Loden Dager & BBlessing: Sustainable Offerings Sale

Loden Dager’s sale on GILT MAN is putting these coveted cotton blazers and pant on sale up to 70% off! Although it doesn’t say so on GILT, the Turquoise suit and Blue Stripe Blazer is in organic cotton, according to my contact at Loden Dager. Sustainably wool-free!

Gilt is members-only, so click here for you official invite from yours truly.

Cotton 2 Button BlazerCotton Twill Pants

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• Equally rare and exciting is BBlessing’s linen tuxedo in gray and black on GILT MAN (with matching shorts and pant). Linen is a very sustainable fabric made from flax, and is often organic by default and not very water intensive. Sustainably wool-free!

Casual Linen Tuxedo JacketCasual Linen Tuxedo JacketCasual Tuxedo ShortsCasual Tuxedo Trousers

EDUN: Grow to Sew

5206248fa-100_frontEDUN, started in 2005 by Ali Hewson and Bono, has relaunched their website, and along with it, a crucial new initiative: Grow to Sew. One hundred percent of proceeds from the Grow to Sew series will go to the Conservation Cotton Initiative (CCI) in Uganda, an organic farming program created by EDUN and the Wildlife Conservation Society that aims to build sustainable, organic farming communities and offer farmers a fair trade market for their cotton. This comes at the first signs of peace after decades of civil war, strife, and unrest in this once-fertile, cotton growing region of Uganda called Gulu.

As part of the Pre Fall Collection created in honor of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, EDUN introduces a Special Edition Grow to Sew African produced tee shirt series, which features organic cotton, and bold black and white graphics inspired by the vibrancy of the continent. Included in this series is a “South Africa 2010” soccer ball graphic tee that features the shape of the African continent at the center of the ball.

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In addition to this initiative, EDUN’s mens’ A/W 2010 collection is looking tremendous with subtle grays, slate blues, tans, and olive. All fair trade, mostly organic cotton. I love everything EDUN stands for, but I do wish they’d ditch that one leather jacket they offer, being that livestock is the worst ecological offender out there ( and it’s just mean) – and there are so many amazing, sustainable  alternatives.

Not Just A Label: Exclusive Organic Collection

NOTJUSTALABEL.com, a global business directory for the avant-garde fashion design industry, presents its first, collaborative, Organic Collection for Spring-Summer 2010.


Maintaining their strong focus on championing the industry’s eco-fashion sector, NJAL’s t-shirts are made from organic fair-trade cotton, meaning the fabric is void of any synthetic chemicals. As a company aiming to break the ground for the design of tomorrow, ethical production is the only way to go.

Since its beginnings in 2008, NOT JUST A LABEL (NJAL) has strived to support new fashion design talent from around the world by providing a destination site for consumers to reference and buy direct from their favorite new designers. As a limited edition offering NJAL have partnered with three very exciting new designers that currently showcase on the NJAL directory to create a unique collection of organic cotton  t-shirts and tank tops featuring signature designs and prints by the designers. The handmade pieces feature a special embroidered label, detailing the designer’s background and choice of design and each piece comes in a beautiful presentation box.

NJAL worked with three designers on the project, chosen for their unique sustainable sensibilities and eclectic style. London based Japanese designer Aoi Kotsuhiroi has applied her individual poetic imprint to the collection. The pristine yet powerful expression of her jewellery design is perfectly translated through print on her sheer cotton fabric ‘Nowhere’ Tank Top.

Patrick Mohr is one of Germany’s most current and prominent designers; his loose-fitting t-shirt silhouette provides a perfect template for the style of the NJAL t-shirts. The simplistic graphic black and white fabric divide on both the t-shirt and tank gives a masculine edge and simplicity to these unisex styles.

Spon Diogo is the design duo that provided the unique print for the third unisex t-shirt. With the graphic and structured take on prints and cuts that is so characteristic of young Danish design, the Ying Yang t-shirt perfectly balances out the collection.

In addition to the ethical modes of production, t-shirts ordered from the collection will be delivered in custom designed sustainable packaging by UPS, the world’s largest package delivery company. UPS will provide in-kind delivery of the orders placed via NOTJUSTALABEL.com. Nick Basford, marketing director, UPS UK & Ireland, commented: “Every day, UPS’s expertise helps facilitate the movement of fashion goods around the globe. This project offers a unique opportunity to support the work of some of the world’s most exciting new designers, while at the same time helping to promote a more sustainable and ethical industry, an aim UPS is wholly committed to as a company.

