eco-chic design

modern and fair trade designs from Ten Thousand Villages

During a recent trip to Vancouver I visited Granville Island with its many arts and crafts studios. It also has a daily Farmer’s Market that offers local produce and culinary products. One of my highlights though was the Ten Thousand Villages store with fair-trade items from all over the world. Ten Thousand Villages is a nonprofit Fair Trade Organization (FTO) that aims to benefit artisans instead of maximizing profits. Their handmade designs come from low-income areas in developing countries and have been fairly purchased from sustainable resources.

Browsing the store is a fun way to experience different cultures and their crafts from over 35 countries. The staff is incredibly passionate about their cause to promote fair trade and shared many interesting stories behind their products with me. Always on the lookout for contemporary and sustainable designs for my eco-chic readers they recommended the following 4 designs:

1. Tree of Life Bombshell Necklace – hand crafted by Rajana Association in Cambodia.

This cute necklace is made from shell casings of bombs littered throughout Cambodia as remnants of war. The Rajana Association is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that provides training and sustainable income opportunities for disadvantaged Cambodians. It also encourages these artisans to value their cultural heritage. The tree of life pendant is hand-cut and I love how a symbol of war is turned into a symbol of peace. It was by far my favorite find at the Thousand Villages Store since I love jewelry with a meaning.

2. Hammered Aluminium Serving Tray – made by Noah’s Ark International in India.

The modern looking serving tray is made from recycled scrap aluminum handcrafted by artisans of Noah’s Ark in India. I love the hammered texture created by brass workers in Moradabab. The hand-made texture is a nice contrast to the modern triangular shape of the tray. Noah’s Ark has the goal to enable artisans to purchase their own machinery and materials through low or zero-interest loans and become self-sufficient along the process.

3. Linked Ring Fruit Bowl – created by Noah’s Ark International in India.

This bowl is another modern design made from recycled materials by the artisans of Noah’s Ark International. The cool circular design pattern is made from discarded and rusted washers that are cleaned and powder coated. How cool is that!

4. Recycled Glass and Palm Fibre Glasses – crafted by Jahanara Cottage Industries in Bangladesh.

These stylish and sustainable drinking glasses are made of recycled glass with hand-woven sleeves from palm fibre. The 4-piece set comes with a matching pitcher making it perfect for small summer gatherings. Jahanara Cottage Industries is one of the oldest handicraft organizations in Bangladesh and teaches crafts like weaving, knitting, or woodcarving using local materials.

biodegradable watches from corn resin, bamboo or organic cotton

Last weekend at the Green Festival I was amazed at the number of green companies that are based in New York like Sprout. It was cool to see the use of natural and renewable materials in their eco-friendly watches such as organic cotton, bamboo, and corn resin displayed at their booth. Corn resin is similar in its sturdiness to synthetic plastics but it’s 99% biodegradable in a compost environment and comes from a renewable resource instead of oil. Sprout’s eco-chic timepieces have bracelets made out of corn resin, organic cotton, or even fish leather from recycled fish skin. Other eco-friendly components include dials made of the rapidly renewable resource bamboo and lenses made from Mineral crystal that’s a type of glass made from sand. All eco-friendly and stylish watches use mercury free batteries. 

With summer season approaching quickly I love Sprout’s newly launched water-resistant watches. They make a great accessory for any type of eco-adventure like kayaking or getting caught in the occasional tropical rainstorm. My favorite is the 165 ft water-resistant watch with an olive colored corn resin strap and a black corn resin case and bezel. The dial is made of black bamboo and of course has a mercury free battery. I love the bold and functional looking design. For everyday city adventures I like the same eco-friendly watch with a white corn resin strap, a black corn resin bezel and a white bamboo dial. Very eco-chic.

contemporary Etsy designs that recycle, repurpose, and reimagine

As I was updating my mission I realized that I haven’t covered as many local or emerging designers as I set out to do. Hence my following short list of designers on Etsy that reuse existing materials and repurpose them in a contemporary way. Kudos to the green designers for keeping waste out of landfills and extending the life of existing products. Please let me know of any other finds to include on my pinterest board about ‘green craft ideas”.

1. Contemporary and colorful coasters made from reclaimed wooden branches by EarthArt. They are hand painted with soy paints.

2. Mini soy wax candles in recycled liquor and wine bottle caps by Eco-Imbiber. Each candle is hand poured using organic soy wax and cotton wicks. Super-cute.

3. Graphic hobo purse handmade in Hawaii by Manila Extract from a repurposed Kauai coffee sack. The front features a bold screen print of the Kauai Akialoa bird. Fun for summer!

