Zig Zag Zig Zag.

If you watch the two lines of high voltage geometric color interact for long enough it can really get you going and – accounting for the recent thinking of Missoni’s executives –  send your mind a blowing. A design fueled euphoria being the only explanation for the Italian knitwear legend’s dodgy decision to sell out their signature stripe to mass retailer Target this year.

Known for its multitude of colorful kaleidoscope patterns including abstracts, florals and the eye-catching chevron stripe, the distinctive design created by Tai and Rosita Missoni in 1953 has certainly been copied before. Originally championed in the U.S. by Diana Vreeland, editor of Vogue magazine, Missoni reach the peak of their influence in the fashion world in the early 1970’s. Run by the husband and wife team until handing over design duties to their daughter Angela in 1996, the house of Missoni was remarkable for staying above the many trends of the fashion world.

THEN:  Hitting their stride in the early 1970′s, Missoni started out as a small knitwear workshop in Gallarate, Italy, in 1953 opened by founders Rosita and Ottavio.

When Target’s low cost versions of Missoni products went on sale causing a stampede on stores (with lines up to 100 people long waiting for restocking, and Target’s website crashing repeatedly), everyone was tempted, even mass fashion boycotters like us. The line sold out within 24 hours. Many items appeared on eBay within hours, at two to three times markup.

Ultimately, customers were disappointed. In line with Target’s price range, the fabrics used were not the luxuriously designed wools, cottons, rayon and silk typical of Missoni and customers complained widely about the 400-product collection’s cheap appearance, shoddy manufacturing and unprecedented anger at how Target handled the launch.

FUTURE: The Chevron stripe’s classic boldness is perfectly suited to fashion’s ongoing taste for imaginative contrasts and the eclectic.

With the Target collaboration, only time can tell whether Missoni has cheapened their name for good. One thing is for sure, the incident reawakened a desire for all things chevron striped. Seen everywhere from tights to menswear and DIY paint tutorials, the graphic stripes and chevron patterns have a classic yet modern boldness that never goes out of style, however we incorporate it into our lives.

There are period panties, and then there are period panties.

Hello, my name is Jane, and I’m a thirty-three-year-old woman who still wears underwear from high school. Saying it publicly doesn’t make me feel better, but I’m told it’s the first stage in recognizing you have a problem. Although I never really thought it was a problem. As I type those words, I realize that’s exactly what people with problems say.

It all started Labor Day weekend, which began like every three-day weekend: with a Saturday hangover. And let’s be clear, by Saturday I mean day, because once you enter your 30s, hangovers are your biological clock’s sick way of reminding you what a loser you are because you’ve chosen drinking and fun over having babies.

I spend my day of repent (read: regret) in nothing but day-old underwear and my oversized terry cloth robe. I eat four ice cream sandwiches (they’re low-fat, so I can eat the whole box) and two bags of microwave butter popcorn (not low-fat, so I limit it), and watch five hours of a “Cheers” marathon. As I daydream that the stodgy waitresses at my neighborhood watering hole are more like Woody and Carla, I receive a text from a friend: twins! I order pizza to celebrate/cope. Luckily, my husband is away – he doesn’t need to see this.

Sunday, I manage to text my friend the obligatory “Yay! CONGRATS! LOVE the names Brooks and Dunn. Love you!” and start to clean at a frenetic pace. Maybe I think I can vacuum away my inability to have one or two glasses of wine like a “normal” person, or that I can vacuum an entire box of ice cream sandwiches out of my stomach via my belly button.

As the day approaches 5 p.m. – well past the hour I enjoy doing laundry – I open the dryer and gather up every last piece of clothing in one giant ball like I’m grabbing turkeys on “Supermarket Sweep” with twenty seconds left on the clock.  Successfully guilting my husband in to helping me fold, we both dive in, bobbing for clothes, me erratically and he with patience and purpose.  Then: “Are these…yours?” he asks. I look up to find my husband holding a pair of fraying fuchsia underwear with just the fingernails of his thumb and forefinger, as if he just found a strand of anal beads in our bed.

