Ok, the man is good looking. (It had to be said.) His name is not Tom, it’s Blake Mycoskie and he’s really into shoes. A couple of years back, Blake was volunteering in a village in Argentina and noticed a lot of kids were without shoes; their feet were covered in scrapes and many of them had infections. On February 26th, 2006, Blake had an epiphany. He would start a shoe company where for every pair of shoes purchased, a child in need would be given a pair. Toms: Shoes for Tomorrow was born.

When Blake returned to the States, he hit the ground running. He took the traditional Argentine alpargata (formerly of the working class and currently hip with the owning class in Argentina) and redesigned it with an American audience in mind. With 13 employees and 8 interns, he launched Toms Shoes a short four months later. They are now sold in Nordstrom, Urban Outfitters, and Bloomingdales, along with tons of trendy boutiques throughout the country. They’ve been spotted on a long list of celebrities including a few of my personal favorites, Keira Knightly and Benicio Del Toro. In just two years, Blake and company have given over 60,000 pairs of shoes to children in Argentina and South Africa. Next stop-the breathtaking country of Ethiopia!

If you love the Toms mission and want to get involved, they’d love to hear from you!

Technically Terra Plana means flat land, but you’ll be hardpressed to find much flatness with this shoe manufacturing anomaly. Inspired by a deep desire for longterm ecological survival, Terra Plana publishes the life cycle assessment for every pair of shoes they produce. They design their shoes with reparability, lightness (to reduce shipping impact), anatomic design, and durability in mind. According to Terra Plana, they “minimize waste and toxin use and maximize product use and love.” They produce their line using chrome-free and vegetable tanned leathers, recycled materials of all sorts (from rubber to old quilts and parachutes), and pure latex soling materials.

Terra Plana has also debuted a more eco-conscious leather product called E-leather. It’s a ‘re-woven’ blend of leather and textile fibers practically indistinguishable from good quality leather. E-Leather is produced with closed loop water usage and best practice pollution prevention methods. These people clearly care about crafting beautiful fashion statements using only the most modern and sustainable methods possible.

And how do they look? So, so hot! Whether you’re in Milano, Madrid, or the Mid-West these unique sneaks and heels will be turning heads. Priced from $50-300, a pair of Terra Plana’s is a worthwhile investment in a company that’s setting the bar for eco-conscious manufacturing, as well as your wardrobe.

If you want to check out a sneak peak of Terra Plana 2008, go to smartplanet.com for a look at the super-sexy strappy heels for Spring.

The Estethica exhibition at London fashion week, which recently wrapped up its fourth season on February 13th, showcases some of the best in sustainable fashion around, with an emphasis on UK designers. The event has firmly established its reputation for raising awareness and promoting the concept of ethically-minded fashion within the industry and the public, showcasing long-established ‘green’ brands alongside emerging sustainable fashion designers. Estethica celebrates designers who choose to work with recycled materials, organic and other sustainable fibers, and those who adhere to fair trade labor standards.

This year’s exhibition was packed once again, featuring regulars like People Tree, Junky Styling, Terra Plana, Ciel and Katharine Hamnett, as well as international brands of note, like Beyond Skin, Fin, Viridis Luxe (photo at the top), Noir and Izzy Lane (one of the designers featured in the Portland Fall Fashion Week 2007 shows). Not to be forgotten, accessories lines, such as the jewelry collection of Fifi Bijoux and bag-designers Nahui Ollin, Sonya Kashmiri and Pibiones all made an positive impression. Trends spotted, courtesy of Bonnie Alter at Treehugger: “lots of greys, whites and blues (despite the fashion mag’s insistence on colours this spring), clothes are either casual or over the top and most interestingly-many designers are working with socially deprived groups to develop new skills or maintain old ones.”

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Photos: Daniel Jackson for H&M

Though, of course, purchasing locally made goods at a nearby Mom-and-Pop operation is clearly the ideal, occasionally an eco diva may have to dip into an H&M for a few guilty pleasures. Well, guilty has gone guilt-free with H&M’s campaign and fashion line dubbed Fashion Against Aids. The t-shirts, tank tops, and hoodies are all 100% organic cotton and 25% of gross sales go to AIDS/HIV prevention in 60 different countries. Adding to the extreme coolness factor, the designers are all incredible musicians and artists. The long list includes Rihanna, My Chemical Romance, Rufus Wainwright, Scissor Sisters, The Cardigans, Timbaland, Ziggy Marley, and my personal favorite, Justice.

