Tabla de contenidos para Issue 54 - Winter 2022 en Peppermint Magazine

FUN AND GAMES The online home of Californian illustrator, muralist and designer Daren Thomas Magee, Real Fun, Wow! has grown from a place to sell his retro and bold graphics and gratitude-filled word art to a bona fide lifestyle brand. Inspired by the natural and “supernatural” worlds, his pieces are a reminder that our humanity is fallible and imperfect – but there’s joy and beauty in that too… His instantly recognisable art is emblazoned on a range of products from organic cotton and hemp tees to wall hangings, blankets, block-printed bags and embroidered badges. realfunwow.com WEAR THE CHANGE Overwhelmed and confused by the sheer volume of information around the climate crisis? We get it. Perhaps some visual aids will help? May we present Temperature Textiles from the Netherlands’ Raw Colour…

How did Little Black Duck start? Unintentionally really! I was running a program for Aboriginal creatives, and while brainstorming, I suggested someone paint teapots for a market stall that the program was hosting and no one really went for it! I could see the potential though, so I did some up myself and the rest is history! Why teapots? Sitting around having a yarn with our Elders and a cup of tea is something that just about all Aboriginal people can relate to, so I think teapots are a beautiful and very fitting item for an Aboriginal business’ product. They also provide the perfect vessel for conversations to start as people sit around and notice the artwork on the pot. Why is it important to bring Aboriginal art and culture…

It all began with a pair of curtains. The year was 2007, and Kim Fraser was a woman with a vision. She was looking to make a new set of curtains for her living room and knew exactly what fabric she wanted: yellow with oversized polka dots. There was only one problem. She couldn’t find yellow polka dot fabric for love nor money; no matter how clearly she could picture it, the fabric did not exist. She shared her frustration with her husband, Stephen, who at the time worked at an online, print-on-demand, self-publishing company with his business partner, Gart Davis. In deference to his digital background, Stephen turned to the internet thinking that surely, in the brave new world of Y2K, there would be a website that allowed people…

TOTEM ROAD / MUSE BED Rest easy with this minimalistic, European oak, FSC-certified bed frame. Catch some extra eco ZZZs by adding a Totem Road organic latex mattress. from $2100 (double) totemroad.com TASMAN ECO / ELBA COT Sweet dreams are made of FSC-certified wood from responsible forestry. Tuck bubs in safe with the knowledge that not only does Tasman Eco have your little ones in mind, they also support many social and environmental charities. $449.99 tasmaneco.com.au KOSKELA / QUADRANT SOFT Not just comfy and cool, the Quandrant Soft is certified by Good Environmental Choice Australia. Designed in 2008 by the Climate Active-certified Koskela, the fun, foam sofa is Australian-made and comes in configurable building blocks with replaceable covers in a variety of fabrics. from $1605 koskela.com.au IKEA / ÄPPLARÖ OUTDOOR RANGE…

Eleven years ago, my Ukrainian/Russian grandmother died in Sydney. A year later, I went on a voyage to her homeland. One of the destinations was the centre of the nuclear disaster of 1986, Chernobyl. My mum, Helen Malinowski, insisted on chaperoning me. She wanted to make sure I was safe from the invisible nuclear danger. What we discovered was a lost world, where nature had reclaimed what was once hers. After driving down a long, wooded road, two immaculate cottages appeared through the forest. And there was a five-foot-one babushka standing at her white picket fence – Hannah [pictured right]. Hannah and her neighbour invited us in for lunch and homemade vodka. She was born in the Chernobyl region and, after the explosion, was removed – along with her family,…

“That’s absolutely our goal: how do we create a product that leaves the planet and people much healthier as a result? While fashion constantly evolves, one trend endures: denim jeans. Whether high-waisted, low-rise, stone-washed or barely washed, most can think of a pair they love (or loved to death). Durable by design, a high-quality pair can last a lifetime. And yet, estimates for annual jean production sit anywhere between 2 and 6 billion pairs. Closer to home, according to 2016 Roy Morgan figures, almost 2 million Australians buy a new pair each month. Jeans were never meant to be trendy. Originally designed as functional workwear, they were made to last. While Levi Strauss and his eponymous company is credited with popularising the wardrobe staple, historians have traced denim’s development to…

It was Lady Gaga who opened the floodgates for me. The drains became clogged in February after the climate-induced, relentless downpour that descended on Queensland and New South Wales. Towns and cities were inundated with dangerous floodwaters, tragically causing loss of life and mass destruction to homes and businesses. Peppermint was one of those many businesses. On the Saturday night, I saw one of our office neighbours posting on social media that our street was starting to flood, and I panicked. I live close by, so I grabbed a handful of towels and drove over at 10pm. The water was already starting to fill the courtyard, so I frantically started lugging the computers out one by one, wrapped in a towel, while trying to hold an umbrella in the pouring…

