Bling It On
Date: March 17, 2009 | Category: Accessories, Fashion, Jewelry, Women
Take that cocktail ring to the next level with finger bling from October Anniversary. It’ll be hard not to get noticed with one of these striking pieces - the rings often cover 2-3 fingers at once. (more…)
A Vision for the Times
Date: February 17, 2009 | Category: Accessories, Bags, Care, Children, Clothing, Fashion, Jewelry, Kids, Makeup, Shoes, Skin Care, Stores & Resources, Women
Eco-Luxury has infiltrated one of Los Angeles’s high-end shopping districts. Visionary Boutique on Melrose fits right in the neighborhood with everything an LA woman ‘on the shop’ could dream of – but when you leave, it’s hard to look at the products in the neighboring stores without a new green lens. (more…)
A Call to Arms
Date: November 18, 2008 | Category: Accessories, Fashion, Jewelry
Are your wrists feeling a little bit out of the loop lately? Ecofabulous has the 411 on sustainable jewelry and the news keeps getting better and better. How cute are these hand-woven telephone wire bracelets from Original Women?
Made entirely from telephone wire by Zulu basket weavers, the beautiful texture of the weave and the graphic patterns will appeal to teenagers and grandmothers alike. You can select from copper, black, silver, brown and copper zebra, or the black and white zebra. Since the bracelets are made by hand, each piece is unique. And when you buy the bracelets, which retail for $35, now on sale for $26 from Original Women, you’ll be helping female artisans earn a living and receive basic education, health education, and HIV/AIDS support. What a deal!
Recruiting Buffalo Soldiers
Date: November 11, 2008 | Category: Accessories, Bags, Fashion, Intimates, Jewelry, Men, Shoes, Women
The most eco-friendly way to acquire new clothes is to buy them second-hand. But the words “thrift shop” don’t always conjure images of couture, and the idea of sifting through musty racks keeps many people away. But breathing new life into used items is a tenet of green living, which is why everyone seems to be excited that Buffalo Exchange, a hip clothing exchange shop with locations all over the country, is expanding into New York City.
Buffalo Exchange’s first store in Manhattan, at 332 E. 11th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenue), will open in late November. A sustainable company that works to protect the environment by reusing and recycling clothing, it is a choosy shopper’s source for fashionable clothing and accessories. Items are bought, sold and traded directly with store customers, and used garments can be traded for any item in the store, including jewelry and brand-new clothing (beware of these un-eco items, though). The ever-changing inventory includes designer wear, vintage clothing, jeans, leather and one-of-a-kind items.
So march down to the East Village and trade in your old duds for some new (to you!) ones.
The City of Angels Earns Its Wings
Date: October 27, 2008 | Category: Accessories, Bags, Fashion, Intimates, Jewelry, Men, Shoes, Women
The red carpet got striped in green last weekend with the launch of Designers & Agents’ First Annual Green Market Event. Held from October 17th to 19th, D&A played host to more than a thousand leaders in sustainable fashion, design, lifestyle and community, including some of our fav designers, Form & Fauna, Edun, Stewart + Brown and Loomstate, and our friends over at Inhabitat who chatted up visitors in the “Green Room.” Co-hosted by contemporary furnishings guru, FordBrady, the trade show also marked the debut of Coco Eco Magazine by Anna Griffin.
Designers who wished to participate in the event had to demonstrate that at least 60 percent of their product line was made through sustainable practices. To offset the carbon footprint of those traveling from afar, a tree was planted in honor of each registered guest. Green Market Co-founders, Barbara Kramer and Ed Mandelbaum, hope the synergy created from bringing so much talent together under one living roof will inspire more fashion-forward businesses to grow from the root up.
Untouch Me!
Date: October 20, 2008 | Category: Accessories, Fashion, Jewelry, Men, Women
Finally a line of menswear that won’t leave an eco-inclined hipster behind. Untouched World’s men’s collection boasts a line of clothing cool enough to convert even the least conscious guy.
The company’s casual sportswear line caters to both men and women, with the menswear collection significantly smaller, but impressive nonetheless. The eco-conscious fella can choose from a selection of sustainably-designed graphic t-shirts, jeans, knitwear, coats and jackets, made from sustainable materials like felted wool and the company’s trademarked organic Mountainsilk.
