i love eco

Berkeley Botanical Garden to Host Green Gala

I Love Eco is please to announce a GREEN GALA set in the beautiful Botanical Gardens of Berkeley California. 

The University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley will be hosting a Garden Party Fundraise GREEN GALA to be held on Sunday, June 28, 2009 from 2-5pm.  This year's fundraiser will highlight the critical work of the Garden that educates the public on the truly amazing relationship between plants and people.

A fashion show of sustainable, local designs that will be held in the stunning Redwood Grove Amphitheater followed by festivities in the Garden.  A bamboo garden structure and displays of wood and other fiber and dye plants included in the Garden's acclaimed collection will be in the entrance.  Guests will taste seasonal, organic delicious creations from Devoted Catering by Amiee Alan.  Enjoy live music and biodynamic wine from Quivira Vineyards.  

Also, silent auction of green and gorgeous items will help raise much needed funds to support the Garden's living collections.

If you're in San Fran on June 28th - CHECK IT OUT!

  

Amazing Find - New Certified Organic Body Care Line, Whole Earth by Danny Seo

I love discovering new lines (both fashion and beauty) when you least expect it and this line was truly a wonderful find.

Summer arrived in the North East this weekend and I somehow forgot to prepare my skin for summer fashion.  On a mini-vacation this weekend in Philadelphia, while visiting my sister, I discovered a truly amazing certified organic body care line called, Whole Earth by eco-stylist Danny Seo in partnership with Boom llc and I absolutely love it!  

The entire line of beauty and bath products is free of harmful ingredients including, parabens, petrochemicals, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulphates (SLS), silicone, propylene glycol and it totally vegan and animal testing free.  You'll find 12 amazing products consisting of Certified Organic Body Wash and Lotion, Natural Body Souffle, Natural Bamboo Body Scrub and Wash, a Natural Body Mist and Room Spray, and a Certified Organic Perfume Spray; all made using natural and certified organic ingredients.

I was drawn to the cute packaging at first, that is made from 100% recycled plastic and I quickly sprayed a perfume cloud in the Antropologie in Rittenhouse Square.  The products smell rich, are non-greasy and completely luxurious.  I can't wait to try them all.

Leather made from Fish Skin

I just came across this awesome company from Calgary, Canada (GO Canada!) called Sea Leather Wear, that produces leather from fish skin, a waste from the Fishing Industry that would otherwise be discarded.  

Ex. Denim Glazed Leather Skin

Examples of Sea Leather Colors

They look beautiful and I'd encourage you to check out their products and video on the Sea Leather Wear website.  The colors used are really amazing and in vogue - we needn''t forgo the beauty factor!

How Important is Fashion in the Current Economic Times?

On a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is the most important... I'd say it's about a 3. 

Who cares about fashion when our unemployment rate is climbing to 9%, thousands have lost their homes and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight to the recession.  I believe the U.S. will be fine.  The top of the pyramid is always fine, but for the bottom of the pyramid (BoP) which accounts for the largest and poorest social-economic group who knows what lies ahead.   

How can I write about beautiful luxury goods, even if they are green and environmentally friendly, when there is so much more at stake?  Some believe the solution to fighting poverty lies is successful BoP approaches for sustainable development.  This includes developing business partnerships with the poor so they are not the end consumer but producers.

This is where the fashion and textile sector can help.  Fair Trade goods are examples of forming viable partnerships with developing countries to encourage their growth and success.  For more information visit the World Fair Trade Organization.

Women's cooperative groups have been working hard and are finally starting to get the credit they deserve.  Ten Thousand Villages is a retailer that sells Fair Trade goods and below are examples of my favorite Fair Trade products. 

Check out Hagar Designs to purchase their Fair Trade goods here.  Every purchase helps "to foster hope for vulnerable women and children in crisis through holistic, transformational development and creative initiatives".  So inspiring!

Made, which sells in TopShop in London (in Oxford Circus) is one of my favorite lines.  When I lived in London, I would go to Top Shop just to shop the Made jewelry.  Their slogan "made by the people for the people"... sums it up quite nicely.  

Beautiful local community-based design is empowering and the perfect medicine to escape our deflating economic bubble.  

Loomstate for Target - Eco-Friendly line debuts April 19th

Can't wait for April 19th to check out the limited-edition Loomstate line for Target!

Target Announces Loomstate for Target

Retailer showcases commitment to amazing design at remarkable prices with new limited-edition eco-friendly line for men and women

Minneapolis (March 2009) — Target is teaming up with Scott Mackinlay Hahn and CFDA award winning designer Rogan Gregory to launch Loomstate for Target, an edgy eco-friendly fashion line for men and women. This limited-edition collection is yet another example of Target’s commitment to providing impressive design at low prices. With a relaxed design sensibility and a devotion to environmentally sensitive materials, all of the cotton used in the collection is 100 percent certified organic. The collection will be available April 19, 2009 for a limited time at Target.com and select Target stores nationwide.

