Art Saving Lives

Painted with nail polish on canvas

After a beautiful conversation over the phone, Nicole Condon and I quickly realised that we have a shared passion for the little girls in Cambodia.

Nicole visited Cambodia in August last year, where she had an opportunity to visit with the girls who had been recused from brothels. 

Her response to the horror of lost innocence was to bravely celebrate what life and colour there is for those girls who get an opportunity to live.

Nicole is generously donating a painting for the raffle at 

Under a Tree Clothing Exchange 

on Saturday the 21st of April.

Please bring cash with you!

You also have the opportunity to buy her art work at Under a Tree Clothing Exchange

with 50% of the proceeds going straight to the Somaly Mam Foundation.

Cambodian water lili's pianted with nail polish on canvas

Gorgeous Nicole Condon 

Seamless.

Seamless is an independently organised event aiming to showcase emerging and sustainable fashion designers and their wares.

 The first of many evenings was last Friday night, the second of March. 

I was honoured to be one of six designers who presented their work and talked about sustainable creations. The event showcased designs from customized eyewear and luxurious underwear ranges to innovative female fashion styles. This evening provided a chance to meet with others, learn, question and feel the impact of new sustanable methods. 

Sponsored by The Rabit Hole/Ideation Cafe the collaborative working space/ coffee shop was vibrant with live music, yummy cupcakes and organic wine.

It was so nice to be with like minded people and celebrate the beauty of sustainablity. 

Seamless @ The Rabit Hole, West End, Brisbane

A Pot of Tea Under a Tree

Holloway

Nico Under Wear

Why, A Cause?

On a Saturday night in October, a group of us from A Pot of Tea Under a Tree and Hope Foundation went to the screening of Nefarious: Merchant of Souls documentary. 

It reminded me again of why! 

Why in this moment, A Pot of Tea Under a Tree exists.  

I started A Pot of Tea Under a Tree because ever since I was a little girl I wanted to be a fashion designer and I wanted to change the world. 
A contradiction right? Not now! 

I'm so honoured to be able to provide beautiful sustainable clothing that is morally and environmentally sound BUT! 
This endeavour is created out of a passion for a cause. 

A cause, that is taking steps to strengthen women in their environment throughout the world. 

Miraculously two woman have came across my path and have touched my heart. 

Browen Healy, who is the creator of Hope Foundation, here in Brisbane, Australia and Somaly Mam, the creator of Somaly Mam Foundation, from Cambodia. 

Both woman are rescuing girls from sexual slavery and death.

This is why A Pot of Tea Under a Tree will continue doing what we are doing:

Please know the content of this video may offend some viewers and is not recommended for those under 14 without adult supervision.

Come and be apart of the solution by attending April's 2012

Under a Tree Clothing Exchange. 

With a new body comes a new wardrobe!

I'm so proud of my gorgeous sister, Marianne.

In the last 8 months Marianne has gone from a size 14/16 to 10/12.

It has been a dedicated but worth while road for her.

Last week she hit her goal weight (she lost 23kg or 50lbs) woohoo!

Marianne has a new body for the new year. With this new body comes a new wardrobe.

Before and After

With the guidence of Wardrobe 101 we began the journey of creating the perfect core wardrobe!

Essentials checklist:

Tailored jacket

Short jacket

Fitted jacket

Trench coat

Tailored pants

Wide leg pants

Jeans

The perfect skirt

Full skirt

Collared shirt

Statement top

knit sweater or cardigan

tee-shirt

Little Black Dress

Special Occasion Dress

Little Black Dress - Perfect date night outfit.

The perfect skirt - Beautiful for the office

Gorgeous Summer Print - Vintage jacket from Metro Retro

Perfect Red Dress - Perfect for drinking tea ;)

Cute Maxi Dress with sweet accessories 

A box full of gorgeous dresses (size 14 & 16) for Under a Tree Clothing Exchange

do your self a favour and check it out
Wardrobe 101

What is Sustainable Fashion?

I'm really excited about tonight. I've been asked to be the guest speaker for Undress 101: Sustainable Fashion Network Night. It's such an honour to be asked to speak about something I'm so passionate about.
I'm excited that fashion is moving in this direction as we all become more knowledgable about what sustainable fashion actually is.
 Sustainable Fashion is: 

“ fashion that is designed to be environmentally and ethically friendly.” 

The United Nations defines sustainable as meeting the needs of the present generation with out compromising or sacrificing the ability of the future generations.

There are a lot of terms and words to describe sustainable fashion: green, eco, eco-luxe, organic, sustainable, slow, ethical and the list goes on. 

So what makes clothing environmentally and ethically sound?

I like to simply refer to the 3R’s

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Reduce by consciously choosing to wear products that are made using 
environmentally friendly production practices and by selecting materials which 
do not negatively impact the planet at any stage of the process.

Tip: Look for clothing made out of Certified Organic Cotton, 
Hemp, Yak Wool, PET fibers and more. 

A Pot of Tea Under a Tree uses only the best of the stated fabrics.

Reuse by choosing to wear clothing items that are not bought NEW. 

Tip: Attending a clothes swap is a wonderful way to reuse clothing. 

We hold a six monthly clothes swap called Under a Tree Clothing Exchange. 

Recycle by making garments from previously existing objects. 

The Recycled Soda items in our collection are made out of PET woven with Hemp. 

PET is basically plastic bottles recycled down to a beautiful light -weight fiber.

Tip: make a tote bag from an old pair of jeans. 

I loved to know any other tips you might have for reusing and recycling clothing?

x Louise

2011 suited me to a tea

Happy New Year!!! 

What a truly blessed year 2011 has been.

It's been full of wonderful opportunites and celebrations.

April 2nd 2011 - Louise Falzon and Thomas Cotterill got Married

12th March & 9th July Under a Tree Clothing Exchange.
We drank tea, listened to live music and swapped gorgeous clothing and all the
while raised enough funds that is the equivalent of freeing 8 little Cambodian girls from prositution. 

November - Our online shop opened - www.underatree.com.au

A big heart felt Thank you to the gorgeous lovely ladies who helped make
A Pot of Tea Under a Tree vision happen this year.
Anne-Maree, Elizabeth, Marianne, Michelle, Miriam, Ruth & my supportive family and friends.

I'm thrilled to see what 2012 will bring!!!!!

We wish you a.......

... Merry, peaceful, loving and joyious Christmas!!

From All of Us at 

A Pot of Tea Under a Tree.

Queen Street Mall, Brisbane Queensland!

I was so delighted to see this banner of celebration in my home town, 

I just had to capture it! 

It says it all!!