We sure love stylish sustainable knitwear and eco chic layering, and though were are experiencing a steamy summer here at Inhabitat central, we could not help but to be impressed by this gorgeous warm and fuzzy collection by Indigenous Designs. Handcrafted by Peruvian artisans operating under fair-trade guidelines and community-based artist training programs, the quality of these all-natural fiber garments is exceptionally high not to mention totally wearable. Fourteen year old Indigenous Designs is proof that sustainable style begins with the best raw materials and a vision to make a difference, both locally where things are made, as well as globally where the demand for environmental accountability and social responsibility has resonance with the fiber and discerning tastes of informed fashionistas.
There is no disputing that Brazilian fashion really sets the standard for sexy bikinis, Ipanema beachwear and curvy, nature-inspired design. With this weekend marking a high-wattage celebration of swimwear collections at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Miami, we are taking a little time out here in sweltering NYC – to celebrate all things Brazilian – Rosa Cha swimwear, a cool caipirinha drink with organic lime, ethanol made from sugarcane, recycled Melissa Shoes, and what the heck, Gisele Bündchen (she did once date Leonardo DiCaprio)! But not to be overlooked is the latest collection from Creollus designs. We were recently tipped off on their one-of-a-kind, banana fiber bikinis and eco-chic accessories. If going totally organic is truly your M.O. for flaunting what you’ve got, look no further as crocheted-pieces by Creollus will definitely reveal the real you!
Designer Elena Garcia is modern textile renaissance woman. Her recent Fall 2008 EcoLuxe Collection blends traditional fiber techniques with the most luxurious and earth-friendly materials. One might almost say that she practically ‘farms’ her pieces from the local soil. Garcia’s dreamy creations are an exquisite mix of organic silks and linens, delicately embellished with felted organic wool, cutwork embroidery and shibori dyeing. No two garments are exactly alike and strongly serve as evidence that bespoke originality has a sustainable side, too, with Garcia’s fabulous take on how to combine ecological balance with stunning homegrown craftsmanship.
We hear the complaint frequently that eco fashion is ‘too expensive’ - and there is definitely some merit to that claim. (Of course there is a very good reason that organic, non-sweatshop produced garments cost more than your average Malaysian-made H&M fashion, but still it can’t be denied that sustainable style often comes with a hefty price tag.) That’s why we are super excited about Greenloop massive summer sale which kicked off this weekend. ALL items, from Edun mens sweatshirts (shown above), to sultry Ecoskin frocks (above) are significantly marked down: ranging from 20-70% off.
With the plethora of abandoned automobiles on the planet, it is good to know that there just might be creative reuse for the valuable materials that remain once vehicles make their way to the scrap pile or local junkyard. Begoodesigns aims to do environmental good by recycling old leather car seats, armchairs, and ‘decoration articles’ into artisan-crafted totes, laptop bags, and sandals. Based in Montevideo, Uruguay, this super-hot forward-thinking company is creating high-quality, handmade products in order to prevent toxic fume pollution (created by burning leather) from escaping into the atmosphere. We salute their efforts and totally love their stylish ’salvaged’ products and recycling agenda.
TING London has caught our attention before with fun colorful cushions made from reclaimed seatbelts. But they’ve also found a stylish way to carry your green-minded side outside of the home. If you are looking for a chic new bag, with hidden eco-conscience then TING London’s ‘Orange Range’ seatbelt bags are an absolute must have.
Summer is now fully upon us, and when you’re feeling the heat, there’s nothing more refreshing than taking a cool plunge in a local body of water. We hope that with Inhabitat’s Sustainable Style Sunday column under your belt, most of you are aware of the impressive range of options that now exist for environmentally sensitive fashion. Eco-friendly swimsuits, on the other hand, are still a bit hard to find. That’s why we are so excited about Kelly B’s super cute organic bathing suit which made its hot debut for Summer 08 - just in time for beach season! READ MORE >
As much as we love following sustainable style on the global fashion circuit, we also love having our finger on the pulse here in NYC - supporting and promoting local eco fashion houses and innovative designers. Ekovaruhuset (Swedish for ‘The House of Organic’) is one of our favorite organic design collectives, so we were more than thrilled to learn that several of their uber-talented designers have work featured in this month’s GREEN issue of Harper’s Bazaar Japan.
