fashion
Loyale Clothing [posted on April 10, 2006]
Using only organic cotton, designer Jenny Hwa creates sophisticated activewear with the goal of transforming the uninspiring activewear market with a fashion-forward, organic cotton collection for stylish gym and yoga mavens. The alluring fit and organic textiles for the fashionably conscious set. Taking an ecological stance, while creating frocks with beckoning silhouettes and charming details are Loyale's signature criterion. [Loyale Clothing]
Lucien Pellat Finet [posted on April 10, 2006]
Taking hemp from hippy to hip, Lucien Pellat Finet designed his first luxury streetwear collection in 1994. Delighting hipsters from New York to Paris with all-organic vegetable dies and ultra-hip, Lucien even has a design-your-own cashmere sweaters and tops on his website. [Lucien Pellat Finet]
Margaret O'Leary [posted on April 10, 2006]
A strong supporter of breast cancer and children's causes especially in the Bay Area, Margaret O'Leary's bamboo silk and hemp/silk blended knitwear and fashions look good and do good. With boutiques in New York and Seattle as well as San Francisco, her upscale apparel and accessories is available all around the country. Her luxurious knitwear and unique sportswear is as stylish as it is comfortable. [Margaret O'Leary]
Marks & Spencer [posted on April 9, 2006]
Authentic upscale apparel and homeware goes hand-in-hand with the social, ethical and environmental issues that guide the way Marks & Spencer do business. They invite everyone to look behind their label to see that the products are made to a very high standard, from quality and social and environmental perspectives. Greenpeace have recently rated Marks & Spencer's tropical hardwood garden furniture as the highest grade A for sustainable sourcing, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. [Marks & Spencer]
Mountain Equipment Co-Op [posted on April 9, 2006]
From sourcing and factory conditions to greening their operations to community involvement, MEC is striving for sustainability from top to bottom. They helped establish the respected Leave No Trace program in Canada to promote responsible outdoor recreation, and recently added compostable BioBags so you can bury your concerns about using too much plastic. [MEC]
Nike [posted on April 9, 2006]
That's right -- the Swoosh is leading the way in the apparel industry by phasing out PVC and purchasing loads of organic cotton for their new apparel. They're also busy building fields, tennis courts and gym floors out of old shoes, and take that ethos into their new Considered line of shoes, using recycled rubber, reducing manufacturing waste and building them without adhesives of any kind. [Nike]
Patagonia [posted on April 9, 2006]
Long-time leaders in corporate social responsibility, Patagonia uses their position as outdoor industry leaders to leverage their use of organic cotton, recycled-plastic fabrics, green building and conservation alliances to do further good among the apparel industry. They believe in using business to inspire solutions to the environmental crisis, and is dedicated to helping preserve the last wild places on earth. [Patagonia]
People Tree [posted on April 9, 2006]
With cloes for men, women, teens, kids and babies, People Tree has you covered with eco-friendly, fair-trade clothing and home products. They're all about creating jobs within communities, creating jobs for the economically marginalized, encouraging gender development and promoting sustainability. They operate very transparently and pay very close attention to their fair-trade and eco-declarations, so you know their products haven't harmed people or planet. [People Tree]
Polo Jeans G.I.V.E. Campaign [posted on April 9, 2006]
Get Involved. Volunteer. Exceed. The Polo Jeans G.I.V.E. Campaign is a call to get involved, volunteer and exceed. G.I.V.E. is about giving of yourself -- your time, passion and energy. To date, Polo Jeans have donated more than $1 million to G.I.V.E. organizations who make things better for kids, the elderly, animals and our communities across the country. [Polo Jeans G.I.V.E. Campaign]
Project Alabama [posted on April 9, 2006]
Operating in a little three-bedroom house, each Project Alabama garment is sewn by hand by a team of "stitchers" who use tried and true embroidery and quilting techniques to create this distinctly American products. Not only are they helping to keep these fading domestic arts alive, they strive to give them a contemporary context that has a real place in the world of design and fashion. [Project Alabama]
Solar SeV - The Solar-Powered Jacket [posted on April 9, 2006]
The solar panels on the Solar SeV Jacket enable you to recharge your USB compatible devices on the go, either while wearing the jacket or with the panels removed. The solar panels charge a small battery - about the size of a deck of cards. Typical charge times in direct sunlight range from 2-3 hours, but direct sunlight is not required, and it'll charge lots of devices including cell phones, PDAs, Game Boys, MP3 players and more. [Solar Sev Jacket]
Slingfings [posted on April 9, 2006]
Handmade using solar power and funky reclaimed vintage fabrics, Slingfings is proud to be Australia's first climate-neutral business. Their fun, retro stylings are given a modern twist by designer Rachel Bending (read our interview with Rachel in SASS Magazine), who infuses style and an understated sense of sexy into each Slingfings garment and bag. [Slingfings]
Speak Clothing [posted on April 9, 2006]
Featuring kids' and women's 100% organic cotton t-shirts, each shirt by Speak Clothing features an American Sign Language hand symbol. A fun and creative introduction to this unique style of communication, a percentage of each sale will go directly to a program that benefits children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Words like "play", "laugh", "run" and "breathe" are silk-screened; the shirts can be found in San Fran and at SSF pal 3r Living in NYC. [Speak Clothing]
Stella McCartney [posted on April 9, 2006]
Sir Paul & Linda's daughter designs conscious high-fashion that eschews both leather and fur. Her brand includes women's ready-to-wear, accessories and eyewear, and can be found in her flagship stores in NYC, LA and London. Stella was named the Organic Style Woman of the Year in 2005 for her achievements in fashion and social consciousness. [Stella McCartney]
Stewart+Brown [posted on April 9, 2006]
Using only organic cotton for their green-produced, downtown-inspired apparel, Stewart+Brown mix environmental consciousness with good, cool design. A member of 1% For The Planet, their cashmere also comes from a fledgling Mongolian cashmere co-op run by herders who process the woolly stuff themselves, and many of their materials also come from factory surplus; materials that would otherwise be tossed or just left to gather dust in a warehouse are given a stylish second chance. [Stewart+Brown]
