Happy Holidays!

Our third annual edition of Holiday Bytes is finally here! Please click the image above to view the PDF. All of us at MBF Trend Consulting wish you happy holidays and a joyous new year. This is our last post of 2009. See you in the new year!

Global Plans, Local Actions

In support of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, there have been over 3,000 events going on worldwide in hopes of establishing effective solutions of the world crisis. Organized by community leaders and individuals desiring to seek change, people all over the world are organizing candlelight vigils, wall signings, and marches in their cities and local towns. Bornholm, a small Danish island of population 43,000, also recently developed a program to cut its emissions to zero by developing clean energy. They are burning straw for district heat, using wind power for electricity, and developing a biofuels plant and infrastructure for electric cars. Rome is also now the first European capital to launch a plan for energy self-sufficiency, using more wind turbines and solar panels.

In addition, Native Land, Stop Eject also opened in Kunsthal Chalottenborg, Copenhagen last Saturday December 5, and continues till February 21, 2010. From the perspective of nomads, islanders, and indigenous people, the exhibition gives them a voice to speak on how the climate crisis is affecting human migration in all parts of the world.

And to give you the latest update on the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, the EU leaders have committed to 3.6 billion dollars a year until 2012 to help developing countries. And the two countries, Norway and Mexico, have proposed a joint model for climate funding, using both the incomes from the UN-allowances and from individual countries.

The call to urgency and immediate action is louder than ever. And as there are only a few remaining days left of the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, we hope that the agreements are finalized and change is near. As the 3.6 million supporters of Avaaz says to the three key leaders, Obama, Hatoyama, and Merkel, “fund the fight to save the world.”

Noko Update

Noko Jeans planned to launch their sales this past Friday at the PUB department store in Stockholm. However, the store's manager, Rene Stephansen, stated he were unaware of the North Korean-made designer jeans and pulled them out of their stock as soon as he was informed, saying the store wanted to avoid possible controversy of having ties with the communist nation. Noko jeans were planned to be sold at Aplace, a retail space within the department store. A representative of Aplace stated that this decision was "a bit cowardly" but understood Stephansen's point of view.

Because of these complications, the launch was delayed up until today. Aplace will still carry the jeans, but only through their online store. And if you can't find any left there, you can also get them on the Noko website.

Although PUB pulled out the jeans to avoid possible controversies, we suspect that this act may have done the opposite and ignited a spark.

via: New York Times

"Made in North Korea"

Besides their leader's cultish personality and a never-ending threat of nuclear tests, there is very little we know about one of the world's most reclusive nations, North Korea. But to even remotely consider North Korea as a future hub of fashion is probably the last thing on all our minds.

A group of Swedish entrepreneurs, however, thought differently; and in 2007, Jacob Åström, Tor Rauden Källstigen and Jakob Ohlsson started Noko Jeans. Because there is so little known about North Korea, the members of Noko Jeans were interested in knowing more about the country; and Noko Jeans was their way of gaining access.

After a year of email correspondences, negotiations, and business trips to North Korea, they managed to seal a deal with the country’s biggest mining company to produce 1,100 pairs of two styles of jeans, expected to go on sale this Friday, December 4^th.

Priced at 150 Euros each and stitched with a "Made in North Korea" label, the team has designed limited straight-cut, dark-washed jeans, stark in its design to resemble the North Korean landscapes. With the launch includes a documentary of the company's trip to North Korea, exposing the world of it's rather transparent production method and further insight of an enigmatic nation.

As it is North Korea’s first denim product, it is likely that Noko’s first collection of jeans, Maneuvers in the Dark, will sell out in no time. However, although Noko has the cool, edgy look for a premium denim brand, it is still questionable as to whether their “Made in North Korea” tags will be embraced by their denim loving consumers. But even then, as North Korea may not have the best connotations, it’s isolated and somewhat secretive identity may work to Noko’s advantage, providing an unmarked territory as grounds to help spark a more positive association.

Noko’s website does not yet include the details of where you can purchase these jeans, but check back shortly and we’ll let you know as soon as we find out!

Via: Refinery29