“Give me those! They’re my period panties,” I screech as I snatch them from him like a feral cat being fed from a human hand for the first time.  As the blood rushes up through my face, past my nose, behind my eyes, and up to my hairline, I curl the panties into a ball so tight in my hand that you can’t see them anymore. “Your what?” he asks, as he wipes the two fingers he held them with on his jean leg.

“God, they’re not dirty, they’re just the undies I wear during my period so I don’t ruin my pretty ones.”

His face transitions from disgust to that look men give when they hear something they don’t really care to know about (like when you try to explain the difference between tampons and pads).

As I shoo him out I begin to uncurl my hand, finger by finger by finger, to take a long look at them. If they were a person, they would be a 98-year-old dying of skin cancer…and bullet holes. They were one pair in a collection of eight ratty broken down pairs living in the back of the top drawer of my plastic 3-tier drawer tower that I purchased from Target for $19.99 in college. As I open the drawer to return the pair back to their hideaway in their low-income pantie housing, I feel like I’m trying to hide a stash of crack from the Feds. They might as well be stored under a loose floor board in tinfoil. Instead, I shove them in the back right corner, under the lacy thongs, and a pair of crotch-less panties I’ll never use.

For the first time I’m realizing how wrong it is that I have them, and how embarrassed I would be if someone found out. Why am I choosing to keep pairs that knew me through puberty, that followed me through college sports, and that survived with me through my twenties? That’s a lot of wear and tear, not to mention DNA.

Sure, there are scarier skeletons in a person’s closet than 18-year-old underwear, yet these hot-mess panties all of a sudden have me questioning my entire existence as a normal human being. Is something wrong with me? Am I fit to be a mother? Am I one of those gross people you whisper about like the woman in my office who squeezes white heads on the back of her arms during meetings? We all have that stash of less-than-lovely undies that we keep around for that time of the month, but did you wear yours to prom?

And suddenly: the ding of a text. Another friend is bringing home another baby and I’m here with another fading hangover, lingering depression, plastic drawers that belong in a dorm room, and barely-legal underwear. Fabulous.

Deflated, and borderline suicidal (OK, I’m being a bit dramatic) I handle the situation the way I do every weird-to-bad choice. By justifying (read: making excuses for). I’ve never bought anything full price online and I frequent the kind of stores that are questioned for foreign child labor issues like H&M or Zara, so maybe I’m just economical? Or maybe I’m cheap, or lazy? But I have an answer for every excuse, leaving me to the only remaining option: maybe I really am gross.

But what defines gross? People don’t talk about picking their nose, but everyone’s done it. I think we each have our secret nasty moments, and as long as we aren’t hurting anyone we shouldn’t beat ourselves up over it. We are animals after all, and no amount of etiquette, money, technology, judging, or clothing is going to change that.

So join me in saying, “Hello my name is ____________, and I might have super old underwear.”  And as long as they stay in the shadow of my closet and the shroud of that time of the month (or until they disintegrate), my 18 year-old gross undies (aka grundies) are here to stay.  And kudos to you Ralph Lauren – you make one fine underwear product.

Image: Helga Weber

ColumnEnglish doesn’t have the feminine case. Stop trying to add it to the rotation.

“These ‘Influence-Hers’ have considerably larger social networks — both online and offline…Besides having a larger social circle, they also tend to be more actively engaged with brands. The Influence-Hers are 38% more likely than typical women to ‘like’ brands on Facebook or to provide personal information to brands they like on Facebook.” – via AdvertisingAge

This morning, like many mornings, I was awakened by the sound of the coffee makeHer. I hopped into the showHer to freshen up before heading to work at EcoSalon headquartHers, where we create and distribute content for smart, stylish women who are early adoptHers and influenceHers. There, I scan the blogs by blogHers and also chat with photograpHers, social media marketHers (you know, like diggHers and redditHers) and a programmHer. Just kidding! Girls aren’t programmers.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of awkward insinuations of the feminine where it isn’t required, I will fear no condescension, for you, dear reader who does not need an “h” added, are with me. My pen and my words, they comfort me, and scare the shit out of idiots. I prepare a post in the presence of trolls; you anoint me with tweets; my inbox overflows.

