Seed & Sew

December 24, 2008

The Ohio Knitting Mills

Posted by katelivesinbrooklyn under Clothing | Tags: eco fashion, knit, Midwest, Ohio Knitting Mills, Online, sweaters, vintage |
No Comments

detail_hoodie

detail_burgandylightsmock

Cleaveland. 1928. The Ohio Knitting Mills are born, and grow throughout the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s to a factory of pure Midwestern work ethic and enormous proportions employing 700 people and taking up a whole city block. They made sweaters for Sears, Sacks and everything in-between.

And the best thing they ever did was to pull out samples of all of their post-WWII styles and store them in a cool, dry place for posterity. This amazing vintage collection is available for sale online. Wearing a piece of history, now that’s something.

Thanks, Tara, for sending us the link! You should totally get this one.

stutteringdiamonds interwovendiamonds

flowersatyourwaist tritritriangles

December 24, 2008

Mod Cloth

Posted by katelivesinbrooklyn under Clothing | Tags: eco fashion, Mod Cloth, one-of-a-kind, online boutique, vintage |
No Comments

picture-2

This is a great story. Susan Gregg-Kroker started Mod Cloth when her thrift store collection got too big and she needed to unload a few pieces online. Now she and her husband keep the ‘thrifter’ thing going, collect vintage, one-of-a-kind and small-designer pieces for this great online boutique.

Very popular, their tights collection:

picture-31

Check them out!

December 21, 2008

New life as links

Posted by katelivesinbrooklyn under Accessories | Tags: cuff links, Recycled, reused, scrabble, subway token, typewriter, wine barrel, Yankee stadium |
No Comments

links1 links6

links4 links2

links3 links5

Eco Artware is a web-based gallery for eco-friendly designers. These cufflinks are really cool and recycled out of old, obsolete stuff. The cufflink is having a resurgence…and the old stuff they find to make them out of is, well, pretty cool.

These are as follows: Old typewriter keys, old New York subway tokens, pieces of Yankee stadium, wine barrels, scrabble tiles and Boeng 707 wing ribs (whatever those are.)

With most of these under $100 - they make interesting gifts for those collared-shirt-wearing, historical-object fancy-ing people that are so hard to buy for.

December 17, 2008

Shop better

Posted by katelivesinbrooklyn under Resources | Tags: Online, sustainability, eco fashion, Better World Shopper, University of Colorado, Boulder, rating, guide, tool |
No Comments

Oh the University of Colorado, Boulder, incubator of some of the greatest strategic minds in sustainability. That’s where Ellis Jones was, er, incubated - and where he created the Better World Shopper study and online tool for ethical and environmentally-sound shopping.

With a survey of non-profit studies on companies reaching back 10 years, and a database he build to evaluate each company, he built this system as a reference tool for conscientious consumers. It goes like this:

And here’s what the “clothing” section looks like:

Aside from the fact that he has an obvious bent against Wal-Mart, that nobody wears LA Gear anymore, and that this list isn’t exactly comprehensive (we could add a whole blogroll of companies to the A+ category) - it’s a great reference tool to start from. Most dismaying - having to buy your v-neck T’s at American Apparel now instead of Fruit of the Loom, damn!

December 15, 2008

Super geek

Posted by katelivesinbrooklyn under Accessories | Tags: Accessories, Etsy, eco fashion, recycle, circuit boards |
No Comments

broch1

keychains

links

bookmarks

Debby Arem is a chic Etsy geek. Brooches, cufflinks, gadgets, knick-knacks…all made from recycled circuit boards. As our e-waste piles up, more and more creative things can be done with it - less mercury to China, thanks! Check out Debby and some of these great stocking stuffer ideas for some of your geek-thusiasts!

December 14, 2008

Todd Reed

Posted by katelivesinbrooklyn under Accessories | Tags: gold, Jewelry, raw diamonds, Recycled, silver engagement, Todd Reed |
1 Comment

picture-4

picture-5

Raw diamonds are a thing of the future.

