working girl

at last! i've finally landed a new job. of course, this calls for a few new additions to my wardrobe!


Mociun tie dress


Jack & Marjorie boy peter handbag


Terra Plana flats

SF Fashion Week Highlight: Velvet Leaf

SFFW has come and gone in a flurry of air kisses, long lines, press passes, and after parties. As always, SF's FW straddled the line of accessability and avant garde. Of the dozen or so designers, just one line stood out to the organic eye; Velvet Leaf.

The sisters' Spring/Summer 2008 collection had shooort short jumpers, blousy 60's minidresses, and lots of hair extensions. (Unfortunately, the extentions kinda covered the clothes during the show, so pics were somewhat limited.) My pick is the organic cotton loose fitting white blouse paired with uber skinny high-waisted pants and black ankle boots.


If you look real hard and squint, you'll see what I'm talking about.
Velvet Leaf Spring/Summer 2008 Collection at SF Fashion Week
August 26, 2007


And this one I want to wear this Fall.


www.velvetleafclothing.com

dolla dolla bill, y'all.

Tope? Like rope, right? Nope. Not quite. Kinda like vinyl, minus the PVC, chlorine chemicals, and heavy production footprint. Pluses are numerable and include its durability and water resistance. Also, the ink used to stamp these babies is eco friendly.

The fruit of Portland company DB Clay's loins, these wallets are, without a doubt, my new favorite find. They are ingenious outside and in. The Dammasch wallets are all silkscreened by hand by a man named Pluto, and the design inspired by linoleum in a defunct mental hospital. Thats right, you heard me, a mental institution.


Dammasch Ms. Frey
$85

On an idyllic note, flip open the Feather billfold to find an image of peacock feather backed by damask!


Version 3 Feathers
$48

Oh yeah, and they're vegan. Thats putting your money where your mouth is!

ooh la la!

ma cherie, ow sexy jhoo are wis your leetle hemp lingerie!


Mon Cherie hemp silk collection
£42 bralette, £36 panty


Eye mask with hemp/silk backing
£16

Enamore by Ayten Gasson makes the flirtiest, sexiest, Betty Boop-esque, lingerie. Who knew that soy jersey and hemp could make a girl feel just like a '40s pinup? All handmade to order, the line is currently available in the UK. Shop online at www.thenaturalstore.co.uk.

juicy juice

Instead of a now-ubiquitous Frida Khalo grocery bag, why not spend your cash on this tote? Philippine women recycle juice boxes to make these funky all purpose bags.


Reduce, Reuse, Recycle tote
$29.95

Now thats juicy couture, for real!

Find it at www.worldofgood.com and help fight poverty with your checkbook.

meunster's ball

Jewelry designer Kirsten Muenster is an unyielding believer in the Kimberley Process. Meaning, she uses stones naturally found in the U.S., instead of designing her wares with "blood" diamonds. Her pieces often include vintage stones and chains from the 1940's, 50's, and 60's.


Kirsten Muenster Montana Agate Ring
$500


Kirsten Muenster Owyhee Jasper Necklace

The agate used in her designs, like ring above, comes from gravel deposits and lakeshores, mostly along the Yellowstone River. Since it comes from a federally protected area, corporations are prevented from inflicting large-scale mining on the area. Traditional corporate mining practices have left stretches of Montana's riverbeds nearly devoid of fish and clogged with tons of sediment.

Ms. Muenster's collection satisfies my unrelenting lust for large rings. Particularly those that I can wear all day without feeling like Lady Macbeth.

You can find more info on Kirsten and her entire line at www.kirstenmuenster.com.

The NRDC has supplemental info on mining practices.

my perfect thursday.

Bamboo Tank by Stewart+Brown
$130


Number Necklace by Lulu Frost
$295

Lulu Frost uses vintage room numbers, keys, and other accoutrements from the old Plaza Hotel in NYC in her designs. A tad on the pricey side, but it's a great way to wear a piece of history.

nice ananas

Ok, so I have a gripe. And ladies, you'll feel me on this. Its harder than nails to find a cute, eco-friendly handbag!

Luckily for all of us, I happened upon this lovely creation by Ananas. That its aesthetically pleasing is obvious. But what makes it sustainable, you ask? The fabric was woven from fibers harvested from the trunk of the sturdy abaca plant, a renewable resource native to the Philippines.



Abaca Momo bag by Ananas
$231
Snap up your own piece of paradise at www.ananascollection.com

Enough room to fit a girl's daily necessities and then some, and a heckuva lot less hefty than your standard leather hobo. Whats not to like?

Click here to read more about the under-the-radar abaca plant.

bleu belle

Were I in the market for a new, make that old, armchair, this beaut from Lotus Bleu would be in my living room toute suite. Using reclaimed 1960's furniture, the folks at Lotus Bleu in San Francisco individually reupholster them with stunning fabrics by Robert Le Hero. Retro, whimsical, yet polished.

Pretty groovy.


Slipper Chair
$1250

www.lotusbleudesign.com

cage-free eggalicious update

Looks like cage-free has officially gone mainstream! Today's New York Times sports a front page article on the subject of my post from last week;

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/us/12eggs.html?_r=1&oref=slogin#

and the Humane Society of the US, www.hsus.org

bamboo shoots.

