If you have been confused as to why organic cotton is so important, hopefully this video will help you out.
I plan on doing more extended and informative posts on these topics very soon!
Here is the link for People Tree, a site I have mentioned in the past and will continue to reference due to it's upstanding demonstration of fair trade and environmentally friendly practices (it's also the creator of the video).
Peace, Love and Sustainability<3 (Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day ;])
Some of you may be wondering what's going on right now...
well, I'm going to tell you.
This is no ordinary tee shirt.
This shirt happens to be an original, hand-printed design on a 100% organic cotton tee
made entirely in the USA with water-based ink.
It's Eat More Kale, of course!!
See?
Okay, so to explain further, Eat More Kale is a tee shirt company that was started by the awesome Bo Muller-Moore, for no particular reason but to make tee shirts.
He sold them locally in Vermont at a Farmers Market for four years, when word spread that everybody, yes everybody, realized they needed to Eat More Kale.
Since then, Bo has been successfully hand-making and selling his tee shirts at home with quirky, random (yet deep and thoughtful) phrases-- like his first: "CHEESE".
To quote Bo:
"It means something different to so many people. Some take it literally, others see it as social commentary. It reminds me to think of what I eat. It makes me think of good food grown in a sustainable manner by local farmers."
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Which is why I love Eat More Kale and wear it often to promote this man's genius.
I'm telling you folks, simplicity is best!
Sustainability isn't about complications and technicalities. It's about making easy, conscious decisions to support idea's like Bo's and doing small things everyday to help the environment and the people in it.
Win-Win.
In honor of simplicity, I got on my ol' blue jean cut-off shorts.
Hey guys! Sorry for the delay... I've finally got back on the blog train after a long time away; that daily grind, man.
Anyway, I've got some more to share with you people, so I hope you enjoy.
Modal, modal, modal. It's most likely the comfiest material out there, and has many names: tencell, seacell or lyocell.
It just happens to be what I'm draped in at the moment, as well.
The keyword here is "cell", as I've mentioned in a previous post, it's made from beach-wood pulp through a somewhat chemically intensive rayon process.
It feels, looks, and breathes like silk. No, but really.
Guess what? This awesome textile is also 100% BIODEGRADABLE.
...that's a good thing.
Just like my plant;)
It's not hard to figure out which materials are eco-friendly or not. Just check the label while you're shopping around.
Believe me, youdo want to know what you're wearing on your body day in and day out, just as much as you want to know how much it costs...which leads me to my next point:
These garments are not particularly cheap. What I'm wearing I find at discount stores like Century 21 (which is where my Natural Life top is from) or other warehouse/outlet malls.
Seriously, they are the GREATEST place in the world.
Well-made, eco-friendly, otherwise expensive boutique labels with sky-high prices that are chopped in half once they trickle-down to our poor, humble level (joke...sort of).
Here they are, those beauties.
Natural Life top from Century 21 and Alice & Olivia brown ribbed leggings made of Modal.
In all their eco-friendly glory. Ahhh...
And Made in the USA, which indicates that there is a good chance it was ethically manufactured; so no cheap labor and inhumane conditions or unfair pay.
There ya go. Sustainability once again. Was that so hard?
Naahhhh.
Also- if you're enjoying my blog and find it helpful (or not so helpful) I appreciate any NICE, RESPECTFUL comments. Feedback and communication is always appreciated!
Vallin participated in a four-month residency program that brings designers to the Patacancha Valley of Ollantaytambo, Peru where they work with impoverished Quencha women weavers and develop contemporary clothing for a western market using fair trade textiles.
The made-to-order Awamaki Lab collection launched in New York at Guilded, the design studio of designers Tara St. James, who mentored Vallin on sustainable design processes, and Bahar Shahpar. At the event, I sat down with Vallin to discuss the difference between working in luxury fashion and with artisans in Peru, and more.
