eco-chic design

ethically designed organic sportswear from New Zealand

Before my trip to New Zealand I didn’t know much about Maori culture so that I started reading Richard Bang’s “Quest for Kaitiakitanga”. The one thing I learned so far is that they live in harmony with their eco-system. While scouting sustainable fashion in Auckland I was excited to realize that Untouched World’s logo represents a Maori kite to symbolize an ideal relationship between man and nature. Instinctively I loved the design before I even knew what it stands for. 

Untouched World was the first fashion company in the world to be recognized by the United Nations for sustainability in 2007. The sustainable fashion and sportswear brand looks at the full life cycle of their products in regards to their environmental, social, cultural and economic impact. Their garments carry the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UN DESD) logo on their labels - made of organic cotton of course. Untouched World uses materials such as GOTS certified organic cotton, Biogro certified organic merino, sustainably farmed merino, and chemical free bamboo fabric. Even the finishing process includes sustainable materials such as recycled cotton buttons or nut buttons. I love their sportswear collection like their rei hoodee that has some super-cute kangaroo pockets with a tapered waistline for women or the zip shirt for men. Both sustainable garments are made of Untouched World’s Organic Mountainsilk from 100% organic Merino fibres grown without the use of toxic, synthetic pesticides or herbicides. Check out the performance cycling collection as well.

natural skincare made from unique New Zealand botanicals

Since I got to Auckland I’ve been amazed at the variety of natural skincare lines that are made in New Zealand. I’m not surprised since the landscape has been gorgeous. Living Nature’s website states that 80% of New Zealand’s plants can’t be found anywhere else in the world due to its geographical isolation for more than 80 million years. It’s these unique plants that go into the sustainable skincare, body care and cosmetic lines. 

I discovered the natural skincare line through Ecostore where I picked up Living Nature’s rescue gel made from Manuka oil and Manuka honey. My hope is that it’ll soothe my skin that has been breaking out thanks to the high humidity in Auckland. And I’m sure going from winter in NYC to summer in New Zealand didn’t help either. The packaging of the product is not only super-gorgeous with a black illustration of a Manuku flower but also 100% recyclable. It comes in a carton sourced from renewable forests and contains no toxins or chlorine bleach. All Living Nature’s products are paraben and synthetic preservative free. The sustainable skincare line contains only 100% natural ingredients, preservatives and fragrances and is certified by BDIH Germany to ensure the ingredients are safe. It’s comforting to know that the products are biodegradable since they are washed down the drain at the end of the day. Keep your fingers crossed that Living Nature’s rescue gel will help to soothe my skin as well as the planet.

modern outdoor apparel inspired by New Zealand merino

On my plane ride to Auckland I learned that New Zealand has about 4 million people and 44 million sheep. No wonder Wellington-based company Icebreaker has such an amazing collection of merino fiber garments. It was the first outdoor clothing company to develop a merino fiber layering system that now covers sustainable underwear, mid layer and outerwear. I love how the design of the eco-friendly garments is based on simple observations in nature. 

The merino sheep is a perfect example of nature-based innovation. It lives high up in the Southern Alps of New Zealand where a lot of other species can’t survive. This led to its finer fibre wool that increases insulation for winter and breathability during summer. Usually the Merino sheep is shorn in summer leaving it with a thin layer before it bulks up again for winter. Now apply similar principles to humans and you get Icebreaker’s merino wool layering system that combines high-performance with sustainable style. A very knowledgeable sales person at the Icebreaker store in Auckland explained the design system to me. Basically all base and insulation layers come in different weights depending on their warmth so that each garment is labeled with a number. For example the L/S Chase Zip layer in the color belize/silver is part of their performance sports product line in lightweight 200. The bigger the number, the warmer you’ll be. It’s a really cool idea and I agree with Icebreaker’s philosophy: nature is the world’s best designer.

eco-friendly flashlights that double as toys

Over the holidays I gave my nephew and niece farm and zoo torches by Ecotronic and both were a big hit. I had settled on the pig from the farm collection and the monkey from the zoo collection. Choosing which one was the hardest part. Not only are the hand-powered flashlights incredibly cute but also easy on the environment thanks to their battery free construction.

Here’s how the self-powered flashlights work: you simply squeeze the handle on the adorable zoo or farm animals to power the torch and LED lightbulb. This will also illuminate their nose. It’s a similar mechanism to the dynamo technology on an old bike. The dynamo produces electricity that’s then stored in a rechargeable battery. It’s that simple. And the best thing is that the battery will not run out or need replacing. Instead it just keeps recharging each time the handle is squeezed which means more toxins will be kept out of landfills. The eco-friendly torches are entertaining tools to teach kids (and grown ups) about alternative sources of energy production. They make cool toys as well as great emergency torches for eco-friendly homes or adventure trips. In fact the human-powered flashlights are so cute that you might want to keep an extra one in your backpack or kitchen drawer. Other eco-friendly techno toys by Ecotronic include the Eco Rocket that comes in Gekopak packaging made from recycled and recyclable material. It’s great to see that generating less waste can be more fun.

have a creative and healthy New Year with natural art supplies

During my studies for sustainable design at MCAD last year I was building 3-D models to understand Buckminster Fuller’s philosophies a bit better. To build my models I used bamboo skewers and play dough which led to my discovery of the natural art supply company eco-kids. Their eco-dough is a green alternative to conventional play dough and great for small or big model makers alike. It’s made with plant, fruit and vegetable extracts and has no chemicals, artificial dyes or metals. Each cardboard tube contains five canisters of eco-dough in yellow, green, orange, blue and red. The packaging is super-cute. You can also extend the life span of the all-natural sculpting dough by adding a few drops of olive or flaxseed oil in case you forgot to put it back into its container. The rehydration process only works for the first few days and you still need to knead it like real dough. But this way models can evolve with kids’ growing imagination. Or survive my changing design explorations of course. The containers for the eco-friendly play dough are made from cornstarch and are fully compostable.

Eco-kids is a family-run company and based in Portland, Maine. All products are made with the environment and safe playtime in mind. I can’t wait to check out their Easter egg coloring kit and sidewalk chalks for spring. Here’s to a colorful (including green) and imaginative New Year!