EcoSalon’s favorite fashion designers, jewelry makers and artisans on the nature of creativity. 

“Beauty will save the world,” remarked Dostoevsky in the 19^th century. If ever there was a time to believe in the possibility of that statement, it is now. When our public discourse is reduced to ideological political posturing, the impact of beauty and creativity in our everyday lives offers both a vital opportunity for connection and a prospect for cultural renewal.

Over the years at EcoSalon, we’ve delighted in sharing the stories of the fashion designers, jewelry makers and artisans who are dedicated to creating true objects of beauty while choosing ethically responsible methods and practices that upend the customary business models in fashion, jewelry and art. Why do they do it? We asked them the question, “What compels you to create?” Here’s what they had to say:

Xing-Zhen Chung-Hilyard and Melissa Kirgan, Eko-Lab

“Creativity is a deep unconscious force. A process that reveals the unseen see-able and dreams reality. There’s a peace that comes from designing that in some small way we’re making the every-day more beautiful.”

Joy Opfer, Kyler by Joy O

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of  Eat, Pray, Love, has said that she believes there are currents of creativity and ideas circulating around the planet, looking for people to bring them into physical form. This idea is a lovely way of explaining the process of creativity – I often feel that I do not so much create, as synthesize ideas. When we work hard to be there, to be open and prepared for the muse when she arrives, to welcome her through sweat and tears, ready to manifest the boldest visions, a blend of the hive and our own minds – this is a gift.

Fashion is one of the biggest industries on the planet. To act as though it is frivolous is, at this point, a waste of time. Each person, through their choices can inspire change and awareness – and creating one more choice that supports handcrafted and carefully made goods is one that I am proud to be a part of.

Meghan Sebold, Afia

Life can be nauseatingly tragic with many things feeling out of our control. People can be corrupt, dishonest and disloyal – and often times it seems that those people win out. I see only two ways of dealing with the dark side of life: you can respond to corruption with conniving strategies, dishonesty with lies, attacks with counter attacks – or you can reject it and a attempt to create light and beauty in dark situations.

I’m certainly no hero to the women who produce my line – most of them are suspicious of my intentions. They think I’m there to use them for cheap labor – why else would I cross the world to be there? We stand in a room together across a table, having difficult conversations. Trying to trust each other. Trying to create a product together.

Shannon South, reMade USA

So many of us have the innate desire to create. It is what makes us human and what keeps our species going. It’s what fuels innovation. Those of us who are informed and concerned try to do so in the most thoughtful and sustainable way – a path that is not easiest or the most profitable, yet one that gives meaning and integrity to our vision.

Sasha Duerr, Permacouture Institute

I am a plant dyer because it immediately connects me to time and place, to my environment, to my community, and to indescribable depths of beauty. Plant color can ONLY be created – like an amazing meal you toast  to and savor with friends, or an heirloom peach that came to ripen in the sweetness of a perfect growing season – in that time with those conditions. It is a depth of experience that is often not repeatable – and therefore difficult to commodify.

I am consciously grateful to have chosen to make it my work – beyond promise of financial gain or security. This is why I started Permacouture – experimentation and knowledge needs to be shared if it is ever to be sustainable or regenerative to last beyond our own generation. This love for the wonder of the bigger picture has fueled my passion as both an artist and advocate for slower ways of being and creating. I am always awed by how much there is to learn.

Davora Lindner, Prairie Underground

The idea that “Creativity is it’s own reward” seems like such a universal truism. As designers and manufacturers our role isn’t entirely creative but we feel fortunate to work in an industry that demands this engagement. It has introduced us to the writers at EcoSalon and to like-minded women all over the world. That level of aesthetic communication is startling – it’s this connection that is the inspiration behind Prairie and remains the central theme of our work.

The photo (above) is from when Prairie Underground was still based in our homes.  We had received a large volume of orders for the Hard Times Dress that featured a hand painted print.  I needed to figure out a way to execute this in my studio apartment.  The solution was to paint the textile and feed it out my window to dry, then repeat.  Our passion to create is something that end users don’t often see.  The memories of this time are some of the fondest in my life.