Why did you create the prize? I was trying to find inspiring and thought-provoking music videos that touched on environmental themes for a social change summit I was helping to curate. I was surprised and saddened to discover that there was relatively little contemporary music that echoed our dreams and preoccupations for the planet. What does the prize aim to achieve? We want to highlight and reward beautiful songs that inspire action for climate and conservation, and encourage more talented artists to create in this space. We also want to build a movement of artists who are committed to strategically using their voice and support them with information, training and opportunities to share the music and message. Why is music so important to environmental activism? Bono has a great quote:…

THE HIDDEN SEA wine Feel better about the morning-after recycling bin when you buy from The Hidden Sea – the winery partners with ReSea Project to remove and recycle 10 plastic bottles from waterways for every wine bottle sold. thehiddensea.com.au OSKI + LOTTIE homewares Well-made wares that last a lifetime are the name of the game at Oski + Lottie. Designed and made in Melbourne, they sell a gorgeous array of slow-living luxuries. oskiandlottie.com.au LIVING KOKO chocolate With a focus on food sovereignty and transparent supply chains, not to mention their damn delicious chocolate, we’re loco for Living Koko. livingkoko.com ENVIROCLEAN laundry strips No one likes doing the laundry but dissolvable, plastic-free, plant-based detergent strips that you just chuck into the wash do make the whole Mount Washmore challenge slightly more…

When I discovered that dopamine dressing was the trend of 2022, my peacock alter-ego felt a rush of, well, dopamine… Anything in the name of rationalising a love of loud clothing. But what’s this elusive brain juice got to do with fashion and why is it all up in our feeds? Dopamine, the neurotransmitter produced in the brain that helps us feel pleasure, also plays a vital role in regulating mood. Because it’s part of the brain’s reward system, studies have linked the “dopamine rush” to pleasurable activities like shopping, eating and sex. Surely it follows then that getting dressed works the same? Like most online science, however, there’s been a hefty dose of oversimplification. Perhaps it’s because mental health is so hot right now or maybe it’s that we’re…

MELISSA LEONG food writer and host of MasterChef Australia THROUGH HER POPULAR INSTAGRAM, FOODERATI, AND AS A HOST ON ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S LONGEST-RUNNING COOKING SHOWS, MELISSA LEONG IS BRINGING STYLE AND SUSTAINABILITY TO THE FOOD SCENE. I grew up in a family where food was part of our DNA. Singaporeans know good food from birth, and my earliest memories are ones of sitting on my family’s kitchen floor, watching my mum pound chillies and herbs for sambal, skim soups and fill dumplings. My heritage as a Singaporean Australian has highly influenced who I am and how I approach food. How could it not? It’s literally who I am. I found my way into food media, and the industry in general, through working in advertising during a time when social media…

It’s a balmy afternoon in Tsageri, a tiny town at the foot of the Greater Caucasus mountain range in north-western Georgia, a small country between Russia, Turkey and the Black Sea. Shota Kopaliani ambles down to the bottom of his garden, pulls open the wooden doors of his micro-factory and empties a bag of hand-foraged mulberry leaves onto his workbench. The withered table, like the rolling machine and oxidation oven, he built himself. These are the only tools he needs to harness air, movement and heat – the three essential elements for crafting fermented tea. The technique took him two years to perfect, but it’s rooted in a history older than the mulberry-covered hills visible from his window. Amy Jones stumbled into Shota’s tea-making world by accident. One sip was…

Hand sewing – or as people called it before the invention of the sewing machine, sewing – is a useful skill for anyone and everyone to learn. This is not to pit two queens against one another. Of course, none of us long to return to the days before our beloved speedy machines came onto the scene, but hand sewing still has tremendous value as a technique. Whether you’re dealing with fiddly, awkwardly placed seams or delicate, slippery, rippable fabric, the superior control that hand sewing allows can’t be beat. Plus, it promises the perks of portability. You can do it anywhere and everywhere; on the move, lying down, in front of the TV. It can also make for a more slow-paced, relaxing and meditative process than the clickety clack…

