Weekly Eco-Fashion Update Aug 29th
Happy weekend everyone! Here's our weekly update:
Blogosphere: Emma Watson of Harry Potter fame (when is that new movie coming out?!) has partnered with the Fair Trade fashion brand, People Tree, to bring us the winter collection, now on sale! The 20 year-old was curious about how the eco-friendly clothing line is made, so she took a trip to the rural towns of Dhaka and Bajshahi in July to visit Swallows, the Fair Trade production firm. Watch this video to see what she experienced!
Also check out the collection via OK Magazine - it's pretty cute! 
Another celebrity getting involved with eco-fashion is Chrissie Hynde, who is the frontwoman of the band, The Pretenders. The company is called Fairground Luck and will contain no animal skins and all products will be made in an eco-friendly fashion. While the high-end is targeted towards musicians, almost anything could be worn by anyone since the collection includes stylish t-shirts, skinny jeans, faux leather jackets and cowboy boots. All in all, it should be a rocker-chic look! Read more about it here.
Want to make an impact easily? Wiloh, a green fashion line of hip t-shirts (each designed by an up-and-coming artist from around the world, dyed with water-based inks and made with bamboo fabric) has a philanthropic twist too. Like TOMS Shoes' One for One campaign, for every limited edition t-shirt sold, Wiloh will donate a t-shirt to a child in need through their charity, called "Tee for Tee" and a collaboration with Kids in Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.) All men's and women's shirts retail for $38 and are available online at Wiloh.
"The Heist" by Tokyo Candies
"Melody D" by Puloverchito
Lastly, have you ever been curious about what the heck it means to be sustainable? Reuters (with content provided by Matter Network) recently published a pretty comprehensive article about the sustainable supply network, describing each and every step of the manufacturing process that can be made more sustainable. Go read it!
ok, have a great rest of the weekend
Weekly Eco-Fashion Wrap-Up – Aug 21st
Hi all! Happy weekend!
It's time for the weekly eco-fashion wrap-up!
c. marchuska: We've been featured! TreeHugger has listed c. marchuska as one of the top 5 green fashion designers favored by the 'Great American Apparel Diet' Founder hooray!
Also, we've been featured over on CasterineCouture! Go read it to find out about what it's like Inside the House of CMar.
Lastly - our favorite celeb blogger, Tia Walker, wore the monika dress to the Quintessentially and the Couture Council's annual Summer Party. Thanks Tia! you look awesome!
Blogosphere: There was a great article in the NYTimes this week about zero-waste design and how it's the new trend. Apparel industry professionals say that about 15-20 % of the fabric used to produce clothing winds up in the nation's landfills because it's cheaper to dump the scraps than to recycle them. But now there's a small but impassioned group of designers who are taking the scraps and creating garment patterns with gussets, pockets, collars and trim that fit together like a puzzle. It's not easy, but Parsons the New School for Design will offer the world's first fashion courses in zero waste. Pretty cool!
Great things are happening in NYC! This past monday, Mayor Bloomberg signed into law a new program that will try to reduce the amount of clothes dumped into landfills by posting clothing-recycling bins around the city in an effort to re-route the clothes from the trash to thrift stores. An initial 50 bins will be placed in public places, but the eventual goal is to have the majority of bins located in the basement and/or laundry rooms of apartment buildings. Personally, I've always wished that there was an easy way to recycle my clothes! I have been lugging bags of clothes up to Goodwill every year, but it sure would be awesome if I could just recycle it in my very own apartment building!
Fashion week is coming up in a couple of weeks! This means that we'll also be looking forward to the third season of the GreenShows! As the only premiere fashion event exclusively committed to eco-friendly, ethically sound, fair-trade fashion, this 3-day event will showcase some of our favorite designers, including Joann Berman and Samantha Pleet!
joann berman
joann berman
This week's reading also included an article about a great eco-fashion business supporting women of domestic violence. The Annie O. Boutique accessory collection was founded by Annie O. Waterman, who was inspired by vibrant Peruvian textiles and the desire to bring work to female cooperatives in South America. The boutique works with 80 women who are victims of domestic violence and/or living in impoverishment to help them attain financial independence by applying their skills in handcrafts to create beautiful hand-embroidered handbags, belts, scarves and more.
ok all - have a great rest of your weekend! make sure to go check out our c. marchuska store - we have some awesome stuff for the upcoming fall!
