NY Fashion Week Goes EcoChic
Date: September 17, 2008 | Category: Accessories, Bags, Fashion, Men, Shoes, Women
New York Fashion Week kicked off at the American Museum of Natural History on Sept. 10 with Be EcoChic, a showcase of sublimely green fashions by some of today’s most celebrated designers.
The event was everything a fashion show should be: form and functionality combined with a flair for the funky, like designs made entirely of seaweed from Linda Loudermilk, or a recycled raffia jacket by Ralph Rucci. And to make it even more fabulous, a gaggle of celebrities - including Lauren Hutton, Adrien Grenier and Patti Hansen - modeled the clothing.
The Be EcoChic fashion show was a national awareness campaign supported by Johnson & Johnson Beauty Care and its brands AVEENO®, Neutrogena® and Neutrogena® Cosmetics, Mercedes Benz, Continental Airlines, Lycra, PJ Madison’s, and the event’s Advisory Board which included Carl Pope from the Sierra Club, Fern Mallis of IMG Fashion, and Kimberly Pinkson of the EcoMom Alliance.
To read more about the show and about other NY Fashion Week news, check out additional coverage on Inhabitat.
We Can Run the World
Date: August 10, 2008 | Category: Fashion, Featured, Media, Men, Shoes, Travel & Leisure, Women
Like these earth-friendly sneakers, the new ecofabulous.com is up and running. We hope you enjoy.
Conspiring to save the planet, Brooks’ BioMoGo has turned the traditional sneaker on its heel by creating a fully biodegradable midsole.
Time to Toss the Toxic Flip Flops
Date: July 2, 2008 | Category: Fashion, Shoes
Leather production’s toxic and wasteful side effects have been well-documented, and Begoodesigns is cleaning up the reputation of such products and extending their lifetime by turning leather from sources such as armchairs and car seats into sandals. Begood’s sandals are made with 99% excess leather, and all are crafted by hand and fairly traded. The sandals have a flirty, beachy feel and come in varieties including a woven version as well as several strappy styles, with bright flowers and leather petals adding a dash of island flavor. And our ecofab men are actually addressed - Begood makes a guy version in sturdy, solid brown. Begoodesigns, a 1% For the Planet Member, also makes laptop bags and even fashions leather accessories from the waste generated by creating their other products. Begoodesigns’ mission to create quality and innovative goods that are socially and environmentally aware has even charmed our vegan writer into considering purchasing a pair!
*can also see at Nimli
Wild for these Shoes
Date: May 21, 2008 | Category: Fashion, Shoes
Shoes are my weakness, and as all eco-fashionistas know, it can be hard to find the latest (or even oldest) styles in eco-friendly versions. The artisans behind Kailia Footwear craft shoes so beautiful, they could only be based in Italy. The family-owned business has figured out a way to produce leather shoes in a much more thoughtful manner. By using recycled and chrome-free leather scraps for the outsole, Kailia actually cuts down on leather production. The outsole is biodegradable and free of plastic, which gets a gold star in my book. Plus Kailia’s shoes boast bamboo and organic cotton lining, water-based glues and pre-consumer recycled footboards. That’s more like four gold stars. The shoes are available at Wildlife Works in San Francisco and will soon be available for purchase on their site. My favorites are the Amore and the Bella but the books kick arse too.
Going Grün
Date: May 9, 2008 | Category: Fashion, Shoes
Shoe guru Adidas goes green with its spring/summer collection this year. New to its Originals line, Adidas introduces Grün, a collection of shoes that takes its name from the German word for “green.” The three guiding principles of the line are “made from,” “recycled,” and “reground.” The collection features classic styles like the Form and the ZX 500 runner, only made with recycled and natural materials. You’ll want to keep your eyes peeled and your credit card poised for the launch of these stylish sneaks. I cannot wait to get “my Adidas”!
Walk the Talk
Date: March 26, 2008 | Category: Fashion, Shoes
Our thirst for fun fashion is finally quenched!