Enjoy the ultimate clean-sheet day with these buttery bed coverings as you choose your very own custom set, made from Oeko-Tex certified, ​100% European flax linen. As soft as it is sustainable, the luxurious duvet covers, pillow cases and flat and fitted sheets are made to order in your choice of dreamy hues – from Coffee Stripe to Soft Gin Lilac, Rich Mustard and Pea Green. Rest easy because the Sydney brand doesn’t sleep on sustainability: they’re carbon neutral, zero waste, plastic free and plant a tree with every order. Good night! miloumilou.com • SAVE ON COVER PRICE • CANCEL WHENEVER YOU LIKE • FREE AUSTRALIAN DELIVERY • PAY-PER-ISSUE OPTION • SENT IN PAPER, NOT PLASTIC • NEVER MISS AN ISSUE • ONE TREE PLANTED ON YOUR BEHALF • HELP…

good-edi.com Tell us about the Good-Edi cup… It’s a takeaway cup you can eat, that’s also a waste-free, sustainable and convenient solution to the pressing issue of disposable cups going to landfill. The cups are made from oats and other grains, they’re 100% vegan and a great source of fibre. They’ll stay crispy for 45 minutes and won’t leak for several hours. Once you’re finished with your cup, you can eat it. If you don’t want to eat it, you can pop it in the compost, plant it or if it ends up in the bin, it will break down naturally in just a few weeks. How did you develop it? We started with kitchen trials to find out if an edible cup could actually work to hold a coffee.…

What inspired you to create Hey Hobby? I saw many of my friends, family and colleagues looking for creative ways to spend their time during numerous lockdowns in order to help reduce stress and navigate the unknown. I felt I’d discovered an idea that could help others in being creative, present in the moment and to feel a sense of achievement. Tell us a little about how the kits work… They’ve been designed to give you everything you need to get stuck into something fun and creative. I believe no hobby should be a chore, so they’re perfect for beginners or someone who wants to try something new without the hassle of sourcing all the materials. Why are hands-on hobbies so important? It’s a form of self-expression, to tap into…

Round Theory has been created with a simple goal in mind - to make great wines that have a positive impact on our planet. Our vegan wines are all sustainably grown and sourced, and our unique lightweight packaging reduces our environmental impact. We are climate positive and offset at least double the amount of carbon we use, with our carbon credits allocated to conservation and preservation projects worldwide. FIND OUT MORE Get the facts DrinkWise.org.au…

Sewing superstar DIY Daisy teaches us how to make a fun ruffle skirt, button earrings and fabric hair accessories! SONYA RUFFLE SKIRT #DIYSonyaSkirt This skirt is one of my wardrobe staples and was the project I taught in my first-ever sewing workshop. It has so many potential variations and looks great worn super casually with a t-shirt or dressed up. Shorten it to make a mini, add an asymmetric ruffle, or remove the ruffle altogether and add a split up the back. PATTERN PIECES Skirt (Cut 2) Width = Hips ÷ 2 + 20cm (8 inches) + 2cm (3/4 inch) Height = Waist to knee (this includes the waistband casing and seam allowance; the finished length will be above the knee to allow you to walk properly) Ruffle (Cut 2)…

On the sidewalk that runs along the edge of Prospect Park in Brooklyn, katydids and crickets spice the air with their late-summer songs. Sunset was hours ago, but the heat dallies, animating pulsing rasps and trills of insects hidden in tree branches. The pavement’s light has its own rhythm, a regular pattern from widely spaced streetlights along the park’s wall. The insects are drawn to the lights, gathering in the glowing orbs of leaves around each lamp. As I walk, sound and light rise and fall around me, a subtle swell. The katydids sing with snappy, buzzing triplets – ka-ty-did – repeated in a steady pulse, one per second. A few singers abbreviate the song to doublets and slow the pace. Unlike nights when the performers unite in a park-wide…

Pull out your poetry and get capital-R romantic with Peppermint’s latest free pattern. Made in collaboration with Sweden-based patternmaker Vanessa Hansen, the Peppermint Albion Blouse will have you swooning in style. A romantic wrap top with classy button loop closures and a distinguished double-darted bodice, it’s a refined take on the comfortable classic. With pleasingly puffy sleeves that come in short or long variations, both sporting some stunning statement cuffs, you can wow your wardrobe whatever the weather. The sooner you get to sewing, the sooner you can start languidly lounging in picturesque poses, showcasing your superior style! We’re dedicating odes of thanks to our sewing partner Spoonflower for helping to make our free patterns possible! The world’s largest marketplace of independent designs from global artists, Spoonflower is leading the…

And now, they’ve turned their keen entertaining eye to creating a vegetarian cookbook, Put on a Spread. Gathering some of their favourite people – including cake queen Katherine Sabbath – to share soul-warming recipes, the result is a glorious celebration of eating good food with good mates. LEMON & BLUEBERRY DRIZZLE LOAF recipe KATHERINE SABBATH photo BENITO MARTIN Serves 10-12 380g (2⅓ cups) all-purpose flour3 teaspoons baking powder1 pinch sea salt flakes240g (1 cup) caster sugar100ml (just over ⅓ cup) neutral vegetable oil (I used coconut oil)375ml (1½ cups) vegan milk (I used soy)40ml (2–3 tablespoons) lemon juice3 tablespoons lemon zest (about 2 large lemons)1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen – if using frozen, lightly dust with flour to prevent them sinking in the batter) LEMON…