But where was I.

Gendered nouns like actress and editrix have been around for eons/however long Urban Dictionary says they’ve been around. What I find useless is the her habit: that clever habit of marketers to conceive of terms like “influence-Her”, as seen in the above noted social media study that finds influential women are influential. (In seriousness, the study is actually quite interesting for this nugget: the more influential you are, the more likely you are to be influenced. Ahem, ladies. They are so on to us.)

Is the her habit in language used by media and marketers trivial or cynical? My personal reaction to the “Influence-Her” term was more amusement than bemusement, but I do wonder if calling out the girly, particularly by the types of people who are apt to describe women as targets and think in terms of segments, age and income demographics, widgets and sectors, is exactly benign.

I’m similarly perplexed by the Her that seems to have started it all, in the new media era at least, Blogher.com. Blogher claims to be “ the Web’s leading guide to the hottest news and trends among women in social media” and home of  “The best writing by women online” in a variety of categories. I can’t agree with any of that, but with millions of readers and bloggers (bloghers?), popular conferences and plenty of Pagerank, Blogher is indisputably popular and clearly wields considerable influence in its sphere. But that’s the problem: its sphere. Referring to oneself as a blogher feels awfully close to barefoot, pregnant and mommyblogging in the kitchen. In a word: marginalized. And primed for market. Why are we segregating suffixes?

To this I say: Nobody puts Baby in a cornHer.

I’ll take the wider sphere. The one where sometimes I am a woman, sometimes a boss, sometimes a friend, sometimes a lover, sometimes a daughter, sometimes a colleague. The one where I love children, animals and ruffles no more nor less than any man. (Possibly less on the ruffles.) The one where we all dwell, where we all have skin in it, where the grandest game is actually in play.

The one where I am just and always me, Sara Ost, at large, no if’s, and’s or her’s about it.

This is the latest installment in your editor’s column, The Insider’s Guide to Life, exploring topics such as media, culture, sex, politics, and anything else. Cheers and spellcheck!

Image: Temari 09

Design loving bloggers and their latest low impact, low price projects.

The Twitterverse went wild Wednesday morning when Target announced Missoni as their latest designer collaboration. It’s set to launch September 13^th and promises to be one of their largest collections ever, featuring over 400 pieces, including clothing, dinnerwear and bedding.

Missoni for the masses? I have to confess I felt a pang of regret at the news, because while most shoppers are only too happy to get a look for less, and fashion retailers are keen to capitalize on a winning idea, I decided a couple of years ago that my wardrobe would be sourced as sustainably as possible. That means, for me, forgoing the temptations like Lanvin for H&M (a true test), and embracing the creativity and courage of my conscious convictions.

Perhaps you’re picturing a cheaply made, acrylic (shudder), knit Missoni top in your shopping cart and thinking the same. When you can’t stand another high-meets-low creation from a mass-market retailer, how are you going to get a designer concept look for less?

Allow me to introduce some of my favorite design loving bloggers and their latest low impact, low price projects. In the spirit of fashion’s new D.I.Y. ethos, their eye for a translatable idea is the perfect example of the web-obsessed world of fashion, concurrently serving eco interests.

Erica Domesek, the founder of P.S. – I Made This, describes her doable step-by-step guide DIY site as “A movement. It’s a call to action to reimagine, reuse & reinvent.” Her convincing replica of Burberry’s studded gabardine trench was truly resourceful, using chopsticks to recreate the studs. Chinese for dinner will never be the same again.

Runway DIY’s uncomplicated guide to updating a thrift-bought Baja Hoodie was in homage to Proenza Schouler’s hit-of-the-season: a beaded Baja Sweater. The site’s creative force, the mononymously named Arianna, presents fresh, straightforward projects that capture the latest trend’s coolest design detail or two.

