By Lucille Chi •
September 6, 2008
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UJeans are made for you once you tell the company your exact measurements, plus the style and wash you like. The mass customization company uses green coloring techniques such as natural enzymes and minerals rather than harsh chemicals. The sourced cotton is sustainable and they explain their environmental commitments clearly stating that:
- UJeans is committed to making products that are as environmentally friendly as possible.
- UJeans is committed to being socially responsible and will only deal with companies that treat people ethically and with respect.
- UJeans is committed to ensuring that all suppliers pay employees a Living Wage. UJeans wants to also provide people with the means and tools to make their lives better.
By Megan McWilliams •
September 5, 2008
This is a follow-up post to one I did a couple of weeks ago about an innovative sustainable outdoor clothing company in New Zealand - Icebreaker- and their clever Baacode, which helps owners of their garments to track down where the fibers from the garment came from. It is a little ‘meet your sheep’ thing.
I was so excited to get my ‘Quantum Hood’ midweight outer layer from New Zealand. No. That is not a picture of me in the coveted hoodie. I’m not quite as intense (or young) as this svelte model here.
I couldn’t wait to meet my little merino friends who endured shearing and I suppose quite a breeze for a little while for the sake of this amazing hoodie. It was remarkably ‘high-tech’ and smooth - not what you would expect when you see the farm and pictures of the family who runs it and of course the woolly beasts themselves.
Meet my sheep!
By Lucille Chi •
August 28, 2008
For those of you looking to re-upholster that charming antique love seat set or chaise lounge, and want to do it right, try Rubie Green upholstery fabrics.
Rubie Green (homepage images above) is an eco-upholstery fabric company with the creative philosophy:
“It’s a barefoot walk in the sand; it’s a lazy afternoon nap, and it’s your first sight of the Mediterranean coast. It’s life at its simplest, and nature in its wordless beauty. Here at Rubie Green, our mission is to dress your surroundings in fabrics that represent vitality, energy, comfort and style, all while maintaining respect to the environment by using only 100% organic cotton. We believe in classic designs that are familiar to every decade, re-vitalized in an eco-friendly manner. We know that natural does not mean boring, and that interiors make a house a home.”
By Stancie Wilson •
August 27, 2008
What started out two decades ago as an experiment, became the inspiration and vision behind what MATT & NAT’S fashion-forward, design-centric and animal-free handbag line is today. The experiment was to embrace a vegan diet for just 30 days, but little did Creative Director, Inder Bedi know that it would set off a series of events that would lead to the birth of a super chic handbag line influenced by modern design and architecture.
Serious, structured, edgy & incredibly modish describes the brand new Fall ‘08 handbag collection from this widely popular Montreal-based company. Taking its cues from menswear this season, its heavy on hardware and boasts a deep color palette. The Japanese Paper series has the look of leather, but is made of treated cardboard while the Feutre series looks and feels like felt, but is crafted out of recycled plastic bottles.
By Lucille Chi •
August 26, 2008
Australian fashion company Bird has beautiful organic designs. Shown above are a couple of their styles from last summer and featured below with red are looks for this summer.
Bird Textiles believes:
Global Sustainability will be the driving force changing the way we work in the 21st century. Sustainability meets the needs of present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainability does not necessarily mean a deacrease in quality of life or product. At Bird we believe it is possible to create beautiful quality products in a responsible and sustainable way. We are not perfect. We are working on reducing our footprint. We are working towards sustainability.
By Stancie Wilson •
August 25, 2008
Kate D’ Arcy is both designer and model behind the Toggery Collection that is full of contemporary, yet comfortable knits made of eco-friendly fabrics, most of which features ultra-soft organic cotton. “I’ve created a lifestyle brand that enables women to make socially and environmentally conscious decisions about clothing, while still being fashion forward and trend oriented. Everyone needs to do their part but it doesn’t need to be a sacrifice” says Kate.
Her new Fall Collection is right on target with the hot trends of the season featuring royal jewel tones and renaissance-esque sleeves. With versatility in mind, these looks vary from your not-so-typical casual wear to dresses you’d like to be seen in (and remembered) at a cocktail party.
Editor’s Note: This post was provided by one of our paid sponsors, Solar Energy International (SEI), a USA non-profit organization whose mission is to help others use renewable energy and environmental building technologies through education. SEI teaches individuals from all walks of life how to design, install and maintain renewable energy systems, and how to design and build efficient, sustainable homes. SEI offers trainings online and in 22 locations around the world.
Homes built today are generally twice as efficient as their 1980s counterparts. Improved window technology, more efficient heating and cooling equipment, better control of air infiltration, and greater use of insulation are helping decrease energy use in today’s homes. But building science—the physics of optimizing building performance and understanding why buildings fail—also plays a pivotal role.
Building science encompasses the study of heat transfer, airflow, and moisture movement through building enclosures; and how those factors affect the building’s performance, durability, comfort, and air quality. It predicts and measures the relationship people have to the controlled environment of buildings. Building science encompasses home design, construction, diagnostics, repair, and operation—all pitching in to make better buildings.
Dealing with Heat Flow
Insulation controls the flow of heat through a building assembly by slowing the conductive heat transfer through the envelope. Wherever floors, walls, ceilings, windows, and doors are exposed to differing inside and outside temperatures, heat conduction takes place.
By Stancie Wilson •
August 22, 2008
Ahhh….the feel of cashmere! Is there anything like it? This incredibly soft and high quality cashmere is sourced and produced in a remote region of northwestern Mongolia which allows traditional Mongolian herdsman and knitters to sustain their centuries-old craft. This helps them avoid pressures from cheap cashmere markets that lead to over-grazing and desertification.
By Lucille Chi •
August 16, 2008
1. Shown first here, is g=9.8 , which was also recently featured here on fgs. This pretty in pink number is the Mya Underwear look which is an unusual and interesting fiber blend that is perfect for undergarments, it is an “ultra soft underwear made from recycled white pine-tree pruning (velvety pine fiber)..
I know many people (including myself) think the United Nations recognized “world’s worst humanitarian crisis” occurring in Darfur is far greater than their contributions. We’ve all seen the devastation featured on the nightly news, newspaper articles and television commercials. And wanted to do something but didn’t know where to start. Well, Relief Beads, a grassroots campaign, is giving us an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of more than 2.5 million refugees that were tragically separated from their families because of genocide , violence and disease.
They are selling handcrafted, original bracelets made from sand in Ghana, Africa to further support the humanitarian efforts of Relief International, an independent, non-profit organization providing necessary medical care, counseling and educational courses to thousands of women and children in Darfur. Relief International’s programs are essential to the recovery of this war-torn country.
