This is a short and visual post demonstrating our need and will to visually communicate with our following, customers and Friends. our Watermelon Cardigan is so much more than yarn put together in loops, its a quiet yet visual rebellion in a world full of darkness.

Our garments come from a place of a deep passion for creativity; each piece unique and exclusive to each and every customer. We loathe waste of any form and so we make sure you know we are 100% support of a circular economy, with no materials we use having being part of any new mass production process. High street garments has about 5-6 various production processes involved in 1 singular garment and this is a massive contributor to green house gasses- hence we are adamant we do not want to take part in the further destruction of our planet.

Our business is about fashion you will love and want to keep forever and we want you to be aware of our story when you choose to spend your money with us. You are not only supporting us as a small family run business; but supporting a wider cause- and feel free to spread the word. We are modern day hippies; peaceful warriors; actively working toward a better future as much as we possibly can. This is our thing, our VIBE. if you resonate- come be part of this movement; which stretch further than our business; just dig a little deeper and find out more for yourself.

we will continue to be inspired; create and further inspire. Enjoy the browse and thanks for stopping by.

Anne & Godfrey

Once when on an island somewhere in Thailand, I had my astrology chart read. It was quite an incredible experience and the female astrologer, who had never met me before, was able to tell me about myself in personal details certainly unbeknown to her, before reading my chart. One of the of the strong topics we touched on was femininity / women; and the strong influence this topic will have in my life. With Venus as my guiding planet – femininity is a strength if treated correctly, she said (I am an Aries with Aquarius rising, guided by main planet Venus).

This topic makes sense as my life has been dominated by female power and also fragility since I was born. My grandmother, one of 6 daughters in a strong female led family; yet also tinted with tragedy and vulnerability and mental illness was rife in my grandmothers lineage of women. My own mother who was my very best friend and main inspiration / motivation, was also an incredibly smart and artistically talented women, with incredible strength- although I lost her far too soon to a heart disease we did not know she carried.  Furthermore, I also have my Mother in law which is leading a very strong female dominant family with a rich and powerful heritage, yet again, they have all faced their struggles in life, although overcome them and learnt to live through various ups and downs that life throws at us as women in particular. The strength we carry is in relation to our own vulnerability and I find that intriguing. I am also convinced we do carry a sixth sense in shape of our intuition, and that we all need to harness and FEEL this much more in our lives. We can turn our emotions into something very powerful and beautiful.

All of us deal with our femininity an various ways and that is our our own prerogative. I have often been told- and being told still to this day that I am sometimes perceived as arrogant and dominant – qualities that apparently do not suit a woman. Had I been a man, these qualities would not have been a problem, but certainly an accreditation to me.  It is lucky for me, I suppose, that I stopped caring what other people think of me long ago. After some teenage trauma of rumors about me, I came through and realised it didnt really affect who I am at all – my life continues in spite of other peoples opinion, and I stand strong by this. I hope all women felt the same!

I have always been inspired by women, and imagery of women throughout art and photographic history – I feel there is something very magical about women in art and that they portray a certain kind of depth and mystery which I find very appealing. Furthermore, I am incredibly interested and inspired by various cultures and especially women of other cultures. I have learnt slot about west African Women through my mother in law, I am intrigued by native American culture and history and vowed to educate myself further in the field. I also love the beauty of the Geisha, although I am also very aware of the tragic circumstances it can hold. Goddesses throughout history fascinate me as do their history; Venus, Aphrodite, Venus, Khali, Freya, Cleopatra, Ishtar, Selene, Nefretiti, and so so many more.

It is thus quite understandable that I choose to explore this inspiration and fascination in my work, and will continue to do so much more going forward. I will also post many more blogs about female led historical figures and cultures as I think it is vital we all learn more about our own heritage.

to sum up, I would also like to say that although fascinated by this topic, this does not mean we dislike men or masculinity in any way. In fact- we will be toughing on this subject as well. I adore my husband; the man by my side and I am proud to be his wife. I am also a proud woman and so the journey to further discovery starts here. Enjoy.