For Virginie of Virginie Peny: Couture and DIY, enjoying fashion is a “self-made experience.” Her tutorials illustrate her unique take on exploring fashion media for personal inspiration. I loved her basic jersey tee interpretation of a slashed Maison Martin Margiela sweater from a recent edition of French Elle magazine. Too busy to slash your own? Every one of Peny’s DIY projects are available for purchase.

Cashmere has long been associated with luxury, but that’s not the case anymore with affordably priced cashmere currently saturating markets. While you might consider this a gift, mid-priced chain stores like Banana Republic and Target (who are buying the fiber) are part of a larger sock in the gut to the Mongolese people and the place they call home.

In addition to consumer’s demand for cashmere, the biggest culprit of the Mongolian countryside desertification are the goats themselves – eating roughly 400 square miles of grass a year (including the grass roots).

Ecotextile News reports that this over grazing of the high plains goats, in some instances has resulted in a “desertification of the land,” from nomadic herders looking to make a buck.

“The ever increasing demand in the west for cheap cashmere has encouraged such growth in the goat population so that there are real fears over the ecological balance of the region,” says Ecotextile News.

In the same article, China’s Ministry of Nature and Environment estimated that “grassland is thinning out across 75 percent of this vast country, two thirds the size of Western Europe, while 7 percent is already desert.”

With the Cashmere World Trade Fair taking place November 23-25, a Cashmere Sustainability Conference will encourage attendees on industry and environmental threats – from the fiber to the overgrazing, scouring and dyeing.

Image: Left-Hand

For low impact fashion practices – ethically sourced, sustainable fabrics and de-centralized manufacturing – to eventually become the norm, environmentally conscious fashion labels need to compete with the mainstream.

For a long time, marketing sustainable fashion was overturning stereotypes, but now, with the recent Green Shows at New York’s fashion week showing the movement is undeniably design-led, where do other standard industry practices such as endorsement deals and celebrity fashion brands fit in? Does the sustainable fashion industry need celebrity clothing lines that can often be synonymous with disposable fashion?

Closely tied to a star’s popularity – which like their marriages can be notably volatile and short-lived – some clothing lines have managed to do well, particularly those at lower price points with a mass market appeal and distribution in the likes of Kohl’s, Target and Macy’s.

If sustainable design represents a shift to a new luxury paradigm where consumers value true and lasting quality, can celebrity collaborations authentically raise the awareness of green brands? Of course, the real question is will it sell more clothes?  When done right, it can work successfully. It’s all about matching the right celebrity with the right business model. (I couldn’t tell whether Lady Gaga in her meat bikini was the ultimate poster child for, or against, PETA…?) With that in mind, let’s consider the celebrities who have recently joined the eco-fashion crusade.

People Tree at “A Garden Party To make A Difference”

Harry Potter actress Emma Watson recently previewed her spring/summer 2011 collection in her ongoing collaboration with British fair-trade fashion label, People Tree, at Prince Charles’s 12-day U.K. eco festival titled “A Garden Party to Make a Difference – a series of cultural events to promote sustainable living.” The line features knitwear for women and men, consisting of cotton T-shirts, jersey dresses, poplin skirts and shorts. Eighty percent of Watson’s new line is made of 100 percent fair trade-certified cotton.

Chrissie Hynde and JP Jones (her bandmate and lover)

Rock legend Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders is a longtime animal-rights activist, and her eco-friendly line called “Fairground Luck,” is a labor of love in more ways than one. In a collaboration with sometime love and songwriter JP Jones, the rock-inspired line will include non-leather versions of rocker chic T-shirts, skinny jeans, jackets, handbags and cowboy boots. Hynde nominated her friend, musician Emmylou Harris as the line’s muse and consulted with other famous friends including designers Todd Oldham, John Bartlett and Stella McCartney, whose own designs are vegan as well.

At a time when competition for fashion dollars has never been fiercer, celebrity eco clothing lines can cut through and create a little extra vital buzz. And let’s face it, as far as celebrities go, it could be a lot worse.