This is exciting news to share, not only because green fashion seems to be sending more tendrils into mainstream channels, but also because the Ekovaruhuset team is so deserving of this great press and editorial coverage. Read on for highlights from the July Harper’s feature and catch of a glimpse of why Ekovaruhuset is coveted in NYC, Stockholm, and beyond!
Seraglia is a beautiful and ethical collection of romantic accessories, all hand-crafted in the UK by designer Lucy Wills. With a dedicated focus on environmental responsibility and genuine resourcefulness, Seraglia vintage pieces are made using antique and unusual reclaimed materials - all with the intention to (re)create long lasting, heirloom accessories for the modern, eco chic woman.
Ever wished that you could put in just a bit more insulation in your jacket? That’s the idea behind the really stylish and cool looking Gatherer Jacket by Merrell. The translucent jacket comes as a shell with no insulation, but is equipped with a number of zippers throughout its body where the wearer stuff the jacket with whatever insulation material is on hand. Shredded paper, pine needles, fallen leaves or yesterday’s newspaper - the Gatherer offers endless ways to keep warm with some creative recycling of found objects.
The drawing for the grand-prize solar backpack may be random, but you can narrow your odds down to 100% and DEFINITELY win a t-shirt if you sign up for our newsletter right now >
We love smart green design competitions here at Inhabitat! Any opportunity to identify and support bold original talent is a mission that we take pretty seriously. Earlier this spring, we were onsite to judge and serve as a sponsor for Project Earth Day, and just this week a design pal gave us a great tip regarding the Chicago based fashion designer, Abigail Glaum-Lathbury, a June 2008 finalist in the Ideablob Design Competition. We wanted to give our reader’s a first-hand opportunity to see and vote on Abigail’s fabulous, eco-friendly fashions. Her label, Elmidae, needs your vote in order to close in on the possibility of winning a $10,000 award!
Read on for details on how you can CAST YOUR VOTE to make this rising design star a key player on the sustainable style circuit>>>
We love our masstransit art here at Inhabitat, but never envisioned it as something that you could flaunt dangling off your wrist. The Ecoist MTA clutch is a colorful and cute way to navigate city streets in sleek sustainable style. Made from 100% repurposed NYC subway maps, this wristlet clutch is perfect for urban jaunts and lightweight toting. A trash-to-treasure accessory such as this is not only an eco-friendly way to repurpose materials, but also serves as a streamline, incognito way to stash personal belongings!
In 2005, after graduating from the Institute of Art and Design in Swansea (UK), three Welsh designers founded Si:Su, a beautiful range of womenswear clothing and accessories all made from recycled and reclaimed vintage textiles. Sustainability was woven into the eco chic design philosophy from the start, reflecting shared concerns of Si:Su design trio Helen Stew, Hanneke Van Ryswyk and Rachel Bryan for minimizing waste, as well as the fashion industry’s footprint on the environment. With fresh styles that easily cross seasonal boundaries, Si:Su is defining summer with pretty yet practical designs, gorgeous prints and an undeniably feminine eco-sensibility.
With sizzling summer days now just around the corner, it is nice to know that there are some cool green alternatives to standard summer footwear and the ubiquitous beach sandal. Terra Plana has a great new collection of spring and summer offerings that not only will lighten your carbon footprint, but also let you ‘go barefoot’ with the protection and support of their eco friendly designs. Following on the ingenuity of last year’s Dopie, the new Vivo Barefoot is the next generation of sustainable, back-to-basics shoe design. Add to this a true medley of green materials, and you have a winning combo for the coolest shoes on tap.
It’s not always evident these days what it means to celebrate ‘resort wear.’ With temperatures shifting globally and weather patterns completely out of whack, the traditional notion of resort fashion and glamorous jet set travel has, in some respects, gone by the wayside. More ‘attuned’ fashion designers are adapting by creating sustainable, trans-seasonal collections where customers can enjoy their wardrobe investments throughout the entire year, regardless of destination or agenda. Such is the case with designer John Patrick ORGANIC and his gorgeous Resort 2008 Collection. It’s no surprise that ORGANIC is an exotic medley of sustainable textiles combined with impeccable down home tailoring. Who better to turn to when it seems as if we are at our last resort for sustainable fashion and truly sound eco-solutions?
