Feelgood Style

Living in Hawaii has been a dream of mine for a while, and it’s something I’ve been lucky enough to do for part of the year the past several years (go telecommuting!). The fresh island air, peaceful tide pools and rainforest hikes are just a few of the perks we’ve enjoyed. There is so much to do on the island, and we’ve slowly been finding the hidden gems among this lush, tropical paradise. Well now our search just got a lot simpler with Lonely Planet’s new Hawaii series — it has a special focus on outdoor adventures and local goodies.

One thing I was really impressed with was the awesome reviews of the local craftspeople that have made a beautiful, creative, natural livelihood out of their work. As an artist I admire the special artist features, as well as the galleries and community guides. But they’ve gone a step further by marking sustainable businesses as well highlighting ways you can contribute on your trip… Read the rest of this entry »

November 2008 dates the launch of the Moksa Surya brand and collection in London. Uganda born designer Farah Damji of Moksa handmade in London offers us a sneak preview of her Spring/Summer 2009 ready-to-wear assemblage of fourteen pieces.

Pictured is a Freedom Tee fondly titled Tree of Life. The black applique flowers are from a roll of vintage silk found in a charity shop in Cape Town. The beads, sequins and crystals are a combo of new and recycled. Read the rest of this entry »

Pictured here from right to left:

• Can Your Jewelry Save the Earth? Pictured colorfully above, in a rainbow assortment are Relief Beads, which were created to raise awareness and money to aid refugees in Darfur. Relief Beads, is selling handcrafted bracelets made from sand in Ghana, Africa. “Each purchase helps to fund Relief International’s medical clinics for women and children, educational programs for students and counseling for victims of violent acts.” To make this good cause even sweeter, Read the rest of this entry »

Today is Blog Action Day, and this year the focus is on poverty. Here are some ways you can help people in need, as you shop for your own needs:

Numbered above:

1. TOMS Shoes for Tomorrow, Giving Gifts to the Poor as You Shop: Starting from May 2006, TOMS Shoes for Tomorrow has given well over 10,000 pairs of shoes to children in Argentina and 50,000 pairs in South Africa through the purchases of caring customers. They’ve recently been nominated for the Cooper Hewitt People’s Design Award and they Need Your Vote! In 2008 TOMS plans to give 200, 000 pairs of shoes to children around the world. For each pair purchased, TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need.
2. Give the Gift of Sight with KAYU’s New, Hot Line of Ethical Sunglasses: KAYU, a line of ecological and ethical sunglasses handcrafted from bamboo. By partnering with Unite for Sight, the organization is eliminating preventable blindness which is one of the world’s most urgent Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been waiting (patiently and not so patiently) to see how long it would take for truly biodegradable packaging to hit the markets. Sure the market has been working on bioplastic polymers for sometime but there are still issues with heat & cold tolerances that make usage limited. Enter Organic Essence! This is truly the ultimate in green packaging; using recycled paper pulp, soy inks, organic adhesive and even organic glaze on the outer surface. While the jars are not exactly my cup of tea in terms of design, I’m giving these guys major kudos for developing what is sure to revolutionize the way our organic & natural beauty products are bottled. Read the rest of this entry »

1. Breathe Deep: Use breath awareness to relax as yoga master Rodney Yee shows you a seated breathing pose. Feel at ease all day long by taking stretching and breathing breaks. Kundalini yoga, for example, is one of the best guided breathing classes you can take to harmonize your mind, and body and clear away negative energy so we get back to feeling good.
2. Notice Emotions: The golden key to unlocking negative stress is becoming aware of how we hold it in the body. Watch how Deepak Chopra explains that stress is an important aspect of life and we can learn to transform it into a positive force.
3. Meditate: Healthy living site Lime offers a Meditation Room to help Read the rest of this entry »

Just today, Payless ShoeSource announced plans to launch the first-ever affordable green footwear line expected in stores early next year.  They’ve also signed an agreement with Summer Rayne Oakes, Discovery Network’s Planet Green fashion and beauty expert, author of Style, Naturally: The Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion & Beauty, and model for many eco-fashion labels and was recently named “One Gorgeous Environmental Activist” by Allure Magazine, to serve as the green footwear brand’s Eco Consultant. Read the rest of this entry »

Announcement of Chic Eco’s poll for the Most Creative Women’s Apparel Designer honored London designer Nina Morgan-Jones as the first runner-up on September 2008. Nominations were submitted by email and most didn’t include much more than the designer’s name. Wow, that was not the case with Nina’s positive support. Below are a few quotations:

• The hottest organic couture fashion designer.
• Innovative high fashion shoe designs with a firm footing in ecological benefit.
• Her designs with exclusive organic fabrics and leathers are fashion-industry leading.
• She creates fantasy clothing and shoes while maintaining an earth-goddess Gaia quality.
• For those that think organic is just a bunch of hippies wearing tie-dyes, look at Nina’s designs.

The style is timeless, Bohemian-exotic. To sum the quotes up, Nina creates sustainable apparel and accessories that are beautiful, sexy and fun. Read the rest of this entry »

Seen on savvy girls everywhere during the recent Spring NY Fashion Week, and on the nails of models striding the runways at some of the shows, Zoya is now the nail polish of choice for savvy eco-fashionista who get that you don’t have to sacrifice your health to look gorgeous! In six new Fall Shades ranging from delicious red raspberrry metallic (Blair), through to deep, decadent burgundy wine cream (Nina) there are no excuses for not having sassy, sexy nails this Fall. Futurenatural are giving away a FREE bottle in the color of your choice for any makeup purchase over $50. Simply add the color you want to your shopping cart - the price will show up but you will not be charged. Who doesn’t love free, but at only $6.00 p/bottle, you can afford indulge yourself regardless.

Together we can make a difference and give the gift of sight:

Today I recieved a darling email from Jamie Lim of KAYU, a line of ecological and ethical sunglasses handcrafted from bamboo. She writes us:

“Eliminating preventable blindness is one of the world’s most urgent
problems, so - for every pair of KAYU glasses purchased, we donate enough funds for one sight-restoring surgery in the developing world. One pair of sunglasses = One sight-restoring surgery.“

By partnering with Unite for Sight, Read the rest of this entry »