Photo by duncharris
Turn those blue jeans green—or at least maintain their deep indigo hue—by putting them on ice, literally. Employed by denim enthusiasts to prevent premature fading, the jeans-in-the-freezer trick could become par for the course if TriStar, a Brazilian fashion label, has anything to do with it.
One of the secrets to making upcycled accessories really shine is to infuse them with special little quirks that make people smile. Designer Jen McGlashan does just that with McFlashpants, a line of jewelry made from vintage cutlery. From the fork-a-riffic Not So Stabby choker to necklaces topped with wee sprouts, you won’t find anything like McFlashpants at your local big-box shop. Just keep an eye on your place settings if you ever invite McGlashan over for dinner…
Love it, hate it, or wonder if it comes with wings for extra night-time protection, the iPad isn’t about to budge anytime soon. If you can get past the feminine hygiene jokes, however, you might as well keep your tablet PC’s fragile visage pristine by placing it securely—discreetly?—under wraps.
Photo by Keep It Up
In the Department of Strange But True, you can now recycle your most intimate of intimates through a bra-redistribution program named, quite appropriately, Bosom Buddy. Get it? Boso…never mind. (Mother Nature Network)
Adili, the U.K. eco-fashion retailer that recently rebranded itself as Ascension, is asking to have its shares suspended “pending clarification of the company’s financial position.” (The Guardian)
Saks has made an out-of-court settlement of a lawsuit filed by the Humane Society over several retailers’ mislabeling of their “faux fur” products. (Turns out it was really raccoon dog.) Lord & Taylor and Neiman Marcus settled previously, leaving Macy’s the remaining holdout. (The Cut)
Pick up a pretty bauble for yourself or your sweetie—and help relief efforts in Haiti—with Love Heals’ newest collection, which benefits Doctors Without Borders. (TreeHugger)
Prince Chuck may be rallying for sheep over in Great Britain, but President Obama wants to nix a program for wool manufacturers from the federal budget. (WWD)
Our pals at EcoStiletto are giving away more than $400 in eco-swag, including two $60 PACT organic-cotton panty sets, a $125 Nepali by TDM Design fair-trade silk/cashmere scarf, and four $25 Bella Floria natural skincare shopping sprees. (EcoStiletto)
Wondering what to get for your hunny this Valentine’s Day? Well, nothing hints at romance quite like a pair of red-hot eco-undies—it’s like a come-hither look in a box! That’s why we’re teaming up with PACT and making it easy for you to win a pair of organic cotton skivvies for your Valentine, as well one for yourself. That’s right, we’re giving away matching his-and-her (or his-and-his or her-and-her, depending on how you roll) sets to two lucky winners, so enter for a chance to win them in time for the most romantic day of the year!
1. SIGN UP FOR THE ECOUTERRE NEWSLETTER (This is important because we’ll be announcing our winner there.)
2. LEAVE A COMMENT below sharing how you and your eco-lover will be greening up your Valentine’s Day this year. We’ll pick the two responses we like the best, so be as detailed and creative as possible! Not a couple? Not a problem. We encourage single peeps to enter the contest too and win two pairs all for yourself!
Photo by Danny Moloshok/Reuters
Love Twitter? You might be a Twitterholic if you’re compelled to tweet #everystepyoutake. Like @theGrammys.…from your dress. Case in point: British singer Imogen Heap, who showed up at the music awards in a crazy-amazing “Twitdress,” complete with a giant flashing necklace that scrolled real-time tweets from her fans.
We’ve seen upcycled T-shirts and jeans aplenty, but nothing like Stacy J. Lee’s artful reinterpretation of that consummate American ensemble. The New York-based designer’s latest collection, “Re(-)creation,” comprises one-of-a-kind hand-knit accessories, sweaters and dresses made entirely of discarded, damaged, or sample garments. But the eye-popping, versatile pieces, which literally transform in some cases, are far from ordinary.
For the shoemakers at Adidas, plain ol’ reality is a snooze-inducing yawnfest. Its Augmented Reality Shoe Game Pack, a collection of five “experiential” men’s sneakers due in select Champs Sports and Eastbay stores this month, is designed to kick things up a notch by placing a three-dimensional virtual world at your finger…uh…toe tips.
Syuzi Pakhchyan, media designer, author, and editor of Fashioning Technology.
I have very few illusions that the survival of our planet depends entirely on the clever technologies that we, out of dire necessity, will invent. Technology alone is not going to save our planet—but we certainly are. The onus is on us: It is our choices, our demands from the market, that will bring about the necessary actions and changes in the fashion industry. Smart fabrics and wearable technology offer us an opportunity for a more sustainable future, but the promise will be bittersweet if the entire product lifecycle isn’t taken into consideration.
My, my, my, Hermione Granger! Judging from the sneak peeks of Emma Watson’s collaboration with People Tree, the Burberry- and Chanel-fronting starlet does cazh just as well as couture. Chockfull of breezy, youthful fare that is a far cry from her dour Hogwarts cloak, Watson’s “Love From Emma” line offers organic cotton jersey tees, sustainable knitwear, and recycled accessories designed to appeal to her teen demographic’s sense of cool and conscience.
Linda Wong, the Taiwan-raised designer behind Canopy Verde, believes in the power of three: Heritage, family, and the environment. Her burgeoning collection of visually arresting bags is her personal trifecta made manifest. Besides featuring locally sourced organic cotton and bamboo fabrics, chrome-free leather, and low-impact dyes, Canope Verde also wields the power of the dollar to improve manufacturing conditions in China. “Working with my current factory, I’ve found that the best way to improve environmental practices is by showing them the market opportunity of eco-friendly products,” she says.
With allusions to oceanic aragonite structures, planetary space, crystal formations, spiderwebs, and the “concept of making the abstractly invisible visible,” according to designer Heather Goldberg, Shadowplay’s debut collection of eco-conscious jewelry is replete with magic and mysticism. No mystery lies in where the ingredients are sourced from, however. Handmade with organic, naturally dyed yarns; Swarovski crystals; and fair-trade black silver closures from the Karen Village Hill Tribe in Northern Thailand, Shadowplay’s elegant, one-of-a-kind necklaces feature artful tangles of yarn punctuated with a galaxy of crystals.
The heir to the British throne is championing the common ewe with a new campaign to boost the image and sale of wool. (WWD)
Shirt-making is a serious business. The differences (weave, stitching, finish) may be subtle, but for a true connoisseur, the devil is in the details. (Wall Street Journal)
The fur won’t fly at this fashion competition—Born Free U.S.A. and E Magazine are looking for a few good, cruelty-free fashion designers for its 2nd …
Another day, another ho-hum panel on sustainable fashion? Not when you’re presented with the likes of Julie Gilhart, Barneys New York’s fashionista-in-chief, Caroline Priebe, the designer behind Uluru, and Mary Ping, founder of Slow and Steady Wins the Race. Held at the Pratt Manhattan Gallery in New York City on Tuesday—and moderated by curators Francesca Granata and Sarah Scaturro—”The Sustainability Equation: Ethics and Aesthetics in Contemporary Fashion” was far from academic. We even caught Gilhart on camera dishing advice to designers looking to launch their own sustainable collections, as well as how they can land on the radar of high-profile stores like Barneys.
It was love at first sight for us when we laid our eyes on designer and friend Tara St. James’ “fasten-ating” accessories upcycled from broken zippers, and we’re thrilled to be able to give away two of our favorite pieces to one lucky Ecouterre reader! St. James has put together a special set that includes her elegant single zipper necklace and rocker-chic zipper …
