Weekly Eco Fashion Wrap Up October 16th, 2010
Happy Saturday from the Big Apple's Upper East Side....CMar here giving you the latest and greatest in eco-fashion 
So let's get to it!
What to Read:
ECO Fashion by Sass Brown
Awesome new book from FIT professor, Sass Brown. Brown examines eco-fashion trends around the globe in this fabulous new read. Check it out today at your local book store or online. We can't wait to get our hands on a copy
What To Eat:
Photo Courtesy of http://girliegirlarmy.com
We are HUGE fans of The Girlie Girl Army weekly blogs with awesome recipes for the healthy chick! Check out this great and yummy recipe for Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake by Raw Food Star Ani Phyo.
What To Do:
Photo Courtesy of Refinery 29 Blog
We aren't going to lie....Halloween is one of our favorite days of the year! Make it eco fab by picking up some cool finds at your local thrift store and then letting creative juices flow.... Once you have the perf outfit then rush over to a cool haunted house in your city to really get in the Halloween spirit! If you are in NYC be sure to check out the recommended Haunted Houses by one of our favorite daily blogs, Refinery 29! We are thinking Blood Manor tomorrow....anyone want to join??? Hehehe
News from c. marchuska:
Lots of awesome new posts for our amazing friends and fans to check out including new features like: AskHim and new posts: Introducing Christina Blacken: Six Questions in Six Minutes and How's My White Tee Bad: Demystifying Eco Fashion
Oh and some new projects in the works....let's just say CBS News stopped by....and a new web series has contacted our fav eco-fashionista.....SHHHHHH! Can't give more deets at this time, but stay tuned
Alright stay eco-chic my darlings and enjoy this amazing weekend!
xoxo
CMar
Monday’s Fashion Focus: London Chic Vocab
Happy Monday Everyone!
We are starting a new weekly blog series at c. marchuska this week. We have received your feedback and want to give you, our community, what it wants So every Monday we will be demystifying what fashion means to the masses. As most of us return from a social media filled weekend (totally recommend the Social Network movie - go see it NOW!) and get back into the grind of the week I thought we could focus this week on our brethren on the other side of the pond. I mean after all Prince Charles is now singing the praises of eco fashion so what better time to decipher the terms used by most fashionable Brits....
Whenever I travel to a new city, country, etc I want to go into the experience well informed. I want to know where the locals eat, where they play and more importantly how they speak. So on a recent jaunt to London I realized none of my Lonely Planet or Zagat's Guides could give me what I really needed....the fashion terms they used and embraced. I mean c'mon now....fashion is my passion and no amount of fish and chips will ever satiate me when it comes to Ted Baker, John Smedley....and (gasp) Burberry.... So here goes nothing your Monday fashion guide to the UK:
Jumper: no that Hugh Grant look alike is not referring to a cute little silhouette you wear over your button down... a jumper is a sweater in London....preferably one made of cashmere...
London Fashion Lesson #1: a Jumper is a Sweater
Pick up a John Smedly jumper today at: http://www.sherrys.co.uk/
Waistcoat: actually not a coat, nor is it some random too short to wear to the office dress pants...a waistcoat is a vest...hopefully Dolce & Gabbana and found under a suit
London Fashion Lesson #2: a Waistcoat is a Vest
Braces: oh I know this one....yeah those horrendous things that the dentist puts on your teeth to make puberty about a million times worse...sorry kiddies - but not in London....braces are suspenders....so classic and found frequently at Hermes....
London Fashion Lesson #3: Braces are Suspenders
This trivia is fun...but what is even more exciting is giving out some c. marchuska ecofashion swag.....as we enter my favorite season ever in NYC...um, yeah, FALL....check out the three web spots below and tell us what the hottest accessory (hint: hunter scarf) would be called in London and win yourself your very own sexy bamboo viscose unisex hunter scarf. Here's what you need to do to win:
1 - Comment on this blog and tell us what they call scarves in London
2 - Share this blog on your facebook page (more points rewarded to those that share it on twitter, gchat status, etc)
3 - Like this post on our c. marchuska fan page
Get it? Got it? Good! Now for your inspiration....check out these fab web spots we filmed to inspire your senses....
xoxo,
CMar
Weekly Eco Fashion Wrap Up-Sept. 30th
Nothing like an eco fashion wrap up to start the weekend off right! Here's what's been happening in the world of sustainable fashion this week:
Blogosphere>>
Prince Charles, an avid supporter of conscious consumption and eco clothing, recently sat down with UK Vouge to discuss his ideas about sustainable fashion. Vintage materials and up-cycling (restructuring old clothing into new items) are a few of his fav ways of keeping a stylish, yet earth friendly wardrobe. I say cheers to that Prince Charles! You can catch the full story over at Ecorazzi.
