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Alchem1st
"Alchem1st is a fairly traded product.... everyone comes first." The designer works to preserve traditional Javanese skills/crafts in her native Bali by supporting local artists who are specialists in their fields. They pay a fair price up front for production and provide their workers with accomodation, food during working hours, insurance and medical care. They also donate to a charitable project (www.devaindonesia.org). The cotton and silk used in Alchem1st designs is 100% organic and sourced from India. Azo free dyes are used in all coloring. |
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Angelrox
Angelrox is committed to helping others and lessening its environmental impact. Angelrox designs are primarily made in New York with the exception of the denim with is out sourced to fair labor factories. Fabrics are natural, renewable and sumptuous. Angelrox is committed to philanthropy and supports charities including red ribbon runway, red cross, seeds of peace, students supporting brain tumor research and many others. Owner/designer Roxi Suger's mantra is joy, a philosophy apparent in her wearable designs. She focuses on comfort and versatility. Many of her designs can be worn before, during and after pregnancy. She has extensive industry experience and is a professor at Parson's School of Design. Angelrox designs are worn by Sharon Stone, Bette Midler, Bebe Neuwirth and many others. |
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Armour Sans Anguish
Armour sans Anguish garments are constructed entirely from salvaged and recycled materials. Since 2004, designer and proprietress Tawny Holt has been committed to reclaiming what might otherwise be wasted to create clothing that is at once both shamelessly romantic and wearably modern. Working from her studio in California's lush Central Valley, Tawny reclaims garments and fabrics from her inspiring surroundings and send them off into the world utterly transformed. Each Armour sans Anguish piece is one-of-a-kind. |
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Betty Belts
Betty Belts is an independent woman-owned company, home of unique handmade belts, jewelry and accessories since 2003. Owner/Designer and passionate surfer Donna von Hoesslin takes her inspiration from her love of the ocean and the beach lifestyle, combined with the influence of 17 years of living in Europe. She believes in giving back where she can and does so by supporting many causes including Waterkeepers Alliance and Surfrider Foundation, environmental fundraisers, at-risk youth, women's surfing (through athlete and event sponsorship), 1% For The Planet Membership, Coop America, and support for the mostly female artisans in Bali who make the products and much more. She believes in the value of practicing social and environmental responsibility and her goal is to continue down this road using sustainable, reused, recycled, organic and natural materials whenever possible. She is focused on reducing waste to a bare minimum. |
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Cheeky Monkey Jewelry
Cheeky Monkey Jewelry's goal is to bring you adorable (and cheeky!) accessories that don't cost the earth. Cheeky Monkey Jewelry is committed to finding better, earth-friendly materials and resources to produce their products right here in the US. In addition, portions of the proceeds from their collections support The Humane Society of the United States. When you wear Cheeky Monkey Jewelry made of recycled and fairly traded materials, you'll look stylish while helping to save the Earth and it's animals. The owner/designer Simon Cardwell thought up Cheeky Monkey jewelry while working on a South Africa game reserve, teaching underprivileged children art and sculpture. Simon found himself in awe of the animals, particularly a rhino with whom he came nose-to-nose – and who spared his life. Cheeky Monkey Jewelry’s handmade pieces are a tribute to the animals and planet he’s come to know and love – and now seeks to protect. Cheeky Monkey jewelry is worn by Drew Barrymore, Tori Spelling, Emma Roberts, American Idol stars Jordin Sparks and Katherine McPhee, singer Nelly Furtado, The Pussycat Dolls and singer/actress JoJo, and more. |
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deux fm
Deux fm is for the woman who broadcasts both style and ethics. Their mission is to inspire ethical and environmental awareness by implementing sustainable action through innovative design. Deux fm makes use of environmentally friendly, recycled, and reused fabrics while utilizing fair trade pratices. They source and manufacture all designs in Canada. Deux fm's mantra is "love think eco chic". |
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Emily Katz
Emily Katz is a fashion label out of Portland, Oregon. Emily studied fine arts, and in addition to being a fashion designer, she is also a muscician and lover of food. Her collection focuses on sustainability, elegance and practicality. She uses fabrics such as soy jersey, hemp/ recycled poly denim, water resistant fleece and organic cotton fleece. |
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Feral Childe
Alice Wu and Moriah Carlson are the friends behind this eclectic fashion line. The pair scoured downtown New york for uncommon fabrics, tried their creations on each other, and draped and slashed at the clothes until they were satisfied. Alice and Moriah made up stories to go along with the results of this wild and untamed creative process and called it FERAL CHILDE. FERAL CHILDE's playful silhouettes and curiously elegant tailoring have gained a devoted following, at home and abroad, among young and old, traditionalists and renegades. FERAL CHILDE is Brooklyn-based and locally produced. From the silk-screened original textile prints to the sewing and finishing of the garments with sculpted resin buttons, FERAL CHILDE is made in New York. FERAL CHILDE utilizes organic and sustainable fabrics. |
