Swap your way to frocking happiness with Elle Swapalot

Elle Swapalot* will be hosting some crazy swaps at the Fayre Christmas Fair.  Come bring a few goodies and even some baddies – there will be a few dusty bins of ‘just no goods’ for those in need of rags and rips!  

The swaps are at 12.30, 3pm and 6pm at 275 Oxford Street.  For the first half hour, come browse, and then the fun begins!

It always works best when you bring something that tells a story.  Swaps are the brilliant for bringing happy endings and good beginnings to all our closets!

* Elle Swapalot is an East London group of gals who like swapping clothes, recycling our hasbeens, neverworns and possibly maybes.  Inspired by sartorial sustainability and the power of small stuff, we were recently involved with Oxfam’s Canvas for Change project where we created a textile piece using patchwork squares called Two Bee One.  This was a way to revisit the make do and mend approach of the 1940s when resources were scarce and time spent collectively with neighbours was time well spent.

See you Saturday,
Elle Swapalot x

Fair Christmas Fayre 2009

VIP for one day…

Fair Christmas Fayre coincides beautifully this year with Oxford Street’s annual Traffic Free Day. On that special day last year I was wandering around the area pretty much in bliss. No buses to run me down, no taxis beeping at me, and no other shoppers bumping into my personal bubble of space!  There was also music, free balloons and a generally festive atmosphere. So get yourself in to town on Saturday 5th of December and enjoy the freedom of being a Very Important Pedestrian on your way to the West End’s only ethical Christmas Fayre at the Salvation Army, 275 Oxford Street! Meanwhile enjoy this picture from the VIP Day launch last week- Santas doing the can can…. ?

Peruvian woolies and Ugandan kitchen goods

Mamacha and Wawoto Kacel Coop have just been welcomed offically into the fold of the Fayre, meaning our range of gifts to buy just keeps getting cooler, warmer and handier. For the full list of who is coming look on the right hand side of your screen, under Exhibitors,  and click away to find out more info.

Remember, remember the fifth of December….

climate change marches and fayres!

Hope you are planning to make this trip to Oxford street to get all your ethical pressies under one roof!

If you are coming in to town, why not make a proper world changing day of it? There is a fabulous big climate change event happening in town that day, The Wave. We  will be telling world leaders to take climate change seriously and carve out the global deal we desperately need. People who come to the Fayre after (with a little proof of their protest!) will be presented with a steaming cup of mulled Christmas Tea, oh yeah, now we’re talking.

Join the Wave as a Facebook Event here!

Join our Fair Christmas Fayre Facebook group here!

Umberella Stands, Baby Carriers and several other ethical goodies that could be yours…

Applications for stalls are coming in from some of the most special of places. Check out some of the latest to confirm: We have got Longboard Furniture Co. coming along to sell their umberalla stands, furniture and photo frames made out of reclaimed wood. We have Sleepy Nico coming with their toys and gorgeus baby carriers. Fair Grounds will be there with their vast array of Fair Trade gifts. And once again, the styliest bags will be flying off Freeset’s table.

If you, like me, dig the idea of sorting all of your Christmas Pressies in one fell swoop then Fair Christmas Fair has your name aaaallll over it.

We got pretty propoganda…

We are in the final stages of getting our beautiful posters and flyers out there. Crafty Shelley and Rachel have pulled out the coolest bunting collage and based the Fayre design around that. Now we are just waiting for those lovely folk at the Fair Trade Foundation to approve that nice Fair Trade mark in our top hand corner.

To download your own poster (minus as yet unapproved FT logo of course!) just click here and press the DOWNLOAD button. It will be a feast for your eyes.

Wanted:Ethical Toys, Eco beauty and Fair Trade Clothing

If you know any people who sell Fair Trade Toys and clothing and eco beauty/ body products please swing them by our way: nineprincesst@gmail.com

Fair Christmas Fayre 2009

275 Oxford St, London, is booked once again for our Fair Christmas Fayre.

Stall holders and shoppers put the date in your diary: Saturday 5th December 2009*

One nice day…

A brilliant day was had yesterday at the Fayre. An abundance of delicious fair trade chocolate bars and delicious cup cakes were consumed, some lovely music was listened to, some new skills picked up (those knitters..!) and hundreds of amazing fair trade gifts purchased. Over 1000 people came through, including the Lord Mayor of Wesminster who said “This was a wonderful event and it was excellent to see so many products on sale that directly benefit people across the world, particularly those in developing nations. I wish you all the very best.” We managed to raise heaps of cash- enough for one (and a bit) bush ambulance for a rural community in Malawi.

Thanks for  to everyone who made it happen, here are a couple of snaps… (Let me know if you have anymore)