2014 will be the 193rd celebration of independence for Salvadorean and several Central American countries including Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. On September 15, 1821 these countries collectively proclaimed independence from Spain. Although El Salvador has not fully recovered from the devastating Civil War of the 1980s, it is important to consider El Salvador’s…
Author: Helen Trejo
Helen Trejo is a sustainable fashion advocate and co-founder of Fiber Novation Loops LLC, a social enterprise that explores the intersection of fashion, agriculture, and technology to support the long-term sustainability of US fiber farms. Helen received her B.A. in fashion design from UC Davis, and her M.A. and Ph.D in Fiber Science & Apparel Design at Cornell University.
www.helenxtrejo.com
Fiber Farm Community Supported Ag
I recently became a virtual farmer in support of Sweet Tree Hill Farm in Virginia. The farm has Shetland sheep, angora rabbits, and cashmere goats. I was excited to learn where the the funds I provided would go. They helped pay for 1 month’s worth of hay for the fiber animals. I’m glad I can contribute in…
Excerpt from Sheep Farm Literature
I began to read the book “The Improbable Shepherd: More Stories from Sylvia’s Farm” by Sylvia Jorrin, 2013. She has a sheep and goat farm in the foothills of the Catskill mountains in NY. This is a passage I especially enjoyed: “…Other islands of dark green emerged and disappeared. Parts of the hills that surround this…
Hand-spun New York Yarns
Excited to make something from my yarns! They are predominantly wool with some alpaca and cashmere blends. They were hand-spun on a drop-spindle, and are 3-ply yarns. The roving was sourced from the Laughing Goat Fiber Farm and Spot Hollow Farm in New York. The yarns were made during the second half of 2013 and I just…
Support Aspiring Knitwear designer/ Master’s Student to show in NY Fashion Week!
Jasmine Gonzalez is currently a Master’s Student in the Academy of Arts University in San Francisco CA. She hopes to show a 6-piece collection during NY Fashion week in February 2014, and is raising funds to cover costs of yarns and knitting machinery to create hand-knit and machine made garments and accessories. Please see full…
Diversifying the Face of Shepherds in the U.S.
Raising sheep is challenging and requires knowledge of the land and animals. Regarding land, a shepherd must know water sources available, which plants are poisonous, and be mindful of rotational grazing strategies to prevent overgrazing. Intimate knowledge of sheep’s behavior throughout seasons, breeding patterns, lambing, and individual characteristics like personality are also essential to manage…
Like a Dream: Urban Lighting
Clothing is one way we distinguish ourselves from others, especially in dense settings like Los Angeles where it is easy to blend in. Chris Burden’s “Urban Lights” exhibit at LACMA stands out with a dense array of 1920s LA lamp posts. The proximity of the lamp posts alludes to the density of LA. As I…
Embracing Local Cultures of Dress- Small Exhibit
Local production of clothes has been integral to several cultures throughout time. This exhibit focused on comparing Navajo traditional, local cultures of dress and textiles, with the American Fibershed project that is creating “local” cultures of dress as part of the larger sustainable fashion movement. The Fibershed project in Northern California was established in 2011 by…
Amazing Fibershed Symposium 2013!
I went to the Fibershed Annual Wool & Fine Fiber Symposium in Point Reyes Station, CA last weekend Sat Nov 16. I was very excited to see a wide range of people from different professions including University professors to fiber farmers and artisans. Presentations can be seen here. If you are interested in agricultural sustainability, or care…
Commemorating Celia Cruz
Yesterday Google featured Afro-Cuban “Queen of Salsa” Celia Cruz to commemorate her birthday. I was happy to see the glimmering representation of Celia Cruz on google as a happy, creative figure. The image strongly parallels a blue dress she wore to the 3rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in 2002. Celia Cruz is…
Between the 1930s Stitches
Throughout the 1920s and 30’s Coco Chanel revolutionized women’s fashions by shifting women’s dress away from constricting corsets, bustles, and long trains. She designed comfortable clothes with a relaxed fit, which gave women greater freedom of movement and autonomy. She introduced the 3-piece suit as a cardigan, blouse, and skirt, which became a part of women’s…
Adding Value to Care Labels
Clothing tags can often be ignored or cut off after we determine the ideal way to wash/ dry our clothes. Including information about production processes, environmental, and social responsibility is one way companies are giving greater value to care labels. Below we see examples of care tags created by Leafcutter Designs in California. These labels can…
Mapping NY Fiber Farms
I’ve been creating a map of fiber farms throughout New York to contribute to discourses about regional Fibersheds. I inserted all of the addresses and identified the specific fiber animals that are one the farms. The map shows that there are extensive Alpaca farms, much more than sheep farms. This is because I was able…
Finished Cashmere Sweater and Memories
I finally finished the cashmere sweater that I mentioned in a previous post. The stitches in this sweater have so many memories and I am so happy that I can reflect back on the time I spent preparing the yarn and knitting. I began working on it in June and finished in August 2013 and it…
Worth of Wool
Visiting the Fingerlakes Woolen Mill was great, especially since I’ve had some contact with people who process their fleeces here. I learned about the steps involved in turning a fleece into yarn from washing to spinning steps. It was very interesting to see the large scale equipment. I was surprised that it takes about 2 weeks…
HELEN TREJO 