The NOT JUST A LABEL Organic T-Shirts will be available in a limited stock from the online shop NOTJUSTALABEL.com from Wednesday, 23rd June 2010 and priced at £55 / €65 each.

Dirty Dozen, Have a Cow & Prime Peacoats

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• Timeless Navy coats get ethical. Dress to oppress (I mean impress…). I love Barney’s exclusive organic cotton twill peacoat, inspired by Fidelity’s classic US Navy coats. Barney’s also offers a handsome Fidelity, organic cotton, toggle front peacoat in khaki. While an ethical military may never exist, the utilitarian clothing designed for it is often flawlessly functional.

• The Dirty Dozen. The Environmental Working Group, a public health nonprofit, put out a list of the fruits and veggies to absolutely avoid unless they’re organic. They analyzed almost 100,000http://www.studiobotanika.com/avactis-images/pimage_654_000000001_0.jpg produce pesticide reports from the USDA and the FDA. The “Dirty Dozen,” which contain 47 to 67 pesticides per serving, are the most dangerous because they have porous or textured skins that suck up more pesticides.

  1. 1. Celery
  2. 2. Peaches
  3. 3. Strawberries
  4. 4. Apples
  5. 5. Domestic blueberries
  6. 6. Nectarines
  7. 7. Sweet bell peppers
  8. 8. Spinach, kale and collard greens
  9. 9. Cherries
  10. 10. Potatoes
  11. 11. Imported grapes
  12. 12. Lettuce

Clean Fifteen. On the other side of this equation is the fruits and veggies that are not terribly hazardous if you get the conventional, non-organic varieties. These had the least detectable residues of pesticides:http://www.clarkart.edu/media/image/web/20100121-onions.jpg

  1. 1. Onions
  2. 2. Sweet corn
  3. 3. Sweet peas
  4. 4. Asparagus
  5. 5. Cabbage
  6. 6. Eggplant
  7. 7. Sweet potatoes
  8. 8. Avocados
  9. 9. Pineapples
  10. 10. Mangoes,
  11. 11. Kiwi
  12. 12. Domestic cantaloupe
  13. 13. Watermelon
  14. 14. Grapefruit
  15. 15. Honeydew

• Have a Cow, Man. Do you have some land? Enough for a cow or two to hang out on? Farm Sanctuary needs a few good men to be new dads to some recently rescued calves. What’s better than hanging out with a giant puppy? Click HERE to find out how you can become the most ethical cowboy around.

Sea & Sand: Desert Boots & Boat Shoes

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I just purchased these sweet, faux-nubuck “Mariner Shoes” with a gum-rubber sole. Boat shoes are really comfy, non-slip, and a great, light summer shoe. Plus, they’re a classic that is having a moment in the spotlight again. Fairly made in Portugal. Sustainably leather-free. mooshoes.com $119.95

Speaking of classics having a moment, Desert Boots are big right now, too. They were originated for utilitarian military purposes in Cairo during World War II as an alternative to stiff, hot, and heavy army boots. Nathan Clark, upon his return to the US after serving in the 1940s, apprehensively introduced the boot through his family’s shoe company, and they caught on with Jazz musicians and mods in the 50s and 60s, and rappers and alterna-rockers in the 90s. Finally, a sustainable and rugged desert boot in faux-suede, lined in corduroy with double stitching. Made fairly in Poland. Sustainably leather-free. vegetarian-shoes.co.uk $80.


Desert Boot (Brown)  - click to enlargeDesert Boot (Black)  - click to enlarge

GUNAS

Distinct, industrial, strong, and detailed; On April 1st, 2010, GUNAS made its debut. We’ll be covering a lot more from this emerging vegan accessories line, but I wanted to share a glimpse of some of their men’s bags.

GUNAS Bags and Products

We now know that from start to finish, the amount of energy required to create a leather hide is 20 times greater than what’s used to produce a synthetic material. Even Bill Bartholomew, a representative for The Leather Group admitted at the World Shoes Accessories ecoEthics Conference in February that “eco-friendly” vegetable tanning is just as polluting as chrome tanning. That’s where companies like GUANS step in, making luxury vegan bags using PU/PVC-free materials such as ultra-suede, organic cotton, canvas, nylon, velvet, linen, cork, and a synthetic eco-lining and water-based glues. All bags are manufactured in Manhattan under fair conditions. Part of every purchase is donated to Earth Matters Foundation, India.

