Fashion, Evolved

Photo Credit:  Digital Sophia Photography

Check out Starre Vartan’s recent post on Huffpo Green entitled:  “If the Future of Fashion Isn’t Green, What Is It?” where she gives an inside scoop on the eco fashion summit/discussion/debate/salon that took place this month in New York.  Vartan gives an excellent analysis of the issues that were discussed and wraps up with a paragraph that makes me want to cheer out loud:

Fashion is evolving, and despite James Woudhuysen’s view, it seems that change is coming from designers, passionate ecofashionistas who support them, and the behind-the-scenes folks who do the heavy lifting to get new clothes to us each season. Julie Gilhart makes the point: “Now and in the future, it’s not really about being ‘green’, per se. I see the need to develop and sell fashion and consumer products, in general, which contain a greater level of consciousness. Period.”

BRAVO!!!

I love rock n’ roll.  It has the ability to energize and inspire me and it helps me get through even the worst days. It is an American institution; a celebration of youth, freedom and rebellion. And it sounds good when it’s really, really loud.

That’s why I was stoked when I got an email from the folks at WearYourMusic.org, a righteous company that makes bracelets out of used guitar strings and sells them for charity.

That’s right.  You can get a bracelet made out of the used guitar strings of Ani DiFranco, Eric Clapton, Avril Lavigne, Roger Waters or Elvis Costello (to name just a few).  The New York based group collects the strings that would otherwise be thrown out, adds 100% recycled silver clasps and packages them in used DVD boxes.  Proceeds from the sale go to the artists’ favorite charities:  Unicef, Make-a-Wish, Rock the Vote and others.

Prices start at $75.00 and go up.  If you’re tight on your budget but still love the concept, you can pick up one of the regular guitar string fashion bracelets that start at $9.99 and come in a wide range of colors.   A portion of the proceeds of these bracelets go toward non-profit organizations that support music.

The generous folks at WearYourMusic.org have offered to give away one of the fashion guitar string braclets to one of my lucky readers!  To enter for the random drawing, simply go to their site and come back here to leave a comment about your favorite artist or bracelet on the site.  [CLICK HERE]

Entries will be accepted until midnight, July 22, 2009 (CST).  Winner will be chosen using Random.org.  The winner may choose their favorite color among the fashion bracelets as their prize.

Rock on, my friends!

I don’t often go off on a tangent on this blog.  Mostly I try to stay true to the subject of green fashion and beauty and the amazing people working to establish them in mainstream commerce.  But today I want to take a few minutes to talk to you about LOVE…and about the sweet little company called Lovemore that has made it their mission to promote LOVE in everything we do.

Love isn’t just about red hearts and chocolates.  Nor is it simply about Hallmark cards, romantic holidays, babies, puppies and kittens.  Love is widely recognized by every faith tradition and culture as the most powerful creative force on the planet.  It is what inspires us to sacrifice our own selfish instincts for the good of our families, our communities and our country.  Love inspires great art, music and literature.  It is what allows us to fully enjoy even the simplest moments in our day…a cup of tea, a few deep breaths, or holding hands with our child as we walk across the street.

The greatest men and women throughout history have been sent to us to remind us of how important love is, and why we need it.  So many of the problems in the world today could be solved if we started from a perspective of love and let that guide our negotiations, decisions, and interactions.

Two sisters–Andrea and Angela Crossman–have founded a small company called Lovemore to promote a better world and a better quality of life:

The company offers several reusable, eco-friendly items including apparel, shopping bags and other useful but attractive items bearing their logo.  Proceeds from the sales of these items go toward two excellent non-profit organizations:  Earth Birth and Farm Sanctuary.   The Crossman sisters also keep a blog to inspire love and keep their friends updated on the company’s latest efforts.

Ok, the pragmatist in me says that maybe love isn’t really ALL you need in life…but the fact is, it is the absolute cherry on top of an already amazing existence.  Let’s cherish it, experience it fully and pass it on.

