Think Act Vote Refashioned: Ciel

‘I wanted to create something that didn’t need a sewing machine and which anyone with a good pair of fabric scissors could re-create.’ – Sarah Ratty

Customisation Created by Ciel for Think Act Vote; Photography by Dominic Clarke; Ethically Styled by Io Takemura; T-shirt and Scarf by Ciel; Skirt by Lu Flux; Shoes by Terra Plana Necklace; Bangles by Amisha Elegance Rebellion

British Designer Sarah Ratty trained for a degree at Bristol University studying Fashion Textiles, where she was nominated as Student Designer of the Year by FW magazine. Ciel is an edgy but romantic designer womenswear label, with a simple design aesthetic to make the most beautiful clothes from the best possible green fabrics, a sentiment that has struck a chord with modern women everywhere. Selected as the designer of choice by many, Ciel is worn by Cate Blanchett, Eva Herzigova, Olivia Firth, Peaches Geldof, Jo Wood and Davina McCall amongst others. Hip, luxurious and special Ciel source from the best places possible working with innovative organic and eco textile groups in Europe and South America. Sarah Ratty’s designs have featured in Vogue, i-D, Elle, Wallpaper Eco-Top10, Sunday Times, and Time magazine, Telegraph, Marie Claire, and The Observer amongst others. Photographed at the UN Fashion Show in January 2010 at the launch of the Year of Biodiversity for LIFE! Magazine USA. Ciel is working with Anthropologie in the UK and has an exclusives range of summer dresses both in store and online for SS2010, for AW the collection will be available at Matches and in Uk and good stockists internationally. Ciel’s creation was popular at the Think Act Vote Photobooths.

Ethical Just Got Fabulous, Photography by Deepti V. Patel

Ciel Piece can be worn as two separates, a vest and a little crop top (very popular at the festivals!)

Sarah Ratty tells us how to make the EcoChic ThinkActVote Ciel top at home..

1. Take 2 x Think Act Vote Organic t-shirts 1 x womens, 1 x mens

2. Then cut the neckline off to create a wide boat neck and cut a vertical line down the center back of the large mens tee and open it out.

3. Cut a large curved right angle from the center front of the tee, to make the scarf shape, then fold it in half to make a template and a mirror cut to replicate the first shape. Add long tails at the top to create neck ties with.

4. Tie a knot in each neck tie piece about 20 cm to create the shape.

5. Next fold the raw outside edges by 1cm to make a seam allowance and make several small vertical cuts to make holes for neck ties.

6. From the waste cut several 10cm bias strips & loop them through the holes & tie in place onto one side of the V front of scarf to create the tassels.

7. Cut three long wide bias strips from the remaining waste and plait them through the opposite side of the V front.

8. Take the women’s tee and laid it flat on the table and cut a curved line from the under arm up to the shoulder seam.

9. Fixed the two pieces together and assemble them to make the final piece!

The Ciel Customization - Photography by Ben Gold

The message for the future Sarah Ratty chooses: ‘As I set to work making the Ciel Think-piece for Think Act Vote I thought about decisions we make everyday, how these “daily votes” change & shape our lives bit by bit. This year I thought isn’t it time our governments acted for us in terms of environment and human rights, there’s a lot we do personally in our daily lives to make a difference, drink fair-trade coffee, buy organic, recycle, turn off lights, save energy, we need our government to mirror these actions for us to make meaningful legislation as back up, that’s why I was asked to launch the Designers Call for Action in association with a great panel on the rise of the Ethical Consumer at the United Nations in Geneva in January, and read out our manifesto for change from industry and government to create more with the resources we have, to pledge to use recycled polymers and keep this loop going by making more meaningful recycling plants that can separate the plastics & prevent landfill and give opportunities for textile recycling on a larger scale not just led by charities and NGO’s, give grant aid to solarize factory power in the developing world, this and so much more can be done with the right government. I want a Green Labour Party please!’ Visit Ciel’s website to get more information about the pioneering brand.

To view more pictures of the Think Act Vote Photobooth check out our Facebook albums. If you spot yourself or anyone you know, don’t forget to tag yourself!

Tell us What Future Do You Choose and get a chance to be featured in our book!