Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries believes that only attractive people should be encouraged to wear A&F clothes, but writer Greg Karber disagrees. Offended by Jeffries’ callous statement and the fact that the company refuses to make clothes larger than a size 10, Karber launched Fitch the Homeless – a campaign to outfit as many homeless Americans in their clothes as possible. Hit the jump for more details.

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Post tags: Abercrombie & Fitch, clothing for homeless people, ecouterre, fashion campaign, FitchtheHomeless, News, social activism, social media campaign, the world's number one brand of homeless apparel

The ceiling of a shoe factory in Cambodia that makes Asics athletic shoes collapsed on Thursday, killing two workers and injuring at least a dozen. The tragedy, which took place less than a month after a clothing factory in Bangladesh collapsed and killed more than one thousand workers, is the latest incident to highlight the poor safety at factories in developing countries. The latest building collapse is a reminder that worker safety isn’t an issue that’s confined to Bangladesh; many other countries are also grappling with poor work conditions for low-paying jobs in the fashion industry.

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Post tags: Asics, Bangladesh, building collapse, Cambodia, Cambodian shoe factory, Fashion, fast fashion, labor issues, shoe factory collapse, unsafe work conditions, worker safety

Why do so many couples care where their diamonds come from? Maybe the best answer to that question is that many diamonds are tainted by bloodshed and violence. But the ethical problems facing the diamond industry run deep, and are more varied than some people realize. In too many ways, diamond mining contributes to the exploitation of people and the environment. Hit the jump to learn more.

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Post tags: blood diamonds, diamond bloodshed, diamond mining, diamond mining damage environment, diamonds, ethical diamonds, ethical mining, green diamonds, unethical diamonds

As the death toll Rana Plaza building collapse in Bangladesh surpasses 1,100, people around the world are calling on the fashion industry to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring  More than 1 million people have signed petitions calling for brands and retailers sourcing from Bangladesh to commit to the legally binding, first-of-its-kind Bangladesh Building and Fire Safety Agreement, according to the Clean Clothes Campaign, an alliance of organizations in 15 European countries dedicated to improving working conditions in the global garment and sportswear industries.

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Post tags: Bangladesh, bangladesh building collapse, Bangladesh fashion, Bangladesh workers, building collapse, factory, fast fashion, Rana Plaza, unsafe work conditions, worker safety

The Union is a slim minimalist wallet made from a solid wood piece and injection molded elastomer. The design is simple, streamlined and perfect for anyone who doesn’t need much more than a few cards, cash, and small miscellaneous essentials. The Union is part of a sustainable accessories range started by Chris Hong with the goal of incorporating wood into functional, everyday goods that endure.

+ The Union Wallet

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Post tags: eco accessories, eco wallet, slim wallets, the union wallet, union wallet, wood card holder, wood wallet

As the death toll in the Rana Plaza building collapse outside the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka continues to climb, the connection between the decisions we make as consumers and the loss of life is becoming harder to ignore. Self-policing by corporate social-responsibility programs isn’t working, and it’s our insatiable desire for more fast fashion that is fueling cost-cutting measures that lead to unthinkable tragedies like the one in Bangladesh. Although we aren’t directly responsible for the negligence that led to this particular incident, by supporting the industry that continues to drive prices down at the expense of workers’ lives, we are all complicit.

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Post tags: Bangladesh, cheap fashion, factory collapse, factory fire, fast fashion, GAP, h&m, labor, unsafe work conditions

Spring has sprung, which means it’s time to dust off your sandals and emerge from your cave, but you’ll need company. We’ve teamed up with Canopy Verde to give away one of their awesome Cassia weekender bags which are worth a whopping $199. Made with organic cotton and earth-friendly dyes, and adorned with chemical-free embroidery and sustainable leather and wooden accents, the design mimics old bags doctors used. Which means they’re super roomy too. Hit the jump to find out how you stand a chance to make one of these yours!