“We are excited to launch the Loomstate for Target collection just in time to celebrate Earth Day,” said Trish Adams, senior vice president. “This collection provides great quality and environmentally responsible fashion at an affordable price for women and men everywhere.”

Designer Rogan Gregory first partnered with friend Scott Mackinlay Hahn to launch his eponymous collection of men’s and women’s fashion in 2001. In 2004, Gregory and Mackinlay Hahn – both committed environmentalists – created Loomstate, a new casual brand dedicated to creating demand for certified organic cotton using socially and environmentally responsible methods of production.

The Loomstate for Target collection was created with a commitment to an environmentally responsible future - all of the cotton used in the Target collection is 100 percent certified organic. Soft-washed fabrics enhance each garment’s lived-in look and add to the care-free, timeless attitude of the collection. Featured prominently throughout the line, the signature Loomstate pelican logo and aqua shade serve as a reminder of the Loomstate desire to always tread lightly on the earth. Iconic tees featuring graphics inspired by nature, authentic washed denim and relaxed favorites including hoodies, board shorts and simple dresses all encompass the signature Loomstate passion for creating easy-to-wear and casual fashion-forward collections for men and women. The Loomstate for Target collection ranges in price from 14.99 to $44.99, in comparison to their high-end line which can cost over $200.

FOR WOMEN:

Black and white pelican bird prints take flight on a string bikini and a cotton silk tank while a vintage Americana plaid print covers a cotton poplin tunic dress with string tie detailing at the sleeves and neck, providing the go-to option to wear alone or effortlessly over stretch cotton twill skinny pants in white. Easy and comfortable shift dresses are the epitome of casual cool and are available in a black cotton silk blend v-neck option or jersey graphic print t-shirt style. Nicely priced wardrobe staples such as relaxed vintage washed cotton and silk tanks and tees, button-up blouses and airy linen sweaters pair well with flat front poplin shorts in plaid or pelican print. Standout pieces include a silk blend ombre skirt, a cotton poplin jacket and an authentic destroyed denim miniskirt with exposed stitching.

FOR MEN:

Men express the “Act Natural!” attitude in an assortment of nature-inspired graphic print pieces in shades of black, white, gray and forest green with pops of aqua and yellow. A pocket v-neck tee adds an element of surprise with wing print detailing on the back while a pelican print is scattered along a cotton jersey tee and French terry hoodie. Allover pelican print or solid board shorts work on the beach or around town while patch pocket dark wash denim can be worn time and time again. Plaid print button-downs in forest green and gray alongside Bedford corduroy shorts offer up a simply cool look at an even better price.

Local Wisdom - A Unique Fashion Project from the University of Arts London

I Love Eco loves smart design especially when it is carried out with as much thought and consideration as Dr. Kate Fletcher "Local Wisdom" project.

I must first apologize for not writing an article on Kate ages ago... I'm so sorry Kate!  I began several articles and threw them aside with frustration because they never truly explained your accomplishments and beautiful ways of thinking about sustainable fashion.  I continue to learn and be inspired by your projects.

With that said, I would like to announce the project, "Local Wisdom - A unique fashion project recording and celebrating the clothes-based ingenuity of our communities."

About the Project: 

Good ideas happen everywhere and often involve creative acts with the things we have around us, like our clothes. These creative actions and ideas are rarely acknowledged and never make it onto catwalks or business agendas, yet we think they have potential to help solve some of the problems we face as a global community.
The Local Wisdom project recognizes, honours and gives credit to the many creative ideas and actions that involve our garments. These acts typically need little money or materials to make them happen, but instead tap into an abundance of experience, ingenuity and freethinking. This project captures and celebrates this ‘local wisdom’, uncovering its value and giving it a platform to flourish and inspire.  Local Wisdom is a research project funded by London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London.

What it involves:

Gathering stories about garments using photographs and spoken testimony from volunteer members of the public in two regional UK towns. The public will be invited to bring along garments that:
• are shared between people
• are enjoying a third, fourth or fifth life
• have never been laundered (and aren’t leather!)
• have the character of a particular place in them
• surprise you each time you wear them
• have been let out, tucked in, re-worked, embellished
• show the careful attention of their creator/owner
• can be added to and taken away from (but are wearable both ways)
• make you feel part of a community (but not a uniform)

Outcomes:

Photographs, information and oral histories about garments
from the grassroots whose design and use saves resources,
helps us form strong connections with each other and builds
an awareness of the world around us.
Fashion ‘events’ that recognize and encourage a community’s
potential to create its own future.

Arran jumper – hand-knit inherited from father-in-law

and shared with his wife (she wears it in the garden). Never been washed. ‘I've shrunk a lot of things over the years and it would also lose it's fantastic smell - a mix of fresh air and wood smoke. It's like part of the family. I could never throw it away’.

