to get the Commonwealth nations to cooperate on sustainable ocean governance, to protect and preserve6. The Secretary-General initiated the adoption of the Blue Charter by all 53 nations. This laid the foundations for collaboration to solve ocean-related issues which include climate change, overfishing and pollution. Most significantly, many member nations have pledged to specifically focus on coral reef regeneration, riding the ocean of plastic and mangrove restoration.
Circular economy
The current linear economy system is no longer working for businesses, people or the environment. We at House of Gharats want to take a more circular approach. We must transform all the elements of the take-make-waste system: how we manage resources, how we produce and interact with products, and what we do with the materials and waste afterwards7
Only then can we create a thriving economy that can benefit everyone within the limits of our planet. By using a biodegradable material we are doing our part to eliminate landfill waste8 and help promote a circular economy
Influences and inspirations for this sustainable fashion silk scarf collection
The key influences and inspirations that were in play in our founder-creative director Neishaa Gharat’s mind to create this collection were artistic, scientific and economic:
Seaweed, The Power of Seaweed in fibre
We at House of Gharats did not want a scarf collection inspired by the ocean to only be focused on the design elements, but to integrate it into the fibres of our scarves. Smart Fiber’s SeaCell™ is used for the Blue Fashion Silk Scarf Collection. SeaCell is a silk fabric that contains active seaweed, that is completely biodegradable and carbon neutral. SmartFiber is at the forefront of textile innovation, providing a sustainable solution to non-biodegradable synthetic materials that crown our landfills.
The seaweed for Seacell fabric is obtained from a gentle and sustainable harvesting process that only removes the part of the seaweed that can regenerate. The seaweed is entirely untreated and all its ecological value is retained.11 The patented process embeds the seaweed firmly within a natural cellulose fibre. As a result, the positive properties of the seaweed are permanently preserved within the fibre, even after multiple washing cycles. By using this material, we are doing our part to help build a Blue Economy.
Seaweed is a sustainable, environmentally-friendly and is good for our bodies. Seaweed has great skin benefits. It helps to soothe irritated skin and promotes cell rejuvenation. The natural moisture level of the skin enables an active exchange of those beneficial substances between the fibre and the skin, providing a noticeable sense of wellbeing. The seaweed is pure and rich in essential substances such as trace elements, vitamins, minerals and amino acids. The properties found in seaweed help to activate cell regeneration which can help to reduce inflammation, relieve skin diseases and soothe itchiness.
Patterns and motifs inspired by ocean creatures and coral reefs
The inspiration and influence of the world’s coral reefs are indeed the most prominent design elements of this Blue Fashion Silk Scarf collection. The Coral reefs became the main focus for this collection due to the harmony of animals that dwell in them. These creatures remind us that the coral reef is their home. This realisation sent us falling down the rabbit hole to discovering the important role that the coral reef plays in supporting aquatic life. We learnt about the damage being caused to the coral reefs of the world. Thus we wanted to highlight and reflect the beauty of coral reefs with its creatures and vibrant colours in this Blue Fashion Silk Scarf collection.
The coral reefs are spawning and nursery grounds that are environmentally important for marine populations to thrive, making it essential that we keep them safe. One square kilometre of healthy, well-managed coral reef can provide more than 15 tonnes of fish and other seafood each year4
The coral reefs also provide millions of jobs to local people through fishing, tourism and recreational activities. They are a source for some of the most impactful medicines in the 21st Century, this includes treatments for HIV, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, ulcers and other ailments. If a coral reef degraded or destroyed, they could be reduced or eliminated, forever9
Seeing Beauty in Waste
Mandy Barker’s photography is a beautiful and shocking commentary on excessive plastic consumption
A British artist named Mandy Barker is one of the key inspirations that made this Blue Fashion Silk Scarf collection what it is. She is an international award-winning photographer whose work involving marine plastic debris has received global recognition. One of her most internationally-acclaimed photography series is named Hong Kong Soup. It exhibits footballs and other human-made materials collected from beaches and the ocean into a dark environment. Also, the vibrant colours of the footballs illuminate in contrast with the dark surroundings. Barker describes this concept as representing the blackness of the deep sea and that “plastic debris has no boundaries, plastic is found from the sea bed to the sea surface, from the polar regions to the equator”.10
What particularly fascinated Neishaa Gharat about her work is that she collects objects that are waste in of themselves. Mandy Barker creatively combines these objects and collectively turns them into pieces of art sculptures and then photographs them. She creates breathtaking artworks whilst simultaneously spreading awareness of waste in our oceans. This influenced Neishaa Gharat and House of Gharats to include depictions of common man-made waste found in the ocean onto this Blue Fashion Silk Scarf Collection.
The Sculpture Coralarium: The world’s first semi-submerged tidal art gallery
Coralarium installation is a semi-submerged art gallery filled with nearly 30 sculptors that act as a habitat for coral and other marine species. It was made by the British sculptor, Jason deCaires Taylor and took him nine months of dedication. In the end, he created an “inverse zoo” because we’re in the cage and the marine life can come and go and look at us. The installation is situated in a large coral lagoon on the island resort of Fairmont Sirru Fen Fushi in the Maldives. Taylor explains that the Coralarium “exists in three different elements,”, explaining the work’s multifaceted approach. “A set of sculptures that interact with the sky and the atmosphere. There’s a set of works that are in the tidal area. They live both above the water and below the water. The idea is that it’s about taking all the elements of our planet and showing that everything is connected.”12 The Sculpture Coralarium has been a great inspiration for this collection and is featured on one of our scarves.
