Ecouterre

If you have to walk a mile in someone’s shoes, they might as well be these handcrafted Argentinean alpargatas by Pauline in Love. Similar in style to the popular TOMS, these on-trend foot-cozies pack a lot of comfort and style while supporting ethical labor through the Working World, a nonprofit organization that helps local craftspeople and independent factory owners bring their products to the consumer market. 

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Looking for a special gift that says a lot without dropping too much dough? These arty Shibori-dyed shawls by Natureroots are a foolproof token for just about anyone. Made from 100 percent pure silk georgette, which has been tied and tinted in variety of lustrous, all-natural colors, the shoulder-wrappers definitely look more expensive than they are. The “finely crushed” finish gives these …

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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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Natalie Rae Richardon, a San Diego native and recent graduate of the London College of Fashion, is taking the “faux” out of faux pas with her eco-friendly debut collection. Based loosely on the anthropomorphic artwork of illustrator Ryan Berkley, Richardson’s garments feature custom embroidery techniques, casual ’80s silhouettes, and a natural color palette. Although each of the six looks invokes one of Berkley’s snappily dressed critters, no actual animals were used. The result is cruelty-free pieces—the Fox jacket, Hyena shirt, and Gazelle coat are standouts—that pay homage to the animal kingdom without plundering from it.

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You may not be able to put a price on our planet’s future, but when it comes to Hudson Jeans’ “new” reconstructed Resurrection denim, the sky’s the limit. Yes, each one-of-a-kind piece is expertly hand-crafted exclusively from vintage fabric from the Hudson archives, composed of the finest quality denims sourced from top Japanese and Italian mills. Yes, they’re rich with detail and fit like a dream. Yes, they boast an elite crowd of followers, including Sandra Bullock, Pink, and Gisele Bündchen.  And, most importantly, they’re repurposed goods and therefore eco-friendly. But no matter how you spin it, $5 shy of a grand is still pretty hefty for a pair of old blues. 

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Rapunzel—or, y’know, Lady Gaga—would be prudent to take notes when CuldeSac and Studio Marisol hold their hair-raising workshop at the Centre International de Recherche et d’Education Culturelle et Agricole (C.I.R.E.C.A) this summer. With the natural splendor of the Domaine de Boisbuchet as a backdrop, the Spanish design studio and the professional hairdressing academy will be teaching their charges how to cut, tease, weave, and shape human follicles beyond their typical parameters.

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Spring has a way of teasing the winter-weary with its elusive behavior, literally raining on our parade just as we start considering crisp white tees and exposed ankles. While you’re flip-flopping between sunshine and showers, nothing will beat your wardrobe blues like Grain’s bright, bubbly necklaces.

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Jitske Lundgren, founder of Studio JUX, really know his clothes. The Dutch designer’s men’s and women’s collections, which comprise organic and all-natural fabrics, feature utterly wearable items that focus on classic silhouettes with an unexpected twist. But Lundgren also knows the people whose hands have toiled over every stitch. With fair-trade principles at the forefront of JUX’s brand identity, each piece is finely crafted by Nepali tailors under fair labor conditions, monitored by the Fair Wear Foundation.

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For the esteemed pioneers of the Bauhaus movement of art and design, form followed function. Caitlin Mociun, designer and visionary of the namesake label Mociun (pronounced “motion”), takes the Bauhaus philosophy of utilitarian design and puts a new, colorful twist on it with her vibrant clothing. According to Mociun, there is no better artist canvas than the one that is worn on the body.

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For Robert Taylor and Caroline Read of Above + Below London, the seats on London’s Tube trains and buses offer more than a means of conveyance. They’re also an incredible source of vintage textiles, which the a U.K.-based design company salvages for its eco-friendly shoe range. The resulting collection of striking high-tops is reminiscent of the legendary classic Chuck Taylors, but with a clever retro-modern twist that the foggy town can call its own.

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Industrial designers have always valued steel for its strength and durability. Surprisingly, this venerable material is also quite eco-friendly, an added bonus that makes it the ideal choice for containers, automobiles, support beams, bridges, and even delicate, modern jewelry. For Laura Su, founder and designer of Prismera, finding a material for her sustainable line of jewelry was a challenge until she stumbled upon steel, the most recycled material in the world—more so than paper, glass, and aluminum combined, according to the Steel Recycling Institute.

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If winter’s swift approach is throwing you into a state of wardrobe panic, allay your cold-weather woes by turning to someone who knows a thing or two about below-freezing temps. Meet Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart, who after years of battling the bitter Chicago winters and searching for the perfect topper, founded Vaute Couture, a well-edited line of chic, easy-to-wear, and remarkably warm vegan coats.

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For the average person, a zipper equals closure. And even though exposed fasteners are decidedly on-trend, they still serve a utilitarian function.  For Montreal-born, Brooklyn-based designer Tara St. James, however, zippers not only have a decorative side, but they’re also part of her master plan to keep waste out of the landfill.

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Photo by Drew Brennen

Depending on how you look at it, aeronautics has nothing or everything to do with fashion design. In Renee Corrick’s case, it’s undoubtedly the latter, and the erstwhile engineer’s work at Aviation Partners Boeing was indispensable in laying the foundation for her innovative, expertly constructed silhouettes. At the recent EcoLavish fashion show in Seattle, each piece had a distinct architectural quality, with precise, sculpted volume and structural details that seemed to hover over the body in a way that was both protective and expressly feminine.

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Even the most fastidious fashionista finds herself occasionally craving the comfort of her favorite jeans and well-worn T-shirt. Luckily, these captivating toppers from Vancouver-based milliner Claudia Shulz offer the perfect mix of snugness and style, while presenting a striking minimalist twist on classic 1920s European silhouettes.

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