Metropolitan Gardening

Bryan: What prompted the extraordinary focus on making your designs sustainable? Inka: Our planet is in bad shape. I think everyone should try to do their part to reduce their impact and we should try to do this in all domains of our lives, like at home and at work. I try to reach sustainability in the materials I use and also in they way I produce my collection Bryan: Have you found any benefit? Does acting ethically pay off? Inka: It's hard at first, because doing this right (sustainably) costs more and it takes more time to figure out if the things I think are sustainable are actually sustainable. I can see the benefits of increasing my local economy and I can see that people feel the difference in my product, so yes, I think it pays off. 

MG:What is your mission at Chinti and Parker ? C&P:At Chinti and Parker we have a clearly defined mission: to marry great luxury basics with environmentally and ethically kind production wherever possible. MG: What sort of production values do you have for your fabric? Tell us about the materials you use. C&P: All our cotton-jersey is made from 100% organic cotton, certified by GOTS, the Global Organic Textile Standard. The only exception is the grey marl. Due to its inherent blend of threads is too weak to successfully produce the ultra-lightweight quality we desire. As techniques evolve, we hope this will change. We have, however, pledged from the beginning that production values are to be considered in balance with the overall quality and beauty of a garment.

O k you're seeing a couple of serious interviews for ecofashion from the (capsule) show and you're wondering what's next? Well here's another company we found at (capsule) deep into green designs, that tailor makes it's wares, you could say they are bespoke because they will create to your individual needs and measurements and they use skinny little models too. They are TWIG TERRARIUMS and a fun thing for home and office fashion. MG:What gave you the idea to put little people and moss together? Twig:We're urbanites with nary a backyard between us except a little bit of concrete and a fire escape, so terrariums give us the sense of space and...acreage! Between us we now have dozens of backyards! Michelle has always been interested in botany, so of course she started the obsession. She found a cruet jar in her kitchen that she said was destined to become a terrarium. Katy soon followed suit and found a cute little mushroom-shaped jar. We both instantly

C ri de Coeur ||style conscious with a conscience :: ethical contemporary fashion|| MG: When you decided to create shoes in an ethically responsible way did you get any resistance from those around you? JD: I think there is a resistance to non-leather goods in this industry when presenting a designer quality shoe that is made of vegan products. I think that we are filling the void for those who seek out quality, but also want to make conscious choices that they can live with. The more people are educated about the impact the fashion industry can have on reversing global warming while also improving quality of life for people and animals (with regard to leather tanneries, meat industry and animal welfare) the more people want to support companies that are cruelty-free but also meets high-end fashion demands. MG: Have your designs been effected by your choices in material? JD: We seek out the highest quality fabrics for our shoes and handbags. The more "eco" they are, t

  I n this interview designer Beryl Man  ( Anja Collection ) gives us a unique glimpse into the challenges facing a designer on the forefront of high end boutique eco fashion. MG: I understand that your interest for ethical fashion grew out of encountering business practices during your first years in the industry. Would you say now that you have established yourself it was easy to source ethically and just took some looking? B: i can say that i covered the basic simple knits/weave sourcing, but in fashion, consumers are always looking for something new and exciting so thats a challenge to make sure new resources are within sustainable principle and and not off track by the speed of fast fashion. MG:Does ethical business cost more than "regular" business? B: YES!! its more expensive and we have very limited choices. sustainable materials are more expensive but the Eco fashion market is still looking for lower prices. except if you are making one-off couture piece

T he (capsule) show covers designers from New York and Paris 2012 Autumn/Winter lines. (Really it's global in scope.) This is simply the best boutique fashion under one roof. The bright faces of these niche labels and gorgeous looks were stellar. I'll be diving in deeper over the next couple of days - but today the three quick standouts for me were: Cri De Coeur , an eco-forward and ethical shoe collection designed by Julie Dicterow and business partner  Gina Ferraraccio . Julie explained that her line is one of the few shoe collections ever to pursue green status. She was surprised that I somehow picked out this fact from among the other vendors and exclaimed it shouldn't be possible to tell. I told her I'd been doing this a long time and her product gave me the right feeling. No Julie, it is not apparent to the naked eye that your product is somehow eco-different - it was the quality and standards of your presentation and your vibe that turned my head. The shoes &

C harmaine Cianciullo is an organic esthetician, an activist for safe cosmetics, and the host of the popular video beauty blog Glamology – on which she discusses green beauty tips, products, and DIY beauty recipes. She is also the owner of Peppermint Organic Spa and  mintandberry.com  – an organic esthetic salon and online eco beauty boutique. Bryan: What gave you the idea to start GLAMOLOGY? Charmaine: I grew up with very sensitive and acneic skin and for most of my life I had always assumed it was due to genetics, hormones, or the weather. After working in the beauty industry for 8 years as an esthetician and skincare therapist; I learned a lot about the human body, skincare ingredients, and the cosmetic industry as a business. I was shocked to discover that the cosmetic industry is largely unregulated by any federal safety agency and many of my beauty products contained dozens of untested, toxic and harmful chemical ingredients like parabens, phalates, formaldehyde releasing che

NIKKI AND HER DOG N ikki Fotheringham is a rockstar. She's a full time writer creating content for renewable energy and green buildings. Her blog http://www.nikkifotheringham.com/ is chock full of sagely advice for the sustainable future. Bryan: Hi Nikki!  Nikki: Hi Bryan and thanks so much for this lovely opportunity. Its nice to be on the other side of the interview for a change.  Bryan: How did you get your start in writing content for renewable energy and green building?  Nikki: I had been a writer for many years. I started as a reporter in my hometown of Durban, South Africa. I went on to become an editor for a property magazine for several years until I wanted to travel. I spent the next 8 years traveling around the world. I met my husband at my first destination and we funded our rock and roll lifestyle on a mix of travel writing and teaching English. Traveling really brings home the many things we have to be grateful for in our lives and seeing the impact our