4. Handmade cuffs from recycled leather by TrilbyMade. They are reversible and each side has a different color like orange or blue.

5. Modern graphic pillow with a mix of solids and paisley print by stitch & spoke. It's made from recycled fabric in cotton and cotton-polyester blends.

organic cotton purses with charming illustrations from Australia

Twitter has been great at connecting me with small companies of sustainable products from all over the world. Otherwise I would’ve never discovered the super-cute and eco-friendly purses by Australian based Pocket Carnival. They are illustrated, designed and created by the founder Penny Eager at her studio in Melbourne that uses 100% renewable electricity from wind power. All her fabric items such as purses or cushions are made of GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified cotton and the lining on her purses is made of recycled or vintage fabric. GOTS is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibers. It includes ecological as well as social criteria. Pocket Carnival's handmade organic cotton purses are digitally printed without excess ink. Instead all the water-based ink that is used in the process remains on the fabric. The whimsical illustration for the birds zip purse in green and plum give it a contemporary look. It can be used to hold pencils, glasses or make-up and is perfect for upcoming spring. Until then make sure to check out the designer’s illustration of rain clouds and rainbow raindrops on the chevron stripe raindrops pencil case. It will instantly cheer you up. The contrasting design of the lining is a fun surprise when opening the eco-friendly purses. Her animal designs for the organic coin purses are incredibly charming and feature stylish kangaroos in love, a hip possum with oversized reading glasses and owls holding hands. Those charming characters are cute daily reminders that living a green life-style can be fun.

stylish scarves to support sustainable business in Africa

There aren’t many deal related newsletters that I subscribe to but Social Goodies is one of them. The philosophy behind the company is to combine good deals with good deeds. Customers get to choose one of three well-known national charities that will receive 20% of their purchase as a donation. Featured products are usually fun or stylish and often based on a sustainable business model as in the cause of the non-profit fashionABLE. The mission behind the colorful and well-designed scarves by fashionABLE is to create sustainable business for women in Africa that have been exploited due to poverty such as prostitution. To help these women get off the streets fashionABLE teamed up with “Women At Risk”. The organization provides them with counseling and help to find alternate ways of income such as hand-weaving scarves through fashionABLE. Each scarf is handmade from Ethiopian cotton in the capital of Addis Ababa. The way it works is that cotton comes from the fields and is then separated for the weaving process after the seeds are removed. Next the thread is dyed and woven into unique designs named after a woman whose life has been changed through the program. My favorites are the Etanesh Stripe scarf that has a solid background with contrasting stripes and the Feleku scarf that has multiple sections of stripes and diamonds. It’s great to see how fashion can enable women. The scarves are not fair trade certified yet but fashionABLE ensures that every woman is paid a fair wage.

discarded sails are repurposed into stylish summer totes

During a bareboat charter in the British Virgin Islands last summer I was amazed how gracefully sails endure saltwater and strong winds. Sea Bags based in Maine turns sails like those at the end of their useful life into cool bags, pillows, home accessories, and most recently even surfboard shorts. The company encourages recycling by trading bags for retired sails that are then repurposed into eco-friendly and fun designs. Or instead a donation can be made to SailMaine and The Sea Bags Scholarship Fund where children learn to sail. All bags are locally handmade at Sea Bag’s design and manufacturing facilities close to and inspired by the waterfront wharf in Portland, Maine. The sails made from durable Kevlar, Mylar and carbon fiber come from all over the world. Often bold graphics of existing sails dictate a style direction. Original star sails where used to create the first Starbags that were then followed by replicates of the design. My favorite sturdy and water resistant bags are the Custom House Gull Totes with blue or metallic designs and white rope handles as well as the Sword Tote with black rope handles. Sea Bags reduces material waste as much as possible by turning leftover scraps from the cutting process of the giant sails used for bags into placemats, coaster, and change purses. Each bag is double layered so that older, less white sailcloth can be used for the inside. Naturally every bag made of recycled sail is a one of a kind.

