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Smokin’ Clothes!
By Sandra Richardson
Trisha in hemp and recycled fashions
Ok, bear with
me, ‘cuz I bet you’ve heard it before. But it’s fun and
I just can’t resist saying it, especially since Taos is
so enraptured with Summer of Love hippie nostalgia right
now. Also in keeping with our current Taos “Life at a
Higher Level” slogan, here goes: “Wear Hemp! If
things get bad, you can always smoke your clothes.”
(Note to
readers who may have mysteriously missed knowing this
factoid: hemp is derived from the Marijuana plant,
Cannabis Sativa.)
The Summer of
Love Peace Week at the end of May climaxed with a Hemp &
Recycled Fashion Show at KTAO. Love was in the air
during the grand finale with a rousing belly dance by
Cindy Fugman followed by an acapella sing-along aptly
led by Ana Chavez. She performed a rockin’ rendition of
the ’60s hit, “Come On People, Gotta Love Everybody
Right Now!” segueing into “Love is all you need,” then
into the Beatles, “We Love You,” and all the models
joining in a robust chorus of “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!”
Hemp and
Recycled clothing are one pathway to make peace with
Mother Earth. According to the “Hemptress,” Ruth
Fahrbach, you can even compost your hemp clothes when
you’re tired of wearing them!
Actually,
hemp has an amazing history (according to The Hempest
website,
www.thehempest.com & Wikipedia:
“For
thousands of years, up until the 1900s, hemp was of
critical value because it’s a rapidly renewable
resource, capable of being grown all over the earth in
varying climates and soil conditions. It is grown for
textiles & fabrics, fuel, fiber, food, paper, medicine
and more, making hemp one of the most valuable and
beneficial crops humanity has been wise enough to take
full advantage of...until now.
Although hemp
sails brought Columbus to this country and hemp cloth
was used to make the first American flag, (and some
copies of the Declaration of Independence) hemp has been
illegal for American farmers to grow and profit from for
the last 70 years. Hemp is a popular fiber because it is
strong and grows quickly—it produces 250% more fiber
than cotton and 600% more fiber than flax when grown on
the same land. But we have actually spent hundreds of
billions of dollars trying to eradicate (this) plant
from the face of the earth.”
Maybe we
should encourage farmers to grow it, and folks to do
more than inhale, instead?
The “Speak
your Peace—Legalize Hemp” Fashion Show was a
light-hearted combination of styles from different
designers: hemp dresses, skirts and ensembles teamed
with ‘Dharma bags’ by Ruth’s Taos Hemp (737-6645);
recycled nylon ’60s sari fabric (wash & wear, no
ironing!) Venus Vests by Zandi (751-1882); fanciful hats
by Katie George and recycled accents and outfits from
various other designers featured at Nina’s Pearl Button
(formerly Seco Pearl 776-5996); and beautiful knitted
hemp hats, tops, dresses, and one gorgeous man’s green
shirt from Cindy Fugman (779-2007).
We had so
much fun combining creations from such a variety of
designers to create “a look!” I wore an ensemble that
combined a black hemp sweater with Pearl Button’s hemp &
silk vest designed by Only One Sky-Trish Sereda; a
purple hemp and silk skirt topped with a recycled
‘scarf-skirt’ by Tatyana de Pavloff; and Only One Sky
jersey legwarmers—pant legs that tie onto the
thigh—which another model, Trisha, dubbed
“pretend-a-pants.” Trisha (pictured) is also wearing a
summery set of Only One Sky tie-dye leg warmers under a
Tatyana wrap skirt—collaged from recycled bits of lace,
beads, trims & fabric—teamed with a bright orange hemp
knit top underneath a gold & brown sequined Venus Vest
by Zandi. The finishing touch—a perky orange hemp hat
from Cindy.
So, now you
know there are plenty of planet-friendly options for
clothing yourself with style and a social conscience. Go
natural in hemp as a sustainable alternative to cotton.
Add unique touches to clothes you already have with
creative concoctions of cut-up recycled bits, or add a
sassy Venus Vest and sparkle! Ban those loathsome
plastic bags from your life and increase good Karma with
a hemp Dharma (carry) Bag.
Dress to
impress Mother Earth and we’ll love ya…yeah, yeah,
yeah!!
Sandra
Richardson, aka Zandi, is a freelance fashion designer.
To let us know about upcoming fashion events, or comment
on Renegade Style, call 751-1882 or email:
zandi@taosnet.com.
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Zandi Designs
Original Fashions
505-751-1882
P.O. Box 1798
Ranchos de Taos, NM. 87557
www.zandidesigns.com
Motto: Goddesses Don’t Iron (most clothes are wash & wear)
Santa Fe Hemp
105 East Water Street,
Santa Fe, NM 87501
505-984-2599
Casa Benavides Taos Bed and
Breakfast
137 Kit Carson Road,
Taos, New Mexico
Beautiful southwestern
Hacienda
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