• These are rad, plain and simple. Vegan, unisex moccasin-style sneaks from Keep. $75
• The new fall organic cotton tees from Loomstate hit the spot. $60
(But hey, Loomstate, I’m super bummed to see you starting to use livestock products like wool in sweaters, a leading causes of greenhouse gas emissions.)
• Chloe Jo at Girlie Girl Army introduces us to the unpressed collection from Unstitched Utilities, featuring Tyvek® material. These shoes are super lightweight, strong, casual, and comfortable. Tyvek is a made of recycled material that is lightweight and looks like paper, but is stronger than leather.
• You make me sick! Who wants to eat a chicken’s menstrual-cycle, anyway? With the largest egg recall in US history (more than a half billion eggs) and another huge meat recall in the works, now is best time to ditch animal products, if you haven’t already! Replacing eggs in cooking and baking is a cinch, choose any of these options:
• 1 tbsp milled flax seed and 3 tbsp water = 1 egg (perfect for cake).
• 1/2 banana = 1 egg (delicious in pancakes/muffins)
Shabd, a Brooklyn based label, features 100% organic cotton, hand dyed tees inspired by celestial and galactic imagery. Tie Dye never looked so good, and it’s definitely back in a big-bang way!
• Regenerate Clothing was founded and launched in Feb 2008 by May Cortazzi. Featuring original graphics and eco-fabrics including Tencel, Organic Cotton, and Organic Bamboo.
• Art For Pitties, a fundraising initiative spearheaded by long-time activist Jenith Mateja, is launching its blog site on July 1st. Art For Pitties is a collaborative project showcasing over 30 artists and their work throughout the month of July at blog address: http://artforpitties.blogspot.com. Each artist will donate a piece of original art or design a one-of-a-kind tote bag to be auctioned online during the month of August. All proceeds will benefit San Diego-based pit bull rescue and advocacy group Even Chance.
In the United States, pit bulls are underdogs. Misrepresented by the media and associated with fighting and aggressive behavior, these loving family dogs are the subject of breed bans and are often euthanized in shelters. The stigma surrounding pit bull ownership is currently unmatched by other breeds and Even Chance seeks to provide education and advocacy while running a rescue that finds homes for these loyal dogs.
All artists involved in Art For Pitties has a pit bull as a companion animal or is an advocate for the breed. They are working together to raise much needed funds for costs associated with medical needs, spay and neuter procedures, food, crates, heartworm preventatives and training classes as well as literature needed for outreach programs and events. The Art For Pitties blog will feature the initiative’s mission to educate the public on the plight of the pit bull and to create an awareness of this through art.
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, soclick here for you official invite from yours truly.
• 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!
EDUN, started in 2005 by Ali Hewson and Bono, has relaunched their website, and along with it, a crucial newinitiative: 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.
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.