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Indigenous Designs
Founders Scott Leonard and Matt Reynolds had a vision to style the world in organic fairly traded fashion inspired by their trip to South America in 1993. The richness of the culture and amazing knitting techniques prompted them to begin the indigenous line, a scalable artisan network committed to sustainability and social responsibility. They invest in natural and organic fibers and environmentally friendly dyes to spread the beauty of handmade eco fashion. |
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Ignes Handbags
IGNES was the winner of The Most Socially Responsible Category at the 2007 Handbag Designer Awards. IGNES maintains high ethical standards of production and fair trade partnerships with the craftsmen and women who create each design. Each IGNES bag is handmade with great care by the IGNES production team in Uruguay. The IGNES team likes to choose materials that are sumptuous, tactile and luxurious. All of the leathers come from animals bred in free-range farms or South American estancias and are by-products of the meat industry.
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Kim White Handbags
Why are Kim White Handbags so special? Made from vintage automotive fabrics, Kim White uses dead stock never-used textiles intended for use in American automobiles: cars, trucks and vans. These fabrics are vintage and may have been wasted had she not found them, since they were created for use in vintage automobiles no longer made today. Each Kim White Handbag is tagged with the year and make of the fabric, so you know exactly what car your bag comes from (i.e. 1983 Camaro or a 1978 Ford Mustang). Kim White Handbags specializes in automotive fabrics from the 1970’s and 1980’s, when color was de rigueur in the automotive industry. Since these textiles were originally intended for use in cars, they are incredibly durable. Perfect for handbags in style as well as function. Kim White Handbags, in keeping with the tradition of the American car industry, are sophisticated, beautiful and built to last. And just like American automobiles, they have a widespread appeal, from trendy teens to stylish grandmothers and every woman in between. In addition to her collection of vintage automotive textiles, Kim has also unearthed some of the most gorgeous vintage florals from decades past. The wonderful vintage florals were originally intended for use in furniture from the 50s through the 70s. The detail in these textiles are beyond beautiful, and the craftsmanship harkens back to a time when the beauty was truly in the details. And of course, the durability lends itself perfectly to ladies handbags. All proudly designed and manufactured in the U.S.A.
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Linda Loudermilk
"The foundation shakes. The earth takes the sidewalks into its growling maw. Gone. Later, flowers will grow where once there was a strip mall. And the flowers will be beautiful, because nature makes no apologies for itself. Nature is the original punk." The ingenius sustainable fabrics Linda has developed and sourced for Loudermilk, the brand, reflect the respect Linda Loudermilk, the woman and artist, has for nature. Bamboo pointelles and soya blends go into clothes that honor nature in ethos, and then they go back into the earth. And there's no need to sacrifice style, because if nature doesn't make apologies, then neither should the people who fortify, fear and believe in it. Sustainable style is already terra incognita, but for Loudermilk, the pioneering has only just begun. Like nature herself, she's got more foundations to shake. "Food, shelter, clothing, water and energy—all of which our mother earth has provided us are no longer in endless supply. Energy is running out fast; water has become an issue of human rights. Imagine that. " Loudermilk gives back to the earth. Loudermilk fabrics are made of sasawashi, bamboo, sea cell, soya and other exotic self-sustaining plants. All created by meticulously researched sustainable business practices and fair labor standards. |
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Lucina Jewelry
Lucina Jewelry works with fair trade importers to open up new markets for ethically-sourced gems, silver and handcrafted materials. This commerce creates direct economic benefits in war-torn and impoverished communities around the world. Lucina designers combine these exquisite elements to create beautiful bracelets, earrings and necklaces that make a positive difference in the world. Since 2005, Lucina bracelets, earrings and necklaces have been designed and handmade in Portland, Oregon, using shimmering hand-forged sterling silver, luminous gemstones and lustrous natural elements like tagua and choclo. All of these components (hand-faceted fluorite from Afghanistan, polished seeds from Colombia, hand-carved tagua from Ecuador, and exquisitely detailed sterling silver beads from Bali) are sourced from fair trade importers who ensure that the artisans, miners and silversmiths are paid a fair price for their talents. Fair trade protocols also safeguard the health of workers, communities and the natural environment. The result is beautiful jewelry that carries beautiful stories of resiliency and opportunity from around the world. Lucina’s mission is to be a force of positive change for artisans and miners, their families and communities, and the jewelry industry as a whole. In addition to working with fair trade importers, they also partner with non-profit organizations to effect positive change in communities worldwide. Lucina partners with Women for Women International, the Women's Edge Coalition and Hands to Hearts International, charities that give life to women and children in war-torn and impoverished regions of the world.
