Feelgood Style

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Recently my friends, Emily and Zach, sent lovely, very simple postcards as a save the date for their eco-friendly fiesta and followed them up with an electronic invitation to their wedding in Santa Barbara this fall. As a guest, I am thrilled to have all of the information accessible through email and my computer and was happy not to have to throw away a beautiful albeit bulky invitation. Although I do understand that wedding Evite’s aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. For those not quite ready to give up invitations entirely, check out the eco-friendly letterpress cards from Bella Figura. Bella Figura, a 1% for the Planet vendor, boasts beautiful letterpress designs crafted by Debbie Urbanski and Harold Kyle, whose love for letterpress and style lead them on a rescue mission across the US saving old letterpresses and equipment from the scrapyards and also lead them to eventually marry (what a great story!). Read the rest of this entry »

We often explore ways to boost health and find wellness practices to integrate into our daily routines. One such healing philosophy is Ayurvedic medicine, used by millions in India and around the world. The term “Ayurveda” is a blend of words which mean “knowledge of a long life” or “the Science of Life“, and experts teach healthy living along with therapeutic measures that relate to physical, mental, social and spiritual harmony. Reenita Malhotra Hora is a master of the subject and is also a wonderful author here on Feelgood Style! Ayurveda is increasingly gaining popularity in the west, with ayurvedic based spa treatments, especially with the healing arts and roots lovingly intertwined with yoga exercise. Actually, very recently I was reading that “Ayurvedic Yoga” is applying Ayurveda to the practice of Yoga which emphasizes the healing aspects of Yoga. Curious about the subject? Well I am, so here is a little interview we recently did on the topic of healing with Ayurveda:

• Vata (comprised of air/space) - highly energetic, quick thinking, creative individuals who are physically lighter and fleet of foot.
• Pitta (comprised of fire/water) - intense, passionate and highly intelligent individuals of a medium structure and athletic build.
• Kapha (comprised of water/earth) - calm, grounded, ‘long term oriented’ individuals with a dense bone structure and more solid physique.

2. For this season what are a few simple Ayurvedic treatments for heat stoke or sunburn this summer?

Read the rest of this entry »

The ‘Goodbye Girl’ says a hearty hello to biodyamic herb farming and creates some wonderful, healing organic skincare and wellness products.

Marsha Mason’s publicist reached out to us last year and we rated an excellent sampling of some of the products made on her New Mexico herb farm, Resting in the River Organic Farm.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was truly impressed with the quality of all the products we got to play with, which included:

Healing Body Butter
Healing Body Lotion
Intens-Salve
The Family Herbal Wellness Kit- which includes a variety of wonderful herbal sprays that were surprisingly useful
Healing Hydration Mist

I had the opportunity to meet with Ms. Mason in her Manhattan apartment last year, and was fascinated to learn about her ’spiritual agriculture’ practices and how she got from being an award-winning actress to her farm in New Mexico.

Read the Interview
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This week I interviewed Leslie Richard who writes for our sister site Crafting a Green World and runs an amazing online eco-boutique called the Öko Box, featuring eco-styles like these:

Here is our Q & A:

1. Tell us more about how you came up with the name for your organization? I also dig your blog. Which one came first the blog or the company?

I have been deeply involved with the organic movement since the first day I walked into a health food store as a teen growing up in New Orleans. I naturally knew any business I would run would have to be related to health and preserving nature. So when my childhood best friend moved to Germany and began bragging about his “oko box” of affordable organic goods delivered from the farmers each week, his excitement really stuck with me. “Oko” is german for organic, and his descriptive stories of what arrived in his “oko box” left me feeling inspired- I knew I wanted to be part of a movement that made organic more accessible and affordable in the US with the ease he was experiencing in Europe.

Being that I have chemical sensitivities and some health probs I quickly became conscious of the connection that not only did our food need to be ecological & organic, but that every purchase we made, every product we used, every consideration must be done with the earth in mind. When I saw that there was plenty of organic baby products out there, but eco minded adults were being left behind by the organic fashion industry I decided to start “The Oko Box”. The catch for me, was it had to be affordable and break certain style barriers. I think I have a little something for everyone now, whether classy, hippy, punk, or suburban there’s a garment to love. The blog was born after the store and fairly recently, but has gained a huge following already which is a lot of fun for me! I really love to interact with customers and readers, your opinions totally matter to me.

2. The Öko Box mission is wonderful and we love that- “The Öko Box donates monthly to the National Wildlife Federation, in support of their Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program,” Please tell us more about your wonderful connection to these organizations and nature. Read the rest of this entry »

Emma Pezzack (a.k.a. the Organic Glamazon), one of our amazing Feelgood Style authors,
is beautifully featured here for a live interview with Current_

Here’s to true natural beauty! Futurenatural offers environmentally sound style products that make you look good on the outside and feel good on the inside. Emma Pezzack, the owner of Futurenatural, offers some insight into her world of high quality skin products that are backed up by a socially and environmentally conscious business. ~ Current Review

Read the rest of this entry »

This post was originally published on Wednesday, June 18, 2008.

Two weeks ago we started with a new series ‘My Green Bookshelf’, where we’re taking a look at the reading habits of interesting people from the green world with special focus on their green reading.

