Read the rest of Montreal Artists Transform Post-Consumer Trash into High-End Fashion

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Where do exploded air bags go to die? If you ask Mariclaro, they don’t. The Toronto-based accessories label salvages truck tarps, leather upholstery, seat belts, bicycle inner tubes, boat sails, and yes, exploded air bags, to create a range of road-tested laptop sleeves, messenger bags, briefcases, and backpacks. Of the materials that comprise each piece, roughly 99 percent was landfill-bound, according to co-founders Sven Schlegel and Willa Murray, who intercept the materials within 300 miles of their workshop. (“1 percent is made of notions and our logo, still unavailable in recycled,” Schlegel says.)

Read the rest of Mariclaro Upcycles Car Upholstery, Air Bags Into Durable Carryalls

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Read the rest of Made in Forest Hills: MoMA-Inspired Bow Ties Recycled From Trash

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If the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants swapped frocks instead of trousers, they’d find the same one-fit-flatters-all magic in Elsa and Me’s sleek little black dress. Inspired by timeless silhouettes, as well as the gaping need for sustainable businesswear for women, Swedish-born designer Maja Svensson sprinkled her own brand of fairy dust into the figure-hugging “Elsa” shift, which she designed to weather the vagaries of trend and time. Made in New York City’s hallowed Garment District from 98 percent organic cotton sateen (2 percent Lycra gives it some stretch), the dress features front pleating at the waist to smooth bumps or give the illusion of curves.

Read the rest of Elsa and Me’s Eco-Friendly Little Black Dress Flatters Every Figure

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Camels may have helped early Australian settlers navigate the harsh outback, but they’re now viewed as little more than methane-belching pests that trample vegetation and wrestle with cattle for food. First introduced in the 1800s by Afghan migrant workers, camels have swelled in ranks to 1.2 million, making the continent host to the largest population of wild dromedaries on the planet. But where the Australian government, which has been recruiting aerial marksmen to cull the animals, sees catastrophic damage, Helen Durrant spies an opportunity. The Northern Territory-based designer spins camel wool into yarn, which she then hand-knits into hats, scarves, and other accessories to prove that camels have more to offer than meat and carbon credits.

Read the rest of Aussie Designer Spins Camel Hair Into Yarn to Stem Widespread Slaughter

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Fashion and transportation history collide with Hanger 3′s line of quirky necklaces, which designer Dustin Wood fashions using vintage subway tokens from around the country. Representing cities from Conestoga, PA, to Beaumount, TX, each piece of ephemera bears a unique, city-specific design, courtesy of the transit designers of yesteryear. Wood pairs the tokens with a well-worn ball chain that complements their vintage patina. Not a bad way to add some local color to your wardrobe or to show your allegiance to greener commutes.

+ Subway Token Necklace $13.99-$39 (originally $19.99-$42) at Fab.com

+ Hanger 3

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Give your fingertips a cruelty-free makeover with a set of easy-to-apply “nail skins” by Nail Couture L.A, designed exclusively for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Featuring the group’s signature bunny motif in a whimsical black-and-gray houndstooth pattern, the limited-edition wraps eschew toxic chemicals like toluene, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde, and camphor. (Needless to say, nothing is tested on critters.) Each $16 kit includes two sheets of 22 stick’ems (good for three to four applications), a nail file, and step-by-step instructions. And if you hop to it, you can pre-order them before their official January 26 debut.

+ Bunny Nail Wrap $16 at PETA

+ Nail Couture L.A.

[Via Refinery 29]

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Typography geeks, wordsmiths, and lovers of the alphabet will fall for the charms of Gwen Delicious, a Canadian accessories label that fashions necklaces from vintage printing-press type. Burnished with scuffs and other imperfections that make each piece unique, the repurposed brass blocks are strung from a gunmetal chain and secured with a toggle clasp for ease of wearability. Dangled around your neck with the type obscured, the pendant’s identity isn’t immediately obvious. Then again, do you really need to spell everything out?

+ Letterpress Necklaces $37

+ GwenDelicious

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Read the rest of Coca Rocha, Senhoa Design Jewelry to Benefit Survivors of Sex Trafficking

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Living in Digital Times is proud to sponsor the FashionWare celebration showcasing wearable technologies that include fashion that’s controlled by your emotional state, climate-changing gear, and hot accessories like body monitors and ultrathin computers.

FashionWare captures the excitement of the new wearable and sensor-based technologies, combined with true beauty. “Our approach is to mix the traditional fashion show runway with education about how high tech is transforming fashion,” said Julie Sylvester, the show’s co-producer.

Featured young designers with big ideas include: Diana Eng, Moon Berlin, Kristin Neidlinger, Kate Hartman, and students of OCAD, a design school. They’ll each be showcasing their creations.

Fashion Show Mall
3200 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109

+ FashionWare

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Extreme temperatures call for extreme measures, but you don’t need to pull a Nanook of the North to jam with Old Man Winter. We’re hooking up one lucky U.S. reader with the “Alicia” peacoat from Vaute Couture, a Brooklyn-by-way-of-Chicago label that constructs its 100 percent cruelty-free toppers from recycled and recyclable fabrics, right here in New York City. To keep your ears extra-toasty (not to mention looking freakin’ adorable), we’re throwing in a pair of Vaute Couture’s critter-friendly earmuffs, available in myriad fun colors (navy, magenta, citrus, petal pink) and insulated with fibers derived from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. Enter now to win!