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Mad Imports Handbags
Mad Imports is a socially & environmentally responsible company that markets handmade fashion accessories from Madagascar & Kenya . Their eclectic accessories blend traditional and contemporary design ideas of their international design team who incorporate renewable raw materials to create vivid & original clutches, totes and shoulder bags. The sale of their products enables families to gain economic independence and promotes environmental conservation. With a background in community development, urban planning and volunteer public health work, Laurel Brandstetter realized an opportunity to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life in local communities through the sale of handmade products. Since 2003, Mad Imports’ products have appeared in major fashion publications including O, Domino, Lucky, Glamour, Cottage Living and TV spots including E! News and the CBS early show. Mad Imports invests in several development efforts. Currently, they fund the education of the children of their weaver partners and work closely with the Akany Avoko orphanage to provide educational materials and support for special projects. Further, they developed a partnership with a community of women in Kenya , supporting their micro-enterprise and funding community development projects. |
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Mociun
Owner/ Designer Caitlin Mociun as a young girl developed an intense fear of coyotes and spent large amounts of time pretending to be an appaloosa. At the tender age of 12 she left her native California and spent the following 6 years living and traveling throughout Asia and Europe, with extended stays in both Malaysia and Prague. Though no longer pretending to be an appaloosa, she was accompanied at certain stages by various pets, including an emotionally challenged cat named Capella. Caitlin found the coyote-like corporate world frightening and is currently enjoying the appaloosian character of self-employment. It was a rather simple notion, profound nonetheless, that the Bauhaus school sought to promote: the combination of art(s) and craft(s). Mociun adheres to this same, simple notion: expressed most visually in the Bauhaus-inspired prints she employs throughout her line. Similarly expressed is the influence of Karl Blossfeldt, whose plant photography ultimately served the interests of art and craft.Mociun continues to explore and integrate the ever-emerging technologies and critical conceptions of sustainability; environmentally healthy production; and, as a type of de facto jouissance, the role of, and the products available to, the individual consumer in society at large.
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Novica
Novica is dedicated to fair trade, making sure artists from around the world get fair wages by cutting out middlemen. The artisans they support are from places like Bali, Thailand, India, Brazil, and the Andes. They create handmade jewelry, art and accesories that are of the highest quality and artistic expression, since there are no middlemen requiring mass production. And for the consumer, they provide high quality art at affordable prices. |
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Pierce Jeans
Pierce jeans was named for the owner's youngest son Pierson, who asked his father to "create a brand to help children who are needy, hungry and unfortunate." Using the finest denim and body sculpting system that accentuates the woman's shape in the waist and bottom, Pierce jeans features different washes that highlight the depth of color and offers a variety of styles both classic and high fashion. Something that truly differentiates Pierce jeans from the rest of the pack is that it is giving a significant chunk of company profit to help feed children all over the world. Each pair of jeans comes with a unique hand-stitched symbol on the back pocket that represents the country or continent that Pierce jeans will support that year. Brown is for Cambodia, blue for Mongolia and green for Africa. Pierce jeans is currently giving 50% of profits to charities such as Kids of Kilimanjaro and WorldVision that feed the hungry children of the world. Pierce jeans were feaured in a denim special on Fox's Good Day L.A. that can be viewed on You Tube. Pierce Jeans has a celebrity following to include Eva Longoria, Katie Holmes and Lyndsay Lohan. They can be seen on Eva in Desperate Household's episode "Nice She Ain't". |
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Refind Originals Handbags
Owner/ Designer Anita Hopper creates one of a kind handbags from recycled leather. ReFind Originals deconstructs, cleans and restores discarded leather apparel and upholstery, transforming it into stunning, one-of-a-kind leather handbags. Each purse is totally unique, buttery-soft and super easy on the environment. Through her craftsmanship, Anita hopes to demonstrate that greener choices in our everyday lives can be beautiful. She is concerned about the disposable mentality that has destroyed so much of the environment and sees her work as a small way to make a difference in the world by reducing waste, reusing beautiful materials that would otherwise be discarded, and recycling them into refined and unique purses and handbags. She celebrates beauty and enjoys creating fun, one-of-a-kind works of art that women can carry—eco-friendly and socially conscious recycled handbags are designed to be stylish accessories for today's women. |
