eco-chic design

yoga apparel that combines style with sustainability

Quite fittingly my favorite jacket these days is called the Nirvana Jacket by Soybu. There’s no better way to describe the state of bliss after making it through my yoga practice. I bought the eco-friendly jacket at the onset of spring at Paragon for exercising or running errands on the weekends and absolutely love it. It has a great sleek fit and never seems to wrinkle plus it contains 44% recycled polyester made from recycled PET.

Not sure why but lately I seem to be on a recycled PET kick. According to Soybu’s website PET is one of the most common consumer plastics used in packaging such as soda or detergent bottles. The Nirvana jacket also has 12% spandex to give it a contoured fit and it feels super-soft. So far I’ve it in black and I’m flirting with the thought of ordering a second one in blue glass for summer. The cute belled arm sleeves make it fun to wear. Most of Soybu’s apparel line combines style, sustainability and performance through their choice of materials. Other eco-friendly fibers include soy, organic cotton or bamboo that’s used in their inner voice tank. The Nirvana Jacket is the first product I bought but I’ve a feeling I’ll be back for more.

recycled paper transformed into eco-modern home accessories

Last week at ICFF the colorful cushions made out of recycled paper by Japanese company Qurz Inc. caught my attention since they were surprisingly soft. I couldn’t believe that they were made of recycled paper. It turned out that the structured looking paper cushions are made by weaving together recycled twisted paper after a softening process. The smooth surface looks very unique and almost feels like paper with a satin sheen. 

Qurz Inc. was founded by the Japanese designer Takumi Shimamura in 2005 after he spent some time as a car designer at Subaru. The recycled cushions are part of his product line cuiora. All cuiora products are made from woven bands of 100% recycled paper that traditionally were used for carrying heavy rice bags in Japan. Now these sturdy bands are skillfully used to create contemporary home accessories such as paper cushions, striped fruit bowls and striped lampshades. The eco-friendly fruit bowls and lampshades are made by firmly rolling the paper bands into a spiral shape. In both cases I was amazed that post-consumer recycled paper can look this beautiful. Especially since I’m quite guilty myself of creating paper waste on a daily basis. It’s great to see a company value recycled paper by artfully turning it into useful everyday objects.

Swedish sustainable fashion inspired by activism

The opening of the exhibition “Eco Chic – Towards Sustainable Swedish Fashion” at the Scandinavia House proved Tuesday night that sustainable fashion can look stylish. I’ve always loved the simplicity and smartness of Swedish design. It was enlightening to see the same sensitivity in sustainable fashion. All Swedish designers were carefully selected based on their eco-friendly and ethical approach. I loved watching the short film “Globalization” that raises the question if there’s such a thing as sustainable globalization. It follows Annika Axelsson, one of the founders of Dem Collective, starting her own manufacturing facility for her sustainable clothing line in Sri Lanka. All employees are paid a living wage based on actual living costs, three times higher than the national minimum wage.

The video set the tone for the rest of the exhibit by illustrating that ecology, ethics and well-designed quality can coexist. Some of my favorite eco-designs at the exhibition were by Dem Collective, Camilla Norrback and Zion Clothing. Camilla Norrback calls her ecological line Ecoluxury and skews more upscale like her modern black coat made of organic cotton. Currently 75% of her collection is made from organically certified materials. Zion’s line is inspired by street fashion and music like the dark green hooded sweater and T-shirt made of organic cotton. All dyeing and printing is water-based without the use of heavy metals. It was a fun surprise to see the hand-made wooden shoes by Swedish Hasbeens based on the original 1970s models that complement any eco-outfit.