Todd Reed, ex pastry chef, makes simple, elegant and richly textured rings, bracelets, necklaces using raw diamonds. Recently my good friend Suzi got a double band as an engagement ring from her extremely with-it fiancé Mike – now listen up because this is enviable. Mike worked closely with the jewelry designers to create this ring especially for Suzi – and they worked with him to combine gold and silver elements to meet his budget. Suzi is walking around like all she’s got is a left hand.

We’ve blogged about ethical diamonds in the past – this is an antiquated industry, fatal for some, unjust for others, that really, truly needs to change. It’s up to the hip and happening about-to-be-engaged to find ethical solutions to our traditions. Todd Reed is definitely one shining star example.

The gold used in Todd’s work is recycled and all of the diamonds are purchased through reputable sources including many ecofriendly locations.

December 12, 2008

Steampunk Fashion Show Video

Posted by katelivesinbrooklyn under video | Tags: Brooklyn, Brooklyn Indie Market, DIY, eco fashion, fashion, Steampunk, video |
1 Comment

Steampunk Day at the Brooklyn Indie Market from Kate Cook on Vimeo.

That was a mouthful…

It’s been a long time coming - but we have liftoff!

Click on the link to enjoy this video, and perhaps more video/fashion entertainment to follow…?

December 11, 2008

Jolly and cheap- eco gifts for $20 or less

Posted by katelivesinbrooklyn under Accessories | Tags: b-love, eco fashion, Ecobags, gifts, I'm Not A Plastic Cup, ideas, JAK Random Art, Nimli, Recycled, reusable, Sigg |
No Comments

Welcome to our holiday cheap eco gifts guide. These are all things we ourselves would love to be given - pass it along, please!

il_430xn48266645 il_430xn48219518

Recycled shirt cuffs from B-Love of Spain are a great idea for those guys in your life who need a little extra flair. Exciting new, B-Love’s online store is now up and running - these are some of the most romantic eco-looks for boys, so please check them out.

15800_zoom 7314_zoom

Cuffs for the ladies made from recycled records from JAK Random Art are available in droves online at Nimli. They are really sweet items and great to personalize to your gift recipient, as all are different. To buy, click on our icon at the top right of the page!

753320 812710 813490

The classic Sigg boggle, the thrilling new Sigg flask (hot toddies in the street!) and the Sigg lifestyles series all make it very possible for your gift recipient to really be excited about unwrapping a canteen. Isn’t it great?

not_a_paper_cup

A couple more fascinating accessories: the I’m-Not-A-Paper-Cup by DCI is this really amazing object, a double-layered ceramic cup perfect for hot liquids with a rubber lid that looks exactly like the dreaded Starbucks cup, but is reusable. And Ecobags, home of a rainbow selection of reusable shopping bags, has this adorable little bamboo cutlery set, rolled into a cloth carrying case, handmade and fair traded by artisans in Thailand.

There are such neato accessories to our modern urban or otherwise lives out there - give and be merry. Happy holidays!

December 9, 2008

reVamp Vintage

Posted by katelivesinbrooklyn under Clothing | Tags: eco fashion, fashion, j. peterman, Los Angeles, reVamp, vintage |
1 Comment

ginger-1-06-06 maisie-70dpi

wrap-blouse-3-04-05 isabella2

eva1 charity-04-05

We love it when Los Angeles shines. What better launchpad for designers Annamarie von Firley and Autumn Carey Adamme who created this handmade collection of clothing, reVamp Vintage, inspired by swing (hey, it was LA in the 90’s) as well as design from 1910 - 1950. The pieces are meant to be wearable in today’s context while charmingly reminiscent of the past.

Again being from the city of storytellers, they decided that each piece would be named after a fictional character who would have a short story written about them, sort of J. Peterman-esque but ultra retro and less pretentious. Above we have Charity, Maisie, Ginger, Isabella, Eva and some lady named Wrap Blouse…hm….

Plus they have a bridal collection - I hear rockabilly chicks gasping across the universe…

At just a tweak over $100 each, you can order these pieces on their website or visit their store in LA!