Meanwhile, our lovely ladies are of course attended to. We are all wrapped up with their stunning awaroa wrap and a fabulous wrap dress. Untouched World also offers jewelry, accessories, and a yoga collection.
Besides raising awareness about sustainable fashion, textiles such as the highly intriguing Ecopossum, are bound to raise a fair share of eyebrows, especially among vegans. Ecopossum, one of Untouched World’s signature fabrics, blends merino wool with brushtail possum fiber, resulting in a yarn similar in feel to cashmere and boasting the manufacturer’s promise that it will not pill. The patented blend was created by Untouched World’s parent company Snow Peak.
Not to be confused with the North American opossum, apparently the brushtail possum is an enemy of the environment in New Zealand and responsible for devouring 17,000 metric tons of vegetation every single night! Experts believe the possums will kill entire forests through defoliation within the next 20 years if left unchecked.
Get in touch with Untouched World’s arguments and check out their extensive collection.
Buy Your Baubles Responsibly
Date: October 14, 2008 | Category: Accessories, Fashion, Featured, Jewelry
The holidays are fast approaching and – just admit it – you are already scribbling out your Christmas and Hanukkah lists. If you plan to ask Santa (or your parents or S.O.) for some bling this year, check out the eco-friendly designs by Bario-Neal.
Bario-Neal jewelry is handcrafted in Philadelphia using reclaimed precious metals (like the Gale bracelet, above, which retails for $225), ethically-sourced stones from the Tanzania Women Miner Association and low-impact, environmentally conscious practices. And, 1 percent of all Bario-Neal profits is donated to the Alliance for Responsible Mining, a global initiative to bring transparency and fair trade practices to small-scale mining.
Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but girls should be a friend to the miners and mother earth too!
Countdown to Eco Chic Shopping SF Style
Date: October 13, 2008 | Category: Accessories, Bags, Fashion, Jewelry, Makeup, Shoes, Skin Care, Women
If you just couldn’t justify turning Columbus Day into an excuse to shop, perhaps Appel & Frank’s Eco-Chic Shopping Event might just qualify as a must-spend evening. A few of us are making plans to attend and indulge in two of our favorite pastimes: drinking wine and shopping for great green finds!
On Thursday, Oct. 23, eco-inclined shoppers in the Bay Area have the chance to spend an evening perusing green fashion items by designers like becauseatom and Fair Tribe, as well as ogle the wares of mineral makeup vendors, ethical jewelers, natural bath product companies, environmental media groups, vintage clothes sellers, advocacy groups, and more.
The event runs from 5-9 p.m. at the Regency Center in San Francisco (1270 Sutter Street @ Van Ness). As incentive to get there early, the first 300 guests to walk through the doors will receive a reusable gift bag filled with green goodies like eco eye shadow, organic tea, Green Zebra guides, Bloomsberry chocolate, and other treats.
You can pre-order tickets online at the two-for-one price of $15. Now you can pick up all your sustainable holiday event gear on an organic shoestring budget.
Show off Your Bently
Date: September 15, 2008 | Category: Fashion, Jewelry
Founder of eastern-inspired, eco-conscious Kamalaspa in San Francisco’s Union Square, Amber Marie Bently has been getting rave reviews about the gorgeous jewelry that she is passionately making in San Francisco. Ethically and sustainably sourced from all over the globe, her unique designs are inspired from her travels throughout India. She uses only recycled precious metals and personally interviews every one of her stone dealers to ensure they haven’t over-quarried, and that laborers are treated humanely in conflict-free conditions. With a beautiful range of styles, Amber’s pieces are popping up all over San Francisco and Los Angeles, but if you live elsewhere, you can reserve your pieces online.
Wear Your Heart on Your Wrist
Date: September 8, 2008 | Category: Fashion, Featured, Jewelry
I have long been a rose gold fanatic, since it complements my skin tone better than the other hues, but yellow and white gold fans can get their 14k dreams answered too. Tirana Limited Edition Butterfly Bracelet has made the whole office a flutter. We love that it is forged from recycled post-consumer precious metals in New York City. But there is even even more to feel good about when adopting your butterfly. (more…)
