This post is the first in a series I’m writing on for-benefit companies — for-profit models that inherently benefit social causes — for the men’s ethical fashion site Commerce with a Conscience, where my awesome Internet-friend Brad creates daily features as well as the most well-curated product guide for conscientious men’s style out there. Launched [...]
First things first: It is remarkable and amazing that TOMS Classics have become trendy not for their style, but for their cause. (I’m a happy owner myself, but we can all agree they’re a bit funny looking, right?) But to add a heel and a peep-toe to that basic style? Not too shabby! I love the [...]
I recently wrote an article for KCFreePress.com about eco fashion in Kansas City, spotlighting three fabulous Kansas City brands. Today, meet Sseko Designs. In the past year, Sseko Designs founder Liz Bohannon has sold more than a thousand pairs of sandals to customers around the world. The sandals are transformative, meaning that they can be [...]
Would you believe that each of these pairs of glasses are only $95? Yes, with prescription lenses included! Warby Parker is seriously shaking up the world of awesome eyewear with a business model that benefits pretty much everyone. They sell directly to consumers, avoiding the markups and middlemen of a wholesale model, which allows them to [...]
So much print-on-print! It’s perfect. Suno, which launched two years ago with the impetus of bolstering Kenya’s manufacturing industry (and which I first wrote about here), seems to have made an especially big splash at NYFW with its newest collection. Style.com wrote, “Of course, along with a major buzz comes major pressure—but Suno’s confident and spirited [...]
Hold the presses! Bamboo rayons aren’t a green fabric? Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission officially started its campaign to stop well-meaning retailers from misleading consumers about bamboo’s perceived eco-friendly qualities. From the FTC consumer alert: Bamboo stands out for its ability to grow quickly with little or no need for pesticides, and it [...]
I just (finally) watched Food, Inc. for the first time. Besides providing a continued education on where our food comes from, it reminded me of what a moral obligation I believe we all have to be good and thoughtful stewards of the things we consume. If you haven’t seen this film yet, do! I watched [...]
Over at Storenvy, we’ve spent the last 10 days or so working on a t-shirt design collaboration to benefit earthquake relief in Haiti. Designers from the community donated designs, and the community voted on their favorites. Based on all the support we got in the voting, we decided to print nine tee designs that are [...]
Earlier this month I came across a blog post from Wendy Brandes Jewelry that gives an informative glimpse into the costs of manufacturing, namely in the U.S. versus overseas. She describes the “classic small business conundrum,” as she calls it. First, why she can’t offer inexpensive jewelry: I would love to do inexpensive jewelry for [...]
I just learned via Facebook that my friend Natasha was in Haiti when the earthquake hit. Hearing about the country’s heart-wrenching news has been sickeningly sad, but it wasn’t until I heard about Tasha being there that it really felt heavy. Thankfully, I hear she is fine. But I am humbled. Jon and I donated today [...]
This was kind of a big week for ethical fashion news. The New York Times outed H&M for intentionally destroying and discarding unsold merchandise at a New York store, to which the brand responded with a statement saying they would make sure it wouldn’t happen again. And amidst it all, H&M launched a spring line [...]
I’ve written in the past about Nike’s Considered Design initiative, which I think is one of the most brilliant out there. This weekend, the brand introduced its newest Considered Design collection, N7, which benefits Native American youth sports. Read more about the shoes’ particulars at GreenBiz.com and Reuters. If you haven’t heard about Nike’s green [...]
Tomorrow night I’ll be diving into “the art of conversation” at Pecha Kucha Night, an awesome concept that invites creative people on stage to talk about anything they choose for 6:40 at a time — 20 slides at 20 seconds each. About 200 cities around the world host their own local events. I went to [...]
It’s taken me ages to finally post about this. But I’ve been feeling compelled to share my “evolved” feelings toward American Apparel — and they’re not so good anymore. Yes, I’ve posted about the company a fair amount here, and yes, I own a fair amount of the brand’s pieces. But no longer can I [...]
I’ve been a reader of Inhabitat for a few years now, soaking in their coverage of green architecture and consumables. They’ve always covered eco fashion to some degree, but as of today, they’re launching a new blog devoted entirely to it: Ecouterre! It’s about time… I’ve always really enjoyed Inhabitat’s fashion coverage (yes, even from [...]
A few weeks ago I attended my first TED event — but before you assume I dropped a couple thou on a conference, this one was right here in Kansas City and FREE. And totally awesome and inspiring. John Gerzema, author of The Brand Bubble and CIO at Young & Rubicam, kicked off the TEDxKC event of [...]
Lalesso is a socially aware company to watch — and right now, it’s one to buy from ASAP. The Maridadi Dress above is now just $30 (plus $12 shipping) during the company’s annual end-of-summer sale! From Lalesso’s site: ”All Lalesso clothing is manufactured under strict and extremely conscious ethical conditions in our self owned workshop in [...]
Earlier in August, the UK’s Sunday Times published a long look at garment manufacturing in Lesotho… and it was pretty scary. The scariest part? That this is where Gap’s Product Red is manufactured, initiated by Bono with the best of intentions, and yet so many adverse effects have gone on outside the factories. It’s a [...]
Yesterday the eco web was abuzz about PACT, a new underwear line designed by Yves Behar and supporting several causes of your choice. By my choosing, 10 percent of the $24 sale of this boy short (which, yes, I’m a sucker for) goes to support 826 National, an organization developing young writers. PACT looks like [...]
After reading up on the journalists that Bill Clinton helped free last week in North Korea, I read that Laura Ling and Euna Lee had been arrested while working on a documentary about human trafficking — the very issue that got me interested in ethical fashion a few years ago. I did a bit of [...]