Elizabeth Bruner, Piece x Piece

When you  start to seek out original and handcrafted crafted clothing, it feels like an important revelation. Handcrafted means respecting the time it takes to actually create something. There is meaning in the fact that someone has thought and carried out all the little steps it takes to make a truly unique item.

It’s never been about money for me. I know I’m not going to be a rich woman working with scrap fabrics but what compelled me to start Piece x Piece was the fact that I simply could not ignore what in my heart I knew I could change, if even on the smallest scale.

Alice Wu + Moriah Carlson, Feral Childe, 

When we started Feral Childe, we were young artists trying to make it in the New York art world, trying to fill the emptiness in our own closets, and striving to provide an antidote to fashion’s obsessions with brands, logos and over-consumption. We felt a responsibility to make things that were thoughtfully made, using available materials such as off-cuts and fabric remnants so gnarly and unloved in their raw state, but full of potential beauty in our hands. We believe in the power of the handcrafted to affect one profoundly. When something we have made touches an individual in a way that makes them think differently about the world we live in, we are inspired to continue our work.

Maria Moyer

It’s submission to the process. From inspiration to execution, I have to get out of the way and let my hands and my understanding of material attempt to catch up to some idea of what is possible. The result is always a surprise and that is a delight, sometimes a disappointment and always there’s something to learn. The whole thing is a miraculous privilege.

Kirsten Muenster, Kirsten Muenster Jewelry

I’ve always felt a need to create with my hands. My father helped me make my first ring in our basement when I was a kid. The feeling I had then (and still get today) from translating an abstract or conceptual idea into a tangible object with my hands is indescribably addictive.

Nature, unusual materials, ancient artifacts and crafting techniques inspire my work and process. Creating handcrafted objects is vital because they have the power to tell a story, carry on a tradition and remind us of the connection between every set of hands involved in the process or supply chain. I hope to influence others with my work to keep the cycle going. That’s why it is so important for me to know where my materials come from and whose lives they impact. We’re all connected.

Howard Brown, Stewart+Brown

At Stewart+Brown, the reason we do what we do is because we MUST have a sense of both passion and purpose in our work. And we must have beauty in our lives and not at the expense of the environment or supply chain stakeholders. We could not find that collision of ideals in the corporate world even when working at great companies, so we created it ourselves with our own company. It has been the greatest adventure of our lives. In a world of mass production and consumption there still needs to be value, integrity, humanity, and yes, great design without compromise. That is the goal we work towards every day.

Gretchen Jones, Gretchen Jones NYC

I believe it is our responsibility (the creative’s of the world) to be an instrument for the greater whole. We were given a gift, but in that gift is responsibility. Responsibility to be a communicator for humanity and the world, as we know it. We transmit cultural movements and the direction life is taking. Without us, we are collectively nothing.

Art in itself is about translating what cannot be translated in words. I take responsibility for that job. My “job” is to learn how to use my gift to better our lives. To open us ALL up to new ways of thinking and enable us all to live more enriched existences. I may need money to survive, but making money from my work is there by default. The passion to create is about the greater whole, not the ego or bank account… and that, is what the life of an artist is all about.

The post Beauty Will Save the World: Sustainability’s Top Makers on What Compels Them to Create appeared first on EcoSalon.

See you tonight!

Join EcoSalon and the Textile Arts Center in Manhattan, tonight from 6:30-9:30, to kick off New York Fashion Week. Talk and shop with over a dozen designers over a Conway Family Winery chardonnay, The Naked Grape Harvest Red and Cabernet Sauvignon, FAIR vodka cocktail or Zhena’s Gypsy Tea and learn about what sustainable fashion means in the midst of a fast fashion crazed society.

Elizabeth Cline, author of Overdressed, The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion will also be on hand to sign copies of her new book. All purchases the night of the event come with an eco-beauty gift from La Bella Figura, Kahina Giving Beauty, Olie Biologique and Stark Skincare (while supplies last!).

Francisca Pineda will also be on hand to promote her ethical fashion abroad program working with indigenous artisans from the Talamanca region near Puerto Viejo.

Shopping, organic cocktails, a little fashion education and a healthy dose of some of your favorite EcoSalon writers? You’d be crazy not to come and join us!