Weekly Eco-Fashion Update – Aug. 13th
Happy Friday the 13th everyone!
It's time to announce the winner of our c. marchuska giveaway!
Autum22 has won the Leslie dress! and we loved what she said about our SS2010 video: "Really loved the backgrounds and the sense of the girls being the only people there-It seemed like there should be traffic,noise and so much going on behind them but there wasn't. It allowed you to focus on the lovely outfits."
Thanks Autum22! Get in touch with us so we can ship your Leslie dress!
ok, now onto the weekly update
Events: Levi's is hosting the Care to Air competition - Levi's is asking consumers to let all their good green laundry ideas hang out! They're looking for green pioneers and inventors to submit original air-drying solutions with the chance of winning $10,000 in prizes. A panel of judges will pick the winning design on August 16th! Check out some of the finalist entries (how clever right??)
Nothing is What it Seems by Caleb Hill
Vogue and Fiat have launched an "eco-fashion" competition to design a bike helmet for the Fiat 500 folding bike to coincide with Fashion's Night Out in Milan, Italy. The winner with the best graphic design will win a €3,000-prize pot!
This is kind of fun (if you can find pictures of this online - send it my way!) At London Fashion Week, the Conscious Designers Collective staged a renegade roving ethical catwalk in the street. This featured a half-dressed man courtesy of Pants to Poverty and female models in ethical labels such as Elena Garcia and Tammam.
Blogosphere: I just recently found out about two inspirational up-cycle businesses!
The Clothing Bank, a non-profit organization that helps low-income and unemployed women prepare to enter the workplace, was founded in Capetown by Tracey Gilmore and Tracey Chambers when they recognized the potential of using excess clothing from retailers to drive enterprise development. Go read about them here!
RecycleMyDress.com is Nicole Kulp's business that takes your old bridesmaid dresses (with all the puffy shoulders and unflattering bulges) and transforms them into new creations sold for anywhere between $20-$200. Check out her etsy store and read the article about her business!
Another fabulous eco-friendly mission! Edun has worked with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to create the Conservation Cotton Initiative (CCI) to improve the livelihoods of communities in Africa by investing in sustainably harvested "conservation cotton." Starting this week, Nowness.com is preventing a preview of a documentary that will air in October highlighting the efforts of the CCI to encourage African farmers to employ organic production efforts. Go watch the preview! Also - can I just say that Edun's fall line is pretty awesome?
have a great weekend! =)
Interview with Be Natural Organics
Happy Monday!
This week, we get to start off our week with an interview with Joanne O'Donnell, president and founder of Be Natural Organics, a line of chemical-free, certified organic skincare. Read below to see what got her inspired to create America's #1 choice for botanically active skin care!
CMar: When did you first begin your company?
Joanne: As a skin care professional and the owner of Bloomfield Esthetics Day Spa in West Bloomfield, Michigan, I have seen how harmful synthetic toxins used in skin care products can actually cause more damage to skin than the benefits of the overall product. Armed with this knowledge, I have been developing and formulating natural skin care products for friends, family and clients for years. As the demand grew, I made the decision to expand this side business into a full time career in 2007.
CMar: What gave you the inspiration to create a botanically active line of skin care?
Joanne: Active botanical enzymes are incredibly potent. As I began incorporating them into my formulations, I found better skin rejuvenation and anti-aging results than any of the highly touted synthetic chemicals on the market today. It's so exciting to be able to use pure plant materials to heal and nourish the skin.
CMar: What are your views on sustainability?
Joanne: I have a strong commitment to buying sustainable ingredients. Every sustainable ingredient used in a personal care product ensures safer products that reduce the damage to our water, soil and air.
CMar: What are your favorite items from your line?
