Second only to a fresh cup of coffee, snapping on a beautiful piece of jewelry is the best way to start the day. The company, All Wired Up, offers an environmentally friendly line with just the right sparkle to set you up for the rest of the day. These pieces are handcrafted by Mark and Karen Tuttle primarily in their outdoor studio, using sustainable tools like pliers and wood dowels in the place of chemical adhesives. The Tuttles purchase the wire for their earrings, pendants, and necklaces from mills that manufacture recycled material and then return their leftover wire scraps to continue the cycle.  

Posted by Nicole Zerillo on Sep 22, 2008 at 12:59 PM
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Make bath time fun again! Lush, a purveyor of fresh, handmade cosmetics, takes the boring out of eco-friendly bath gear with fun, environmentally-friendly products like moisturizing body butter bars, ultra-fresh face masks, fragrantly fizzy bath bombs, and golf ball sized bubble bars that’ll turn your tub into a bubble explosion. Best of all, many of Lush’s top sellers are vegan and preservative-free and come in minimal packaging to reduce waste. Try out Lush’s Seanik solid shampoo bar, which smells fantastically tropical and is equal to three regular sized (250 ml) shampoo bottles. Pair it with the Jungle solid conditioner, infused with bananas, avocados, and cocoa butter, and you’ll never want to leave the shower again. Check out lush.com for the entire Lush(ious) line.

Posted by Jessica A. Knoblauch on Sep 15, 2008 at 11:25 AM
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We've seen you with that hemp shopper. You know, the one you've been shamelessly referring to as a "purse" for the past few months…yes, we know about that. And yes, we’re blowing your cover! But we get it, really we do. Those sleek leather bags everyone else is carrying around are just so the opposite of what you stand for (not to mention they're just plain boring). But you’ll soon be leaving your excuses at the door once you set your eyes upon an incredible Vegan line known as Sparrow handbags. Designed by Marlena Bryce, the amazing selection of organic cotton and hemp totes, makeup pouches, and shoulder bags come in bold colors and patterns (made using low-impact dyes, of course). Plus the bottoms are cut from recycled Tetra boxes. In short, these are the coolest--no, flyest--bags we've seen in a long, long time. 

Posted by Alison Sherbach on Sep 10, 2008 at 2:53 PM
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The Hess Natur fashion show yesterday was doubly important, as it served as the official launch of the German organic clothing line here in the US AND it marked the return of a singular talent, Miguel Adrover, who won the CFDA award in 2000 for the best new designer.

Visibly overcome with emotion, Adrover was not only moved by the praise from the artsy (and eco-minded) crowd at his show at the Matthew Marks gallery, but by the show itself, which he called "the most important collection" to date.

Trying to convey the fluidity of man and nature, Adrover passed on live mannequins and instead showcased each look as its own art installation. Flowing organic alpaca sweaters and linen and silk dresses were draped on trees, each with its own landscape: desert, forest, even polluted ocean to show the vastness of nature, and how fashion, materials, and humanity are "born" from the earth.

I especially like the "lagrima," or “crying,” strapless dress which CEO Wolf Luedge said evoked the choices we make against nature. "Seventy square feet of land is polluted to make one t-shirt, and 2.5 billion t-shirts are made a year. That's a lot of environmental damage."

Luedge was excited to bring on Adrover to help raise not only the brand awareness here in the US, but to also help spread the green message. "While some companies claim to sell organic clothing, at Hess Natur we are eco-conscious at every step of the textile chain." The cute t-shirt they gave away in their goody bag is so chemical-free it doesn't even need to be washed before wearing, which is important for busy tree-hugging New Yorkers.

Adrover's premiere collection is a splendid combo of beautiful and wearable pieces. This nature babe is especially coveting the indigo gradient silk georgette dress! The collection is available at hess-natur.com.

Posted by Robyn Moreno on Sep 8, 2008 at 3:27 PM
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No one puts Baby in an eco-unfriendly corner, or a scratchy onesie for that matter. So, the folks over at Kee-Ka, a nonce word inspired by baby babble, created a line of products for infants and toddlers that are as chic and responsibly made as any mother would want for her little "sweet pea" or "peanut."  From hooded towels to t-shirts, Kee-Ka not only uses organic and low impact dyes, but also fair trade and fair wage suppliers. Kee-Ka even offers recycled gift box packaging and a few cool offerings for dog mommies, who are no less concerned about their darling's eco-paw print.

Posted by Nicole Zerillo on Sep 3, 2008 at 3:39 PM
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