Visit the Local Wisdom project website for further details about the research event and how to participate and what clothing to bring to the events.

The research events will take place in Totnes, UK on Saturday June 6th 2009 from 10am-4pm in association with Transition Towns Totnes Sustainable Makers and in Bollington, UK on Sunday July 5th 2009 from 10am-4pm a part of Three Shires Textile Festival. 

I hope it's a huge success!

City of Toronto - Ban on Plastic Bottles and Charge for Plastic Bags

This is awesome and I am so proud to be a native of Ontario!  

While I wait for New York City to take a stand and produce a similar initiative, the City of Toronto will officially be free of plastic bottles on June 1, 2009. 

There will also be a charge placed on the use of plastic bags from retailers of 5 cents - all the more reason to buy a reusable organic shopping tote (like our I Love Eco totes).

 

Below is a timeline listing other initiatives by the City of Toronto through 2011:

Update on City’s packaging reduction policies

Timeline of Council approved policies to reduce in-store packaging:

Immediately:

Ban on sale of bottled water immediately or following the expiry of any existing contracts at Civic Centres, including City Hall and Metro Hall.

April 2009:
Timeframe for City staff to report back to the Public Works & Infrastructure Committee on results of meetings with industry stakeholders to propose possible alternatives to existing hot drink cups.

June 1, 2009:

• Retailers must charge five cents for a single-use plastic shopping bag taken by a customer or provide a free alternative (i.e., a cardboard box).

• Signs must be posted to let customers know about the charge and it must be recorded on the receipt.

• Retailers are required, when requested, to fill reusable bags the customer provides in lieu of plastic shopping bags to carry out their purchases.

December 31, 2009:
The date by which City staff, together with industry stakeholders, are to achieve the goal of having 50 per cent of plastic takeout food containers compatible with Toronto’s recycling program.

June 1, 2010:
Ban on plastic carryout bags that are incompatible with Toronto’s recycling program (e.g., bags with metal detailing or grommets, rope or hard plastic handles, biodegradable or compo stable plastic bags).

December 31, 2010:
Food service retailer representatives, food service trade associations and/or other food service stakeholders who currently use plastic take-out food containers, must develop a reusable and/or refillable take-out food container, or take-out food service protocol, which will allow customers to choose a reusable packaging option.

January 1, 2011:
Date by which City staff are asked to report back to City Council on the use of bans or financial tools regarding plastic takeout food containers if no reusable and/or refillable take-out food container or take-out food protocol is in place.

February 28, 2011:
Ban on plastic take-out food containers (i.e., clear, hard, plastic containers) that are incompatible with Toronto’s recycling program.

December 31, 2011:
Date by which various City divisions are to have cooperatively developed and implemented a program that bans the sale and distribution of bottled water at all remaining City facilities, improves accessibility to tap water at all City facilities and takes into account existing contracts related to bottled water at City facilities and unique public health and safety related situations.

Thanks Caroline for sharing :)

New Fabric Alert! Organic Naturally Dyed Denim Made from Alpaca

American Alpaca Fiber Federation, LLC debuted a truly inspiring organic denim fabric at Premier Vision in December '08 called Paca Blues©.  Unlike most chemically processed denim, Paca Blues© is grown organically, dyed with natural dyes and feels as soft as cashmere.  For more information, please review their press release below and check-out this video for highlights.

PRESS RELEASE

 For Immediate Release - December 18, 2008

First Truly Eco Denim’s World Market Debut

Paca Blues, the world's first alpaca/cotton denim fashion fabric made its world debut in Paris, France on December 3^rd and 4^th at the renowned Denim by Premier Vision show.   A selective event, bringing together the sector's top specialists, Denim by Première Vision attracts the biggest names in the international jeanswear community, as well as major brands in luxury ready-to-wear labels that develop jeans lines. Denim by Premier Vision features the best of denim suppliers under one roof with a high quality and complete offer: weavers, accessories manufacturers, laundries, garments and finishing companies from among the industry’s best known firms. 

Paca Blues, owned by American Alpaca Fiber Federation, LLC, working in cooperation with GFM Telas Parras with textile mills in Mexico and Italy, introduced Paca Blues to rave reviews from the industry.

Paca Blues is the first truly eco-friendly denim product in the world utilizing the natural beauty and softness of alpaca fiber with cotton when dyed with natural dyes.

Alpaca fiber is natural requiring no chemical processing.  Alpaca fiber is sheared annually, never harming the animal.  Alpaca fiber is a high-luster fiber, hypoallergenic and is as soft as cashmere.  Coupled with its beautiful luster, drape and ultra softness, Paca Blues offers the fashion designer a new world of exciting earth friendly design possibilities.  To the consumer, Paca Blues offers a denim with a look, touch and feel like no other denim on earth…with a focus on eco-friendliness.  Paca Bluesä denim is the world’s new denim.