Stay tuned for more about this line very soon.

(Thanks to Olsen Haus for the leather research)

Celery Hard-On, Our Legacy, and Black & Noir

• All of you Discerning Brutes out there know how difficult it is to find menswear that is distinctive, well-made, ethical, and classic. Our Legacy is a Swedish line featuring thoughtfully tailored shirting, suiting, knitwear and more. Their blazers are versatile, and cut short. Many of their shirts are inspired by cuts from the 1940′s. They do have several ethical options, including a naturally dyed, oak-buttoned blazer in hemp, a linen bomber-jacket in navy, dead-stock shirts, shirts in organic cotton, and hemp shorts and trousers in olive and camel. Everything is sweatshop-free; designed in Sweden, constructed in Portugal with Japanese fabric. I really hope to see more and more sustainable fabrics added to future collections, and for these Stockholm designers to ditch leather (why, you ask?).

http://4pack.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/celery2.jpg• Admit it, celery gives you a hard-on. A new study concluded that eating lots of celery is like “Vegetable Viagra“. It contains androstenone, a natural steroid that increases pheromone secretion, sex drive, and ups the amount of ejaculatory fluids, making climax stronger. Of course, this is not news to you guys who already know that diets heavy in meat and dairy have been linked to poor sperm quality, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction. Contrary to popular belief, the male hormone testosterone that determines sexual development and interest has been found to be 13 % higher in vegans than in meat-eaters.

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• You’re in a rush (again), and your hair is a greasy mess. It’s okay, we all do it; there’s no time for a shower. So, do you throw on a baseball cap and throw in the flag? Certainly not! You use organic, dry shampoo! It’s only tested on human heads, is talc-free and scented with earthy essential oils, and takes care of greasy, oily buildup. From Lulu Organics. Comes in a handy travel-size, too! $40 for the huge one, and $9.50 for the mini.

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• Nothing beats a beat-up, super soft tee in spring, summer or underneath a button-down. Ultrasoft, 100% organic cotton V-necks from Black & Noir  – $58 at blackbirdballard.com

Blanc & Noir Short Sleeve V Neck Tee in GreyBlanc & Noir Short Sleeve V Neck Tee in Haze

PARISIAN PIONEER: C-PAS’ Pierre-André Senizergues

Pierre-André Senizergues has a Hollywood story. He went from a Parisian childhood, to being homeless on the streets of Venice Beach, to becoming an international skateboarding champion and then one of the most influential and respected businessmen in the apparel and skate industry, heading-up Sole Technologies, Inc. Now, with over 25 years of revolutionizing skate culture, Pierre is again setting new standards and breaking new boundaries with social responsibility and environmentalism. C-PAS is Pierre’s latest personal endeavor, and along with designer Pierluigi Pucci, Senizergues is making menswear from recycled parachutes and tarps, organic cotton, soda bottles, sustainable fabrics, and he is finally addressing the fact that leather can never be sustainable.

I stopped by the Soho, NYC studio to try on some of the clothes, and chat about C-PAS, sustainable fashion, and menswear.

Step Right Up, In Novacas.

I’m pretty excited about the Autumn-2010 collection of men’s shoes from Novacas. From the tan, sleek soles and the gray, brown, and black uppers in classic, handsome styles to edgy details like an asymmetrical opening on the Emmett, to the fold-down throat on the Milo, these shoes and boots showcase a welcomed shrewdness from Novacas. The profiles are trim and elegant, and I also really enjoy the contrast of the high-polish toe on the gray Milo against the rest of the matte upper. The best part about a well-made men’s shoe is that it looks good with anything: shorts, jeans, slacks, a suit.

Novacas’ shoes are 80% biodegradable (on their way to being 100%), totally vegan, and made under fair conditions in European factories. To top it off, sister designers Erica and Sara Kuberski own MooShoes, NYC’s only 100% ethical shoe store.

Eco Designers Show Us How It’s Done & Jake Shields Can Beat You Up

Swing by Hint Magazine today through Earth Day and check out Part 1 of 4 of the article I wrote on the top 20 Eco Designers to know by Earth Day!

Strikeforce Champion MMA fighter, Jake Shields is not mincing words. He can “run further, train harder, and pack a meaner punch without eating animals“. I did an interview with him back in 2008. Check out his new campaign for Peta2.


Learn more about Jake Shields at peta2.com.

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