We love our sustainable sandals here at Inhabitat, so we were psyched to come upon more styles of cute Melissa shoes to help us glide into the sizzling summer months. Melissa’s Brazilian-made Sin Sandal is undeniably hot on the style circuit while also being coolly constructed out of totally recyclable, hypoallergenic thermoplastic. A slip on does not get any more comfortable than this, as the Sin Sandal custom molds to one’s feet for a comfy leather and rubber free alternative to flip-flop shuffling. We loved Melissa’s sexy red kitten heels from earlier in the season, and now the company has created another way for us be environmentally responsible while also living in total Sin!
Bringing responsible luxury into the mainstream, London-based designer Feng Ho creates timeless and elegant fashions for women. After graduating in MA Fashion Womenswear from London’s Royal College of Art, Feng Ho received support from The Prince’s Trust and set up her own women’s fashion label in 2006. Combining elements of eastern and western cultures, Feng uses organic and sustainable textiles (such as bamboo, soy, bemp, modal and tencel), and end of line fabric rolls from UK textile warehouses to create these ethically and ecologically sound designs. Fabulous!
Here at Inhabitat, we never tire of finding new chic products that reclaim everyday industrial materials. Some of our favorite finds are industrial or utilitarian objects that, with some brilliant creativity, have been repurposed into gorgeous goods for the home. Our latest trash-to-treasure discovery are these beautiful seatbelt cushions. Hand crafted in Europe by sustainable design company TING London, these cute and colorful pillows are made from reclaimed seat belts!
This weekend, the Designers and Agents fashion trade show has come to LA to showcase the hottest emerging apparel designs. Since environmental sustainability is naturally future-forward, we are thrilled to see the trend-setting D&A show getting serious about eco fashion. At the D&A shows in both New York and Los Angeles, there were dedicated ‘Green Rooms’ to showcase emerging sustainable design. Inhabitat partnered with D&A on the Green Room this year to help curate green furniture, art and product design to compliment the green fashions on display, and we are excited to report back with the latest news.
There is no doubt that Designers & Agents has become a future-forward showcase for discovering fresh young talent on the global fashion circuit. We made a lot of new friends while at D&A here in NYC during early May, and we are excited to continue that momentum at D&A LA this weekend. One of our favorite fashion finds from the New York D&A Green Room was Macedonian-born designer, Risto Bimbiloski. Launched in the 1990’s as handcrafted knitwear collection, Risto Bimbiloski is an East-West vision about how to create economic opportunities for village artisans while also combining avant-garde, tailor-made design for the ready-to wear market. We love Risto Bimbiloski’s pieces not only for their gorgeous, sustainable appeal but also for the strong message they send in centering a designer label on tradition and heritage.
The Designers & Agents Fashion show is happening this weekend in sunny Los Angeles, and Inhabitat’s LA team (Haily Zaki and Alexandra Kain) has taken up residence in the eco-friendly Green Room. We had such a great time at D&A in NYC that we’ve once again teamed up with Designers & Agents to curate furniture and décor in the Green Room, a space specially reserved to showcase young, sustainable eco fashion brands.
The show, hosted at the New Mart in downtown Los Angeles, is going on today and tomorrow in LA - tomorrow is the last day so be sure to stop by if you want to see the hottest in fall & winter eco-fashion! If you can’t make it to the show, don’t worry because we’ve got it covered. Check out our gallery of photos from the event and stay tuned for more from D&A Los Angeles!
We take our fashion seriously here at Inhabitat, always looking for the eco edge that lifts our social and environmental consciousness. Our fresh Inhabitat Roots/Lungs T-shirt is the latest design from the Inhabitat team. With a custom designed graphic and a grounded environmental declaration (“I am the root of the solution”), this tee is making a statement that all of us can get behind. Available in our chic sage on sage color palette, this tee made from 100% US grown organic cotton and hand-printed locally with environmentally-friendly water-based inks. We’ve keep production close to home by using BrooklyNYC to take care of screen-printing this stunning roots/lung design from Jonathan Sabutis. Super soft, super fit and super sustainable, these great tees are available in both men’s and women’s cuts.
If there is one thing that we love about Stella McCartney, it is the fact that she seems to be able to do it all, without falling prey to ridiculous excess or manufacturing short cuts. Stella seems to have the Midas touch for concocting