It seems, the bigger the store, the bigger the carts. SuperTarget, which has introduced fresh grocery products into its offerings, keeps us in the red with enormous carts to contain the bulk items we buy. Box stores know you will also pick up little extras in the aisles along the way, like electronics and kitchen tools. You didn’t even know you needed towels and sneakers until you saw you saw the sale sign and could stuff them in with the toilet paper.

Conversely, Whole Foods and many health food groceries offer the two-tier basket trolleys – developed in the late 1930s – as the best utility for shopping for your fresh items without having to carry the weight.

There is a good argument for sticking to the baskets when you can. Sure, the restriction can be tough when shopping with a baby or child and needing that cart seat, preparing for a party or shopping just one day a week or after a lull and the cupboard is bare.

But on a regular basis, a basket will help you contain your needs, buying less and with with more purpose. Think of yourself at a large buffet and what you could get on a salad plate versus a China platter. Those being mindful of what they consume usually opt for the salad plates. The same principle could aid grocery shopping, as well. That is why some stores, like Shaw’s in Boston, rolled out a large basket on wheels as the ideal compromise for shoppers.

Here are some other benefits of keeping that cart parked at the entrance to the store:

Spending less money

According to the Get Rich Slowly blog, ditching the cart (and even basket at times) is the best policy when shopping with the intention of picking up a few items, a loaf of bread, a container of milk, some fruit and dog good. This way you can avoid impulse purchases and end up saving money on stuff you can live without.

Wasting less food

We’ve learned from food guru Michael Pollan that Americans waste half of their food from failing to buy for one meal at a time – the way our Depression-era grandparents budgeted. EcoSalon food columnist, Vannessa Barrington, also sings the praises of buying fresh and local organic over bulk and to eat what you need in a couple of days, not stocking up for weeks at a time. Even if you are composting, which is better than tossing scraps, you still waste less food by buying small amounts  – which is easier to do without a cart.

Avoiding cart accidents

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission finds some 24,000 children are injured in cart accidents every year, half from the seat in the cart, first introduced as a mother’s aid in 1954, and half from the cart itself (hands getting pinched, etc).  I equate cart driving to road driving, finding in my city by the bay that the bad drivers also are careless with carts, pushing them too fast around corners or hogging the lanes. When put at the helm, my 11-year-old tends to ram the cart into my feet, arguing “you aren’t supposed to stop when you are walking in front of me!!” Lesson: Leave the kids out of the seats, and only let them drive a basket.

Minimizing the waiting in long lines

It’s no coincidence that human cashiers are disappearing from discount grocery stores and replaced by self-check out stations – which we were first exposed to about seven years back. Not paying workers allows the corporations to reap as much profit as possible. Meantime, the lines continue to grow out of control, especially at box stores where carts are loaded up to the max. We pay a price for those discounts in the time we have to wait for service, and it is better to take charge of our consumerism by eliminating carts when possible. That way we can love rather than curse the store we have chosen when we are stuck in a big line and need to be somewhere else.

Images: J. Reed; Luanne BradleyWhole

We wish more of you in the spotlight would bask in the green light, including Olympic poster boys, platinum-capped rappers and Hollywood idols who consume our fascination. What they own, where they live, what they drive, what they wear, what they eat: It drives our popular culture.

Imagine the potential impact of the young and wasteful who make the choice to get on board the eco movement beyond peddling torn tights and alternative energy fluids like Red Bull.

True, not every ingenue puts herself on the line, like Hayden Panettiere, who traveled to the Japanese village of Taiji to protest the dolphin slaughter. And not every handsome screen idol can fill Leo’s shoes, lending his support to countless causes, like the upcoming Christie’s International Green Auction to raise mega bucks for four non-profit environmental organizations.

We don’t judge the slackers harshly because, well, the dangling adverts and chauffeured SUVs are hard to pass up. But we urge the following stars to try out for a more worthwhile role, that of sustainable spokesperson for a hurting planet.

Shaun White Red Bull and Target Line: Adverts Not Medal-Worthy

The world’s best uber-snowboarder and top money maker can make a huge dent by being more selective about endorsements, promoting healthy, sustainable products. But Shaun White has aligned himself as an extreme Red Bull energy drinker (should we drink it to board like him?) and a line of boy’s wear at Target to name a few. Some of the garments are cotton (and not organic) but the sweats contain a lot of plastic polyester. This would have been a great chance to score a green eco line, a hot move for sure. After all, his Target advert made the screen at Times Square. That’s power!