from fire hose waste to fashion accessories

Prompted by a visit to the London Fire Brigade Kresse Wesling, the founder of Elvis & Kresse learned that a fire hose can’t be recycled. That’s how the idea to turn reclaimed waste into fun and functional life-style accessories originated. Since then Elvis & Kresse has been sourcing waste materials from brigades all over the UK. It’s only fair to give discarded fire hoses a second life after they saved the lives of so many people. The upcyled line of life-style accessories encompasses bags and wallets but the belts and iPhone cases are my favorites. The belts make great sustainable summer accessories with their colorful designs in red and yellow. The unisex ladybird belt has a solid rectangular buckle, made with 100% reclaimed pewter. Not only is the outer skin of the Elvis & Kresse iPhone case made from discarded fire hose but the inside is lined with reclaimed parachute silk. Expect irregularities on the outside shell since the hose itself is vintage. But that’s what makes them cool.

Elvis & Kresse is always on the lookout for new, or may I say old materials to upcycle them into eco-modern fashion or home accessories. The company looks at the full-life cycle of their products by ensuring that shipping materials are reclaimed or reused such as old tea sacks and end-of-line labels. Plus it donates 50% of their of profits to the Fire Fighters Charity. All this gets me thinking what else I can reuse.

colorful bags designed with Korean recycled street banners

As an art director in advertising I generate quite a bit of vinyl and nylon waste. That’s why I love Poketo’s new launch of their eco-friendly bags made from recycled materials ranging from old street banners, used leather jackets or couches to donated clothing. These eco-chic bags are a team effort between Poketo and South Korean design brand, Eco Party Mearry to give discarded materials a second and quite frankly much hipper life.

Poketo’s new line of sustainable bags encompasses recycled suit totes, recycled street banner bags and my favorite recycled bubble bags. I love that the recycled bubble bags are a youthful and modern take on existing bags made out of recycled street banners. They have a very flattering shape for any eco-conscious owner and are perfect for running errands with two interior pockets. Each product has a tag, with pictures and descriptions that tell the product’s origin to include you in a bigger sustainable movement. So next time someone will ask you where you got this super-cool bag you can actually tell them that the nylon comes from old street banners collected by volunteers all over Seoul. Plus it’s one-of-a-kind. The discarded material is first cleaned and then cut and sewed by local designers. A percentage of the proceeds will go back to the non-profit design brand, Eco Party Mearry to help fund their organization including job creation. I love products with a good story - especially if the story is a sustainable one with a mission.

organic baby bedding for sustainable baby showers

This weekend I’ll be at a baby shower and I was thrilled to see that the parents mostly picked eco-modern gifts for their registry. Since they are very popular parents most of the items were already taken. But I was able to secure some super-cute crib sheets made of 100% organic cotton by Q Collection Junior in Roxy. They combine my love for sustainability with great design through their contemporary elephant parade pattern. Q Collection Junior is the latest addition to the family tree of Q Collection and has the same sustainable values. As it so happens with younger members of the family they are simply much cuter. Q Collection Junior offers an entire line of eco-modern children's furniture and bedding that are safe for people and the planet. Each of their products is made from non-toxic materials and manufactured in a sustainable manner. Their children’s furniture uses only zero or low VOC, formaldehyde-free materials as well as water-based, non-toxic glues. The baby bedding is only made of organic cotton printed with low-impact, non-toxic fabric dyes. All this is especially important since babies spend most of their time close to ground surfaces. With this knowledge I hope that the soon-to-be parents will be able to get some sleep. Well, most likely that won’t happen with their new eco-chic baby.

green your lunch with hand embroidered reusable snack bags

Packing my own lunch for work has been an ongoing battle for me since there’s great take-out in the city everywhere. But when I look at the statistics that almost 1/3 of waste in the US is produced through packaging there’s really no excuse. Especially if there are such cute lunch bag options as BleuRoo’s reusable snack bags with hand embroidered designs. I had discovered them on Green Depot’s website and finally bought a bird design after seeing them in person. Of course I love the fact that the outer shell is made of 100% unbleached cotton. But what really won me over was that they are really well-made with their inner liner of water and stain resistant nylon and the double stitched side seams. The velcro closure sealed the deal for me. All eco-friendly designs are hand embroidered and you can choose your own colors.

