Ecouterre » Eco-Friendly Accessories

NYC Architect Makes Jewelry From Discarded Rubber Bands, Paper Clips

Bridgette Meinhold — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:00:18 +0000

Who needs to keep their cubicle stocked with analog paraphernalia now that we’ve all moved to paperless offices? Well, if you’re Margarita Mileva, obsolete office supplies make the perfect components for vibrant jewelry, such as twisty necklaces made from multicolored rubber bands, chokers pieced together from wire binding, and pendants fashioned from circular paper clips.

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XOElle Whips Vintage Men’s Shirts Into Snappy Bow Ties

Mike Chino — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 13:00:33 +0000

The bow tie has shaken off its erstwhile affectations of late and is popping up amid a very current crop of designers with a penchant for all things prep. But why reinvent the wheel when you can cut these classic ties from a cloth that imparts each with a unique sense of history? That’s the approach taken by XOElle, who handcrafts each elegant tie from an “unloved men’s shirt.” Giant floppy bows they’re not. These prim bowties are fit as a fiddle and perfect for a spring fling.

+ Bow Tie $36

+ XOElle

Modern Diamonds: Reclaimed Wood Gems by Something’s Hiding in Here

Rebecca Paul — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:00:14 +0000

Philadelphia-based design duo Something’s Hiding in Here uses reclaimed wood and other eco-friendly materials to make funky accessories that are fun to wear and reasonably priced. These chunky hand-shaped wood gems are just the right combination of edgy and homegrown, not to mention we love wearing anything that features the subtle and organic patterns wood grain naturally provides.

+ Wood Gems $60-$65

+ Something’s Hiding in Here

Inspired by Nature, Dandi Maestre’s Jewelry Embraces Its Wild Beauty

Jasmin Malik Chua — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 13:00:09 +0000

If there’s one thing that designer Dandi Maestre knows, it’s that you can’t tame nature, so why bother? The former graphic designer plunders Gaia’s backyard for treasures-in-the-rough and crafts them into oversized sartorial statements: shed antlers become an avant-garde necklace, reclaimed driftwood transforms into a chunky cuff, and dyed exotic nuts are carved into psychedelic rings.

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Bamboo Spectacle Frames Inspired by Chinese Ming Dynasty Furniture

Jasmin Malik Chua — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:00:04 +0000

Like the Ming Dynasty furniture that inspired them, these eyeglass frames by Taiwan’s Yii Collection echo the clean, elegant lines of carved rosewood designs from that era. And true to the Ming philosophy of order and minimalism, the lightweight specs are a perfect marriage of aesthetics, craftsmanship, and function. How else would you expect design geeks to frame their peepers?

+ Yii Collection

[Via Designboom]

Steel Toe Studios Recasts Letterpress Blocks, Bike Cogs Into Belt Buckles

Jasmin Malik Chua — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 18:00:35 +0000

Font freaks and bike geeks can flash the emblems of their allegiance—while keeping their pants up—with Steel Toe Studios’ hand-forged belt buckles. Made from repurposed letterpress blocks and bicycle gears, the steel and pewter pieces transmit a cool, industrial vibe without trying too hard. Slip one on your own trouser-cincher or purchase Steel Toe Studio’s recycled bike-tube belt to keep your pants from drifting south of the border.

+ Buckles $40-$70

+ Steel Toe Studios

Eco-Friendly iPad Fabric Case by Blythe King

Jasmin Malik Chua — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 13:00:03 +0000

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.

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13 Eco-Jewelry Gifts for Your Valentine’s Day Sweetheart

Yuka Yoneda — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:00:02 +0000

Canopy Verde: Distinctive, Modern, Earth-Friendly Bags

Jasmin Malik Chua — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 13:00:33 +0000

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.

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Shadowplay’s Mystical Eco-Jewelry Leaves Us Mesmerized

Brit Liggett — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 13:00:31 +0000

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.

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