Photo by Ferran Jorda

I spend a lot of time reading and writing about eco fashion and beauty; and I’m absolutely convinced of the value of going green when it comes to personal style.  But at least once a week someone asks me what the “point” of eco fashion is.  So I’ve come up with a list of ten reasons why eco fashion is an infinitely better choice over traditional clothing, shoes, accessories and cosmetics.  Ready?  Ok!

1.  Planet Earth is a Nice Place to Live.

Here’s the thing:  there is no other planet for us to live on.  Now, even if you’re not a Grape-Nuts-eating-Greenpeace-card-carrying-bleeding-heart-liberal, you still have to recognize why we should take care of the limited resources we have.  Living sustainably is simply LOGICAL.  When you buy and wear eco-fashion, you’re making a conscious decision to buy a product that was made with the least environmental impact as possible.  DUH.

2.  I Like Children.

No, I LOVE children.  I have a couple of them myself.  They are amazing!  Small versions of adults with unlimited potential to learn and grow.  Future discovery, art, and innovation lies dormant in them; waiting for us to provide a nurturing environment where it can blossom.

But a huge percentage of clothing is made with child labor overseas.  That means that while my children are enjoying their childhood–taking swimming lessons, going to the zoo and seeing movies—other children the same age are working 10+ hours a day just so they can help feed their family.  And they have to do this because their parents can’t make enough money working all day, either.

Eco fashion is about buying FAIR TRADE products which are made by ADULTS who earn a LIVING WAGE.  The next time you pick up a beautiful blouse at the store, think about the tiny fingers that probably worked on it all day.  Then put it down and look for a shirt that has a fair trade label.

3.  Money Is Important to Me.

I will freely admit that I like having money.  I work hard for it and I like knowing that the stuff I buy is worth the hours I spend earning the money I’ve paid for it.  That’s why it pisses me off to no end when I buy something and it falls apart quickly.  Eco fashion is as much about quality as it is about environmental impact.  I want to buy products that will last so that I don’t have to KEEP buying the same things over and over again.

4.  Sacrificing Health for Beauty is Stupid.

Ok, I’m not talking about chain-smoking-coke-head models.  I’m talking about you and me–the American Woman–who wants to look her best.  We each spend more than $600 a year on beauty products and cosmetics–and half of that crap doesn’t even live up to its claims.  Plus, its full of synthetic chemicals that are known carcinogens.  So stop making your beauty choices based on advertising and marketing.  The chemicals used in most beauty products are going to kill you.  If you dont believe me, please spend some time reading on the website Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

5.  I Love America.

I don’t like seeing my fellow countrymen/women out of work.  And while I appreciate the other cultures and societies around the world, I would really prefer to support the people who live around me–my “neighbors”–with my money.  And yes, it might cost a little more.  But that’s because it costs money to live.  And I don’t begrudge anyone from earning an honest living.

6.  Clothes Make the Wo(man).

When people look at you, they know what kind of person you are by the clothes you’re wearing.  Yes, it’s superficial.  But that’s how the world operates, so you might as well get used to it.  Wearing eco fashion is a great way to let the world know that you are a person who walks your talk.  You value hard work, honesty, ethics, health, and kindness.  You make choices based on what’s good for everyone, not just yourself (a/k/a The Golden Rule).

7.  Style = Uniqueness

It used to be that fashion was an art.  People used it to express themselves, and took great pains to stand out as individuals.  These days, people are fashion lemmings.  Vogue comes out with a new Coach bag and people rush to plunk down their money so they can be seen carrying it.  As if fashion were some kind of club and everyone who was “in” had the same matching cashmere t-shirt.  Look, I like luxury.  But I am no sheep.  Eco fashion is about finding independent designers, exquisite vintage pieces, and unique  materials.  It’s about building your own look, not buying a pre-manufactured one.

8.  I Like Bunnies.

And puppies.  And kittens.  And monkeys.  And even lizards.  I think animals are amazing, beautiful, and valuable members of our global family.  That’s why it breaks my heart to think of hundreds of thousands of them trapped in cages, being tortured every day just so some company can pass off synthetic chemicals as “beauty” products.  Especially because its not even necessary.  Buy cruelty-free or vegan beauty products, please.  Even some mainstream drugstore cosmetics companies have stopped animal testing.  To check if your favorite company is kind to all God’s creatures–use this search tool on the PETA website.