From Parisian RTW to Peruvian Made-to-Order
Vallin first heard about the Awamaki project from friends in Paris, where she was living at the time. She was unhappy working in the luxury and ready-to-wear scene there--though she calls working with Yves Saint Laurent "an amazing experience"--and wanted to do something more ethical. Awamaki Lab was an opportunity for her to work both in ethical fashion and break into the fashion scene in the United States, another one of her goals.
Vallin sewed the entire collection in Peru. All of the garments on view--with the exception of one--were made entirely by Vallin and the weavers. Photo: Kate Reeder for Awamaki Lab
TreeHugger: You spend four months living and working to develop this collection in Peru. Can you share an unexpected experience from your stay?
Awamaki Lab Designer Nieli Vallin: I went there with an un-judging mind. Everything was very observational.
My perception was most shaped by my favorite experiences, like working with one of the weavers, Daniel, who sells to Awamaki. In his community, Awamaki offers these dyeing retreats where you go and hunt your own dyes--all of the colors of the rainbow--under this natural palette. It's amazing to see that come together, especially if you're used to synthetic colors. Photo: Emma Grady
The Western World is Saturated with Synthetic Material
We never know exactly where our colors come from, where our dyes are coming from, and how they're hurting the environment, so it was amazing to be using plants and natural dyes to come up with amazing colors. Photo: Emma Grady
The amount of synthetic material that we use in the Western world is overbearing at times. In Peru, it was nice to say, "Okay, we're taking our dyes from the earth and we're taking our wool from the sheep."
When you're a designer, you're working with fabric, you're not working with paint. In this process, you get to see from A to B, from sheep to clothing, from plant to clothing. That is one of the most important things for a fashion designer: knowing the origin of your work.
TH: So this was the first time you were able to fully see the life cycle of garment production? NV: Yes, the full life cycle of any construction of fashion. The clothing on our back all comes from a natural source unless, of course, it has been created in a factory with synthetic materials. TH: You used all hand-dyed and hand-woven alpaca and wool. As a designer, were there any challenges working with these Artisan-made textiles? NV: No. I love textiles. I guess that's one of my strengths. Every textile presents a different opportunity for design. You've go to love all of them, if you don't you're a one-trick pony.
TH: Can other designers source the textiles you used in this collection? NV: Awamaki is really hoping to do that. I think that's one of their really important long-term goals: to create a buzz for Peruvian fabric. There's a surplus right now and it needs to be accessed. There needs to be a buzz. TH: Could the surplus satisfy major demand or would it strain communities? NV: If that happens, that's a very good thing. You don't want to overwork someone, but you want to give work where there's a need. TH: And what are next steps for you? NV: After I fill all these orders, I hope to continue designing whether it be with a company out in L.A. or on my own.
Photo: Kate Reeder for Awamaki Lab
The final collection, which is comprised of nine garments, is entirely made-to-order and made-to-measure. Vallin says it is important to get input from the client. Production turn-around time is about six months, and should be ready for next fall.
Awamaki Lab hopes the fashion design residency will help Ollanta women develop long-term economic growth and also aid the preservation of endangered weaving traditions. In addition to their fair trade textile initiative, Awamaki runs a sustainable tourism program based in the Sacred Valley of Peru.
They are still in the early stages of developing the Awamaki Lab and need all the help they can get. Browse the Awamaki shop online or consider making a donation toAwamaki Lab on Global Giving.
In honor of my favorite label Gypsy 05, I am centering this post around their top and a pair of Level 99 jeans that I'm wearing.
Basically, Gypsy 05 is my favorite eco-friendly brand because of their ethics and all-around coolness.
The great thing about Gypsy 05 is their motto: "Good planets are hard to find" and the effortless style that is inherently sewn into all their garments. Not only are they made with organic materials, but they print with low-impact and water-based dyes in beautiful hues and shades on each piece. It's a very efficient and productive method of being an eco-friendly clothing line and exactly what Gypsy 05 is all about: natural beauty and environmental awareness.