We were on the fence as to whether we’d sport these new kicks from Keds, but the cute flying bottle design grew on us and their eco-commitment has got us enthusiastic. In the Champion Slip On style, these earth friendly Keds incorporate 100% organic cotton upper (25% recycled), 25% recycled rubber outsole and printing that’s achieved through the use of water-based inks. To top it off, the design is the handy work of aspiring young artists from the Boston-based non-profit Artists for Humanity, which will in turn receive a dollar for every pair sold. Plastic bottles are on every eco-citizen’s mind - what with water day coming up and 6 times as much plastic in the ocean as plankton, these shoes are sure to spark conversation. And while discussing your artsy footwear, you can also relay that it takes 1.5 million barrels of oil a year to satisfy America’s demand for water bottles (and that doesn’t include other bottled beverages and/or other countries!). Here’s to talking the talk AND walking the walk.
Sacre Bleu!
Date: March 12, 2008 | Category: Fashion, Shoes
In the past, ecofashionistas have had an internal battle over environmentally friendly vs. chic shoes. Fortunately, the days of boxy, unfashionable foot coverings are behind us, and shoe designers that combine panache with an eco-friendly purpose keep popping up on our radar. One of our new favorites is Cri de Coeur, whose collection of PVC and animal-free shoes includes supersexy slingbacks and funky ankle boots, made from materials such as canvas and rubber composite. Cri de Coeur’s shoes are mostly crafted by hand in Europe, by workers who are given fair pay, benefits, and a clean and safe work environment. The only thing boxy about this company are the shoeboxes and shipping cartons made from 100% recycled cardboard. Furthering the earthly commitment, Cri de Coeur’s founder Gina Ferraraccio has pledged to plant a tree for every pair sold, and is partnering with carbonfund.org to offset any unavoidable carbon emissions, and is currently looking to include organic fabrics in future collections. The Nellie is an ecofabulous favorite, but there are a few other attention grabbers that you will want to get your feet in for the Spring.
Men Finally Get to Walk the Talk
Date: February 25, 2008 | Category: Fashion, Men, Shoes
An animal-free and eco-friendly line of men’s footwear that’s also hot… who woulda thought? Bourgeois Boheme (UK online retailer) has just launched Esperituel, handsome footwear handcrafted in Portugal and made from microfibre - a high-quality, PVC-free leather alternative, grounded with water-based glues. The “leather” is derived from polyurethane (PU), and while we tend to shy away from plastics, when taking into consideration traditional tanning, factory farming and processing of leather, we think PU is a step up. To don a stylish set of Esperituels, check out Bourgeois Boheme (they’ve got the ladies covered too).
Get Your Crocs Off
Date: February 4, 2008 | Category: Fashion, Shoes
Even if you aren’t the Celebrity Apprentice, you will love this program! Everyone seems to have hopped on the Crocs bandwagon (no matter how hard they resisted), but now you can feel good about where they will be kicking it in the afterlife. SolesUnited recycled footwear donation program not only gives your Crocs a future, it provides some less fortunate feet with a little comfort. When the treads no longer support you, donate them to this revolutionary program and give your footwear a brand new life. Donated shoes are sorted, cleaned, ground and manufactured into new SolesUnited recycled footwear and then given to people in need of them (so far, they’ve given one million shoes away!). Check with your local Crocs retailer to see if they participate in this take-back program (click here to find one); or, click here to see where you can ship them - and participate in the humanitarian recycling action.
Viva Veja
Date: January 13, 2008 | Category: Fashion, Shoes
Channel your inner sporty spice with Veja’s fair trade Volley trainers. Made in Brazil using organic cotton, natural latex (collected from wild rubber trees found only in the Amazon), and eco-leather, tanned with organic compounds, these unisex sneaks come in a variety of colors, sure to keep your shoe fetish satiated. Veja’s will have you treading lighter on the planet while looking your eco-sporty best.
About EcoFabulous
Founded by green design guru Zem Joaquin, ecofabulous.com is the online destination for sexy, sustainable style.
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