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Post tags: canopy verde, Cassia weekender bag, Competition, eco design, eco-fashion, ecouterre, giveaway, green fashion, non toxic dye, organic cotton, sustainable design, sustainable leather

Every four minutes a woman dies from obstetric hemorrhaging usually caused during childbirth. Appalled by these statistics, Dr. Sullen Miller, Director of Safe Motherhood Programs at UCSF Bixby Center for Global and Reproductive Health and Policy designed Lifewrap – a groundbreaking non-pneumatic, anti-shock garment (NASG) that controls both shock and hemorrhaging while the women await life-saving treatment. Hit the jump to learn more about the Lifewrap and where it is most commonly used.

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Post tags: Design for Health, developing world, Dr. Sullen Miller, eco design, green design, Lifewrap, Mothers, NASG, Non-pneumatic anti-shock garment, obstetric hemorrhaging, shock, sustainable design, UCSF Bixby

There are many ways to celebrate Earth Day but next year you can do it in style with your very own cuff from Wrecords by Monkey. Enter our drawing and you could be one of six people to receive this cool recycled vinyl cuff etched with geeked-out graphics depicting earth from space! A limited edition accessory, the “Looking Back” cuff comes with important words printed in bold type: Celebrate Earth Day. Hit the jump to find out how to enter this giveaway before April 23rd, 2013.

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Post tags: accessories, Competition, cuffs, earth, earth day, eco design, eco-fashion, green design, green fashion, Recycled Materials, space, sustainable design, Wrecords by Monkey

Forecasters predict 2012 to be a record-breaking year for tropical storms – and a truly sturdy umbrella is essential for dealing with pouring rain and gusting winds. A new crowdfunded umbrella called the Ginkgo promises to stand up to impending wind and rain, and it can be born again as a new umbrella in the event that it’s damaged. The umbrella is made from recycled polypropylene, and its piecemeal parts are interchangeable and can be used to assemble another umbrella should it break.

Read the rest of Brilliant Ginkgo Umbrella is Sturdy, 100% Recyclable, and Made from Interchangeable Parts

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Post tags: broken umbrellas, durable umbrella, eco design, ginkgo, green design, recyclable Umbrella, sustainable design

In response to the horrific gang rape in Delhi last December, three engineering students have come up with anti-rape lingerie that will deliver an electric shock to a would-be attacker. The underthings, named SHE (Society Harnessing Equipment), are also equipped with GPS and the ability to text emergency services and the girl’s parents to alert them of her location and situation. The trio created the electro-shock underwear because they felt helpless that the government wasn’t doing enough to prevent rape. While these electro-undies address the symptom and not the root cause of rape, they at least represent a step towards protecting India’s women.

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Post tags: anti-rape underwear, ecouterre, electric underwear, India, rape, Undies, women's health, women's panties

Just when you thought that your phone was the only gadget you need to worry about, the battle is beginning to heat up over smartwatches. Samsung recently revealed its plans to release a wristwatch-style computer; Sony released an Android-powered model last April; and rumors of an Apple producing an “iWatch” are running rampant. The question of whether smart watches will be as indispensable as their handheld counterparts still remains to be seen, but tech companies are eager to explore this relatively untapped market.

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Post tags: Apple watch, computer watch, digital watch, eco-fashion, high-tech fashion, high-tech watch, iWatch, Samsung smartwatch, Smartwatch, Sony smartwatch, wristwatch

We’ve featured these brilliant recycled World Coin Cufflinks in the past – and the makers just informed us that due to popular request, you can now choose coins from a specific year to be transformed into a set of cufflinks. There are currently 3 countries available – US, UK and Ireland. All cufflinks orders are processed within 24 hours and they can be shipped worldwide. Prices start at $59, and there are now 84 years to choose from!

+ Birthday Cufflinks

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Post tags: coin cufflinks, green accessories, green cufflinks, green design, green fashion, Recycled Materials, sustainable design, sustainable style, upcycled cufflinks, World Coin Cufflinks

This week, Nike announced that it will be partnering with Bluesign, the Swiss standard bearer for sustainable textiles. According to the apparel giant, the partnership will “accelerate the supply of sustainable materials and chemistries” for use in Nike products. The agreement will enable Nike’s global supply chain, which spans nearly 50 countries and more than 800 contracted factories, to access Bluesign’s key assessment tools and data at an “unprecedented scale and pace.”