As a small token of appreciation to our guest on the series, Eco-Libris will plant with its planting partners 50 new trees on behalf of each and every participant!

Today we are very excited to have with us a special guest from France: Sophie Young, the founder of g=9.8 (http://www.g98.fr/).

g=9.8 is an organic lingerie and loungewear brand g=9.8 offers a unique combination of seductive ecology: naturally sensual, combined with the velvety touch of pine fiber. Yes, all the sexy items manufactured by g=9.8 are made from a fiber originating in the branches of white pine (the pine trees used to produce this material are grown specifically for this use and new ones are replanted to replace ones used for production). Production is made locally in France.

Sophie graduated in 1995 from the University of Architecture in Paris. Her work focused on the creation of a recycling site in the center of Paris, visited as a museum. In 2005, after several years working in architecture, she founded g=9.8 in order to create a line of underwear respectful of eco-principles, such as minimizing the water consumption in the industrial production, eco-packaging, waste recycling and eco-marketing.

Read the rest of this entry »

Well if I was to honor a rubber tube design award, the winner would be the Pieces Goddess, Christa De Leeuw Van Weenen for Zuss Fashion Design in The Netherlands. This freaky, fashionable, wearable art is not only cool, it’s fashionable recycling at it’s best!

Sorry, this Strapless Adventure sun dress is SOLD. But you get the idea. Check out the site. All items could be appropriately displayed in an art gallery or museum, and in the ranks of haute couture, stage costume, and for the young at heart. The materials are used rubber tubes from bicycles and mopeds, sometimes decorated with beads and stuff.

Everything is handcrafted, including every hole, every lace, every knot. There are no machines involved. Just hands, scissors, a pincer, and imagination. To wear a Zuss is not only a fashion statement, it’s a physical delight. You see the wearer is very conscious of it, especially if worn skin-tight. That’s because it feels cool when it first hits your flesh, but becomes warm by your body heat and then becomes soft; — termed the Zuss Sensation, which is wearable in all climates.

Actually, from 1997 until autumn 2007, Zuss was two sisters turning old inner tubes into eye-catching hot couture for those intent on making a BOLD fashion statement. Since elder Virgo Goddess Krijnie, retired, Christa is taking Zuss to the future with established global fans, — solo style.

Yet neither of the two sisters ever went to art or design school. Christa’s inspiration started in 1997 at a symposium about art and rubber. She made a top and skirt. Then Krijnie got creative with hats. That same year the sisters had their first fashion show. Hence, they traveled the road to fame and appreciation. They drew the attention of American TV and domestic press, BIG-time!

“Beautiful artwork from wasteland,” says Christa. “It feels more like sculpturing than sewing. Recycling is our tribute, and the way mother earth teaches us about evolving. Every piece of art is made with love and is original and unique. Even when we tried to make a copy, the tubes wouldn’t allow it because every piece of waste is different. New materials may be consistent, but every tube-life follows different ways. And just as our life, isn’t it?”

Oh how I get my kicks discovering unique designers with eco style! Just in time for the Summer Solstice, I share admiration for Enamore, founded by designer Jenny Ambrose 20004 in the seaside city of Brighton, UK.

This striking empire-line Jeanie Halter Dress is made from a blend of hemp and Tencel®. It has delicate strawberry shaped organic cotton lace detail and ruby-red satin bow detail.

Know that Tencel® is a cellulosic fiber made from wood pulp and is the brand name for Lyocell by Lenzing Fibers. Designers love the desirable properties, such as drape.

Jenny’s Enamore UK fashion label consists of a variation of garments made from the finest organic and sustainable fabrics. Additional examples are bamboo, soya, and silk sourced from accredited suppliers. The brand is a diverse collection of dresses, separates, and an exciting range of organic lingerie with a new twist on modern Pinups.

The Jeanie Halter Dress is made to order, so step on it for the summer heat! If interested in seeing more Enamore collections, restricted travelers and American homebodies have no fear. Ready-made designs can be found in worldwide cities such as London, Milan, Paris, Munich, Washington DC, and of course on the web.

Jenny moved her biz to the picturesque city of Bath, where the brand continues to grow and flourish. She works with fashion and textile students and graduates from all over the UK, offering unique opportunities for work experience with a creative young business.
Love you Jenny!

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.
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Yoga has been an interest of mine for quite some time now. We are joined now by Ginger Coy, a dear old friend of mine, who has recently completed a yoga teacher training and shares with us some of the ways yoga has changed her life.

1. Since you’ve become a yogi, what are some of the health benefits you’ve enjoyed?
I feel much more solid, integrated and aligned. I have a much healthier body, mind, spirit and heart and a vastly improved outlook on life. When I first started I did not have the endurance, balance, coordination, and strength that I have now. I had very little upper body strength. I couldn’t push up into a backbend (Urdhva Dhanurasana, Full Wheel) or lower down to Chaturanga Dandasana with skill and ease. Now I am stronger than ever!

2. Do you have any poses or breathing exercises that help to restore health and vitality to the body to feel better?
Downward facing dog is a great pose to release the hamstrings and increase flexibility for stiff backs and arms. It is an inversion which has a cooling effect and is great for the nervous system. It will also help increase wrist strength and arm strength.
When practicing yoga, it is important to remember to breathe through your nose. It is calming to exhale twice as long as you inhale. Read the rest of this entry »