Sean Kingston: My Super 18 Reflective of Phat-Pack Lavish Cribs and Bling

The five pound gold watch says it’s time for Sean to green his act. Perhaps a casualty of MTV Cribs and other entertainment flaunting the lavish lives of the rich and blung, the rapper’s idea of  a birthday is staging a Super 18 bash at Jungle Beach in Jamaica with his entourage, iced in $100,000 of new jewelry and adding a new car to his fleet. The native of Kingston could do so much more to send the right message. Conspicuous consumption? Zzz.

Lindsay Lohan Has Holes in Her Eco Story

Perpetually in trouble (last stint was falling into a patch of succulents), Lohan is adding hand bags to her questionable 6126 fashion line, which also includes green leggings. She needs to go the way of Project Runway’s Leeann Marshall and others who are investing in green that is more sustainable than trashy. In this case, Mama may actually know best because Dina Lohan launched an eco-friendly toothbrush that might get more support that the 6126 hose. Lohan should really get on board the green bus with true commitment, forgoing the junk food and drugs and getting healthy to set an example for her fans.

Miley Cyrus Needs to Deliver that Eco Line without Inconsistencies

“I’m a vegetarian but I hate vegetables and eat pasta everyday,” she was quoted saying, as thousands of young fans listed with baited breath. Great. One day she is reaching out to recruit green teens. The next she is swapping out her Toyotoa Prius for a Mercedes SUV. Ecorazzi says Miley blames the recall but the truth is her dog outgrew the hybrid. This is a mega rich, red hot star who has cashed in on her Hanah Montana products – most of them cheesy polyester girl’s wear sold at Sears, Walmart, Macy’s and other big box stores. Even her Target bedding (what kids breathe in nightly), is filled with toxic textiles. Why not use the good stuff, Miley? You would be even richer when it comes to promoting healthy living.

Team Beckham: Gas-Guzzling Cars, Real Estate, Mega Miles, Sugar Adverts, $1.5 million Shopping Sprees

One critic of the soccer star went so far as to accuse him of “causing global warming.” That’s because the family man (Victoria and three little forwards), reportedly among other accusations, owns a fleet of 15 cars (including an Escalade) and racked up more than 250,000 frequent flier miles last year. And he can spend the money he earns to bend. According to MSN, he spent a cool three grand to fly his pampered bulldog pup in luxury from England to Beverly Hills through a VIP service that included special care. He also has endorsed high sugar products, a no-no for athletes and greenies alike. Then again, wife Victoria is said to own $2 million in Hermes Birkin bags, and reportedly dropped $1.5 million shopping for a single season in Milan, claiming “shopping is like a drug.” Yep, that’s why most of us stay away from Via Montenapoleone when in Milan.

Images: alacoolb, Style News, Ecorazzi, Infobarrtell, Addict, Hauteliving

It’s good to finally dig up green outdoor objects for the home that truly target our pressing desire for modern, hip and affordable.

These goodies are reasonable enough to toss into your shopping cart along with the diapers, Method and dog food and not feel guilty about indulging your inner landscape designer.

The delightful recycled green plastic composting container above and the other groovy goods are part of the MIO® for Target line, an innovative collection of environmentally responsible and budget-friendly outdoor living products.

The limited-edition collection is the vision of the Philadelphia-based founders of MIO, Jaime and Isaac Salm. The duo has earned a name in the green industry for focusing on infusing sustainability into practical and functional items like retro-shaped solar lawn lights, a minty fresh portable organic cotton hammock, recycled watering can, twine jute gardening tools and an herb garden made from post-consumer recycled paper. Seriously, won’t you be a better gardener if your tools are sharper?

Prices range from $8 (gardening tool) to $99 for the composter. The assortment is available at Target stores and a limited selection of items can be purchased  online at Target.com.