Current designers available to shop tonight include:

EkoLab
Afia
Carrie Parry
Ambika
Erin Considine
Laura Seigel
Adrienne Antonson
Ilana Kohn
A.D.O
VOZ
Kyler Jewelry
Jess Rizzuti Handbags
Pick-Up Stitch
Soham Dave
NYC Fair Trade Coalition

We look forward to seeing you!

The post Join EcoSalon Tonight in NYC For a Fashion Week Kick-Off Party! appeared first on EcoSalon.

Not just a fashion party, a sustainable fashion party.

Join EcoSalon and the Textile Arts Center in Manhattan, on September 6th from 6:30-9:30, to kick off New York Fashion Week. Talk and shop with over a dozen designers over a Conway Family Winery chardonnay, The Naked Grape Harvest Red and Cabernet Sauvignon, FAIR vodka cocktail or Zhena’s Gypsy Tea and learn about what sustainable fashion means in the midst of a fast fashion crazed society.

Elizabeth Cline, author of Overdressed, The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion will also be on hand to sign copies of her new book. All purchases the night of the event come with an eco-beauty gift from La Bella Figura, Kahina Giving Beauty, Olie Biologique and Stark Skincare (while supplies last!).

Francisca Pineda will also be on hand to promote her ethical fashion abroad program working with indigenous artisans from the Talamanca region near Puerto Viejo.

Shopping, organic cocktails, a little fashion education and a healthy dose of some of your favorite EcoSalon writers? You’d be crazy not to come and join us!

Current designers available to shop the night of the event include:

EkoLab
Afia
Carrie Parry
Ambika
Erin Considine
Laura Seigel
Adrienne Antonson
Ilana Kohn
A.D.O
VOZ
Kyler Jewelry
Jess Rizzuti Handbags
Pick-Up Stitch
Soham Dave
NYC Fair Trade Coalition

We look forward to seeing you!

The post Come to EcoSalon’s NYC Party and Help Kick Off Fashion Week! appeared first on EcoSalon.

African-inspired prints are perfect for summer. Mix them all together or make a statement with one bold piece.

African-inspired prints are a trend that’s been around for a while, but we think it deserves some attention since it’s so perfect for summer. Be daring and mix your prints, there’s no such thing as too much – anything goes with this trend. You can even wear all these picks together if you want to. Support sustainable development in Africa by ensuring that you buy pieces that are made by local artisans who make a fair living wage.

ASOS Africa Bra Top in Rhino Print
A quirkier take on the print trend, this handcrafted stretch bra top features a cute hand-drawn rhino print in poppy greens and oranges. The ASOS Africa collection looks to traditional East African fabrics and prints and reworks them with a modern sporty aesthetic in a punchy acid color palette. It’s produced in collaboration with several small communities in Africa, enabling them to earn a sustainable living through their craftsmanship.
$41, ASOS

Light Gives Heat Bold Moss Pearl Necklace
This necklace is the perfect complement to your African prints. It’s hand-crafted by the Suubi women in Uganda from beads made from recycled paper. By making and selling these beaded necklaces, these women are able to make a living wage, helping them create better lives for their families.
$20, Light Gives Heat

Della Treasure Hunt MacBook Case
Since you’re looking all stylish, your computer should too, right? Dress your MacBook up in this fun, protective case from Della. It’s 100% vegan, made from sustainable materials, lined with local Ghanaian fabric, and thinly padded for protection.
$38, Della

Doreen African Print Peplum Top
The ultimate convergence of two trends – print and peplum – this African print peplum top is one-of-a-kind and handmade in New York. Made from 100% cotton blue printed fabric with gold detailing it works really well with a pair of skinny jeans.
$35, Ann Jodes/Etsy

Wrapped Bangles by Mikuti
Mikuti‘s original banana bark bracelets have been all dressed up with local Tanzania wax fabric. Made using a unique wrapping technique, the vibrant colors of the fabric enhance the natural earth tones of the bark, creating gorgeous printed bangles that are surprisingly versatile. They come in stacks of three and should really be worn together.
$68, Mikuti

AFIA Staple Skirt in Neon
AFIA’s bright, colorful staple skirt is the perfect summer piece. It’s easy to dress up or down, but always makes a statement. It’s made from handpicked cotton wax fabric from the markets of Accra and hand-sewn by cooperatives in Ghana who are paid a fair wage for their craft.
$100, AFIA

The post On Trend: African Prints appeared first on EcoSalon.

