26 Nov 2019
As the weather warms and the chaotic festivities of the holiday season loom ahead, we here at Heffernan & Haire are excitedly organising all t...
As the weather warms and the chaotic festivities of the holiday season loom ahead, we here at Heffernan & Haire are excitedly organising all the new beautiful pieces we’ve received in over the past few months.
We have excellent new collections from W’menswear and Girls of Dust and have a remarkable new range of home fragrances by Japanese makers Apotheke, all of which are available both online and in store.
The year ending often brings with it a frantic energy and inevitably a lot of self-reflection on the time past and the times to come. A feeling that has become increasingly prevalent of late is the saturation and mental fatigue brought on by the internet, more specifically social media. While it is an extremely important and useful tool in connecting and sharing information, especially for a business like ours, there is a certain reality that much of what we are seeing is the result of an algorithm that is presented to us, rather than a realistic depiction of the world. The same faces and voices are fed to us on repeat, resulting in an overload of familiarity and lack of authenticity.
That’s how I’ve been feeling anyway!
In an attempt to counter this we’re trying to widen our lens, seeking out voices and opinions outside our regular circles, and stepping out of our comfort zones. Averting our gaze from the ever-present media feed a little more often and seeking solace in conversation and experiences. We’re looking forward to sharing and inviting you into these experiences a more in the new year, but in the meantime here are a couple of things that have inspired and made us think and learn over the past couple of weeks.
We have excellent new collections from W’menswear and Girls of Dust and have a remarkable new range of home fragrances by Japanese makers Apotheke, all of which are available both online and in store.
The year ending often brings with it a frantic energy and inevitably a lot of self-reflection on the time past and the times to come. A feeling that has become increasingly prevalent of late is the saturation and mental fatigue brought on by the internet, more specifically social media. While it is an extremely important and useful tool in connecting and sharing information, especially for a business like ours, there is a certain reality that much of what we are seeing is the result of an algorithm that is presented to us, rather than a realistic depiction of the world. The same faces and voices are fed to us on repeat, resulting in an overload of familiarity and lack of authenticity.
That’s how I’ve been feeling anyway!
In an attempt to counter this we’re trying to widen our lens, seeking out voices and opinions outside our regular circles, and stepping out of our comfort zones. Averting our gaze from the ever-present media feed a little more often and seeking solace in conversation and experiences. We’re looking forward to sharing and inviting you into these experiences a more in the new year, but in the meantime here are a couple of things that have inspired and made us think and learn over the past couple of weeks.
The extraordinary Lauren Yates of Ponytail Journal and W’menswear, travelled to the North East of Thailand to a weaving and dyeing community in Roi En to develop textiles for her next collection. This exploration of tradition and value in skill and craftsmanship is a fascinating read for anyone interested in fabric making processes, and a rare glimpse into the Baan Sawang village. Read all about it here.
This article by Jia Tolentino examines the consumer psychology around American fashion label Reformation in a really relatable and self-aware way. It’s a really interesting commentary on the oxymoronic “Fast Sustainable Fashion” business model, whereby customers continuously buy more than what they may necessarily need due to lower price points, shockingly quick production turnover and an unrealistic lifestyle and physical appearance in which to aspire to while never actually able to attain, and therefore continue to chase. The twist is, however, that unlike other fast fashion retailers like Zara, Reformation employs highly ethical and sustainable procedures in making and selling their clothes. This means that while the item being purchased has a low negative environmental and social impact, the rate at which the consumer is convinced to buy almost defeats the purpose.
Finally, a book that has really resonated of late is Women Talking by Miriam Towes. It is a fictional telling of real-life events that occurred in a Bolivian commune between 2005 and 2009, where over 130 women and children were drugged and abused in their sleep by men of the community. The story is told simply but powerfully, and addresses gaslighting, archaic perceptions of gender roles, as well as explorations of right and wrong viewed through the lens of a strict and enforced religion. It’s beautifully written and somehow light, despite its dark subject matter.
We hope you enjoy the voices of these inspiring women and look forward to sharing more diverse ideas as well as beautiful garments with you throughout this festive season!
H+H x
