Do you shop by your values? 

It is so easy to go about life  just caring about ourselves, but thinking with our core values can be so much more rewarding. It takes courage, but it’s essential in the modern day - now, in a world that seems to have forgotten where our hearts should go.

 We can make a difference - we can decide to be eco-friendly.  That’s what I did with Shades of Cool London. We can be ethical and yet still treat ourselves at the same time. I had this experience myself - I felt this need deep down.

 Working with Indian artisans, it was quintessential for me to respect their work, but, first to respect them and look after them. In the end, the more love you give to people, the more you will receive back.

Phrases like “fair trade”, “eco-friendly” or” ethical awareness”  may sound difficult to put into practice but there is a key point to all this. I’m going to try to show it to you.

 Let Me Describe A Feeling

Everybody knows what it feels like to be in front of the TV, in the winter, laying on the couch. Maybe a cup of tea or hot chocolate in your hand, and there you are, watching Love Actually for the tenth time. Alone, with your friends, perhaps with your loved one - it doesn’t even matter. It’s a feeling that all of us have experienced. Why do we like it so much? It’s certainly not because of the film, we all know how Love Actually is going to end. It’s something else. It’s the feeling of cosiness that being in the warm gives you, as you see the snow falling outside the window, and you think, one more time, that there isn’t any better place in the world than the snugness of your own home. Because home is where the heart is, and the heart is where we should all try to treat ourselves well. 

On Respecting The World (And Ourselves)

 We can’t respect the world if we don’t respect ourselves. We have to be able to rest before fighting for the causes we believe in. If we don’t take some time for ourselves, we will never be able to make that change. And it all starts from within us: be the change you want to see in the world, Mahatma Gandhi said. Or maybe it was Oscar Wilde. Or one of the characters of Love Actually. The point is, we need the cheesy Christmas films and the hot chocolate and the sofa and a block printed quilt. click here to view our collection 

Fair Trade Is All Around Me

 Just like Hugh Grant in Love Actually, we have to follow our heart. It doesn’t matter where it takes us: if our values are in the right place, we’re going to do just fine. It’s a lesson I learnt watching a lot of Christmas films, so you should trust in me. And with my experience, in Shades of Cool London, of course.

 This is even more important in 2022, when so many companies just decided to forget about their ethics for a bigger income. What they don’t know is: what you gain in terms of quantity, you lose in terms of quality.

It’s not all about profit. Let’s take fair trade, for example. It’s an agreement that improves the environmental and social conditions of the workers in developing countries - and it works. That’s the point. It helps the producers reach sustainable trade relationships. It makes the deal equitable. It works.

Companies like Shades of Cool London, that use fair trade and look after its values, are finally getting more recognition. We treat the world right, and we treat ourselves right. 

 When working, we always maintain a high moral standard. We practice strict quality control, to make sure that everything is always like our heart - in the right place. We provide trustful information.. We look after our employees, making sure they’re working in the best conditions.  

Dohars and Treating Yourself , and the World, Royally

If you don’t know what a dohar (click to discover) is, I’m here for that. When I saw one for the first time, I just fell in love with it. Dohar blankets are made of three superfine thin layers of silky soft cotton voile. A dohar is warm enough to keep you cosy, but stylish enough to bring it with you on the sofa. The unique patterns are what gives our dohars their individual character. 

But dohars also have a story - they were once reserved for Indian royalty to keep them cool in the monsoon and warm on cold nights. Today our dohars are handmade by artisans in Rajasthan, and our quilts and cushions are crafted one by one.

 But all this isn’t just pure luxury. The reason I love dohars is that they help the world. Yes, if you want to reduce carbon footprint, you can just change your bedding.

Change Your Bedding (And The World) 

 As I talk, the political parties of many countries just met in Glasgow for the UN Climate Change Conference COP26. The goal is an agreement of the parties in order to accelerate the action towards the Paris Agreement’s carbon fossils emissions goals. Civil society and companies are working together at this moment to achieve this. 

 It’s clear how much the world finally cares about topics that not so long ago were totally ignored. I always took the decision in this sense, with Shades of Cool London and our dohars. 

 It’s of the utmost importance to me, that my dohars are produced ethically. They’re eco-friendly in every way, because I wanted to guarantee that they were made in the most environmentally respectful production process. I always refused to use chemicals, and I made sure that they were made with the least water consumption. (click to read our blog on production)

 Fair Trade Is The New Stylish

 Honestly, it is. If you just take a look at our robes, you will immediately understand what I’m talking about. When a company takes such good care of every aspect of the manufacturing process, like Shades of Cool London, it’s certain that the final product will show it. Because, for an ethically produced dohar, or robe, or cushion cover, it’s not only possible to look cool - it’s inevitable.View our Robes here 

Fair trade is the new stylish. And by getting more fair trade in your wardrobe, you’re actually making the difference. It doesn’t matter who said that we should be the change that we want to see in the world. What matters is that you’re doing it.

Your purchasing decisions have a direct effect when it comes to the impact of global causes, from the climate change agenda to supporting ethical manufacturing in the UK and further afield.

 All of our actions have a weight, and they have consequences. And after the consequences, nothing is left but our decisions. It’s already late in the day, but it’s not too late. What is essentially a small change in one part of the world can be life-changing somewhere else, and this change is taking place every day.