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Cercle is a crowdfunding program, exclusively for fashion, that is rich in community building. “Fostering collaboration between those who design and those who love design,” the newly launched company provides consumers a way to invest in featured designer’s upcoming collections. Benefits include getting a sneak peek at collection inspirations and the opportunity to fund for double the credit in apparel post launch. For designers, the platform provides a way to gauge interest and fund projects. Brands like Study NY and M. Patmos have already jumped on the Cercle bandwagon to promote upcoming seasons. We caught up with Cercle co-founder, Ayala Meromi Keinan, to learn more about this exciting new platform and how it might push independent design forward in the...

Since India opened its economy in the 90s, the government seems to be repeatedly caught by surprised by the need to protect the collective intellectual property of Indian culture.   Years ago, I did a story about how a multi-national chemical company swooped in and patented the active ingredients of the neem tree. The neem tree is omni-present in every village in India and knowledge of it’s uses have been passed down through the ages. Considered sacred, every part of this amazing tree has a use. Most commonly, the twigs are used as a poor man’s tooth brush. My parents grew up using a neem twig to clean their teeth and gums every morning and you can still see small...