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Post tags: Bluesign, eco textiles, eco-fashion, green fashion, Nike, Nike partners with Bluesign, nike sustainability, sustainable clothes, sustainable fashions, Sustainable Textiles

It’s no secret that we’re big advocates of cruelty-free fashion, but we also think there’s a lot of money to be made by companies who make clothes without harming animals. Well, who better to ask about that than business mogul and successful fashion entrepreneur Russell Simmons? We recently caught up with the man behind Def Jam Records, Phat Farm, and American Classics (not to mention practicing vegan of 13 years and outspoken animal-rights activist) at the “Healthy Food in Fashion” fall gala and asked him everything from whether he thinks sustainable fashion makes good business sense, to what his new cruelty-free clothing line Argyleculture is all about. Read on to see what he said!

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Post tags: Argyleculture, eco-fashion, eco-fashion events, ecouterre, Ethical Fashion, green fashion, Joshua Katcher, Majora Carter, NY Coalition for Health School Food, Russell Simmons, Sustainable Fashion, sustainable style, vegan accessories, vegan clothing, vegan fashion, yuka yoneda

Istanbul’s Bayrampasa municipality has claimed the world record for knitting the world’s largest sweater. Inspired by National Sweater Day, which is celebrated in Canada every February 9, the 151-foot-long striped sweater is part of a campaign by the Turkish government to encourage its people to lower their thermostats and wear warmer clothing. Ninety people collaborated to knit the sweater in 30 days, using about 1,100 pounds of wool yarn.

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Post tags: Bayrampasa, guinness book of world records, istanbul, knitting, National Sweater Day, sweater, turkey, wool, world's biggest sweater, world's largest sweater

Elizabeth L. Cline has spent over three years researching the American fast-fashion industry. The result? Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion, the insightful story of how we became dependent on fast fashion and built our disposable wardrobes.  Click ahead to check out our interview with Cline, featuring helpful tips on how to break our overconsumption habit.

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Post tags: eco-fashion, Elizabeth L. Cline, Ethical Fashion, fast fashion, green fashion, materialism, overconsumption, Overdressed, Sustainable Fashion, sustainable style

Pittsburgh-based safety equipment manufacturer MSA recently unveiled an industrial hard hat that is made entirely from renewable material. The MSA-Gard GRN Hard Hat is composed of sugarcane ethanol, which has a very small carbon footprint. Just like any other safety hat, the GRN Hard Hat provides head protection without any compromise – and its earth-friendly construction is the icing on the cake.

Via Damn Geeky

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At Ecouterre, we’ve always been fascinated with designer Victoria Bartlett‘s ability to create fantastic fashions without having to use the furs and skins of animals. So we were delighted to have the chance to speak to this cruelty-free fashion pioneer recently at the annual “Healthy Food in Fashion” fall gala. We chatted with Bartlett about how she thinks we can get more designers to practice cruelty-free fashion, the significance of her controversial human hair accessories, and her favorite meat-free recipe.

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Post tags: eco-fashion, Ethical Fashion, green fashion, Healthy Food in Fashion, Interviews, Sustainable Fashion, sustainable style, vegan clothing, vegan fashion, Vegan style, Victoria Bartlett, VPL

Nike made history last week when it debuted the first-ever football cleat built using rapid-prototyping technology. Weighing just 5.6 ounces, the “Vapor Laser Talon” boasts a contoured three-dimensionally printed plate designed to provide optimal traction, as well as help football athletes maintain their “drive stance” longer and more effectively, according to the sportswear giant. And by using 3D-printing, Nike was able to produce design updates in a matter of hours rather than months.

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Post tags: 3D-printed cleat, 3d-printed shoe, cleats, eco fashion ecouterre, football cleat, football cleats, footwear, Nike, Nike Vapor, soccer cleats, Vapor Laser Talon