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Rene Geneva
Rene Geneva began her career designing corsetry and custom designs. As Rene’s skill as a designer grew, so did her awareness of the world around her. She realized that her business needed to account for its impact on the environment – both ecological and social. That meant a commitment to materials, production methods and business practices that did the least possible harm to the environment – and the people who inhabit it. In 2003 she began working with a small family operation in Pakistan. In November 2005, Rene headed to Nicaragua (the second poorest nation in the Western hemisphere) to work with a fair wage, fair trade women's textile cooperative. Training them in the elements of corsetry and appliqué enabled them to produce Rene’s latest designs – and to expand their capabilities beyond T-shirt production. This partnership reflects Rene Geneva’s commitment to support fair wage and fair trade practices. 2005 was her first collection to offer exclusively organic and eco-friendly textiles and it has been strong since. She began the Sun Power Project to help facilitate solar electricity for communities in need. Working with indigenous population's and small villages globally has allowed her to source rare organic textiles, such as hand spun/woven "peace" silks and fabric made from the bark of trees. Currently, Ms. Geneva is working on the preliminary details with the support of the Whole Planet Foundation on a project to help educate women and provide skilled jobs in Nicaragua. This project is slated to break ground in late 2009. |
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Roberta Oaks
Dedicated to supporting ethical practices and a sustainable economy and planet, Roberta Oaks, Hawaii is a brand with conscience. Eco-fabrics like bamboo jersey and organic cotton are mixed with bold prints in funky colors. With strong beliefs in supporting small businesses and a sustainable local and domestic economy, the island label is made locally in Honolulu. Striving to give you gals a unique and fashionable alternative to the mainstream market, the clothes are made to be cute, sexy, sassy, oh-so-comfy, and ethical! Made in Hawaii, this chic and whimsical, yet classy and ultra-wearable line is the brainchild of photographer and collage artist turned self-taught fashion designer, Roberta Oaks Power. The combinations of textiles and colors and the way that Oaks puts them together are as interesting as the designs themselves. Oaks explains her work as “...a juxtaposition, like the world we live in.I've done a lot of traveling and even when you try to get a million miles away from civilization or strive to get lost in an urban jungle, you are constantly reminded that it really is impossible to be fully at one extreme or the other, my designs are a reflection of that. I am also very inspired by Mod fashion of the 60's and 70's. Right before moving to the UK I had an obsession with Twiggy. My designs always have a vintage vibe to them and so do my prints and color combos."
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Rumblefish Jewelry
In May of 1983 Regan Caton and Betsy Milliken launched Rumblefish with a $500.00 loan. From the start Rumblefish was a success. The jewelry started showing up in all the major fashion publications. Stores such as Bergdorf Goodmans, Saks, Barney’s, Fred Segal, and other specialty stores were carrying Rumblefish. Celebrities such as Brooke Shields. Biannca Jagger, Bruce Springstien and Christy Brinkley all wore Rumblefish pieces. Christy Brinkley even called to inform them she was appearing on Johnny Carson and to tune in, as she was wearing a jacket adorned with Rumblefish brooches. The next month Ms. Brinkley ordered the whole collection to bring on her honeymoon. Rumblefish continued to grow and things were great, it was the 80s how could it not be! In late 1987 a string of unfortunate personal events for the two forced them to shut down operations. Both sadly left Rumblefish behind, and moved on with their lives. Of course as life goes, things got better. Regan launched two other accessory companies. Betsy worked in the fine jewelry industry in New York, helping to also launch a successful line of fine jewelry. Remaining friends all these years they decided to relaunch Rumblefish, as of January 2005. Knowing this to be their true passion, they are excited to continue where they left off and put their creative energies into their dynamic collections. Confident Rumblefish will again be a major resource for exciting jewelry in the years to come Regan and Betsy would like to share their joy of working together, and are donating a percentage of sales to woman and children’s charities. |
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Ryann
