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veganline.com
Mortlake, London, UK
1964-2003: UK boarding education, degree, and a career in social work
1998-now: proprietor, Veganline.com the first vegan shoe shop online
other businesses:
Musonix.co.uk - Musonix Publishing; Care-alert.co.uk; disability living aids.
Recent activity
Comments (9)
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Comment on: The rise of the Hunter welly
I don't see the point. It used to be that these were made in UK working conditions and were latex-dipped. Since the new company couldn't afford the rent on their factory, all that's left is a brand and a distribution system. Just like ASDA really, but more expensive. I'm interested in Vulkan.sk who have an agent trying to import latex dipped wellies made in a democratic welfare state.
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Comment on: Big names return to London Fashion Week
I'm interested to know: what should an outsider know to judge the value of this to taxpayers? Have just asked the question on http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/london_fashion_week_biannual_upd#comment-7748 expecting to see so-many orders claimed by buyers or sellers, so-many doubted as hype or un-paid or contrived to justify the free ticket to London, and a realistic figure at the end. Instead, even the number of visitors is not quoted (except in Paris where it was 500). "the number of outputs is decreasing each season due to the limitations on counting with a multi category, 3 year project. This has meant that output targets have not been reached" A document on the designer fashion industry published by the Work Foundation as part of the models health enquiry finds it a significant industry, but also notes that following designer's names is a pretty rare hobby among clothes shoppers. Likewise, bug orders from chainstores are unlikely at the prices I saw. Speaking of which, an attempt to split up the big three of four chain stores might lead to better fashion than running a fashion show, by increasing the variety of shops. One final thing I don't understand is why they event doesn't promote the names of the workshops that make the clothes, doubling their potential for job creation and interesting news stories per pound spent.
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Comment on: London mayor celebrates LFW’s effect on UK economy
There are some public freedom of information act requests and replies about this. Summery: http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/london_fashion_week_biannual_upd#comment-7748 London Fashion Week to London Development Agency: full report for two quarters, except that it doesn't give detail of things like jobs created numbers of visitors, feedback about orders anything but column inches: http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/london_fashion_week_biannual_upd#comment-7716 Neither reference supports the old traditional lie, not "dulcie et decorum est pro partria mores" but just as unlikely: "Every £1 spent on the International Guest Programme produces a return of £880" . A search of the document for sales reports, even including clothes not made in the UK, reveals this quote: "the number of outputs is decreasing each season due to the limitations on counting with a multi category, 3 year project. This has meant that output targets have not been reached." Orders in excess of £40 million amongst 200 stalls over two four-day markets would be £100,000 per stall at each market or £250,000 a day. This is over £3,000 an hour for very expensive objects in a show that looked as busy as a department store on a weekday: my impression was that some stalls did not get any enquiries for an hour at a time. Visitor numbers are not quoted but "footfall ... improved". I think that anyone who takes politicians seriously about London Fashion Week should also read what they have to say about Royal Opera House, which we all know is a waste of space. I haven't googled any politicians' statements on that subject but you might find the same phrases in a google search.
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Comment on: Dump The Duties: Add your voice
There's an interesting article on over-valuation of the UK pound here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2006/oct/09/politics.economicpolicy . And in the US the http://www.faircurrency.org lobby notes manipulation of its currency value downwards by the Chinese government - a trend that may soon have to end. A reason the Chinese government has succeeded in managing its currency for so long is that their political system has not required high spending of money on free hospitals and such on home ground; it is possible for those in authority to buy large amounts of shares and property in countries outside China; it is hard to imagine a democratic economy functioning in the same way. I think we need lobbies like http://www.faircurrency.org in the UK
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Comment on: Dump The Duties: Add your voice
Dear Catherine Owens Surely a retailer should serve the public, not the public serve the retailer by reducing their working conditions to Chinese levels? I share your experience of finding that factories have just closed, or close just after I contact them, or can't afford to do what I'd like, but still believe it's possible in democratic welfare states like Slovakia and even in the UK. Subsidies to technical colleges and machines that any qualified person could use would be a good start, rather than subsidies for designers labels and PR. If you ever find a UK womens shoe factory, could you let me know? I'm not sure what Softwalker are doing. Hotter only sub-contract to large customers. regards John Robertson veganline.com
