thump, frowning at her feet. “Just like we did now… Maybe not just the girls’ clothes, though, we could get people to wear the adults’ stuff. We could charge people to come in – just a little. We could send the money to one of the Fairtrade projects. And if everyone from school came, and their parents, they’d all see the gorgeous Fairtrade clothes, and they’d know about them then, wouldn’t they? People would buy them if they knew more about them, or at least sometimes they would.”
Izzy nodded. “We hadn’t even heard of Fairtrade clothes – at least people would know there was something they could do.”
Emily frowned. “But how could we have a fashion show? Do you mean we have to make clothes? We can’t.”
Maya shook her head. “No. Let’s ask the lady out there. We could borrow these clothes. We’d look after them.”
Poppy twirled her hair around her finger. “Do you think she’d let us?”
“We can only ask.” Maya shrugged. “The worst she can do is say no.”
“How are you girls doing?” The lady from the shop was leaning on the archway between the two rooms. “Your mum’s decided to buy a handbag,” she told Poppy.
Poppy grinned. “She loves bags. She’ll have to hide it from my dad. Last time she came home with another one, he made her say if she bought any more she had to clear out one of the ones she’d already got.”
“I heard that! Don’t you dare tell him, Poppy Jane Martin!” Poppy’s mum called from the other room.
“Bags too…” Emily sighed at the pile of things she was holding.
The shop owner nodded. “It’s a women’s cooperative in the Philippines, they make the bags out of juice cartons. You know, those foil pouch ones that are completely non-biodegradable, and just end up in landfill. The company actually started as an environmental project.” She smiled, spotting Poppy’s doubtful face. Maya guessed Poppy was a bit worried about what her mum was buying. “They do clean the pouches very carefully before they stitch them into bags. They don’t look like rubbish.”
“Oh!” Izzy smiled. “I saw them on the way in, the cute bags with the fruit on? I didn’t realise they were drinks cartons.”
“Exactly. Look, they’re through here.” She led the girls through to look at the display in the main shop, where Poppy’s mum was holding two bags and dithering.
“Aren’t they lovely?”
“They make gorgeous jewellery too, I’m just waiting for a delivery of that. It’s made out of recycled magazines.”
“That sounds amazing.” Maya stroked one of the bags admiringly. “Oh, look, lunchboxes!” Anna hadbeen complaining that Maya’s lunchbox was falling apart, but Maya really liked it. But she would love a new one like this. “Sorry, I’m putting the T-shirt back.” She had enough money for a lunchbox as well, but she knew she got a lot more allowance than the others, and she didn’t want to make it too obvious.
“They are great,” Emily agreed.
Maya beamed at the shop owner hopefully as she picked up her lunchbox. “I don’t suppose you’ve ever considered having a fashion show?” she asked. “Tara,” she added, noticing that the lady had a pretty embroidered name-badge pinned on her dress.
Tara smiled. “Are you all volunteering to model?”
She didn’t sound as though she was taking them very seriously, and Maya tried not to sigh. “No, thank you. We’re interested in Fairtrade clothes. We’re trying to get our school to switch to a Fairtrade uniform as well. We were wondering if we could organise a fashion show, to – er –” Maya tried to remember the phrases she’d seen on the websites she’d looked at. “To raise awareness,” she added quickly. “Not just the children’s clothes, the ladies’ stuff too.”
“My mum could model her bag,” Poppy suggested, with a giggle, and her mum pretended to bat her with it.
Tara was looking more interested now. “I’ve actually been thinking about
Izzy nodded. “We hadn’t even heard of Fairtrade clothes – at least people would know there was something they could do.”
Emily frowned. “But how could we have a fashion show? Do you mean we have to make clothes? We can’t.”
Maya shook her head. “No. Let’s ask the lady out there. We could borrow these clothes. We’d look after them.”
Poppy twirled her hair around her finger. “Do you think she’d let us?”
“We can only ask.” Maya shrugged. “The worst she can do is say no.”
“How are you girls doing?” The lady from the shop was leaning on the archway between the two rooms. “Your mum’s decided to buy a handbag,” she told Poppy.
Poppy grinned. “She loves bags. She’ll have to hide it from my dad. Last time she came home with another one, he made her say if she bought any more she had to clear out one of the ones she’d already got.”
“I heard that! Don’t you dare tell him, Poppy Jane Martin!” Poppy’s mum called from the other room.
“Bags too…” Emily sighed at the pile of things she was holding.
The shop owner nodded. “It’s a women’s cooperative in the Philippines, they make the bags out of juice cartons. You know, those foil pouch ones that are completely non-biodegradable, and just end up in landfill. The company actually started as an environmental project.” She smiled, spotting Poppy’s doubtful face. Maya guessed Poppy was a bit worried about what her mum was buying. “They do clean the pouches very carefully before they stitch them into bags. They don’t look like rubbish.”
“Oh!” Izzy smiled. “I saw them on the way in, the cute bags with the fruit on? I didn’t realise they were drinks cartons.”
“Exactly. Look, they’re through here.” She led the girls through to look at the display in the main shop, where Poppy’s mum was holding two bags and dithering.
“Aren’t they lovely?”
“They make gorgeous jewellery too, I’m just waiting for a delivery of that. It’s made out of recycled magazines.”
“That sounds amazing.” Maya stroked one of the bags admiringly. “Oh, look, lunchboxes!” Anna hadbeen complaining that Maya’s lunchbox was falling apart, but Maya really liked it. But she would love a new one like this. “Sorry, I’m putting the T-shirt back.” She had enough money for a lunchbox as well, but she knew she got a lot more allowance than the others, and she didn’t want to make it too obvious.
“They are great,” Emily agreed.
Maya beamed at the shop owner hopefully as she picked up her lunchbox. “I don’t suppose you’ve ever considered having a fashion show?” she asked. “Tara,” she added, noticing that the lady had a pretty embroidered name-badge pinned on her dress.
Tara smiled. “Are you all volunteering to model?”
She didn’t sound as though she was taking them very seriously, and Maya tried not to sigh. “No, thank you. We’re interested in Fairtrade clothes. We’re trying to get our school to switch to a Fairtrade uniform as well. We were wondering if we could organise a fashion show, to – er –” Maya tried to remember the phrases she’d seen on the websites she’d looked at. “To raise awareness,” she added quickly. “Not just the children’s clothes, the ladies’ stuff too.”
“My mum could model her bag,” Poppy suggested, with a giggle, and her mum pretended to bat her with it.
Tara was looking more interested now. “I’ve actually been thinking about
Similar Books