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ColumnFor fashion label Mikuti, it’s a family affair.

Bombarded with beautiful beaded bangles, there’s an inexplicable awe that comes through observing the brilliant outcome of a designer’s process. Sifting through images from designer Erika Freud – the creative behind breakout accessory label Mikuti – on her most recent journey in East Africa, was like living inside a rainbow. Sourcing materials and producing Mikuti’s adornments through cooperation with artisans in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda, Freud has an eye for the standout colors and designs that make a statement.

Growing up in a family of culinary artists, that also held an interest in designing homes and gardens, Freud has creativity flowing through her veins. After spending 3 months in Tanzania with a small group who were working on some economic development projects, Freud and her team realized there was a way to create a bracelet out of banana bark.

“When I saw there was a potential market for it, as well as an opportunity to create jobs for the individuals I was working with and possibly myself, I ran with the idea of starting a company,” Freud tells EcoSalon.

In a few short years since Freud began her business endeavor, Mikuti has quickly become an attention-grabbing accessory brand for fresh fashion designers. Labels such as Mara Hoffman, AFIA, and ChiChia London, have all embraced Mikuti’s bangles as an enhancement for their recent lookbooks and runway events. What do they all have in common? None of them seem to be the least bit intimidated to throw blasts of color and print into their collections.

When Freud journeys to East Africa from her NYC home, she lives her every moment abroad to the fullest. Working on several collections on the same trip, Freud is developing two small, limited edition summer collections focused on color trends – Neons & Neutrals and For The Love Of Fuchsia. “I love color, especially these. It’s a small, fun collection that I think everyone will really like,” Freud says.

The limited number of summer pieces are being created in Kenya from recycled aluminum and beads. “I’ve worked with both materials before, so since I’m familiar with it, it’s made it easy for me to develop new ideas around it,” Freud says.

Working with talented artisans has influenced the creation process for Mikuti. Freud tells EcoSalon about how her beader is a standout individual. “She’s incredibly skilled and really knows how to execute my ideas. Whether it’s going bead shopping or going over color combinations, I genuinely enjoy her. Plus, she has a lot of good ideas for future possible designs. I think creativity breeds creativity. Once you get going with someone, the ideas just start to flow.”

Freud was definitely fed creativity at home growing up, and that knack for imaginative resourcefulness has only evolved in a collaborative relationship with her father. As Freud does the majority of her framework designing in the U.S., having “samples” to share with the artisans abroad can be key.

“By trade, my dad is a highly skilled builder and designer. The week before my trip, my father and I sat together in the garage many nights, cutting pieces of wood from my drawings for me to use as molds,” she explains.

These wood carvings are an ideal way to relay the design direction and aesthetic to her collaborators abroad. Having now worked in East Africa for about 3 years, Freud is quite methodical on how to communicate her ideas. The process begins with a pattern that she sketches. Then, her father creates a model of her design using thin plywood. Freud explains, “I do this because it helps me see the actual size and feel of something and let’s me imagine it to a point in my mind.”

When she travels to East Africa, she brings all of her plywood pieces and shows them to the artisan she has been working with. “He then creates it with whatever metal I choose and together, we fine-tune it. Sometimes this happens in one try, other times it takes 5 tries. It depends on the complexity of the piece. I really value his opinion and genuinely enjoy the collaborative experience we have,” Freud says.

In addition to the fabulous fuchsia and neon/neutral pieces for summer, Freud is also producing her Fall/Winter collection along this journey in East Africa. Inspired by Native American culture, Freud visited an array of museums and exhibits, while extensively researching traditional Native American dress and adornments over the past months.

“There’s something about old cultures and traditions I’m very drawn to. I like learning about them and then taking things from them to create a piece of jewelry. I recall visiting the Native American Museum in Washington, DC to do some research, where I was in awe of all the different shapes of arrowheads exhibited. I also loved looking at the totem poles and pulling ideas from them,” Freud explains.

Mikuti’s Fall/Winter collection has a material focus of horn and brass, sourced from Kenya and Uganda. Having never worked with either of these materials, Freud has found it exceptionally helpful having worked previously with this artisan in Kenya.

