18 Jul, 2014
by KIKI
Author:
KIKI
Pic of the day

 

Seeing the beauty in ordinary things makes life more fun ...

 

What just came to my mind today, I think one of the greatest things in the world is coincidence. The unexpected makes life exciting and worthwhile, even when it's bad things happening, there's almost always the chance it changes life for the better. Much nicer of course when great/lovely things happen, both needed, though, to make it the real life!

 

KIKI

 

 

3 Jul, 2014
by KIKI
Author:
KIKI
Society - Get lost, Primark!

 

Protesters and clothes swapping initiative in front of the new Primark store at Alexanderplatz

 

Today the second Primark branch in Berlin and the 13th in Germany opened. Primark is a budget clothes and home products manufacturer from Ireland. Its prices are scandalously low with T-Shirts often for no more than 2 €. The company is hugely successful in Europe and people go crazy about the stuff. The clothes can also be described as fast fashion, produced to be thrown away after wearing them once. Was it only about wasting resources like water, land or chemicals and polluting the environment it would be bad enough but it's also about exploiting workers who earn so little that they can't afford a living, working in unsafe factories that burn down or collapse from time to time, like in Bangladesh last year, where about 1.000 garment workers died. And people are often exposed to toxic chemicals as well. All those facts make the products of brands like Primark, KiK or Mango so bad, terrible yet lethal.

 

As long as the companies refuse to improve working conditions along the production chain and develop an environmentally friendly attitude the only effective thing to do is to stop buying them. There were a lot of people today at Alexanderplatz to protest against Primark and the Inkota network organized some good initiatives, here, like the clothes swapping booth. And there was lots of media with some articles also about the protests here and here. If you have a facebook account you can see the pictures of BUND here, or check out the Lebenskleidung page, here, they covered it very well, too.

 

By the way, if you need new underwear or basic shirts, check out the ethical clothes by NIKOLAIKIKI,

here. You can also have a look at how we produce, I documented the production in Izmir, Turkey, here.

 

Happy considered shopping!

 

KIKI

 

 

1 Jul, 2014
by KIKI
Author:
KIKI
Special - Fusion Festival 2014

 

We've been to the Fusion Festival in the Mecklenburg lake district the last weekend and it has been wonderful. It's a pretty alternative event on a former airforce base. They limited the tickets because it has become very popular the last years, this 18th Fusion was my first time. At the beginning I compared it to the Secret Garden Party that I've been to a couple of years ago and that I considered the most amazing festival so far.

 

In the end the Fusion is just a great festival on its own. I love that it's non-commercial with no brands or sponsors at all. All the food stalls are vegetarian or vegan and the event is pretty political, too. The footpaths on the area are named after famous revolutionaries and left-winged politicians. There's also a theatre and a cinema, handicrafts and clothes to buy. And a lot of music of course. I also liked the little lake nearby that made a perfect spot to relax and refresh on the sunny weekend.

 

People were very relaxed and easy going and you could literally dance all day to whatever music you love.

 

I really enjoyed the weekend and here are some pics ...

 

 

Fusion 2015, I'll be there ...

 

KIKI

 

 

 

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