>>Speaking of the U.K., C. Marchuska has traveled to the other side of the pond to offer all our British bound eco lovers a chance to catch the fall collection in London's Soho store, Sherry's. Go check out the online store. Sustainable never looked so international:D
London's Fashion Week>> Estethica, London's premier sustainable fashion showcase, was the backdrop for many aspiring and cutting edge sustainable designers. One of the strongest eco fashion shows in the world, designers pulled out all stops, displaying the avant guard to the demure. Check out Ecouterre's inside scoop on this amazing fashion show.
Events>> Since we are keeping this week's wrap up global, our friends over in the Netherlands are kicking off October in Tillburg during Textile Weekend. There will be enough exhbitions, lectures, and clothing swaps for any eco fashion fanatic.
Oct. 1st marks the last day to register for the annual Ethical Fashion Source Expo, which brings together the movers and shakers of ethical fashion. With so many designers, buyers, suppliers, and lovers of eco fashion in tow, this event is NOT to be missed!
That's all folks..
until next week
stay fly:D
-Cblacken
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! =)
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
Weekly Eco-Fashion Update – July 31st
Hi all! Sorry for the delay in posting! This week has been kind of crazy, but I still wanted to do a weekly update for y'all so that you can see the awesome stuff happening.
Retail: Jean-Philippe Gawronski, a former designer at Lanvin, is launching an eco-friendly line - Imitation and Disguise! He's taken his learnings from Alber Elbaz to create apparel, jewelry, shoes, and handbags. I'm pretty impressed by the details he's put into everything!
Need some chic travel essentials? TEICH, a local Brooklyn brand, has created a few items that's making me rethink what I take with me on my trips. The TEICH scallop clutch serves as an awesome makeup bag and the TEICH/Ryann belt with detachable waist acts as a great fanny pack for those touristy adventures. Lucky for all of us, TEICH has a special 40% off summer sale through August 12th.
Need some summer sandals? For a casual look, check out TOMs wedges with a One for One outreach program, where "every pair purchased is matched by a new pair given to a child in need."
For a more dressy look, I am swooning over these Cri De Coeur "Hannah" asymmetrical sandals and Terra Plana "Betty" Sling-Backs. For more awesome eco-friendly sandals, check out the list on EcoFashionWorld.
Blogosphere: Last year, actress Julia Stiles put together a hilarious spoof of eco-fashion. This year, she tells Ecouterre that she actually likes eco-fashion, particularly the Edun line by Bono. However, she doesn't know how to find that many other lines in eco-fashion...
On the other hand, Jennie Garth, a supporter of keeping the Earth green, says that she just uses Google to find green clothing for her family. How efficient! Hopefully she finds c. marchuska!
By the way, is anybody excited that there's an eco-friendly designer on Project Runway? Go Gretchen Jones!
c. marchuska: Through today, you can get 30% off on c. marchuska products at blendnewyork! Go get your sale on
Another one of our retailers was highlighted on MindBodyGreen. Go read all about Kate McGregor of Kaight!
Have you ever wondered if eco-fashion can be considered sexy? Check out our c. marchuska web spots! Make sure you're sitting down first...haha
Weekly Eco-Fashion Update – July 15th
Happy Friday guys It's time for the weekly update!
Retail: WearAgain.co.uk is launching an eco-fashion boutique which will sell gently used and recycled new clothing for men, women and children. Products will include top quality fashion from popular High Street retailers, designer labels, and vintage sources.
According to the LA Times, baby eco-fashion is coming to Target! For those earth-conscious parents, the Little Seed and Baby Buggy lines have just debuted and they offer budget-friendly choices for eco-friendly babywear.
Blogosphere: Happy 10th Anniversary, Net-a-Porter! To celebrate, the originator of high fashion e-commerce threw a lavish fete in its new London office and invited notable fans such as Victoria Beckham and designers including Christopher Bailey, Christopher Kane and Roland Mouret. Check out Net-a-Porter's magazine for the special anniversary issue which tours the major fashion highlights over the past decade.
photo courtesy of Ai*LoveFashion
Marie-Claire Magazine (UK edition) published its Top 10 in eco-fashion this month. It includes some amazing designers, including Stella McCartney (of course!), Edun, and People Tree. We hope c. marchuska one day makes it to the list!
