Ecouterre

Summer swelter cramping your style? Don’t sweat it. Design duo 01Mathery has devised a do-it-yourself solution that even the most craft-challenged of folks will be able to partake. Simply dip a necklace chain, bracelet, or even piece of string into an ice-cube tray, cover with water, and freeze. Popped out of their molds, the ice-cube gems look almost like the real deal, except that they also function as portable cooling implements. With the number of novelty ice-cube trays on the market, the possibilities are manifold. Tip: Pop something shiny in the tray before freezing for extra pizzazz.

+ Ice Me

+ 01Mathery

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Photos by Amber Isabel

A Dutch company has unveiled what it believes to be the first commercial dyeing machine to replace water with supercritical carbon dioxide—a pressurized form of the gas with unusual liquid-like properties. Heated up to 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit) and pressurized to 74 bar, CO2 takes on the characteristics of both a liquid and a gas, allowing for the dissolution of compounds such as dyes. For DyeCoo Textile System’s purposes, scCO2 is heated to 120 degrees Celsius (248 degrees Fahrenheit) and pressurized to 250 bar. Behaving as both a solvent and a solute, the supercharged carbon dioxide penetrates textile fibers and disperses the preloaded dyes without extra chemical agents.

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Hobo. Baguette. Duffel. Satchel. Tote. Keeping your of-the-moment bag silhouettes straight can be a vexing, not to mention pricy, task. Praise your 401(K) balance then, for the shape-shifting convertible tote by Urban Junket. Made from polished cotton canvas and colored with organic vegetable dyes, the three-in-one carryall starts off as a structured, no-frills tote but easily transforms into a trapezoid-shape boat tote or a boxy doctor’s bag. The key to its fickle nature? Strategically positioned snaps that allow you to assemble the bag into three different shapes at a moment’s whim.

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Admit it, deep down, you’ve always been a scarf and bandana hoarder. The itch to give your ensemble the proverbial kick always leads to a strikingly printed little square. With Anamu’s recycled-bandana clutches and cuffs, you can have your fix and wear it, too, which means you can pare your avalanche of natty neckerchiefs down to a more manageable drift.

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We get it, sports isn’t everyone’s bag. But if the only workout your Air Maxes get is propping the front door open on Guitar Hero nights, you might consider pulling a Nick Marsh and cutting your Swooshes into a piece of the action—literally. The British illustrator hacked his trainers to operate with the Wii, a game console that gets even the most sedentary person’s arms flapping and heart pumping. “Gaming platforms have made it possible for people to get their own personal sports workout from the comfort of their living room, using hand held controllers and a balance board to participate,” Marsh says. ” So why can’t a pair of Nikes work in the same way?”

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Photos by Kristiina Wilson

Ecouterre isn’t a fan of Saran Wrap or its clingy, plasticized ilk, but we can’t help but be enamored of these Marie Antoinette-style wigs by designer Kate Cusack. Crafted entirely from the common household film—we’re pretending she gleaned her supplies from the aftermath of a block-party potluck—the wigs are a testament to the power of imagination. “There is an exciting ‘a-ha’ moment when someone realizes that there is more to my design then they initially expected,” Cusack says. “I create polished, elegant work that the viewer can appreciate in a serious way, but then when the viewer notices whatever the object is made out of, it surprises them and brings a smile to their face.”

+ Tiffany Wigs

+ Kate Cusack

Tina Lutz and Marcia Patmos may be shuttering their Lutz & Patmos clothing line, but the pair is making one heckuva exit with a little help from their famous friends—including one Archbishop Desmond Tutu. One of the several marquee names who have made their mark on the label over the years, the South African Nobel Peace Prize Laureate can be spotted among the ranks at Lutz & Patmos’ guest-designer e-commerce shop, which opened on Thursday.

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“[Fashion] is the most wasteful industry and nobody is talking about it. They talk about food, planes, cars. But fashion is among the biggest out there for consumption and waste.

Never throw anything away. If you buy good-quality garments, they will last for a lifetime.

“Never throw away anything from your closet. If you buy good-quality garments, they will last for a lifetime. I hate these articles about how to clear out your wardrobe to make space for the new season. I have so many things in my closet that I bought when I was 20 and I still wear—I’m 40! I have so many clothes from my mom, including shoes.”

—Livia Giuggioli Firth, co-founder of Eco Age, a sustainable boutique in London, and wife of some actor dude named Colin, on shopping from your own closet.