100% organic cotton apparel that helps to protect our oceans

One of my guilty pleasures these days is to browse through all the amazing products featured on Shop With Meaning. Basically you can find items based on a cause such as clean water, eco-friendly, fair-trade, fighting poverty, human trafficking, hunger relief or social responsibility. The site then takes you to several brands like the ocean-inspired eco-friendly clothes from United By Blue. You can buy some items through Shop With Meaning and have 20% donated to the charity of your choice or go to companies like United by Blue directly. United By Blue is dedicated to the preservation and protection of our waterways and oceans through numerous initiatives. A percentage of each purchase from the company’s apparel, bags, and jewelry goes to a water related cause. With every product sold United By Blue removes one pound of trash from oceans and waterways through company organized and hosted cleanups. The eco-friendly clothes for men and women are hip with a vintage inspired look like the Blue World T-shirts made of 100% organic cotton. When purchasing you can decide if you want to support a United By Blue Cleanup in the Gulf of Mexico or at Plymouth, Massachusetts. The unisex laptop bags in navy are very cool as well and made of thick, waxed 100% organic cotton canvas. United By Blue minimizes the use of plastic packaging in their manufacturing process by 80% through the use of banana-fiber bags and hangtags are made from biodegradable elephant dung. You’ll even be rewarded with a small refund for recycling your worn products.

classic summer flats with a humanitarian cause

Lately I’ve been noticing TOMS cute ballet flats for spring in several NYC stores. They seem to be a more stylish take on the previous Argentine alpargata inspired designs. I’ve always loved TOMS One for One philosophy but couldn’t see myself wear the shoes until I saw the new styles like the dual-tone Alessandra Black flats in burlap and canvas. The concept of One for One is very straightforward and powerful. It ensures that with every pair of shoes purchased TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. For a more sustainable approach instead of one-time giving TOMS partners with humanitarian organizations worldwide. The goal is to improve children’s health and education for the long-term and not affect local businesses negatively by taking work away from them. Many soil-transmitted diseases or infections can be prevented by wearing shoes that help to keep children healthy and in school. Especially since in many developing countries children walk for miles to get to school, clean water or medical help.

Since starting the company in 2006 the founder Blake Mycoskie also added a cool eyewear line with multiple styles that follows the same One for One principle. Instead of just giving a pair of eyeglasses the program takes a more holistic approach. If you buy a pair of TOMS glasses another person receives the type of eye-care they need which could be a medical treatment, a pair of prescription glasses or sight-saving surgery. Looks like a great cause worth supporting to me.

urban reusable shopping bags that support a good cause

Every year at NYIGF here in New York I browse the sustainability display to find new eco-chic products. This year there were a lot of great eco-friendly, fair-trade and sustainable designs but what really got my attention were the Homeboy Tote Bags. These cool reusable shopping bags launched last year and are designed by Studio Artecnica and NYC-based designer Alex Lin in collaboration with Homeboy Industries in LA. I had written about Artecnica’s Design w/Conscience program before which creates contemporary products rooted in humanitarian and eco-friendly principles. Their eco-modern designs are mostly produced in developing countries but lately Artecnica seems to be more involved with local initiatives like Homeboy Industries. The Homeboy Tote Bags are reusable and keep plastic or paper bags out of landfills. But these urban-chic shopping bags do so much more since they were designed in collaboration with artists at Homeboy Industries who were formerly gang members. They are screen-printed by the Homeboy Industries screen-printing shop with provocative slogans by the organization’s founder and Jesuit priest Father Greg Boyle. All designs feature cool calligraphy with messages like “nothing stops a bullet like a job”, “hard work is easier than hard time”, and “if you hang around the barbershop you’ll wind up with a haircut”. What I love about the collaboration is that it draws attention to the gang intervention program, creates income for Homeboy Silkscreen and provides ex-gang members the opportunity to engage in a local business. A portion of the proceeds of each canvas tote goes to support Homeboy Industries.

tread lightly this spring with eco-friendly footwear

Shoes just like jeans I need to try on before purchasing. That’s why I like that Naturalizer carries Naya’s selection of eco-friendly shoes. To be honest I was not aware of the toxic effects of chrome-tanned leather until my studies in sustainable design. Not only is the chrome-tanning process unhealthy for the eco-system but also humans. Instead Naya offers vegetable-tanned shoes that combine style and sustainability. The word “naya” means renewal and their eco-friendly collection is a great way to kick off the new season.

Naya’s designs reflect their commitment to the environment through material selection and process. Their eco-chic shoes use vegetable-tanned leathers and natural or recycled content fabrics. Even the footbeds contain natural cork and the heels are made of the renewable resource bamboo. Naya looks at the full life-cycle of their eco-chic shoes by ensuring that the boxes are made with 80% recycled paper pulp, soy-based inks and water-based glue. I personally always opt out of boxes to save space and natural resources. But reusable shoe bags I love and theirs are made with recycled PET. Many of Naya’s designs take inspiration from nature such as the Natural Leaf collection. My favorite new styles are the Halima Slides and Alpine Sandals. Both are made with vegetable-tanned leather and the Alpine sandal has a recycled cork outsole with a bamboo heel. The cute designs are a perfect incentive to leave a lighter eco-footprint this spring.