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Greenloop has a bevy of affordable rose-colored eco chic gifts and baubles for Valentine’s Day. Show some love to a special lady in your life, even if that lady is you!

Lucina

This beautiful trio by Lucina adds fire to any outfit, whether it’s jeans and a white T-shirt or the ultimate little black dress. Buy all three as a set or enjoy each piece individually. The bright red berries are Choclo seeds from Columbia matched with Fair Trade Balinese silver, or in the case of the bracelet, recycled Columbian pesos.

Lucina Berry Cocktail Necklace $92

Lucina Berry Coil Bracelet $46

Lucina Cluster Hoop Earrings $76

ReFinding

For the dare devil fashionista, this Recycled Tire Watch by ReFinding, is a steal at $70. Hand cut tire with a watch made out of metal and plastic. So most of it will outlast you. As all watch bands are hand made and one-of-a-kind, your band will not look exactly like the one pictured.

Ecoist

This little cutie coin purse from Ecoist is fairly traded and handmade from repurposed candy wrappers in Mexico. Wear it as its own mini purse for keys and a cell phone or detach the wristlet and toss it in a larger bag for change or cosmetics. Measures: 6L x 4H x 2W. $22

Envirosax

This Envirosax reusable shopping bag is the perfect wrapper for any
Valentine’s gift.$8.50

Hillary, Barack, Mitt, or John? We’re not picking our favorite Beatle this time, my friends. No, this time we’re choosing one fine specimen to lead our country into 2012 (lord help us.) While this eco fashion news site will not be endorsing any particular candidates publicly, we would like bring you the most up-to-date fashion statements for the electoral season, like The Vote Shirt by Be Present. The Men’s and Women’s short sleeve tees are organic cotton, with an organic tank top soon to hit the streets (of cyberspace.) A little Om replaces the O, reminding us to vote with our hearts. Now if we could just get our Presidents to sport little LEAD t-shirts with that same symbol replacing the E…

Your calendar is chock full of cocktail parties, work parties and general holiday festivities. As you stare into the depths (or shallows, for some us) of your closet staring at your fall back black dress, you soon realize that the one you have long depended on, like an old friend, is just not going to cut it anymore. Perhaps the hemline is just a tad high at this stage in the game, despite your fabulous gams, or maybe it is showing the good times you have had in it just a little too much. It’s time to retire your stand by and slip into a little black dress that’s green to boot. Here are a few of my faves:
1. Edun Fleur Spaghetti Strap Dress - This flattering, empire cut slip style dress features a subtle constellation print on the lightweight, shimmering silk. Elegant, simple, but far from boring, this little number will take you through the new year and beyond, and the cut even leaves room for a little over indulgence.
2. Habitude Double V Tie Back Dress - For those of you out there that dare to bare a little more, yet tastefully so, this elegant drawstring dress is a hemp/silk blend with substance, featuring a deep v front and back and empire waist for a little forgiveness through the midsection. If you are not quite ready to take the plunge, pair it with a complimentary camisole underneath, and even jeans to take it from soiree to shopping.
3. SameUnderneath Bamboo Cowl Neck - A perfect little black dress in a sumptuous bamboo and cotton blend this, this three-quarter length sleeve, cowled V-neck dress hugs in all the right places with a panel waist band and graceful A skirt, you can wear this anywhere, anytime, dressed up or down. Bamboo wicks moisture away from the skin too, so if things get a little steamy under the mistletoe, you’re all set (no sweat).
4. Edun Luna Shift Dress - What can I say….Edun gets double kudos here on the little black dress. A gorgeous shift dress that screams chic, with silver pin striping and velvet detail straps, and fully lined, this shift dress is the pinnacle of style for this holiday season. Easy to wear on just about any body style, and once again, forgiving when you choose to sample all 10 of those holiday desserts so temptingly arrayed before you. I think I would even take it casual and wear over a snug long sleeve with boots and leggings too.

So part with that security blanket of a frock you’ve got stowed, pass it on to another or recycle it if its just not got another life left to live, and jump into one of this season’s newest, best, little black dresses.