Her Deepness, Sylvia Alice Earle
Sylvia Earle is an American marine biologist. She is most famous for founding numerous marine organisations, this includes Mission Blue, SEAlliance, Deep Ocean Exploration and Research.13
She has also received numerous accolades and has mounted to extraordinary achievements in the marine science field; she has led over 100 expeditions, held the world record for deepest untethered dive and logged more than 7,000 hours underwater. The New York Times named Earle “Her Deepness”.
Most significantly, she launched a program dubbed “Race to the Marianas Trench” which utilises a deep-sea submarine. What is most striking about this is the submarine itself; Neishaa Gharat fell in love with its design as it resembles an ocean creature. Neishaa Gharat saw Sylvia as an inspiration because she is a female scientist that has achieved a lot in marine science that supports the well-being of the planet and people. Thus, we included her “Race to the Marianas Trench” submarine as a design element in a few of our scarves.
Everyone has roots in the ocean, even the British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is playing an active role in promoting sustainability through their work in the Commonwealth committee, highlighted through the CHOGM. Although the British Empire’s Commonwealth ended decades ago, there are still 15 Commonwealth Realms that have The Queen as their monarch, including the United Kingdom. Prince Charles has been involved in the developments in sustainability in general and sustainable fashion are very notable, he has launched numerous organisations including Campaign for Wool, the Prince’s Rainforest Project and The Prince’s Trust.
The Queen has sovereignty over all aquatic animals, including whales, sturgeons and dolphins in the waters surrounding England and Wales. The monarchy recognised whales, porpoises and dolphins as ‘royal fishes’ when they are captured within the British domain. Furthermore, when sturgeons are sold in a usual way when captured, as a gesture of royalty, the purchaser requests the honour of it being accepted by Queen Elizabeth 2. The Queen is also known for her love of Corgis. It started in 1933 when the Queen’s parents got the family’s first corgi, named Dookie. In total, she had more than 30 corgis in her lifetime so far.
The Royal family have been incorporated into this Blue fashion collection. We translated the Queen’s sovereignty over aquatic animals, more specifically the royal dolphins into a design element; we made a corgi represent Her Majesty, and have it ride a dolphin. Inspired by the Royal Family’s work in sustainable developments. We have depicted three corgis in one of our Blue Fashion Silk Scarf, each one representing Her Majesty, Prince Charles, Prince Harry and Princess Meghan. These corgis were personal companions to the Queen — she even called them family.
The Commonwealth Youth Forum – one billion young people strong
The Queen appointed Prince Harry and Princess Meghan positions in the Commonwealth Youth Forum. The Commonwealth Youth Forum provides an opportunity for young people of the Commonwealth to build cross-cultural connections and networks, debate the challenges facing its young people, and agree on youth-led initiatives to influence decision-makers and ensure young people have a voice in its future. Meghan has previously expressed an interest in learning more about the Commonwealth, so she is excited to partake in the Youth Forum which is a very important organisation, this is because the future of the Commonwealth depends on its one billion young people. The summit built links between countries to offer young people access to knowledge and skills; and give them a voice on key issues such as democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
Commonwealth Fashion Council’s passion for sustainable fashion
In the Blue Fashion Silk Scarf collection series, we did an in-depth analysis of the Commonwealth Fashion Council and their affiliation with the Commonwealth itself. Therefore, to briefly recap, the Commonwealth is focused on dealing with current and critical issues that affect the 53 member nations. There is no doubt that pollution in waste is one of the most critical global issues. Thus, the Commonwealth Fashion Council is a prominent organisation that is responding to this issue in an angle that focuses on sustainability in the fashion industry. Their work challenges leaders of the fashion industry in member nations of the Commonwealth Fashion Council to find sustainable and ethical ways to reduce pollution in waste.
There is no doubt that pollution in waste is one of the most critical global issues. Thus, the Commonwealth Fashion Council is a prominent organisation that is responding to this issue in an angle that focuses on sustainability in the fashion industry. Their work challenges leaders of the fashion industry in member nations of the Commonwealth Fashion Council to find sustainable and ethical ways to reduce pollution in waste.
Blue Fashion Scarf Collection presented at the Blue Charter, All Champions Meeting
Our oceans inspired scarves take on the world, as the Blue fashion Scarf Collection makes its debut at the Commonwealth Blue Charter’s All Champion Meeting. The Blue Fashion Scarf was presented at the all champions meeting which took place between the 18 – 21 june 2019, at the Marlborough House in London, by Jeff Ardon and Alison Swadling14. The event marked one year since the launch of the Commonwealth Blue charter, and brought together 14the champion countries’ leading Action Groups, to reflect on the past year of ocean conservation projects, and plan for a better future for our oceans. At the event, Alison Swaddling, an Ocean Governance Adviser, was seen modeling the Blue Fashion Scarf and we have to say that sustainability never looked so Fashionable.
We at House of Gharats, are truly committed to helping the ocean and have been working on another exciting ocean project. Neishaa Gharat is invited to create the Wishing Net installation at the International Symposium on Fisheries Sustainability in Rome, Italy. Join us on Instagram to cast your wish for the ocean and help raise awareness, and learn more about the project.
House Of Gharats Blue Fashion Scarf will be showcased at the Blue Fashion and the Innovation Forum at the International Symposium on Fisheries Sustainability, which takes place in Rome, November 18-21 2019. Make sure you follow us on instagram @HouseOfGharats and keep an eye on our blog for more updates. The collection will be available to buy in February 2020. For further enquiries write to hello@houseofgharats.com, or place your pre-order now on our website.
Let’s build a Blue Economy together, one scarf at a time.
Wordsmith: Zakaria Abdullahi
Editor: Maria Demime
References (Harvard Style):