Solar Path Light is $29.99 for set of two. Hammock and bag is $59.99.

This green water can is $24.99.

Cheers to Target for keeping up the expansion of its green offerings to consumers.

The more I talk with designers, the more I want you to know what they’re thinking. Here’s some insight.

I recently asked nine various shades of green designers what they thought about the question:

“Does collaborating with big names like Target, Kohl’s or Wal-Mart sound enticing to you?”

Heyne Bogut: I think in order to make that work you need to have a very packaged and defined product that can be understood and categorized quickly and easily. I’m always up for a challenge and I like the idea of contributing to pop culture in any way, shape or form, but it’s tricky to water down what you do enough to make it work in those places.

Plus, there’s the quality end to consider, and the concern for what conditions it’s made under. So, basically, the idea is intriguing, but a lot depends on what these partners are like to work with. I know people who design product for Wal-Mart and the process is living hell. I’ve been approached in the past by mass producers and have found the attempted collaborations uneven and unsatisfying.

Mociun: I think collaborating with someone like Eastpac or Keds would be great. Or some company that makes things I don’t. I would love to have a printed backpack or something like that. So I guess I would be more interested in doing a collaboration with a company where I could design print one of their products. And doing something with a company like Target could be cool, just to get exposure and see what production on a really large scale would be like.

Harper Della-Piana:  There would be positives connected to working with companies like that, of course. The prospect of making a large-scale impact on my company’s finances; provided the pieces I design for a company like that are made in the U.S. or by ethical workrooms would be part of the guarantee. I would not work on a project with a company like that if it didn’t have a positive impact on the workers or the environment in some way.

Alison Kelly/Dahl: Collaborating with larger corporations is at once appealing and unappealing. First, you will have to mass produce your collection in a ghastly inexpensive manner. Department stores like these aspire for quantity, not quality, which leads you to the question of whether or not you’ll want to forfeit the integrity of your designs by having to use cheaper textiles, eliminate important design elements and manufacture in China. I have a friend who just turned down an Anthropologie deal because they would not succumb to her eco-friendly standards. It becomes a question of morality.

Cmarchuska: I have mixed views about collaborating with big names like Wal-mart or Target. Ultimately, I feel  there could be some great opportunities for exposure and marketing when combining efforts with a major retailer.  However, it is tough as a small start-up/new designer to find favorable agreements for both parties. I think I would work with a major retailer if the terms were right.

Souchi: I understand why designers are enticed by these types of collaborations but I have no interest in this avenue of exposure. The type of collaborating that would excite me would be to work with artists I admire in all mediums. I think Marc Jacobs is fantastic with this. His collaborations with Stephen Sprouse and Murakami were great because they were new and unexpected for a house that traditionally was about the brown and camel logo. Or when Hermes hired Martin Margiela to be its house designer. For me, it would be a combo of materials – mixing yarn ideas with metal smiths or painters.

AK Vintage: Enticing?  Yes. Very much so, in fact. I’m interested in building my business and doing it as green as possible. I think if big box stores like these were ever to approach me they would obviously be interested in the sustainability of my product/brand just as much as my ability as a designer, because that is part of the identity I’m creating for my lines as well as for myself.  And, under these circumstances, I would absolutely be open to having that conversation.

Mothlove: I grew up in a small town, where my quaint little downtown full of mom & pop shops not only supported its community, but was supported by its community. Wal-Mart arrived in our town, and that sad story we’ve already heard started playing. A small, yet thriving community ceased to exist. Those small shops now represent the individually-owned boutiques I pursue as a designer.

I believe in the independent, the well-crafted and the local. I also believe that the designer-to-boutique, boutique-to-customer [relationship] creates community; communities with consumer awareness, communities that self sustain and support. Of course, financially the idea of big box collaboration is tempting, but I’d lose my story. And the consumer would lose its culture.

Aster And Sage: Collaborating with Target or Wal-Mart is definitely an enticing idea. I daydream about my imaginary Target collection all the time. Mmmm, yes.

Read more candid thoughts from eco designers.

Image: j.reed