Lauren Conrad and Hannah Skvarla teamed up to bring you gorgeous handmade creations while helping the artisans that made them through The Little Market.

Looking back, who would have thought that ‘LC’, the MTV reality series “Laguna Beach” star, would set up an online platform “where a global community can come together to combat poverty, empower communities and create social justice.” Well, Lauren Conrad has done just that with the help of best bud and Human Rights Watch committee member Hannah Skvarla and several groups of rural artisans dedicated to their craft.

Lauren, Hannah and their team work with artisan groups in developing countries around the world, sustainably sourcing unique, completely handmade items that support the preservation of traditional skills. The Little Market offers a selection of accessories, homewares, decorations, knick-knacks and even suitcases, all produced ethically and under Fair Trade principles.

In return for offering up their creations for sale, The Little Market team provides their artisans with design insight and the ability to make items for a broader, worldwide customer base. The Market boasts artisan work from many countries such as Bolivia, India, Mexico, Tunisia, Nepal and Peru, offering up the characteristic handcrafts, colors and designs of their particular region. Each artisan group in these countries receives the earnings from the sales of their products on The Little Market.

All of the handmade items sold through the market are made by artisans who receive a living wage for their work, ensuring their ability to buy food, provide schooling and medical attention for their families. The Little Market provides a platform for these artisans to connect their items to customers, empowering them and preserving the traditional handcrafting skills and artisan techniques of their cultures and communities.

Take a peek at this online marketplace, and make the choice to help The Little Market support V-Day, a global campaign to stop violence against women and girls.

The post Lauren Conrad’s Little Market: Big News For Artisans Worldwide appeared first on EcoSalon.

The beauty and craftsmanship of an artisan good is unparalleled  (and not even comparable to mass production). And supporting artisan skill is almost like a form of activism–a way of making your slow-fashion beliefs heard (in style, of course). With fall just around the corner, this roundup of artisan scarves are made by traditional weavers and sold through some of the industry’s most groundbreaking companies. A difference you can see—and wear—below are 7 artisan scarves that preserve tradition and elevate unique style. 

1. Artisanal Scarf by Organic by John Patrick

As a member of the CFDA (the Council for Fashion Designers of America), John Patrick is helping to guide mainstream fashion’s perception of sustainable clothing. Often his label creates tried and true, well-made basics from eco textiles like cupro, organic cotton or viscose—simple clothing from the finest materials produced domestically. This beautiful handwoven ikat cotton scarf is a bit of a step away from John Patrick’s usual color palette but the mixture of yellow and blue within the traditional artisan pattern couldn’t be more perfect.

Organic by John Patrick, $142

2. Tropical Blush Scarf by Choolips

Trading fairly and producing locally, Choolips minimizes their impact by creating scarves that are locally sourced and stitched in Ghana from 100% cotton, and then handprinted using the Batik tradition from AZO-free dyes. Bringing back “the luxuries of ancient textiles traditions & high quality craftsmanship,” according to their site, “Choolips seamlessly blends culture with the backbone of sustainability.”

Choolips, $93

 3. Trigo Shawl by VOZ

Just looking at this scarf you can feel the warmth and skill that went into it’s creation. So it’s no surprise this trigo shawl was made in collaboration with Mapuche weavers in Southern Chile. Voz, translating to voice in Spanish, is a certified B Corporation company, meaning it’s a certified sustainable company (like what fairtrade is to coffee). Their motto is “change through beauty.”

VOZ , $195

4. I Love People Tree Scarf by People Tree

Produced ethically in Bangladesh, this scarf was handwoven using recycled yarn. People Tree was the first company ever to receive GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certification, and the first to integrate an organic cotton supply chain from farm to final product.  It’s is extremely encouraging to see a label bring slow fashion, hope and change to a region which is often a victim of fast fashion production.

People Tree, $16.50

5. Bengal Blue by Indigo Handloom 

For Indigo Handloom it all began when founder Smita Paul went on a freelance writing assignment to India to learn about the silk industry. Continually intrigued by the region, in 2003 she created the label. Using century-old weaving practices and out to support the weavers themselves, the label is a perfect example of fusing artisan skill and modern style. Each artisan scarf is equally beautiful; we love their Bengal Blue scarf (pictured above).

