By Mary Casper •
January 30, 2009
For nearly a month now, the feisty residents and independent retailers in the Mission District of San Francisco have been abuzz over the national retailer’s bid for a new space at 988 Valencia St. The hippest corner of San Francisco, most widely known for its incredible burritos, vibrant street scene and eclectic culture, has long prided itself on being free from stores like the Gap, Banana Republic and Starbucks. Instead they have the beloved Four Barrel Coffee company, taxidermist’s paradise Paxton Gate and veritable treasure trove of all things printed, Little Otsu. Shopping on Valencia Street is not like shopping in any other place, and the neighborhood’s residents intend to keep it that way. No formula stores, no chain stores, not even if it’s American Apparel.
By Lucille Chi •
November 3, 2008
Alright, when your organization name sounds like poetry about nature you’ve caught my attention, and fall never sounded so lovely:
“Mountains of the Moon clothing is created with the conscious fashionista in mind - those of us who care about the environment and fair labor practices who also want to look good in what we wear. From start to finish, our garments are designed, patterned, manufactured, dyed and tagged (using eco-friendly materials) in the USA in small, 100% sweatshop-free facilities that are family owned and operated. We choose to use eco-friendly materials like hemp, tencel and organic cotton that are known for durability and long-life..”
How do they accomplish such eco-style and sophistication?
By Kelly Rand •
August 21, 2008
KusiKuy Clothing Company is so much more than its name implies. KusiKuy was founded in 1997 by Tamara Stenn, a Peace Corps Volunteer who was inspired by the idea of fair trade and what it meant for local indigenous populations.
KusiKuy specializes in warm alpaca yarn from Bolivia. All of their yarns are hand spun and made from the fibers of the alpaca which remote, nomadic communities tend. Their company is culturally sensitive and respects the culture and ceremony of the animals that these communities keep.
They sell a wide range of weights of the yarn, which is a strong, durable fiber, perfect for the Bolivian climate and indigenous to the area. It comes in over 25 different natural colors, perfect for accessories and socks. KusiKuy does not sell their yarn to yarn stores, and instead caters to the home crafter and small business crafter. Many socks and hats are created from their yarn.
By Lucille Chi •
June 14, 2008
This season, in search of the hottest summer organic tee, we @ FGS had the most serendipitous opportunity to interview Gali of brilliant BAN T-SHIRTS ~ Deconstructing Society->
1. How do you brainstorm designs for the shirts? More specifically, what is your favorite tee and why?
My inspiration for the designs comes from reading and using a little bit of imagination. It’s the kind of thing that takes practice, I think the more you exercise your imagination the more pleasing the results are. My favourite tee right now is Only sheep need a shepherd. It just represents what my site is about - doing things your own way and not following the crowd. It can be interpreted in various ways: religious, political, ideological, etc.
2. What does the word “Sustainability” mean to your organization?
Sustainability is about leaving the Earth in a better state than we found it. To me that is the simplest way of describing it. We are increasing the number of organic t-shirts that we have available, and I hope that soon they will all be organic. We also use American made shirts because we believe that the employees get a living wage.
By Susie Kim •
May 13, 2008
I am in LOVE with this company, Speesees, which provides fun and stylish children’s things from beautiful kimono onesies to au natural baby hat. Here are the other reasons to love this Eco-conscious and green company.
- It’s manufactured under fair trade practices in India and the owner has developed a close relationship with the farmers who live bio-dynamically and receive health care.
- Everything is made from handpicked organic cotton, and knit and dyed with low impact dyes. All the products are made sweatshop free. “Natural light floods the premises and our energetic team, including disabled members, work decent hours for fair living wages. An organic garden surrounds the premises.”
- They give back to the community by donating $1 to every $100 earned from online retail orders. The company has also implemented a recycling program.
Surf, sun, and fun - the most common things Long Beach, California is known for. Thanks to Wisdom Tees,
we can add another phrase to that list: sustainable style. Many of the
eco-clothing brands like to use shocking images on their apparel to try
and inspire others to act, but Wisdom is different. "We believe that
wearing our Wisdom tees with purely positive and inspiring
affirmations, one will have a clear impact on his or
[...]
Image courtesy of Little Green StarTeaching our kids the beauty of the natural world starts from day one, and we often use positive reinforcement and encouragement to help instill important values: "When you do well in school, you get a gold star. When you do well for the environment, you get a green one!" That's the founding principle behind San Francisco's Little Green Star line [...]
By Victoria Everman •
April 19, 2007
The kitchen table - many of the world's best ideas are fostered around this raised piece of wood. No Sweat Apparel, also known as Bienestar International, began as a enterprise concept in January of 2000, conceived by Natalia Muina and Adam Neiman in their kitchen.
Working as a Chinese medicine practitioner and a roofing company founder, Natalia and Adam didn't have much experience with the clothing industry, but that didn't stop
[...]