“He’s highly skilled and I enjoy working with him through the product development phase. He excels at taking my drawings and seeing them to fruition,” Freud says.
For the horn pieces, Freud is working with a few different artisans in the Kampala region of Uganda. An agribusiness byproduct, the horn Mikuti features is recycled from local butcheries. For Freud, venturing into Uganda has been a new opportunity to integrate “another sustainable, eco-friendly angle and to work in a new region and support the local artisans.”

Continuously melding innovative angles into her designs, Freud’s creations have depth. She expresses an inspired enjoyment in learning about the spirituality woven into Native American culture.

“Like many old cultures, jewelry played a role in this. So, a lot of my ideas were formed around their spirituality and I tried to bring that to each of my pieces,” she says.
Emotionally, Freud is excited about her upcoming Fall/Winter collection.

“I’ve really stepped out of my comfort zone and feel as though this collection brings everything full circle.”

While many aspects of Freud’s supply chain and design inspirations may have come full circle for her, it seems Mikuti’s distinct presence on the fashion circuit has only just begun.

The post THREADED: Mikuti’s Eye Candy Harbors A Sweet Story appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnExploring fair trade firsthand.

Fair trade fashion is fashion with meaning, fashion that was created with respect for people and planet. It undeniably has the “moral and just” ring to it, but what does it actually mean? Being inside this industry – talking the ethical fashion talk – can at times lead to a disconnect from what a fair fashion framework actually translates to in the reality of its production.

When it comes to sourcing fabrics, creating garments, and inserting them into the marketplace as competitive and fashionable commodities, getting in on the sourcing journey is integral to a better understanding of the truths behind this mentality. Based here in Ghana for the month, I’m on an eye-opening adventure with Brooklyn-based fashion label Afia. Along this fabric sourcing and production journey, I’ve shared some of the stories that remind me of why “make fashion fair” is my mantra.

Designs Done Right

The fabrics are where it’s at for designer Meghan Sebold who has always fed her self-proclaimed “utilitarian creativity” by styling and altering clothing. For Sebold, “Fashion as art has a practicality to it because clothing is a basic need (or maybe that’s how I excuse myself from being attached to material things). I can look at a painting hanging on my wall and that’s well and good, but it’s more satisfying to me that I can use this shirt every day as something functional and still have created it in a visually pleasing way.” Her fashion label Afia merges a collection of all of her favorite things: challenging comfort zones and norms, intuitive living, predicting trends, fusing worlds, and making a process personal.

Into The Textiles

Sebold’s sourcing expedition begins in the hot, hectic and cacophonous markets of Accra, Ghana. Maneuvering in and out of tiny shops that contain fabric stacks as high as the ceiling, finding the true Ghanaian-made cotton wax prints is something Sebold explains as not as simple as you would expect. “There are many imitations so we’re well-educated on which brands are authentic. New fabric styles are printed every month and when they’ve sold out in the market you may never see them again – that means every one of our pieces is limited edition and a collector’s item after the season is over.”

A continual cultural experience, Sebold selects design silhouettes that honor the textiles; “the fabric is really the main event, I just enhance it and make it wearable.”

Tailored Humor

Making one-of-a-kind pieces that you can covet, but also feasibly afford is something Sebold feels strongly about. The focus of every Afia collection is, “To make it as accessible as possible. Sustainable fashion shouldn’t be a luxury or a sacrifice of personal style.” And wearing that motto on her sleeve goes hand-in-hand with the recurring feeling she attaches to her collections: a sense of humor.

“Humor is the most essential quality to survival. If I didn’t have a sense of humor, I would be curled up in a fetal position in a stairwell,” says Sebold.

Women to Women

Once Afia’s designs and patterns are agreed upon, the next step is traveling to Kpando, a smaller town where Sebold does a large portion of her production. After a 4-hour ride into the countryside, packed into a tro tro (Ghana’s most typical form of transport, which is basically a mini bus), the Afia team arrives at Dzidefo, a women’s sewing cooperative, that sits atop an orphanage managed by the lovely Mama Esi. Mobbed and overwhelmed by the energy and enthusiasm of the children that live there, moments were quickly made that warmed our hearts and left footprints on our souls.

