Designing fashion for the future with century-old techniques, Isabell de Hillerin embraces heritage for Spring/Summer 13.

One would think that in fashion, the “new” is welcomed almost as much as a friendlier price point. But not to forget, also in fashion, are passageways that inspire designers and pull them back to heritage, history and hopefully, an embracing of something deeper.

Berlin-based Isabell de Hillerin is one of those designers. In her Spring/Summer 13 collection “Eclectic Line,” she combines traditional Moldavian craftsmanship -think flamboyant handmade embroidery and handwoven fabrics with modern designs- to  …

ColumnConscious life, hear me roar.

I recently got a direct message on Facebook from a high school friend I haven’t talked to in many years.

“Do you still have that picture of you and the ghost in Africa?” He wrote.

I sat there staring at the screen, thinking it funny that after so many years, this friend would still remember and even want to see proof once again that I had in fact, a run-in with the dead.

I hadn’t seen the picture in many years myself so accepted the challenge and dove into the closet that I knew it would be in-the one containing my dogeared travel trunk from when I was 19.

Where we all become obsessed with taking classes and making things in New York City.

CourseHorse launched in mid-April 2011 to make it easier for New Yorkers to find classes, starting with roughly 150 schools and 4,000 opportunities to enrich one’s life. Over a year later, and thanks to a huge movement to make, create and learn without the strict guidelines of a college setting, CourseHorse has quadrupled the amount of classes they offer.

Want to make a vegan feast and don’t know how? Get your body back in shape post-baby? Knit up a new sweater or learn how to use social media for your growing business? They’ve got you covered.

Join EcoSalon and Ecover as we head into October with a sweepstakes that celebrates your Green Closet!

Ecover tells us: “As you know, one of the elements of Green Closet is all about stopping the clothing rotation: buy good quality clothes and keep each item longer by taking good care of them.”

At EcoSalon, we are all about slow and conscious consumption when it comes to clothing, so we are more than happy to collaborate with Ecover to promote their Green Closet sweepstakes.

What’s the deal? Well, one very lucky …

In which we are asked to consider the assinine.

A fashion statement? Should I put my bottle of whiskey in it too Jil?

If I wanted to put my lunch or habit in a bag, I’d just go and buy a real paper bag, like from a liquor store that my liquor came in and be all that much cooler. $290 for a “fashion statement?” For who? Wanna-be street people?

We rip our hair out and wonder how the bag – which recently hit stores – sold out quickly. Couldn’t we …

ColumnConscious life, hear me roar.

I have just returned back home from running around Manhattan and New York Fashion Week. As you might imagine, an intense week full of long legged runway models, moody designer presentations, and the deep bass beats of stylish music gives New York City the air of theater, sex, and retail desire. It’s also a week-long voyeuristic sneak peak at what we all hope to be wearing next spring and summer when emerging from our winter cocoons.

Fashion is sexy. It serves as both a transformative power pill and a retreat for the world-weary. It’s a place we can go to to become stronger by the very clothes we wear and in lieu of the fact that our inner strength isn’t enough. Power is sexy. If you think I am wrong, point me to the runway show you’ve been to recently that shows women hunched over in house dresses looking down at the ground from nerves.

Gretchen Jones channels Haight Ashbury and pom pom flower power for a stunning Spring/Summer 13 collection.

It’s no secret we’re Gretchen Jones fans here at EcoSalon so catching up with her post GenArt Fresh Faces show this past Sunday was like sitting down with an old friend. Known on Project Runway Season 8 as one of the few designers to tout her love of sustainable fashion and design, Jones’ approach has since changed some.

We got her to sit still for a minute to answer some questions about her Spring/Summer 13 collection called “Any Day Now.”

EDUN takes on the idea of the complete woman.

EDUN’s Spring/Summer 13 collection is all about promoting what might seem, at first glance, like utilitarian female garb. At second glance – and knowing full well you won’t rock the outfits quite like the groupie girls strutting the catwalk – you see a pretty clean palette for a woman to promote her very badass self.

We’ll call it Manhattan Rocker Chic but designer Ali Hewson calls it a collection “contrasting worlds of the EDUN girl,” and you do aspire to be her if you’re one looking for solid street cred.