Joanne: My Anti-aging Collection is my all time favorite because these were the first products I formulated with pure, organic aloe vera juice as a base (instead of commonly used water). I use pure aspen bark extract as a preservation system in these products. It is outrageously expensive but well worth it, due to its ability to stimulate cellular activity and enhance anti-aging results. These products are truly state of the art and you really see a difference within weeks. Repeat sales have been amazing.
CMar: What makes your products special and unique?
Joanne: What distinguishes Be Natural Organics from others in the skin care market is our dedication to finding the most potent ingredients available in nature. While we are committed to using organic and all-natural ingredients, we do not sacrifice effectiveness. I have joined forces with highly acclaimed chemists who specialize in anti-aging skin care through the use of live botanical enzymes. We incorporate nutrient rich botanicals with the latest technology in peptides, liposomes, and micronutrients to create products that out-perform our chemical-laden counterparts. Our ability to use plant actives as a natural preservation system has earned us a reputation as one of the most effective, (toxin-free) skin care lines among educated consumers and skin care professionals. NOTE: We have received outstanding ratings from the Environmental Working Group, the largest nonprofit organization in the U.S. dedicated to protecting the health and safety of U.S. consumers.
CMar: Where can customers buy your products?
Joanne: Due to the importance of using fresh botanical enzymes, the product line is strategically placed in locations where I can track product movement and guarantee freshness. Currently, Be Natural Organics is being sold in naturopathic offices, dermatology offices, organic shops and day spas. All orders placed at our online store receive free shipping - www.benaturalorganics.com
Thanks Joanne! Your products sound amazing! Thank you for bringing sustainable beauty products to the world
Weekly Eco-Fashion Update – Aug 6th
Happy Friday!!
There's good news for everyone! We at c. marchuska are extending our giveaway and will be announcing the winner next Friday, August 13th (yup...Friday the 13th...might be a good test to see how lucky you are =p) Enter now to win a monika, leslie, or roli hoodie! Just comment on our new SS2010 video and tell us which dress you want!
ok...now it's time for the weekly update!
Retail: In promoting its first hybrid, the CT200h, Lexus has begun the Darker Side of Green campaign, in which they show that eco-friendly can be sexy and not all about "flowery sunshine-filled days in the park." Lexus has created the Dark Ride Card to line up cool hotels, nightclubs, and fashion partners as part of its investment of marketing tools. This includes the Luxury Eco driving glove, created by eco-luxe designer, Linda Loudermilk.
This week, I also discovered the cutest eco-friendly kids boutique! Cornflowerblue is a gorgeous online boutique where you can find eco-friendly, organic, and ethical kids clothing from local and international brands. Go read more about them here! Seriously, aren't these dresses adorable?
Blogosphere: There's quite a bit of eco-fashion movement in the Project Runway world! First, I'm happy to report that the winner of the past two episodes of PR is an eco-lovely, Gretchen Jones of MothLove.
Also, the winner of season 7 of PR, Seth Aaron Henderson, is now creating solar-powered clothing, which he will debut at Portland's upcoming Fashion Week on October 9th. I'm looking forward to seeing exactly how he will mix sustainability with his punk-rock designs.
Sales: Get 50% off all full-price items at Stewart + Brown with the code FIFTYOFF.
NIMLI is also celebrating summer by offering 30% off from 8/3 - 8/9/10. Use the code DOIE30 at checkout
c. marchuska: Again - go enter our giveaway! We're excited to be giving people free monika, leslie, or roli hoodie! Just leave a comment at our SS2010 video video & let us know which item you want
c. marchuska giveaway!!
Get excited everybody! We at c. marchuska are planning a giveaway to celebrate our new SS2010 web spot. You can win the monika, leslie, or roli hoodie just by doing the following simple tasks:
1. Go watch our new SS2010 web spot by Hero Status Films and leave a comment on youtube!
2. Retweet this blog post and tell us whether you want the monika, leslie, or roli hoodie!
We love our fans and wish everyone the best of luck! We will be randomly selecting and announcing the winner this Friday, August 6th, on our weekly eco-fashion update
monika dress
roli hoodie
leslie dress