Etsy: Machine Stops

Ok, I'm turning to Etsy for a quick dose of sustainable magic. A lot of people love Etsy, of course, it's the web at it's best. It's also a great place to stock up on one-of-a-kinds while also supporting small one-person operations. I love helping people quit their 9-5 to pursue their art!

So here's a couple cute handmade pieces by Machine Stops. She says "I am akin to the idea of making/wearing one of a kind things as a method for liberating oneself from the machineries which often dominate independent thought." And her cloths are liberating.



The button belt is a sweet idea with some unique logage on the back, check her store for more. Machine Stops is from Hawaii, which means the shipping will add some points to your carbon footprint (especially if you're on the east coast) but she ships via USPS which means there's fewer points on your print than if she used UPS (because the postman comes to your house every day but UPS only comes for special delivery). Machine Stops also uses recycled fabrics and vintage wares, so that'll offset the footprint a bit too ;-p

Grades:
.A. Small Carbon Foot Print (made in the USA)
.A. Fair Trade (no sweatshops)
.B+. Sustainable (uses some recycled fabrics)

Avita Style

recycled cashmere Avita fall 07

Avita's fall 2007 line continues the label's sustainable mission with recycled cashmere, organic cotton and bamboo materials. Avita cloths are sassy, sexy and so comfy.

Avita designer Amanda Shi launched the line with sustainability in mind. Recycled cashmere doesn't mean used cashmere, it's simply discarded materials used by other manufacturers, the excess pieces that are usually thrown away. Her progressive designs coupled with this environmental and resourceful business practice have made Avita a success. The LA based line recently opened Avita Co-Op in West Hollywood where she sells environmentally friendly merchandise that embodies Avita's philosophy including non-leather shoes by Mink, Sophie Simone jewelry and re-worked vintage bags by De La Luna Designs.

Grades:
.A. Sustainable (recycled and renewable materials)
.D. Carbon Footprint (manufactured in China)

100% bamboo Avita Summer 07

Threadbanger.com

Their YouTube videos make crafts hella cool! I've just discovered this DIY website so stay tuned for more about them. Learn how to screen print, refashion old shoes and just have fun recycling stuff. This video is a quick look at Maker Fair.

Lucure Photoshoot with SRO

Summer Ryane Oaks... a muse for the movement and for photographers like me! She was an inspiration for me to start econista and to bring sustainable cloths into my photoshoots. Here's a fun (and hot!) video of her photoshoot for Lucire. Check out SRO's sustainablility lectures on YouTube.

Got Bamboo?

I am in love with bamboo jersey. How it feels, it's strength and it's drape. It feels sexy but real. I found some more interesting factoids about bamboo that I wanted to share along with one of many cute dresses by Sworn Virgins made from, what else, bamboo!

Strong: Bamboo is a strong wood with a tensile strength of 28,000 per square inch versus 23,000 for steel. No smelting required.

Rebar: Yes, it's even used as rebar to reinforce concrete beams. Random, but cool.

Anti-erosion: When planted in deforested areas, along river banks and in earthquake zones, bamboo has proven to reduce erosion, water run-off and flooding considerably.

Medicine: powder treatment for asthma and coughs. The roots treat kidney disease. It's sap reduces fever and it's ash will cure prickly heat. Keep some in your pocket.

Food: more bamboo shoots please! It's pulverized bark is a natural food preservative. Taiwan alone consumes 80,000 tons of bamboo shoots per year (... hold the shoots please).

Sweetgrass

The nutty-crunchy roots of sustainable fashion are nothing to be ashamed of. Sure, we'd all love it if anything we bought from say D&G or DKNY was sustainable, but that's not going to happen any time soon. We can keep salivating over the few highly fashionable - and sold out - pieces by the most avante guard sustainable designers, or we can take a good look at some of the basics and see them with fresh eyes.

Sweetgrass is a great example. As I crawl the web looking for fresh sustainable fashion, I keep coming across the organic-yoga-pant type designers. Yeah, love your philosophy and dedication but yawn. Then I saw these hemp pieces by Sweetgrass with some wonderful touches that are clean and modern which made me realize that the movement is an evolution on both sides of the spectrum. High fashion toward sustainablility and sustainability toward high fashion. Which brings me back to the market where demand can encourage design. Once fashionistas become econistas, there will be more and more sustainable style to choose from.

KellyB Couture

What is there not to love about KellyB's sustainable collection? Take a look at her organic cotton and linen blend jacket and vest, they're sophisticated for work but fun when worn with jeans. Or this sexy bamboo jersey dress and cross over top that look great on the beach or at the club.



Kelly graduated from California College for the Arts in San Francisco where upon graduation, she began a two year career as a production manager and designer for a supplier of organic cotton garments and fabric. Although Kelly's consciousness is a large contributing factor in the creation of her all organic cotton line, her primary motivation is to create fashionable clothing. And she succeeds at doing just that. Her cloths satisfy so many things that Econistas are looking for, design that makes a bold statement about both style and a future that is sustainable. Keep up the great work Kelly B.