Photocredit:

@babyimastar

@claudiapink

@bedaringbefree

We use the phrase alongside other similar ones like “Power to the Peaceful” and Power of the People” and we do not do so because we are following a fad. We truly believe in their meaning. Freedom of Ztyle is a brand for everyday people who are and become Non Conformists by wanting to do good for the greater good; not only for them selves. For the People. For Like-minded souls and equal peaceful warriors who spread awareness. This world is in a bad way, but there is a lot of good in it and together we can spread the good and make change. We truly believe that.  Lets reclaim our Power and continue to be peaceful, yet fearless and a force to be reckoned with!

Peace, Love and Light!

Like many of us do know, they sprung from the Native American culture and in the Ojibwe native tongue they are called asabikeshiinh, which means “Spider”. they were originally always made by woven willow in a hoops with yarn woven in the middle to resemble a spiders web. They were often decorated with sacred items such as beads and feathers and hung above babies cribs / sleeping quarters for protection. The word DREAM CATCHER didn’t hit the mainstream until the 1960’s when the pan-native tribes adopted the custom as a means to sell traditional craft items and make a living- hence they were bought by western Americans and popularized as a home decor item. In actuality, Dream Catchers were actually coined as a term for the consumers who bought in to the very romanticized spirituality of the Navite Americans and not for the “spider web Hoops” themselves.

We find this strangely symbolic of modern day and the Spirituality Quest we see so many people embark on. This is not a negative – an en masse collective of individuals in search to catch spiritual dreams is exactly what this world needs right now; and so we hope that all of us Dream Catchers who in fact love Dream Catchers will spread our positive vibes and thus create more awareness of their origin. We must give thanks to The Native Americans for sharing their fantastic culture and kindly accepting our adoption of their custom!

Now; please go catch your Dreams!

So, in order to break the loop, we urge you to hear us out. The world is changing; some for the better and some for the worse. One topic we are very passionate about here at F.O.Z HQ is waste. There is far far too much of it and it is literally changing the planet for the far worse. Soon, if we don’t come up with some global waste management solutions – we risk extinction and a non-reversible decline of animals and vegetation which WILL have disastrous consequences for the future of our planet and our own generations of offspring. here are some facts:

Based on estimates, the world cities generated 1.3 billion tonnes of waste annually with Asia accountable for 1 million tonnes per day. With current urbanization and population growth rate, the global waste generation is estimated to rise to 2.2 billion tonnes by 2025 (global waste conference)

Roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year — approximately 1.3 billion tonnes — gets lost or wasted.(F.A.O)

The food currently wasted in Europe could feed 200 million people. add to that North + South America, Asia and Australia and the figure closes in on 800 million people that could be fed with wasted food across the world (F.A.O)

Plastic waste is one of the most urgent environmental issues in our time. Billions of Tonnes of plastic ends up on landfills each year with millions of tonnes of plastic ending up in our oceans and become part of the food chain as fish and other sea animals eat and digest plastic and micro plastics. (European commission on plastic waste)

Fashion wise; the famous British high street and global demand for FAST FASHION is contributing to a production of around 85 billion garments / year – 85% of which ends up on landfills. A large contributing factory to “landfill fashion” is the materials used nowadays- with the majority produced in man made fibers which take much longer to biodegrade than natural fibers – they also have no soaking powers and hence are no good in the rag trade (large in developing parts of the world) and hence there are no real use for all our unwanted garments. Furthermore; add to that the toxic emissions into our environment by the garment producers (colour, dye, manufacturing chemicals etc etc). (read more in this brilliant article by The Guardian)

Now- What can we do? How can we be the change? If you care and if you are concerned, there are small steps / changes we can all make in order to make a large global Impact!

plan your meals better to avoid food waste. Call up your local council and join their recycling scheme. Buy a bamboo toothbrush (instead of plastic). Refuse the straw! Bring your reusable coffee cup to your local coffee shop. Reduce the amount of plastic you use – dont buy food in plastic wraps (go to your local market) Wash and re-use your glass jars, cut up old cotton sheets for rags and cleaning cloths; buy recyclable plastic waste bags AND in general: BUY LESS ! Of everything. And when you do purchase- make informed decisions. Think about it- buy what you  need as it is not necessarily the same as your wants! In our personal experience- since starting Freedom of Ztyle and dedicating our self to a circular economy- our WANTS have dramatically declined and we don’t buy things we dont need. The joy of our few purchases are so much grater now! WE take much more care of what we buy and it lasts us for years!