American Alpaca Fiber Federation, LLC and its member farms raise alpacas in all 48 contiguous states in the US and is the largest private provider of alpaca fiber in America.

Paca Blues offers the denim designer, the weaver and manufacturer an all new eco focused denim product.  With few truly new ideas in the denim world, Paca Bluesä is a denim like none other!

To view a short video on the benefits of alpaca/cotton denim please view the video that was shown in Paris at the following linkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDT5bQCV1MU.  To view a short video of the Paca Blues debut at the Denim by Premier Vision show, visit this linkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcWk1NmdDjI.

To contact American Alpaca Fiber Federation, LLC regarding Paca Blues, its denim fabric or opportunities for weaving, manufacturing or joint ventures, feel free to contact American Alpaca Fiber Federation, LLC at mail@americanalpacafiberfederation.com or by phone at 001-210-792-3442.

American Alpaca Fiber Federation, LLC
215 W Bandera Rd., Ste 114-459
Boerne, TX   78006 USA
Phone – 001-210-792-3442
E-Mail – mail@americanalpacafiberfederation.com
Web Site – www.americanalpacafiberfederation.com

Made By Survivors - The Emacipation Network

The Emancipation Network came onto my radar in the form of a Christmas gift shown above.  Good design that is organic and fair are my favorite things and I wanted to share this little zip purse.  

First, the design aspects.  It is contructed using plastic bags that are held together with twine and it is lined with cotton muslin.  It's quite a tight weave and I love the technique that was used (it is similar to the way kitchen rag carpets are made).  The colors are great, I love the diagonal layout and for a little clutch it's pretty well thought-out.  There are many other products to chose from on the MadeBySurvivors.com online store.  

Second, I'd like to highlight the Fair Trade and ethical aspects of this purse.  You must give credit to movies and the capabilities of video to send a message because the film, "The Day My God Died" by Andrew Levine inspired the founders, Sarah Symons and John Berger of The Emancipation Network to get to work.  You can read their story here.  

"The Emancipation Newotk (TEN) is an international organization dedicated to fighting human trafficking and madern day slavery.  We help survivors of slavery rebuild their lives after resuce from slavery, with sustainable income, education and help reintegrating into society.  We work to prevent slavery in high risk communities, by creating jobs for adults, and through volunteer trips and donations to our shelter partners for rescue, school fees, emergency needs and reintegration.

TEN imports and sell beautiful handicraft products made by survivors of slavery and persons at risk of being trafficed into slavery."

This is a powerful mission statement by any standards and I Love Eco wishes them continued success and growth and they work to help the 27 million people worldwide living in slavery.

Perhaps after reading their story it will encourage you to participate and host your own local event in support of The Emacipation Network.  

I Love Eco™ Introduces L.E.A.F. (Labeling Ecologically Approved Fabrics)

Elinor Averyt, an environmental activist and humanist believes that we need to bring eco fashion into the mainstream. Five years ago, an outsider to the fashion world, she had an idea; and with the help of many experts in the field, the power of eco labeling has been culmunated into a positive seed for change - allow me to introduce this seed called, L.E.A.F. (Labeling Ecologically Appproved Fabrics). 

LEAF's mission statement:

"The mission of L.E.A.F. (Labeling Ecologically Approved Fabrics), a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, is to increase consumer awareness and demand for ecologically sound apparel and fabrics, and to encourage mainstream, industry-wide transitions toward sustainable and socially responsible practices in the apparel/fabrics industries. 

A new eco-label for apparel and fabrics shows consumers that a garment meets strict standards for environmentally and socially responsible claims. Growing consumer awareness and increased consumer demand for third-party certified apparel and fabrics will provide greater incentive for these industries to move toward positive change in the way textiles are produced."

Set to debut in Feburary 2009, L.E.A.F wants to operate as a unified labeling system on clothing (using tags) that will help consumers make informed fashion choices. L.E.A.F. will award certification to companies under the following categories: life cycle of organic fibers, manufacuring and processing techniques used in manufacturing facilities (including dyeing and waste water treatment issues), and employee practices in manufacturing facilities. 

Also, L.E.A.F. wants to introduce an educational program for consumers, which is a crucial approacch close to I Love Eco's heart - the more we know, the smarter choices we can make! 

It is important to note that Europe is way ahead of North America with respect to eco labeling. The EU has a already began a research group that is currently investigating methods for implementing eco labeling on clothing and textiles, among other manufactured goods like electronics. If you'd like to read more about this project click HERE. 

I Love Eco™ would like to send a huge congratulations to both L.E.A.F. and the EU Eco Labeling programs! The L.E.A.F. website can be found at www.LEAFCertified.org.