Brought together by Elle Magazine, Diane Von Furstenberg, Tommy Hilfiger, Rogan, Loomstate, Loeffler Randall, and Vena Cava worked with Sheila Kennedy, the director of the Portable Light Project, to design nine solar purses that supply both light and power. All the bags are being auctioned of on Ebay, with proceeds going to Portable Light Project's mission of using energy-harvesting textiles to deliver power to developing communities. Below are some of my favorites! Check out more over at Ecouterre!
Loeffler Randall
Loomstate
Rogan
Stella McCartney has been named the 2012 Olympic designer for Britain. Working with Adidas, she will not only outfit the athletes, but will also release four lifestyle collections "inspired by Team GB" before the games. How exciting! Congrats Stella
c. marchuska: We recently found out that Christine Marchuska, CEO of c. marchuska, has been asked to be the wardrobe designer for a new film called "Playground." Click here to read the interview with the director of the film, Ajay Nayyar, to see how he picked our lovely CEO!
Happy weekend everyone!
Weekly Eco-Fashion Wrap-Up July 2nd
Happy 4th of July weekend everyone! I hope you're all headed to the beach to see fireworks Here's our weekly eco-fashion wrap-up!
Retail: Soleil Moon Frye, of Punky Brewster fame, opened up an eco-friendly children's boutique called The Little Seed in Los Angeles. After having difficulty finding great organic and non-toxic items for her first child, she has decided to open up a place where "parents can come find products that are safe for their children, as well as good for the planet."
Found via Magnifeco, the vegan shoe designer duo Cri de Coeur have launched a new line called Hearts of Darkness, which is ethically produced from start to finish. All of their shoes are reasonably priced under $100, and I absolutely love their adorable Enchant Ankle Tie Flat - the colors are fabulous!
Blogosphere: In the upcoming movie, 'Eat, Pray, Love,' Julia Robert's character goes eco-friendly by carrying a Hobo Bag made from repurposed Kantha quilts and lined with vintage saris by fair trade artisans in India. I can see why the costumer designers of the movie chose this bag - it's pretty awesome!
Also on the blogosphere this week...two major starlets gave us the scoop on their favorite eco-friendly designers. Emmanuelle Chriqui (known as Sloan on Entourage) says she is constantly wearing Alexx Jae for Milk in an interview with EcoStiletto. According to Ecouterre, Emily Deschanel (from Bones) says that she wears tons of Loyale tops, Bahar Shahpar skirts & dresses, and Beyond Skin or Olsenhaus shoes.
emmanuelle chriqui
emily deschanel
It's so nice to hear that celebrities are really grasping the eco-friendly fashion bit. We sure hope they add c. marchuska onto their list!
c. marchuska: Our very own Christine Marchuska, CEO of c. marchuska, spoke at a Cornell University entreprenuership panel entitled "Fashion with Social Awareness" and the e-clip is available to watch!
Also, check out our Retailer Highlight with a stone's throw. We are super inspired by the store and feel incredibly fortunate to have them sell c. marchuska pieces! If you call 608-255-1925 to order c. marchuska and mention the Retailer Highlight, you'll receive 15% off and get free shipping as well! Happy shopping!
Retailer Highlight: A Stone’s Throw
Happy Monday everyone! It's time for another work week...but hey - we have the 4th of July to look forward to
This week, we're starting off our week with a blog post about one of our retailers - a stone's throw - the brainchild of Heather Higgens. Heather grew up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, as the daughter of a successful sportswear retailer, who would hear great compliments about the family store and often times hear customers say "We need something like this in Madison!" So after moving to the big city of Madison, Wisconsin, Heather opened up the doors of a stone's throw in 2004 to the delight of a steady stream of local women who were on the quest for comfortable, quality clothes.
Not only does a stone's throw carry eco-friendly brands like c. marchuska, the boutique also has The Upstairs Closet, which features quality gently-used active lifestyle clothing for men, women and children. The process is pretty simple: bring in your freshly-washed clothing during regular store hours, and the buyers will decide what items to purchase from you and make you an offer. You can receive either 50% off of the selling price in-store credit to The Upstairs Closet or 30% of the selling price paid to you by check. We love that a stone's throw really believes in sustainability, in both product and process!
Through this cute, cozy boutique, Heather reaches the local community by providing services, donations, and fundraising efforts to a myriad of organizations, including Dane County Humane Society, Girls on the Run, Madison Children's Museum, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Waisman Early Childhood Center, and Wisconsin River Alliance.
We are proud to be included in the a stone's throw collection and we are incredibly inspired by Heather! If you call 608-255-1925 to order c. marchuska and mention this blog entry, you'll receive 15% off and get free shipping as well! Happy shopping!