The wonders of bamboo are no surprise to sustaina-geeks. Bamboo is renewable, 100% biodegradable, and naturally antimicrobial. Its also possibly the softest fabric I've ever encountered.

Natural High Lifestyle in Santa Monica, Ca. designs low-key yoga wear for men & women. Actually, a visit to their boutique last year inspired my interest in sustainable textiles!

I love the store's organic vibe and helpful salespeople. Their products have been featured in Elle, YogaJournal, and Yogi Times, and are available at both yoga studios and Fred Segal.


Natural High Lifestyle boutique
2400 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA


Men's Bombay Track Jacket
$88

My all time NHL favorites are the women's sarong, the (incredibly supple) tanks, and the men's basic tee.
Ooooh, me want!

Visit www.naturalhighlifestyle.com to buy, and http://www.rootedtonature.com/categories/NaturesThreads/fiber/Bamboo.aspx or http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/01/top_five_bamboo.php to learn more about the benefits of bamboo.

2 b pvc free.

Running, mind-numbing as it may be, is my thing. Its my preferred form of exercise, torture, what have you. In some way, the further and harder I run, the more I feel like I've conquered something. Even if its only lap #3 around Lake Merritt.

Shoes are an integral and vital part of the running equation. The wrong footwear can mean the difference between gliding like the wind and hobbling for days afterwards.

An equally substantial part of traditional shoe manufacturing is the widespread use of PVC. Woe be those who encounter this hazardous substance. Polyvinyl Chloride, or PVC, is also known as the "poison plastic". Likewise, it has been called one of the most hazardous consumer materials ever produced. Human exposure to dioxin via PVC poses a serious threat of developing into cancer when accumulated in the body. Its also proven to wreak havoc on the environment. Yucky stuff indeed.

Thankfully for all us with an athletic bend, companies including Asics, Brooks, and PUMA are phasing out PVC in their product lines. Brooks has developed a trail running shoe that is as environmentally friendly as it is is aesthetically pleasing. Dare I say, its darn cute. Designed by vegan marathoner Scott Jurek, it uses silicon insead of petroleum, has sturdy support, enviable traction, and is constructed for blisterless adventures.


Brooks Cascadia 2
$95
www.brooksrunning.com

I couldn't resist posting these toddler-size PVC-free soccer cleats by Nike.
A-dorable.

Nike First Total90 Laser (0c-4c) - Youth Soccer Cleats
$25
www.nike.com

Visit www.g-forse.org for info on eco-friendly, non-PVC sports gear, and www.besafenet.com/pvc/ for info on PVC's affects & properties.

les soldes!

I've been waiting all summer for this moment - end-of-season sales!!
After some serious eco-website scouring, I whittled my top picks to these three:
Red Regal Top $59
by Some Lucky Cat
Repurposed vintage materials make this top feel a little '70s meets Louis XIV.
Find it at www.greenwithglamour.com

Carol Young Swerve Petra Skirt
now $105 (from $210)
Un coup de foudre! Petal-like and equally au courant.
Find it at www.thegreenloop.com

Myrtle Burl Glamour Glasses
by iWood ecodesign
now $235 (from $316)
These puppies are my favorite. Eco-sustainable sunglasses. Who knew?
Find them at www.greenwithglamour.com

greenmarket chic

Ahh Saturday morning. Birds chirp, we smugly sleep in an extra two hours. The one and only thing on today's agenda? Hit the farmer's market!

These cute, unisex canvas totes by Fresh Eggs will hold all the arugula and chard you'll need.


Yo, bring your own bag.

The answer my friends..

$15 each at www.fresheggshere.com. Made of 100% natural cotton.

Spread the word, without being preachy.

Visit www.localharvest.org for more info on hormone-free cage-free eggs, local farmer's markets, and CSAs.

rapper's delight.

Kelly B is turning up the heat on eco-conscious style. Her 90% organic cotton bikinis and swimwear turn any girl into an environmentally friendly video vixen.

NYCers visit Kaight and Organic Avenue for more Kelly B. Online, check out this Braid Bikini at www.btcelements.com, on sale for $68!




Holla atcha girl!

www.kellybcouture.com

raw talent.

My love affair with raw foodism is one that has spanned coasts, bulk bins, and flax seeds. Our trysts often involve raw almonds, agave nectar, and on occasion, the best damn salsa ever.

Aiding our forbidden love is One Lucky Duck Inc. The proprietress of New York's Pure Food & Wine restaurant has, with incomparable raw alchemy, created a line of natural beauty products that make your outside look as lovely as you feel inside.

Her online inventory includes living body and face creams, exfoliants, and purifying facial cleansers. With ingredients like bee pollen, (providing natural antibiotics), rosehips, clay, calendula, and algae harvested in Oregon, you can be sure your skin is in good hands.

Personally, I can testify to the powers of the Bee Yummy Skin Food, which even in the dead of New York winter kept my skin soft and healthy.


Bee Yummy Skin Food
$45

Can it be bad if it feels this good?

www.oneluckyduck.com
www.purefoodandwine.com

Read more about adding living enzymes to your diet at www.rawfoodlife.com