Hi Reader,

Have you noticed it too? Somehow the alliteration of September and Sustainability has created an unofficial month of focusing on all things 'sustainable'. Honestly, there are so many International Days of XYZ my 'spidey-sustainy-sense' is alliteratively spinning 🤪

But rather than blow past them I want to dig in a bit to what some of them can mean for our own choices, both the pros and the cons. I'm not too sure where this will take us, but am hoping you'll join me for the ride!

Two days ...

Did you know September 7 was the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, and September 15 is the International Day of Democracy? Two very different days, you might think. But both sit at the heart of what's key for us at Motif: how we make things, and who gets to have a say in that process.

When we fall in love with a beautiful piece of fabric, we of course are taken in by the elements that hit our senses. The colour, texture, pattern, the way the cloth moves and feels in our hands, maybe even its sound and smell. But there is a whole story behind that beauty that's beautiful too ... or not.

There's the fibre and where it came from, the way it was spun and dyed, the energy and water used along the way, and finally the process of turning yarn into cloth. And there are people at every stage, each one a vital role in the process.

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Watching a weaver work is compelling. The loom is relatively simple, but the knowledge isn't. A skilled weaver understands how the yarn behaves, how the tension needs to change, how a pattern will emerge, and how to make adjustments almost instinctively as the cloth grows.

Watching this always reawakens in me the delight that making isn't just a production process. It's knowledge, skill and human creativity.

I'm really excited these days to be working with a new brand committed to building these values into their DNA from the start.

It's fabulous helping designer Vivette find her lane through the ever present 'noise' and questions around sustainability – she's absolutely working from the ground up on this, so go follow @velgram.co to see a new brand's ethical evolution unfold in real time!

One focus ...

I think that's where these two International Days meet.

Thinking about the environmental impact of what we make, we naturally think about energy, water, waste and materials. But thinking about the people doing the making - that's key! Are they visible, their skills valued, do they have a voice and are they able to earn a fair livelihood from their work?

For many of us, making things differently isn't about finding one perfect material or one magic solution. It's about becoming more curious about the whole story behind what we buy and create.

Probe with more questions, like: Can we make beautiful things while using fewer resources? Can we value traditional skills alongside new ideas? Can the people who make our products be partners in the process rather than invisible at the end of a supply chain? One of the first designers I worked with some years ago is rocking this Q&A now in real time. Check out @MrsEmily for some well embedded values! And, can you get to her amazing upcoming show? Check it out HERE!​

I don't have all the answers. But after so many years working with artisans and designers, I've learned that asking better questions is a great place to start. So, this September, I'm spending a little time exploring some of those 'sustainability days' questions with you. And I'd love to hear any that get you thinking in different ways too.

Here's to making things, all things, better together,