I thought today we’d take a break from fashion and talk outdoor parties that glow with laughter, the warm light of the setting sun, and the velvety swish of wine dancing in glasses. You can definitely tell where my mind is. In San Francisco we are currently experiencing our very first solidly warm day of summer – and it immediately makes me think of having a dinner party al fresco in the vineyards of Napa. Obviously we will all be wearing flowy, floral patterned dresses, sandals and ethno-chic jewelry, so with the fashion out of the way, I wanted to talk fashionable dinnerware.

Models with quirks, with unconventional beauty, with actual personalities, are becoming more and more popular as brands look for a representative of lifestyle/persona, rather than just a blank canvas to hang clothes on. Lara Stone is the poster child for this movement, with her “curves” and gapped teeth.

I used to defend the skinny models and the designers who use them by saying, but it’s true! Clothes look the best on skinny people! And they do, but that’s not because that’s how it’s hard-wired into our brain, it’s because of Twiggy and the media.

SO EXCITED about VeridiAum. I love the way she describes her brand: experimental with conceptual inspirations. Plus all materials are recycled, reclaimed, vintage or ethically sourced. Her latest collection, which is for lack of a better word, breath-taking, is made in New Mexico from 100% recycled sterling and ethically sourced stones, and features raw crystals juxtaposed with stark silver geometries.

Ken + Dana Design rocks. Hard.
What convinced me to feature them on GbD was their Gun Line. They reclaim gun parts and take something that represents violence and re-frame as something beautiful. Inspired to do something by the overwhelming amount of gun violence and tragedy the designers hear about in NY, the locale of their studio, a portion of the proceeds from each sale goes towards a nyc buyback program to get more guns off the street.

As more labels begin to capitulate under the eco-pressure from consumers and duh – just the reality of the need to live sustainably if we want to keep this planet, there are a few things flying under the radar. Leather is one of them. Oh, I wear it and I know full well that it’s not sustainable. But I love it so much, that I’ve been turning a blind eye to these things.

Yet have you ever noticed how much easier it is to face a problem when there is a solution?
Today I want to present: stingray leather.

Today our story is about green hats. But first, how did four young women come to own a men’s hat shop?

Sometimes our destinies play hard to get, sometimes they hunt us down with a serendipity that leaves us breathless. Case in point: Olivia Griffin came by her current venture in a way that only makes sense if you invoke the alignment of the planets.

It’s great to see more and more fashion labels springing up that are taking ethics to the next level. Not only are they sourcing materials sustainably and treating their workers fairly, but they are introducing a layer of philanthropy on top of all that!

Take for instance San Francisco’s very own Kayu.

Researching the Elle bags yesterday led me to more and more awesome bags. I tried to resist, I really did – telling myself you’re probably sick of bags, but:

a. These are some darn cool bags and:

b. Accessories are totally the next frontier in sustainable fashion and you heard that from me. So bags – bags are like the gateway accessory. For the most part, they’re textile based, but you do start getting into glues, hardware – and you have to wonder – where is this awesome gold chain manufactured, how and with what?

So, here we are are all worried about whether our cotton is organic and how many chemicals go into giving denim a stone wash. Are we as concerned about our jewelry? We should be. I used to work for a company that purported to make its jewelry in the USA – and yes, the components were assembled here – but they came from China and pretty much the only regulations were no nickel and no lead. Who knows what “base” metal(s) they were made from and how – and are metals of any kind “sustainable?” Here’s a more pleasant and eco-friendly alternative – fabric jewelry!

Nope. Didn’t just win the lottery. But I did hit the jackpot with a few awesome finds and I’m definitely planning to deliver on my crazy week promise. Speaking of promises, here’s the jewelry I promised you a few days ago. I am obsessed with how something so simple and humble as linen thread becomes so elegant and sculptural in the right hands. Rope jewelry is so in these days and you should do what I do – take a trend and make it your own – how?

And I might as well ‘fess up. In one week I will have an actual degree in Fashion Design. Which means that my life for the past month has been full of printing disasters, Photoshop crashes, and total mental chaos. Writing coherent posts has grown increasingly difficult and without the unifying effect of a weekly theme, I’ve decided to succumb to forces far greater than me, and let you peek into my head. Be prepared for no theme…to say the least.

Handbags are slightly confusing to a shoe girl. Trying to get excited about them is like – as a good friend of mine once put it – trying to change the radio station with a TV remote. Nevertheless, occasionally I come across a bag so awesome the radio station does change. After the Apple and Happy Cow may just garner Australia the most awesome bag award, though – honestly, even if these bags didn’t have an iota of sustainable cred to their name, I would still drool over them – which is kind of the end game for sustainable fashion! Go Australia! I always knew you were awesome!

That’s what I think this week’s “theme” should be. The key to a really fascinating and powerful and successful up-cycle is a certain amount of magic. Something kind of along the lines of “the whole is greater than the parts.” A transformation that not only makes you forget, but makes you dis-believe, the material’s beyond humble origins.

We’re not kidding when we call it green! It’s literally made from greenery! Jewelry that grows – on you. OK, enough with the puns, and…eye candy: begin.

If you’re going basic with your outfit, that’s a great opportunity to kick it up a notch with fab accessories! So today we feature jewelry that is…a little bolder.
Marañón hand embroiders all her colorful, geometric confections and, yes, they’re made to order!
Alkemie is my new summer favorite – I love bold, statement pieces and I’m going through a serious cuff phase.
Or maybe Aesa is my new favorite: delectable geo- and paleontology inspired strands for strong-minded palettes!

Today I stumbled upon these bags made from soccer balls and before I could stop myself my mind was racing a mile a minute systematically reviewing all other sports equipment for its reuse potential.
And sure enough, a short jaunt around the interwebs returned bags made from lifevests, old sails (with solar panels – bonus!) and parachutes once used in space missions!

Would you be perplexed if I told you flip flops are one of the most common pollutants that wash up on the beaches of Kenya, amidst debris that amounts to hundreds of tons of trash per year? Or that this summer you should consider putting a pair of flip-flops on your ears? Well, they are and you should.
Flip flops transform from the sea turtle’s enemy into ambassadors for it’s conservation with UniquEco’s delightful flip flop jewelry!

Yes, it’s oxellent whenever I get to make up a new word AND write about my favorite thing in the whole wide world: shoes! This week is off to a great start!

Awesome Alert! Osborn Shoes works with a team of 21 artisans in Guatemala making scrumptious booties and shoes out of the most delicious fabrics evar.

I think this concept of making bags out of coffee burlap has been explored before but the execution here is definitely above par. Perfect for your intrepid summer exploits, all you campers and safari-ists.
Every bag is sourced from local materials in South Africa and then stitched by local seamstresses. The Wren even has a really neat laptop bag that’s made from paper!

Ah, you emerging student designers with your heads so full of crazy cool ideas!

Who else would think to make a wallet out of wood or jewelry out of spent bullets collected from a firing range?

Adi Zaffran and Itay Laniado of the Bezel Academy of Art and Design: thank you for thinking outside the box.