The designs for BleuRoo’s reusable snack bags include birds, stars or even customized lettering. You can choose from several different typefaces and then create your own personalized message. I’m toying between my first name or “mine” since it’s my snack after all. Or simply “bon appetit”. Please leave a comment if you have any suggestions.

botanical laundry detergent for eco-fashionistas

It’s no surprise that vaska botanically based laundry detergent was created by a fashion designer with a passion for textiles. Not only are the all-natural products better for people and the planet but for fabrics as well thanks to the absence of harmful chemicals. Julia Fry founded the Berkley-based company in 1999 as an eco-modern alternative to traditional laundry detergents. The sleek packaging made of 50% post-consumer content caught my eye at Duane Reade a few weeks ago. Especially since I like to discover chic household items that are designed with the environment in mind. Vaska’s line includes laundry detergent, chlorine-free oxygenbleach, fabric softener and stain remover. So far I tried vasca’s herbatergent with a light lavender scent that uses real herbs and botanical cleaning agents. I personally love the scent but the herbatergent scent free version and the oxygenbleach received EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE) certification. It’s comforting to know that they have been screened for potential health and environmental effects. After all you wear your clothes all day long. All products are biodegradable, gray water safe, and hypoallergenic. Vasca’s website lists some good reminders on how to reduce your energy consumption while doing laundry. Use cold water whenever possible and try to hang your clothing to dry instead of putting them into a dryer. It’s better for the colors of your clothes plus the environment will thank you too.

sustainable pillows to green your decor

My favorite sustainable designs at NYIGF this week are k studio’s figure shaped decorative pillows that double as toys and the zipper pouches with their signature oval faces. I love the elongated shapes of their human and animal figures with the whimsical drawings and the friendly faces on the pouches. K studio’s line of sustainable soft goods is made of green materials such as organic cotton, hemp or recycled wool. Plus the eco-friendly pillows offer a kapok-filled insert option. I had admired the charming designs on shopping sites dedicated to sustainable living like Branch but was thrilled to finally see them in person. The oval face pouches are really well made and quilted with cotton batting which makes them perfect for keeping things in your purse organized. K studio was launched by mother-and-daughter team Mary and Shelly Klein in 2004. All sustainable designs are hand-made at their studio in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I adore the subtle humor in the drawings that are inspired by Shelly’s paintings. Make sure to check out their customizable eco-friendly pillows for Valentine’s Day on their website. There you can mix and match your own couple based on several drawings of men or women that are equally as cute. They are not only great for green Valentine gifts but also make fun wedding gifts for eco-chic brides and grooms.

reusable gift bags for a green holiday season

As I’m scrambling to get my last minute gift shopping done I was happy to discover the reusable LivingEthos gift bags through Organic Spa magazine. Not only do they make wrapping gifts easy without a need for scissors and tape but they are also an eco-chic alternative to traditional wrapping paper.

LivingEthos was founded by Josie Gaillard in 2008 to offer people stylish yet eco-conscious choices for their every day lives. Her modern looking gift bags are a smart way to go green with your gift wrap since you can reuse or regift them. They come in 4 different sizes so that you can wrap or store anything from jewelry, cosmetics to toys. The LivingEthos gift bags are made out of 100% cotton and the grosgrain ribbon is made out of 100% recycled PET like soda bottles. Her fun website lets you shop by occasion, giftee, style or color. As a big fan of modern eco-friendly design I love her contemporary fabrics such as retro squares, ripple stripe or martini that are all formaldehyde-free and AZO-free. The eco-modern gift bags come with a paper wraparound label made of 100% recycled paper and printed with soy based ink. It can be transformed into eco-conscious “to-from” tags for the gifts. I love that you can reuse the bags as well as the packaging. The tough part will be to decide if you want to give them away or keep them for yourself.