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Stacy's Finds
The ‘Giving Back’ Category
Gratitude is our religion…
Today was a big day for our ‘ohana as we spent the afternoon in Ubud officially kick starting “Ibu & Me,” our grassroots “clothes-raiser.”
We collected several large bags of gently recycled clothing from the parents of Dyatmika School and needed to find a place where they would be directly distributed to Bali’s families in need – a small thank you on our part for the unforgettable life experiences that we are having here.
On Bumi Sehat‘s website, their emergency wish list includes infant clothing and 100% cotton receiving blankets, so we figured they would be a great place to start. We arrived in the beautiful village of Nyuh Kuning, loaded with not only baby clothes but nice duds for big sister, brother, mom and dad!
Our friend and village leader, Made (mah-day) Wena welcomed us while founder Robin Lim, blessed us with a warm thank you. Ibu Robin as she is lovingly known is a devoted midwife, author and peace activist.
She founded the donation only health center in 1995 as a safe haven for families and delivers over 600 babies every year. Robin’s daughter, Deja, has created an internationally award winning documentary about her mother’s inspiring life.
Green bliss…
Choosing Quality Over Quantity…
Sustainable luxury is not a new term, but one that consumers will hear more of as we make a conscientious choice to live better, choosing handmade pieces designed to endure for decades.
According to Francois-Henri Pinault, chairman of the French luxury giant PPR that represents brands such as Gucci, "The idea of luxury is shifting from excess and waste and returning to genuine values that include timelessness, sincerity and exemplary standards."
Brands like Diamond Head Road employ artisans who possess specific skills passed down from generation to generation; skills that often cannot be found in western countries such as the U.S. as we found when we were experimenting with our first silk wraps.
As Anne Zegna, image director of one of the world's most luxurious men's fashion brands points out, "The fashion business has an obligation to sustain those skills and the lives of those workers."
At DHR, we recently launched a grassroots "clothes-raiser" called "Ibu* & Me" which reaches out to parents of the many international schools in Bali to recycle gently used clothing and baby blankets that we are distributed to the island's families in need.
We couldn't exist without the skilled people of Bali, and the idea of helping the children here makes us even more excited about expanding our brand.
*Ibu is Balinese slang for mommy
Eco-Luxury Minimalism in Ubud
Mixing business with pleasure is a favorite past time in Bali and no one does it better than uber eco-preneurs, John and Cynthia Hardy.
This summer the couple is hosting a series of speakers at Bambu Indah, their eco-resort located right below the Amandari in Ubud.
Meandering through the resort grounds with a glass of fresh arak madu before the presentation, I thought to myself that I have never seen so much reclaimed wood in my entire life.
The entire property – from the traditional Javanese houses that make up the resort's rooms to the decorative, yet working agricultural plots that grow in between them – sets a new standard for what John refers to as 'primitive minimalism' albeit with a luxury twist.
Fantastic Balinese food, an eclectic and friendly audience along with a humorous presentation by 'shopping anthropologist' Paco Underhill, set the stage for a perfect night with all proceeds benefiting the Balinese scholarship at Green School, allowing more local children to enjoy a global and sustainable education.
On a road to somewhere yummy…
Get your rice paddy fix as well as a good meal in a very eclectic setting on the road to Sari Organik restaurant in Ubud.
Located almost directly across the street from Jalan Bisma, this delightfully well maintained path leads you along a Disneyland-esque stroll through rice paddies and coconut tree groves, working farmers and playful ducks doing their thing walking in a row or splashing in the mud.
Originally developed as a community project to help Balinese farmers learn about non-chemical farming, the trail provides little recycling bins, a small compost area and rubbish bins made from reclaimed basketball hoops.
Art & Fashion Rock Fundraising
The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis knows how to throw a party and raise money doing it.
When writer and St. Louis native, Tania Beasley-Jolly, asked if I’d consider donating a few frocks to the event, I jumped at the chance. We are always looking for ways to give back to communities whether they’re located in Hawaii, Bali or well, St. Louis!
Our hot off the press, Melati dress, which is not currently available in stores or online, will be auctioned off as part of the “Oscar Worthy Los Angeles Art and Style Experience.”
Among a million other items, the experience includes a two-night stay at the Avalon Hotel Beverly Hills and a private shopping experience with vintage couture guru, Cameron Silver, who owns the illustrious Decades Inc. on Melrose Avenue.
The gala’s Honorary Chair “Dream Team” includes fashion insiders Chloe Sevigny, writer Derek Blasberg and Vogue supermodel Karlie Kloss who currently calls St. Louis home.
All proceeds from the event help expand the museum’s educational and outreach programs.
Mahalo, Thank You, Terima Kasih
The Balinese don't keep "gratitude journals" or need to be reminded about the power of positive thinking. Thanks in part to their strong Hindu faith, they live and breathe the practice of being thankful – not just once a week or once a day, but several times throughout the day. Their culture has remained intact despite the popularity of the island and they continue to offer prayer morning, noon and night accompanied by beautiful little offerings; flower petals, burning incense, bits of rice and candy, maybe a coin, all held in a small woven basket.
One of our resolutions this year at Diamond Head Road is to find more ways to give back to the people who make a positive difference. We welcome your requests for product donations that might help the success of your fundraiser or silent auction. Currently, we support several charities throughout Hawaii including Hanahou'oli School, the financial aid program of Punahou School, North Hawaii Hospice, The Outdoor Circle and we recently accepted a new donation inquiry for 2010 from the Lyon Arboretum in Honolulu.
In a fashion sense, we try our best to be respectful about our impact on the earth and her residents. All of our clothing and accessories are produced by Balinese artists whose families have worked with silk for several generations. The boutique factory in which the manufacturing takes place is family run and certified by UNICEF. Our clothing is 100-percent silk; considered a naturally environmentally friendly fiber as it requires no pesticide use.
The island of Bali offers many ways in which residents, visitors and admirers can contribute to help make life better for everyone. There is a fantastic curbside recycling program run by Eco-Bali that residents can sign up to use for as little as $5/month. Or you can make a difference in the life of a local Balinese child by donating to Green School – an innovative (and gorgeous) campus started by John and Cynthia Hardy of the world famous John Hardy jewelry line. Twenty-percent of their students are Balinese children attending on full scholarships.
