Our DIY mavens at Threadbanger, Rob Czar and Corinne Leigh, enjoyed their time at New York Fashion Week earlier this month. Though, luckily for us, these two have once again figured out how to create haute couture looks with very shallow pocketbooks. That rhymed. (Just in case you weren’t paying attention.) Check out Madame Corinne’s incredibly hot, slightly domi exposed-zipper skirt.

To make it as sustainable a project as possible, see what fabric you already have or try shopping for fabric at the thrift store. Otherwise, experiment with organic cotton, Oeko-Tex certified bamboo, or my personal favorite, hemp.

*Beware of long T-Mobile ad at the end…I guess Threadbangers have to pay their bills too.

I made the trek from Connecticut to the Lower East Side again on Wednesday night… Seems like it’s where all the cool green stuff is happening. Boho magazine’s been on newsstands for a few weeks now, but this was their official release party, held at Kaight, a trendy low-profile eco-boutique which you’d hardly know is there walking down the street since there’s no sign out front. But evidently, fans of sustainable design have no problem finding it.

Boho is published by Gina La Morte (top photo), a celebrity stylist based in New Jersey, who acted on an idea whose time has come, a fashion magazine aimed at the green conscious bohemian, in essence, probably every smart teenage girl out there. It’s a class act, and it’s been catching on. Their initial print run of 48.000 doubled after they got international distribution orders, and secured shelving space from Whole Foods, this after the chain yanked 90% of all the magazine titles they once carried! Somebody out there is clamoring for Boho.

Continue reading Boho’s Night Out Launching Wide

Launch Date: Fall 2006
Location of Headquarters: Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada
Location of Manufacturing: Halifax, NS and Vancouver, BC
Number of Staff: 1

Deep on the Canadian peninsula of Nova Scotia, Anna Gilkerson designs, cuts and sews deux fm (pronounced deux femmes).  Her mission is clear: Inspire ethical and environmental awareness by implementing sustainable action through innovative design. Well, luckily for all of us eco style fanatics, Anna’s “innovative design” does not sacrifice an ounce of sophistication in her pursuit of ecological responsibility. deux fm exudes a 1940’s-era romantic elegance, while serving you modern women’s business attire in recycled and sustainably harvested fibers. Ces deux femmes sont très chic et très vert!

I source from local used clothing outlets and store/factory close-outs. I also know a few vintage clothing dealers and I can get (in bulk sometimes) great vintage fabrics or home textiles.
I use my production scraps as well…Our recycled fabrics are often broken down from other garments that are not relevant to modernity. I love the fabrics I can get from some of the most hideous garments. I shop in the plus size section a lot so we can get more of the good stuff!

We source all of our products, fabrics, accessories, etc. in Canada- maybe about 2% in the US. We produce all of clothing in Canada. I support Canadian fabric suppliers because I want to cut down on fuel for travel and I like to support as local as possible. It is not possible that Canada manufactures fabric unfortunately. Our bamboo fabrics come either from South Korea or China but they are sourced from Canadian suppliers.

Deux fm is about sustainable trends. I know that sounds like an oxymoron but it really isn’t. I am very much inspired from vintage fashions (I grew up working in a vintage clothing store) and the days of the past. All of our collections are based on classic styles that never go out of fashion…Fall 2008 was really about the working woman. Almost every woman needs a great suit. I wanted the collection to be sexy and celebrate the woman’s body while still having a sort-of polite and ladylike feel. I called the collection “Pretty Rebel” as I was seeing structured black coming back in a big way, balanced with pale and muted feminine tones and textures.

Describe the piece of clothing in your own collection that you wear more than anything else?

Personally I am all about comfort. I live in my soft wool tees for fall, I will get a lot of wear out of the pants too. I live in the countryside so dressing up generally means a t-shirt and jeans.

I think it is happening!…Companies I would never have dreamed of joining the green movement are joining in droves. I think even the topmost executives at large clothing companies are realizing that this is really happening and if they want to stay current and on the cutting edge they must adapt.

What’s next for deux fm?

We are introducing an eco swimwear line for Spring 09 and we will be coming out with our new Resort 08/09 collection of recycled bikinis…We will also be attending either Pool or Project for the first time this winter so watch out for us there!

Cradle-to-cradle describes a method of manufacturing that is extremely efficient and virtually waste-free. This phrase was coined in the 1970’s by Walter R. Stahel, and popularized in 2002 by McDonough and Braungart, authors of the book, Cradle To Cradle: Remaking The Way We Make Things. Cradle to cradle manufacturing is the natural evolution of cradle to grave manufacturing; cradle to grave holds companies responsible for disposing of the waste created by their products after they are no longer in use. Cradle to cradle certified production goes one huge step further and creates quality products that can be used, and then either reused or disassembled and recycled or with ease and without creating any waste.

Another level of cradle to cradle production is manufacturing items that are biodegradable and kept free of toxic dyes or materials. This is exactly how the wool for Helen Riegle’s Rain Bag is produced. In 2007, Chris Riegle, Helen’s husband and business partner, heard about a Cradle To Cradle-certified wool flannel made without toxic dyes. He sourced it from the mills of world-reknowned wool producer Pemberton. Helen took the C2C-certified wool and cascaded nickel studs down the strap and gusset, lined it with organic cotton, and trimmed it with PVC-free vegan leather trim to create the Rain Bag. Inside this spacious hobo, she put a zippered pocket, cell phone pocket, and a swivel key clip. The Rain Bag reflects the beautiful synthesis of fashion, function, and sustainable design prevalent in all of Helen Riegle’s collections.