Ryann is the fusing of environmental preservation and razor sharp fashion. The pieces are built on a base of original silhouettes with precise design detailing. Fabrics vary from season to season, but are all carefully selected for their richness, sustainability and comfort. Tie that all together, Ryann, created by designer Raina Blyer and made in New York, is a guilt free wearable collection with a downtown punch for the fashion warrior in all of us. |
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Sarah Zins
Sarah Zins works out of her San Francisco studio, crafting modern, original, and wearable pieces from the the most beautiful found fabrics. Only high-quality reused and remnant silk, wool, cotton, and cashmere (with some new threads and trims thrown in) make it into her clothes. There are no token eco-pieces, just a distate for waste and a commitment to making what's old new again. Each piece of clothing selected for repurposing is chosen because of its fiber content (silk, wool, cashmere, or cotton) and its color. Usually, two, three, and sometimes four garments get to be part of a new piece. Many of Sarah's pieces are finished with french seams, which take a little longer, but produce a more beautiful and enduring dress or blouse. Sarah wanted to push the envelope of handcrafted, sustainable products. Any fabric production uses water and energy, and often leaves pollution from growing, harvesting, or processing behind. Organic cotton, bamboo, organic wool – all of these, while a better choice than their predecessors, have their drawbacks. Using repurposed fabrics takes advantage of material that has already been produced, and it allows so many choices of fiber and color without so much waste. All pieces are sewn in San Francisco by Sarah and friends. They hope that by knowing the provenance of the things you wear, you can feel like you don't have to feel guilty about looking good.
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Seven Ply
Seven Ply's designer, Lynn Weiler, married a skateboard and the rest is history. Since the launch of Seven Ply in 2007, surf and skate shops have been saving their broken skateboards to be recycled. With a workshop full of amazing colors and graphics the possibilities are endless. This is where the creative process begins. Each piece is hand picked, cut, sanded and sealed. Seven Ply's mission is to rescue, recycle, and reuse broken skateboards by turning them into a unique piece jewelry. They are breathing new life into these seven layers and converting this scuffed up boy toy into something beautiful for her. Saving one skateboard at a time Seven Ply is "Turning Thrash’n into Fashion". Who doesn’t like going green in style! Each piece is handmade and one of a kind.... accessories with a story. |
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Toggery
Combining the notion of sustainability with her innate sense of style Kate D’Arcy launched Toggery, a new line of organic clothing for a new age of consumer. Taking intelligent design in a whole new direction, Toggery is fashion for the environmentally conscious consumer. The clothes are a special blend of contemporary design with environmentally conscious fabrics. They are soft and luxurious, flattering to the figure and a smart choice for the fashionable. Toggery by Kate D’Arcy is a versatile line boasting not only beautiful colors but classic, easy to wear styles that transition from casual to dressy and from season to season. With a passion for fashion and a dream of creating a collection of essential pieces, Kate decided to not only create a collection of beautifully stylish pieces but to be environmentally responsible in how they are made. Using in her styles 100% organic cotton, sustainable fabrics such as Modal and bamboo fibers, the entire collection is produced by a certified socially responsible apparel manufacturer right here in the USA. Women can nurture themselves in the finest fabrics nature has to offer in the fashionable line of women’s contemporary knit styles including fashion tees, basic tees, dresses and leggings. There is a good feeling knowing that no compromise was made via humanity or the environment for a quality signature style. Purchasing a piece from Toggery by Kate D’Arcy is not only an investment in fashion but also in the environment.
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Vuori
What makes a modern day hero? The innocence and strength of unbiased visions, dreams and aspirations undeterred by opposition, the will to persevere against all odds, respect for life, and consideration for the generations to come. Vuori honors the men and women whose heroic efforts, so often unnoticed, propel us towards a more sustainable future. Using fashion as a medium, Vuori recognizes the environmentalists, activists, and humanitarians whose visions inspire us to live with more awareness. On the inside of each garment, we pay tribute to these individuals and their respective heroic endeavors. Made from the finest 100% certified organic cotton, our garments are adorned with hand-tailored recycled polyester ribbons, a symbol that's message demonstrates our respect for these individuals, and serves as an invitation to you, the customer, to visit our website www.vuoriclothing.com/donation/donation.html, get acquainted with the season's heroes, and direct the donation generated by your purchase, united and aligned to seed positive change. |
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