TO ENTER THIS FABULOUS GIVEAWAY

1. SIGN UP FOR THE ECOUTERRE NEWSLETTER. (This is important because we’ll be announcing our winner there.)

2. LEAVE A COMMENT and tell us what your green New Year’s resolution is. Although it doesn’t hurt to get fancy, we’ll be picking a winner at random.

Note: This contest is only open only to residents of the United States.

Read the rest of Win a Vegan Peacoat and Earmuff Set From Vaute Couture (Worth $458!)

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If winter’s lingering state of gloom has you down in the dumps, you could be prone to seasonal affective disorder. The most effective way to nip it in the bud? Light therapy (also known as “phototherapy”) for the months when sunshine is in short supply. For folks who prefer the do-it-yourself route, there’s YumaLite, an LED-equipped “visor” that claims to alleviate the symptoms of those pesky winter blues, which can lead to overeating, oversleeping, lethargy, and a general malaise. Unlike light boxes, which can cost up to $600 and force you to be stationary, the $99 head-mounted device accommodates a wide range of motion. Sure, it looks goofy—make that really goofy—but if wearing the YumaLite for minutes a day leads to a cheerier disposition, who are we to argue?

Read the rest of YumaLite’s LED “Visor” Uses Light Therapy to Banish Winter Blues

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Read the rest of Oxfam U.K. Glams Up Vintage Fashion in Spring 2012 Lookbook

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Read the rest of Fonderie 47 Recycles Confiscated AK-47 Rifles Into Luxurious Jewelry

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Read the rest of Love is Mighty’s Eco-Chic Vegan Shoes Honor India’s Tribal Traditions

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Any skateboarder worth his deck goes through boards faster than bullets slice through butter. Rather than let them go to waste, Denver-based label MuKee transforms castoff boards into one-of-a-kind wearables that are as much a feast for the eyes as they are to touch. From earrings to belt buckles, each accessory flaunts every scratch and scuff from its action-packed past, with every kickflip and “ollie” further defining the character of the weathered wood. To add even more visual interest, MuKee peels back the painted surfaces with hand-engraved designs, including its signature bird motif. The best part? The prices, which start at an affordable $24.

+ Mukee Designs

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If a few of the holiday gifts you received this year weren’t quite your cup of tea, why not sell them on a new site called Copious.com so you can buy what you really wanted. Like other online marketplaces, Copious lets you purchase and sell clothing, shoes, and accessories but with a social media twist. Since the website connects with Facebook (in fact, two FBers are on the board of advisors), buyers can “follow” sellers they like, discover new trends and see exactly who their items belonged to before. Think of it as eBay meets Pinterest.

Read the rest of Copious: A New Marketplace That Lets You Sell, Buy Preloved Goods

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Been more naughty than nice this year? Here’s your chance to do an about-face before ol’ Saint Nick comes a-calling. We’re giving our U.S. readers a chance to score the Sierra drawstring bag by Collina Strada, crafted in cruelty-free style exclusively for NYC eco-boutique KAIGHT. Made in the Big Apple from recycled canvas and pleated faux leather, the moto-inspired carryall will give you that tough-as-nails edge you crave without the guilt—or the need to avoid looking Rudolph in the eye—so enter now to win!

TO ENTER THIS FABULOUS GIVEAWAY

1. SIGN UP FOR THE ECOUTERRE NEWSLETTER. (This is important because we’ll be announcing our winner there.)

2. LEAVE A COMMENT and tell us how you’re greening your holiday gift-giving this year. Although it doesn’t hurt to get fancy, we’ll be picking a winner at random.

Note: This contest is only open only to residents of the United States.

Read the rest of Win a Vegan Collina Strada Handbag From KAIGHT (Worth $345!)

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No need to rack your brains for a gift for that special someone this Chrismakwanzikah. Here are more eco-friendly options than you can shake a Festivus pole at.

GIFTS THAT GIVE BACK >

GIFTS $25 AND UNDER (THAT DON’T LOOK CHEAP) >

EASY DIY GIFTS >

COZY KNIT ACCESSORIES >

FOR AVID CYCLISTS >

FOR GADGET LOVERS >

FOR VEGANS >

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Read the rest of Mikuti: A Socially Active Jewelry Label That Supports Tanzanian Artisans

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Read the rest of For Subversive Gardeners, Spy-Approved Accessories for Stealth Planting

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Transform your iPod Nano into an eco-friendly timepiece with the Deckster Re:Class series of wristbands by N-Product. Created in partnership with Mountain Equipment Co-op, an outdoor-apparel manufacturer based in Ottawa, each casing comprises discarded, damaged, or unusable backpacks, bicycle tires, and inner tubes—durable materials with adventurous pasts that would otherwise languish in a landfill.

Read the rest of N-Product Turns Discarded Backpacks, Inner Tubes Into iPod Watchbands

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