When it comes to sustainable materials, Helen has also experimented with organic cotton, recycled polyester, hemp, recycled leather and micro-suede, which Chris has painstakingly sourced for the line. What’s next for HER? They will soon be incorporating a new Cradle To Cradle-certified material dubbed “eco-intelligent polyester” for the upcoming 2008 Holiday season. Chris explains, “It has been designed to be safely and perpetually used, reclaimed, and reused in high-quality products… not just downcycled into something less…For Spring/Summer 09, we plan to incorporate recycled cotton into several of our signature styles.” HER Design has consistently led the handbag industry in conscious design and remains a shining example of their credo: “Challenge conventions, live responsibly, embrace style.” Sustainability most definitely reigns at Helen Riegle.

Tonight, deep down in the Financial District of funky fresh SF, leaders of the exploding eco fashion industry will be discussing the intersection of environmentalism and fashion at Eco-Fashion: From Birkenstock to Couture.

If you’re near the Bay, join the likes of Tierra Forte (Del Forte Denim), Zem Joaquin (ecofabulous.com) , and Caren Holzman (Transfair USA) as they discuss the what, where, why and how of greener manufacturing and eco style trends at Temple, one of SF’s most visually delectable venues. Is sustainable design a short term fad or a long term evolution? What is more important when it comes to greener manufacturing-the cost to customers or the cost to our planet’s delicate ecosystems?

After you get your hard-hitting ethical style questions answered and your debate skills sharpened, you can mingle with fellow eco fashists (I coined this for humor’s sake-please take no offense) over cocktails at the after-party. Hippies and hipsters unite at Eco-Fashion: From Birkenstock to Couture!

Location: Temple, 540 Howard St., San Francisco
Time: September 15, 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. reception and party
Cost: $15 members, $25 non-members

Someone said “Let’s have a fashion show,” just like Mickey Rooney in Strike Up the Band! Next thing you know, the whole town of Ridgefield, Connecticut, breaking rank with the Stepford Wives, is rising to the occasion. The Green ROCK Inn offered their quaint little suburban get away, but the fire marshall got wind of all the people who were coming, so the venue moved to Nature’s Temptations, the town’s brand new health food store, which couldn’t have been a better idea.

Starre Vartan of Eco-Chick was signing her book at Go Practically Green, also brand new. She assembled a wide selection of sustainable fashion designer clothing. Shine, the local Aveda salon, asked a few friends to strut down the runway… among the Sicilian olive oil and the 7-grain cereal boxes. Brian Clark Howard spun the sounds.

Continue reading Food & Fashion, What A Combination!

So you’re back on campus and in need of some essential school supplies-new shoes, a bag, a hot party ensemble? You’re sure that once you obtain these key study tools, your semester will go swimmingly. Well, Greenloop definitely has the ideal pieces to make you a better student (or at least just look like one.)

The Abalone Top by EcoSkin is perfect for a stud-filled study group, an afterschool cocktail hour, or blowing off academic traumas at the local nightclub. Made of eco fibers bamboo and tencel, the Abalone Top is sleek, sexy and sustainable. This hot little number from EcoSkin deserves to be matched with some very affordable organic cotton jeans from Good Society. Good Society denim is designed in Japan and made in India, which is one of the biggest hubs in the world for organic cotton. The two pieces together are sheer genius.

If clothes make the man, then shoes make the woman (happy). Rushing through the quad each day will call for kicks that are both cute and comfortable. These adorable strappy Toepaz flats by green design gurus Simple Shoes are made of hemp, recycled tires, and bamboo. Dress ‘em up, dress ‘em down, these vegan zapatos are gonna make your studymates green with envy. Oh darn.

Clearly your new mountain of scholarly tomes is going to require a bag strong enough to handle the weight and cool enough to erase the overloaded-with-books dork factor. What could be more perfect than the Vy & Elle “Bookman”? This utilitarian messenger bag gets points for both convenience and cool. It features pockets-within-pockets to help organize all your school supplies, and each Bookman sports one-of-a-kind graphics. Vy & Elle produces their entire line from recycled PVC billboards, upcycling material headed for the landfill and transforming it into wearable art. Pretty smart. In the case of sustainable design, fashion may indeed inspire academic greatness…Or it could just make you feel more enthusiastic about actually attending class.

I was just enjoying my weekly newsletter installment from the superstars over at White Apricot. Editor Carrie Pollare expressed a thought I’ve been having for the past twelve months or so, she said, “I don’t know about you, but the phrase ‘Green is the New Black’ is getting a little old for me. Sure, I love the sentiment, that eco friendly clothes are becoming as important as black is to all of our wardrobes, but it’s becoming a bit cliché.”

I myself don’t normally spend editorial time ranting about things, but I’m going to take the liberty to second that emotion with the following:

Fashion is about two things: trends of the moment and timeless classics. A trend of the moment must indeed be current, edgy, fresh. A timeless classic is an 80’s hit by Prince, a Gaudi building, or a Chanel handbag-it is so well constructed and so genius, that one never tires of it. The phrase “Green Is The New Black” falls under neither category. It was actually quite bold in 2006 when Graydon Carter of Vanity Fair bravely devoted an entire issue of their magazine to environmental topics and titled his Letter From The Editor “Green is the New Black.” That was 28 long months ago. Since then, we’ve seen numerous articles, books, t-shirts, fashion shows, and tote bags galore trumpeting this duel of hues. “Green Is The New Black” is tired, played out, and stale like Christmas ornaments dangling in the hot July sun. My fashion phenomes, spread the word. Green is fresh, it is vibrant, it is versatile-it is the new classic. Black is black and beautiful and itself. Please free these colors from their identity crisis. Ecologically responsible practices are not a trend, they are a necessity of our times. Green Is The New Sane. Period.