A BURNING TORCH OF A DIFFERENT KIND…
Seems appropriate after having watched the Olympic torch burn brightly for the past two weeks in Beijing, that we bring you the eco fashion world’s Burning Torch, a fabulous collection from designer Karyn Craven that is made primarily from recycled vintage garments. And, fittingly, there is also a very strong world cultural influence in her creations. The collection is broad and diverse with everything from jackets and sweaters to tops, unusual tees, dresses, skirts and pants, each piece a timeless work of art in our humble opinion and many styles with a boho chic kind of feel. The timeless factor is so important because these are pieces you can wear for years, instead of discarding them when the new style of the moment shows up. Perhaps that is why Burning Torch has a celebrity following, like Jessica Alba, Jessica Simpson and Teri Hatcher (all shown wearing Burning Torch) …that and the fact that the collection is burning hot! www.burningtorchinc.com
DEBORAH LINDQUIST
No one does “reincarnated” cashmere like designer Deborah Lindquist and we always look forward to the roll out of her fall collections because it’s sweater time and she’s the best! The fall 2008 collection is no exception and she’s also gone well beyond cashmere with fashion forward eco clothing styles, using other types of sustainable materials. Deborah’s inspirations are always interesting. Her spring collection was “Beatnick Meets the Goddess Laksimi.” For fall, it’s “English Girl Goes to Tibet.” The idea is that she starts out a bit English punk, goes to Tibet and, of course, becomes very layered since it’s cold there. Symbols used in traditional Tibetan dress and from a Tibetan Buddhist prayer, as well as English symbols, are incorporated. You’ll be able to see the collection soon at www.deborahlindquist.com.
A – Vintage cashmere cardigan
and scarf with cashmere signature 
appliqués, short sleeve organic
cotton screen print t-shirt, peace silk trouser skirt
B – Peace silk, drop-waist sleeveless dress with recycled leather appliqués, modal/cashmere off the shoulder dolman sleeve t-shirt, recycled leather bracelet, vintage cashmere legwarmers and scarf
C – Sleeveless vintage empire waist dress with appliqué, vintage cashmere scarf and leg warmers, organic wool swing coat with cashmere appliqués
D – Hemp silk tailored long sleeve blouse, vintage cashmere bustier with appliqué, short fingerless vintage cashmere gloves and scarf with appliqués, hemp tencel cuffed pant.
Make sure you check out our "Seriously?" feature, where we bring you eco products & stories that are (how can we say) crazy, nuts or "over the top."
PLASTIC MADE PERFECT
by Laurel House
First, it was Tupperware, then fake breasts…all in the name of fabricating perfection. Well, the perfect wives of the 50’s turned into bra burners of the 60’s…so much for Tupperware parties. In the 80’s, plastic seemed to be perfect again, when the pin-thin, big-breasted look of Barbie made the rounds. Yes, plastic has definitely had its share of hey days. Now, in this eco-age, the once perfect-making pliable is down in the dumps…literally (along with its sisters, plastic bottles).
So, what’s all the fuss about plastic and why are we supposed to just stop carrying around one of our favorite fashion accessories (plastic bottles) cold turkey?! The sick fact is that each year, 38 billion water bottles pile up in landfills, thanks to America’s obsession with bottled water. In fact, the largest trash dump in the world…a floating plastic mess about twice the size of the continental US…is in the ocean, about 500 nautical miles from the California coast. Why is the dumpsite composed mostly of plastic? Because plastic isn’t biodegradable and it tends to float.
But, thanks to fashion, we have discovered how to recycle and repurpose plastic into some pretty fabulous things. In this two part article, I will show you just how plastic has been made perfect once again.
BACK TO SCHOOL ECO-COOL!
by Bonny Osterhage
It’s the whine heard round the world—the sound of children lamenting the fact that summer is drawing to a close and school is right around the corner. Time to go from hitting the beach to hitting the books, but you can make the transition easier by sending your children back to school in eco-cool style. The following eco friendly clothing and accessories score an A in style and originality and will move your child to the head of the environmentally conscious class.
SAUCED...
We don’t typically write about food, but for some reason, we recently got to sample some amazing, natural, unusual sauces that have us all fired up! So we’re sharing. We promise it will be totally worth your while to click that “click here to read more” button below and check these out, especially with Labor Day BBQ’s coming up! These sauces from Vivi’s Original Sauce and Wholemato will work perfectly atop those buffalo burgers, vege burgers and tofu hot dogs (or traditional meats), as well as in dips and side dishes. Plus, we’ve got some delicious recipes for you!
Where you see the White Apricot symbol, it means there's an Exclusive Offer - Click it!