In conclusion; if you know about our company you will aso know that buying from us is supporting a circular economy and less wastage. We can also transform your wardrobe into something new if you give us your un-worn clothing; this is a popular service of ours. We will continue to power through and promote a less waste – in particular within fashion. We are of course grateful for all your custom and Thank you all for reading. Hopefully you can start to spread the word. Be the Change!

Namaste.

With the rise of social media over the last decade there are also a very large number of self proclaimed Fashionistas around; and Fashion Education institutes around the world have seen a steep rise of applicants. Many Fancy themselves Careers in Design, Buying and Styling with the simple merit they they have a Fashion Blog and believe they are able to more than well put outfits together. Pair that with a large Instagram following and gifting from several high street labels and a select number will even figure they can bypass education all together because hey- Istagram speaks the truth, right?

Wrong. I urge you all to read the very well written article THE CIRCUS OF FASHION written by Hilary Alexander for the New York Times. There is a specific phrase in which she summons up what exactly is wrong with these budding Fashionistas ambitions in the fashion industry; something taught to her at a very young age: when critiquing a garment or a designer remember this: It isn’t good because you like it. You Like it because it is Good.

Another very interesting point she makes is this: If fashion is for everyone, is it really fashion? What may she mean by this you wonder? Surely we all need to dress? Yes, but do we all dress well? do we all consider ourselves part of fashion as we dress in the morning? And with the highstreet chains allover the world producing at mass speed, never without some new styles to launch every WEEK- are all the budding Fashionistas really that individual? do they have a unique and different perspective to show us?

Of course – some do and this is where I bring you back to Our beloved Pierre Berge. Consider this: Fashion is not art. But Fashion needs an Artist. There are indeed still a good number of renegades and non conformists who manage to keep their individuality in the fashion jungle. These are the Visionaries, The Artists who use Fashion as their Medium and who inspires us every day. Here is a list of our favorites:

Since 2012 we have been admiring Leandra Medines MAN REPELLER blog. Not only has she got Killer style, breaking all kind of “rules” and Repell Men as she says (hence the name of the blog) but a wit and humor that surpass many of her peers. Check her out and laugh out loud.

Furthermore we have the ever so Fierce Glamour Queen and BFF to Dita Von Tease BUTCHWAX VINTAGE who specializes in TRUE 1920-60s Hollwood style red carpet Vintage Gowns. No Matter what is going on on the highstreet- This dame of true classic style can teach us all a thing or two about real Fashion!

Finally we take our hat off to the Swedish team behind eco friendly and minimalist but Oh so Classic style blog MAKE IT LAST. Run by a duo of two ice cool Swedish fashionistas; this blog is an eye opener for maximum minimal style. A daily inspiration for us.

So when you are all next pondering your next purchase or your general wardrobe choices; think of this blog post. Think about YOU- your personality and use that as a blank canvas to create some fierce fashion Art!

The Hippie Movements started in earnest in the mid 1960’s in San Fransisco; however they were heavily influenced by Bohemians from the Eastern parts of the world. Embracing core values such a Love, kindness and respect for one another, as well as a more basic back to nature style of living, distancing themselves from consumerism of “modern” life. The hippie movement was also very much against any form of aggression in terms of violence and war and they openly had no support for politics and governments – but believed instead the power should be with the People, hence the famous phrase Power to the People.

The Hippie Movement also popularized the PEACE SIGN and have thus made it in to a widely used and even commercial logo. It was designed in 1958 by the British Artist Gerald Hotlom as a symbol for the Nuclear Disarmament movement. The sign is actually the letters N and D from the Semaphore alphabet.

So why do we think this is important? In the current Political and environmental climate we believe people need to Galvanize towards a better future for us and our children. Our consumerism and way of life is absolutely unsustainable. The fashion industry is the second largest polluter of the environment after the oil industry. Around 80 Billion garments are produced each year and with 85% of that ending up on landfills (remember many fabrics nowadays are not biodegradable) we need to  Curb this insane industry by making INFORMED shopping choices and lessen the demand!

Freedom of Ztyle make what we call FOREVER FASHION and support a circular economy (no newly produced items used in our business but products and material already in circulation). We embrace Peace, Love, Unity of ALL and believe it is necessary for us all to stop mass consumption on the current levels. Embrace your inner Hippie and think about your choices.

Namaste.