Tara St James and Bahar Shahpar want to take their role as designers and entrepreneurs to a new role, that of teachers.

How we evolve as professionals could quite easily make up a juicy short story, or in some cases, a stylish novel that would take us around the world. In the case of designers Tara St James (of Study New York) and Bahar Shahpar (designer for her own eponymous label), this writer would probably opt for the novel version having followed both for some time.

The two are currently in the throes of an IndieGoGo campaign for funds they hope to elevate GUILDED, their newest enterprise, where the master plan is to become “the new industry standard for the way we think about design.”

Sustainably fashioned design.

I got to catch up with them at GUILDED this past week to see what was going on and what all the fuss was about.

“With fashion, designers need to start attacking waste from the beginning and use good design and business to make better production. they also need to take a look at the people they work with full time,” says St James, referring to the unseen co-workers in the manufacturing process who help produce a collection.

Right now GUILDED offers one to two classes a week that tackle many of the questions designers and companies new to the sustainable scene have. In their 101 Series: Sustainable Design Fundamentals including (but not limited to), Fibers & Fabric: An Analytical Comparison, Local Production: Building Efficient Supply Chains and Brand Positioning: Telling the Story of Sustainability, many of these questions are answered.

While they currently hold the classes in GUILDED proper, the two hope the IndieGoGo funding, will enable them to offer more classes digitally so it’s less of a priority to offer a physical space to teach in and they can reach out to people all over the world.

Check out their video on IndieGoGo explaining more abut what they’re hoping to accomplish with proper funding:

Shahpar says what she hopes GUILDED  will become is a place where people can come to understand about how they can create with a conscious.

“Fashion has a direct impact on a lot of things, so we want students to see what knowledge can do and give them the power to do it themselves and not rely on corporate, that there are people like us working behind the scenes everywhere, working from the root of the system,” she says.

St James agrees and adds that there’s a preconceived perception when designers are entering the eco-realm that they need to address everything when they first start out.

“There’s a lot of confusion with design students and lots of sources being thrown at them and in that confusion is where they stop and don’t want to go any further. Here they can choose what’s right for them and we help give them the tools to go from there. We debunk the myth that it can’t be done,” St James says, adding that the label of “sustainability” also can be a crutch they lean on too heavily, while it should be an element of their design.

GUILDED’s Work space in Manhattan.

Shahpar and St James are passionate about what they do. You can hear it in their voices and the pace at which they speak.  You realize by being there with them that this campaign isn’t just about donating, but supporting a business that is here to make an effective change, “not to just be a charitable cause.”

“Every bit of information you learn about this is life changing,” says Shahpar, “For everyone.”

To update, the goal is to raise $15,000 via IndieGoGo by August 6th to get everything off the ground. You can start by donating as little as $10, everything makes a difference and they’re a little more than halfway there so get on it. An Exclusive for EcoSalon readers who donate to GUILDED’S  campaign is one of Study New York’s Zipper Cuffs. Be one of the first 10 people to give and mention in their comment that they read the EcoSalon piece and get this hot zipper cuff in addition to whatever incentive is being offered for the amount you donate!!

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SeriesPart 5: The fashion industry is emerging from its cocoon post-recession, a changed sector where consumers are more cautious, manufacturers are on their toes and designers are struggling to stay afloat doing business as usual. In this five-part series, we take a hard look at the fashion world, speaking with industry leaders, luminaries and experts. This week we ask: Can we predict the future of fashion?

Futuristic predictions of fashion are as varied as they are improbable. Will we all dress like we’re in Mad Max? Or will the evolution of fashion identity be more subtle, with the significant changes having more to do with technology and production? And no discussion of the future of fashion can ignore the issue of resources. Indeed, with nearly everyone I interviewed for this final chapter in our series, one word came up again and again: Water. (Roughly 20% of the earth’s water pollution comes from the fashion industry.)

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Fair trade fashion that sets new standards for sustainable style and joy.

Spring/Summer 2011 appears to be a bold and beautiful season for celebrating fair trade fashion’s undeniable momentum, and yet another bright young star has been added to the growing list of change makers in the fair trade design sphere. Meghan Sebold, the principal designer for Afia collection, will debut her new Summer 2011 collection at Guilded’s “Beautiful Future” Sustainable Fashion Pop-Up in NYC on May 5th. Created out of traditional West African textiles by pattern makers in Chicago and NYC in partnership with the fair trade Dzidefo Women’s Cooperative in the village of Kpando, Ghana, Afia’s new capsule collection is a perfect example of  why textiles that demonstrate the genius of place are totally universal wherever you may roam.

Bold traditional textiles from Ghana inspire Afia’s ‘sheath chic’ style

Fair trade sewing production by the Dzidefo Women’s Cooperative, Ghana

All of Afia’s stunningly bold fabrics are sourced from small vendors in Ghana, and as part of urban indigenous chic and sustainable production storytelling, create a bridge to “history, proverbs, moral values, and social codes,” with their classicly traditional, though contemporary, motifs.

In a recent interview with EcoSalon, designer Meghan Sebold shared these inspiring thoughts:

“My role (as a designer), is to translate traditional prints from a region of the spirited and often misconceived African continent into styles that resonate with American pop culture. The Ghanaian fabric makes my job as a designer easy: I choose simple, sheath patterns to pay respect to the animated colors and prints.”

Afia’s designs look incredibly gorgeous on model Fardosa Mohamed, and with the accessorizing of J.M.V. Jewelry and Liten Blomma by Jessica, urban style is fresh again.

Meghan also shared that she was understandably drawn to Ghana as a student in 2006 for the possibilities to do both textile and economic research in a country with a long legacy of textile production.

“I met with people on every level and in every facet of the industry, and despite the artistry, ambition, and business aptitude, there was a struggle to expand their business models beyond the local market. Five years later, I have created Afia to help bridge their craft for our consumer market.  We use fashion as a tool to involve people in social progress in a light-hearted, accessible way.”

The debut of Afia at Guilded in NYC, seems supremely fitting as this hot new agency, created by sustainable style pioneer Bahar Shahpar and award-winning fashion designer Tara St. James of Study NY, is all about providing opportunities where “Artists access information and industry perfects its craft.”

With Guilded’s mantra of, “We define WHAT sustainability is, we teach WHY sustainability is important, and we show HOW to achieve sustainability in practical ways,” there is no doubt that designers and fashion lovers will be making their way to their downtown headquarters for some genuine insight on fashioning the vibrant future with both a local and global twist.

For more information on the upcoming May 5th event, and a line up of other designers who will be participating, visit Guilded’s event page.

Images courtesy of Afia:Design: Meghan Sebold; Photography: James de Leon; Model: Fardosa Mohamed; Editing: Evan Felts; Styling: Julianna Vezzetti; Assisting: Elizabeth Cloyd and Jackson Tonti; Jewelry: Liten Blomma by Jessica and J.M.V.

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