Hands On

An intimate group of seven local women from the community make up the sewing cooperative. From the early rooster call to the rustle of fabric to a baby’s morning cry, these sounds all set the stage for each day’s first stitch from their vintage Singers. The women, with their babies or little ones, bring a homey, relaxed dynamic to the sunlit work environment.

Collaborative Creations

“Collaboration is what it’s all about – but it also takes a lot of navigating and communication to make it a collaboration where people willingly and generously contribute their talents. The process can be uncomfortable at times, but I think that’s how you know you’re onto something. The mindset must be that the teaching and learning goes both ways.” For Sebold, listening and sharing is the way forward in creating beautiful garments together. Working with the women at Dzidefo is both challenging and fulfilling, but connecting across cultural and language barriers provides motivation for both Sebold and the women sewers to learn more from each other and create more gorgeous garments together.

Fashion For The Future

The constant thread woven throughout all of Afia’s work is to showcase how incredibly interconnected we are to people around the world. Sebold explains, “As it relates to fashion, there’s a huge disconnect between the producer and the consumer, mostly because there’s an ugly story behind the $20 shirt being sold to you. I believe in transparency on all levels, and offer Afia to consumers as a stylish and ethically-made option.”

While Afia is just a needle in the hay stack when it comes to fashion brands today, Sebold and her team are stitching a distinct respect, human dignity, and understanding into the composition of their fabrics. This positive, inspiring energy is contagious; its viral potential will always resurface to the forefront of my mind through traveling and exposure to new faces and places.

The post THREADED: Engaging In Afia’s Ghanaian Sourcing & Production Adventure appeared first on EcoSalon.

Celebrate the arrival of spring by wearing sustainable pieces in fresh floral patterns.

It seems that spring has sprung early in many parts of the country. Where I live, the air is filled with a sweet scent of orange blossoms and jasmine. Flowers are, indeed, a sign that warmer times are coming in the very near future. Celebrate this by wearing sweet floral prints, which also happens to be one of spring’s hottest trends.

The Cousteau Jacket by Feral Childe 
This little number is a fresh update to the spring jacket. It features one of those great prints that Feral Childe designers Alice Wu and Moriah Carlson are known for (another was famously knocked-off by retail behemoth Forever 21). Made in NYC, from 100% silk crepe.
$320, Kaight

Drip Top by H. Fredriksson
Brooklyn-based designer Helena Fredriksson is also known for her innovative prints, often based on photographs she has taken during her travels. The draping of this top gives it a great fit, sure to flatter most figures. Sustainably made by skilled craftspeople in NYC’s Garment District.
$242, Juno & Jove 

Alkemie Lavender Bangle
We love that this lavender bangle hints at the floral trend without being overt about it. It’s simply a subtle hint to nature. Like all Alkemie’s jewelry, this bangle is handmade in Los Angeles, using 100% reclaimed metal.
$198, Alkemie

People Tree Delicate Flower Shell Top
This sleeveless white peter pan collar top with red and blue mini floral print is a throwback to the 50s, when everything seemed just a bit more polished. Wear it with ankle-length pink pants and pointed-toe kitten heels and you have an outfit worthy of Betty Draper. Perfect paired with jeans or shorts. Made in India from 100% organic cotton.
Approx. $67, PeopleTree

AFIA Goddess One Shoulder Dress
This gorgeous one shoulder dress is just begging to be worn to a springtime garden party where croquet is being played. AFIA designer Meghan Sebold handpicks the cotton wax fabric for all her pieces from the markets in Ghana’s capital city Accra. The clothing is made in sewing cooperatives in Ghana, where artisans are paid a fair wage for their craft.
$200, AFIA

Silver Spoon Jewelry Rose Ring
This rose wrap ring is handmade in the U.S., from antique silver plated demitasse spoon handles. Who says silverware can’t be fashionable? Infinitely adjustable, it fits all sizes and fingers.
$29, FairTribe

Jeffrey Campbell Vegan Sprint Wedge
Part of Jeffrey Campbell’s collection for vegan shoe label Convert, this wedge heel is the perfect mix of springtime color and sporty freshness. Wear it as a way to add interest to any simple outfit, or pair it with other patterned pieces to channel another of spring’s biggest trends.
$120, Convert

The post On Trend: Spring Florals appeared first on EcoSalon.