9.  Smart Really Is Sexy.

Come on, you know it’s true.  Smart girls are sexy.  They may be pretty; they may be fun–but underneath it all, there’s substance that keeps you coming back for more.  A smart woman thinks about all her choices; and that includes what she puts on.

10.  I’m Worth It.

No, really.  I am.  It’s not just a marketing slogan.  I am WORTH spending a little extra on to take care of my body and live up to my ethics.  I’m WORTH the luxury of organic cotton and paraben-free lotion.  I’m WORTH taking care of, and eco fashion is just one of the ways I do it.

This week I’m pleased to have the chance to give away yet another fantastic, sustainable product to one of my lucky readers.  This necklace (value $38) is handmade in Kenya and sold through the non-profit organization Ten Thousand Villages.  Please read on to the end of my post to find out how to enter to win!

Some companies sell sustainable products.  Others have based their entire mission and philosphy on sustainability.  Ten Thousand Villages is one of the latter.  This non-profit company was founded in 1946 by a woman named Edna Ruth Byler after she became shocked at the level of poverty she saw during a trip to Puerto Rico.  Since then the organization had grown to more than 156 retail outlets in the U.S.  Ten Thousand Villages was recently listed on Forbes Magazine’s list of most ethical companies in the world.

Vision

One day all artisans in the developing
countries will earn a fair wage, be treated with dignity and respect
and be able to live a life of quality.

Mission

Ten Thousand Villages provides vital, fair income to Third World people by
marketing their handicrafts and telling their stories in North America.
Ten Thousand Villages works with artisans who would otherwise be
unemployed or underemployed. This income helps pay for food, education,
health care and housing. Ten Thousand Villages is a nonprofit program
of Mennonite Central Committee.

The business model is simple.  Ten Thousand Villages seeks out local artisans in economically challenged areas around the globe.  They then form a working relationship with the artisans, helping them to set up their business, strategically plan for future growth and fine  tune their work.  The company is committed to providing fair prices to their supplies and customers, forming long-term relationships, and providing collaborative support for the artisans.

Unlike other wholesale relationships, Ten Thousand Villages pays the artisans 1/2 of their agreed upon funding before they begin work,  and 1/2 as soon as there is confirmation that the product has shipped.  This means that when you buy a product from Ten Thousand Villages, the person who made it has already been paid in full for it.  This unique model allows the artisans to live comfortably, avoid taking burdensome debt, and plan for the future more easily.

The company employs individuals who travel to the artisans’ workshops each year to ensure that they are using ethical employment practices; and they encourage their artisan partners to use environmentally friendly materials and processes when creating their wares.

The products at Ten Thousand Villages range from jewelry to housewares.  Whether you’re shopping for yourself or for a gift, you’ll find unique items that will be treasured for many years.  I simply can’t imagine why, if given a choice, someone would not buy excellent products from a company that helps support needy people.

Ten Thousand Villages also works with growers and producers to sell fair-trade coffee, tea and chocolate in their retail stores.  You can find a store close to you using their search feature on the website.  Ten Thousand Villages also works with non-profit organizations to help them raise funds by providing items to them to sell.  You can find these local ‘festival sales’ using another search feature.

When you visit the Ten Thousand Villages website, you’ll have a chance to read the stories of the artisan partners and will begin to see just how impactful your spending can be.  In fact, one of the main goals of the green movement is to help end consumers visualize the entire lifespan of the products they use, and understand the impact that the creation, use, and disposal of the product has on the environment and on other cultures around the world.

I invite you to visit the Ten Thousand Villages website and come back to post a comment about any of the wonderful products in their shop that catches your eye.  Anyone who leaves a comment will be entered to win the beautiful brass circles necklace ($38) pictured at the top of the post.  The deadline to submit your comment is midnight (CST), Friday, April 3, 2009.