The company is owned by two siblings, who have continued to manufacture and produce Gypsy 05 since 2005 when it began. As a side-note: I have come to find that many products that were created with a story and meaning behind them are many times the best, not just in quality but in heart.
Gypsy 05 is all about art, self-expression and sustainability. Noice.
The Level 99 jeans I'm sporting are made out of a half synthetic, half natural fiber called tencel, which is also referred to as lyocell.
It is created from cellulose found in wood pulp that is very eco-friendly, insofar that everything involved in the production of the fiber itself can be re-used or re-cycled in some way, shape or form and is also biodegradable.
The fiber is environmentally sustainable, yes, however, it doesn't have a significant effect on the environment because of the toxic chemicals used to create the fiber into a garment. Here is the catch, although it does little to no environmental harm in the beginning half, the last stretch is where it falls short. So, I would still consider tencel to be a somewhat eco-friendly material, however, there is much to be improved upon on the garment manufacturer's end of the spectrum.
My point is: as always, be educated, be informed and know what is on your body; because although you may think it doesn't effect you, there is really no way of knowing unless you find out for yourself what's really going on behind the scenes.
Oh...and by the way...
Thanks to my friend David who took these pictures. Talented, is he not?
Haha. Neither one of these pictures have anything to do with sustainability, but I wanted to share them with you readers, regardless.
I call this one: "Boots On Toilet"...yes, I know, creativity just flows through me and I can't stop it.
Oh, hey everyone. So, in the spirit of blogging I decided to insert my own style into Eco-Fashionability For Today, in an attempt to share my personal eco-friendly style with you all to show how easy it can be. I hope I don't look like too much of a fool, but hey, that's fine by me. (P.S. Those aren't prescription glasses...more like fake, plastic frames, but they were ten dollars and I mean, come on, how could I resist?)
Here, I'm wearing my favorite Urban Renewal Sweater Shorts, which are cool and eco-friendly because they are up-cycled/re-cycled from discarded vintage pieces. Get a pair here. The top is American Apparel's Viscose Dolman Sleeve T, which is made in the USA and in a sweatshop-free facility. Fair trade is a big part of sustainability, so although it isn't organic material, it was made by workers who aren't being overworked and underpaid. American Apparel is starting to branch out into organic products though, so take a peek, here.
On my feet are my beloved TOMS Shoes. If you don't know about TOMS already, then I highly suggest learning about this phenomenal company. Every pair of shoes you buy goes to a child without shoes in a poverty-stricken, third world country. These specific shoes I have on are the Women's Botas. They are made from recycled plastic bottles and faux-shearling on the inside for warmth in these chilly winter months. AWESOME. GO TOMS!
Also, I'm sporting some of American Apparel's funky new line of toxin-free nail polish. It's cheap ($6 a bottle and $15 for 3) and eco-friendly. Doesn't get better than that.
Last but not least, I've got on all vintage and fairly-traded jewelry. The silver ring with the purple and blue stones is from a co-op I volunteered at in Costa Rica over the summer, called CASEM. It's a place close to my heart and all the products are made by local women who are inspiring and very talented. Learn more about this fantastic place at their website: http://www.casemcoop.org/.
Just a few vintage watches chillin' on my gold unicorn statue, given to me by my grandmother, who is a fabulous women herself.
There you have it, folks. Green done easy. Everything I'm wearing did not cost me a pretty penny nor did it take forever to hunt down. Like I've said in the past, it's a lot easier than you'd think to have an eco-friendly wardrobe. If you're still a little hesitant, don't worry I've got plenty more where this came from. So, stay tuned.
Here is a short video for you guys, that I love, with Summer Rayne Oakes. She's always been my favorite spokesperson on sustainability because her approach to the concept doesn't scare people away but rather welcomes and encourages them to do what they can, no matter how small the task may be. Enjoy!