December 9, 2008

Rare Eyewear

Posted by katelivesinbrooklyn under Accessories | Tags: 60's, 70's, 80's, eco fashion, Rare Eyeware, Recycled, san francisco, sunglasses |
No Comments

eyes11

eyes2

eyes3

RareEyewear.com is a menagerie of handpicked sunglasses from all over the world and especially Europe - funky specs from the 60’s to 80’s that are one of a kind. Marc Jacobs be damned - go old skool with the locs. They also have watches - it’s all very mysterious (intrigue!) and not online yet.

Can’t wait for them to get an online store up. Until them you can find the glasses at their retail locations or just contact these San Franciscans on Filmore St. who run the operation!

December 8, 2008

Poor Portman!

Posted by katelivesinbrooklyn under Footwear | Tags: eco fashion, Footwear, Natalie Portman, Te Casan, Vegan |
No Comments

New York Mag reports that Te Casan has gone out of business, the shop that launched Natalie Portman’s vegan shoe collection, the one we blogged about in May. What a shame! Their site is down and everything.

Although we were never crazy about the shoes, it was a great, democratic and super-ethical endeavor by one of our favorite eco-celebs. We wish her luck in shoes and her next big endeavor, whatever it may be…

December 8, 2008

Fur real?!

Posted by katelivesinbrooklyn under OpEd | Tags: Canada, eco fashion, fur, Lindsay Lohan, Maggie Gyllenhaa, PETA |
[3] Comments

fur

Really? Produced by nature? Responsible? Maybe in 1905…

The Fur Council of Canada is banking on the fact that the eco-conscious sphere of influence is fracturing, and everyone has their own ‘pet cause,’ pardon the pun when it comes to fashion: recycled, organic, vegan, fair trade, what have you. The point is that that there’s a large swath of consumers out there who compost their banana peels with aplomb, but still think fur is cool.

It’s the same dynamic behind celebrities who have extensively positioned themselves as mavens of ‘green’ lifestyle who suddenly start sporting real fur when A. the weather gets cold and B. everyone else does because it’s a trend right now. We even blogged about LiLo, praising her for her eco-fashion endeavors! She let us down!

Sorry ladies,

mags lilo

…that is just crazy. Fire your stylist. For real.

Read more about why the fur industry is un-eco, other than the fact that it brutally kills cute little animals at www.CrueltyIsNotGreen.com.

December 6, 2008

Sublet. Option to buy.

Posted by katelivesinbrooklyn under Clothing | Tags: Clothing, designer, eco fashion, Online, sale, Sublet |
No Comments

belinda_stage2

anne_stage4

alex_fall_stage2

We have been all about Sublet for a while now. The philosophy of these two designers (who met on a CL post for a sublet) is garments that are special to the wearer, that last a lifetime. The bright, feminine and classic Fall 2008 collection is currently 20% - 40% off through their online store - like this Belinda dress for $169, Anne top for $65 and Alex tee for $39.

Recession specials… we’re all about those too.

Stumble It!

December 5, 2008

Allez, les gars!

Posted by katelivesinbrooklyn under Footwear | Tags: eco, eco fashion, France, French, Green, Le Coq Sportif, shoes, tennis shoes, Veja |
No Comments

grid grama

volley1 volley2

In France, tennis shoes are called “baskets.” My French friend Frederic recommended to me this brand, Veja, a super eco and really stylish brand who makes baskets following these principles:
1. Using ecological inputs
2. Using fair trade cotton and latex
3. Respecting workers’ dignity

Not only are these shoes cool, but the Veja blog links out to some great resources for European eco-fashionistas and tracks cultural shift toward green. The only unfortunate thing about this is that for us poor, miserable North Americans, (or as they call us on the site, the “rest of the world,”) it seems close to impossible to get hands on these shoes digitally - and they’re only in a couple of shops in our major cities. Le bummer!

But oh, the French! Makers of the best tennis shoes ever, Le Coq Sportif, are the only people on earth who can really master shoes. I’m fully convinced of this.

Stumble It!

December 4, 2008

in love, on sale

Posted by katelivesinbrooklyn under Accessories | Tags: Ashley Watson, bags, Beklina, online boutique, reclaimed leather, recycled leather, sale |
1 Comment

Our favorite bags of all time, Ashley Watsons, are on sale at online boutique Beklina. Models Junco and Warbler in several different colors - over 20% off. This is a momentous occasion. We are beside ourselves.