Indigo Handloom, $127.50

6. Plaid Scarf by Kaaru 

Kaaru means artisan in Bengali, and is another amazing label produced ethically by rural artisans in Bangladesh.  Made with 100% organic cotton and hand woven, we love this scarf’s cool colors and casual attitude.  Wear it any season, it’s a unique piece to accessorize with.

Kaaru, $25

7. Pom pom Scarf by Ace & Jig

Certainly one of my favorite labels, Ace & Jig fuses cool styles with a focus on unique textiles.  This scarf is custom woven in India with 100% cotton. Lightweight and extremely soft, the color palette is a cool addition to keep you warm in any outfit.

Ace & Jig, $55

Want more On Trend? See also:

On Trend: The Sustainable White Summer Dress 7 Ways

On Trend: 7 Sustainable (Not Sneaky) Sneakers

On Trend: 9 Powerful Statement Necklaces

Photos courtesy of the designers

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Merging European and African influences, Adèle Dejak’s designs use reclaimed and recycled materials to create pieces that benefit local artisans.

After working as a freelance typographer and art director for an Italian music magazine, Adèle Dejak moved to Kenya and turned her attention to designing accessories from her home in Nairobi. Harboring a long-standing fascination for jewelry and the use of ‘waste’ materials to make new things, her designs incorporate reclaimed and recycled materials from the local environment, including rice sacks, cement bags, glass, wood, ostrich egg shell, aluminum, bone, brass and cow horn.

Dejak merges European and African influences, and uses locally made fabrics, such as Kuba cloth and kitenge (wax print), to create products that honor and express an appreciation for local culture.

The materials are sourced from across the African continent but mainly from the East African region. Materials often arrive at the workshop in their raw form and are transformed by Dejak’s team of eight in-house artisans and five beaders into the final products. The process can be labor intensive and requires specialist knowledge. Each piece is made by hand, with utmost care and attention can be seen in the final beauty of the products.

The highly skilled artisans come from all walks of life and from different places in Kenya. Adèle Dejak also collaborates with a network of artisans outside of the studio, working to invest in communities in East Africa and training people to learn new skills that will enhance their livelihoods and contribute positively to the local and global community. Current partners include the Dadaab Refugee Camp, home to more than 500,000 refugees from Somalia, Ethiopia, Burundi, the
Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Uganda and Rwanda who are not permitted to grow crops or keep livestock and have started earning wages by making bags from recycled food donation sacks, and the Wawoto Kacel Cooperative in Uganda, a social arts and crafts cooperative founded by a group of HIV positive women.

The brand recently collaborated with Salvatore Ferragamo on Bags for Africa, has been featured in Vogue Italia, and exhibited at Milan fashion week in 2012 as part of Vogue Talents. In 2011 Adèle Dejak was one of sixteen designers working in Africa chosen to join the Design Network Africa (DNA), an organization dedicated to inspiration and educating African designers and creating “good business out of good design by building a strong professional network to encourage collaboration and sharing to create new visions for business and inspiration.”

Images courtesy of Adèle Dejak

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ColumnWhat does the word “artisan” actually mean?

Artisan: the poster child word for the food movement. Slap “artisan” on something and you’ll immediately draw a crowd. Goat cheese or artisan goat cheese? Strawberry preserves or artisan strawberry preserves? Charcuterie plate or artisan charcuterie plate? You tell me which one sounds more attractive.

The word artisan invokes certain images. “Some European guy crafting away in a kitchen creating something healthy,” said my friend John when I asked him what came to mind.

“I think of a goat farm,” replied Alison, another friend taking part in the conversation.

A conversation ensued about what we eat and how we eat it. And what we look for when we buy food.

Handmade. Small batch. Quality. The list of attributes to the word “artisan” goes on, but what does the word really mean? As John added, “but whenever I think of ‘artisan’ I think of Safeway.”

If Safeway, a large chain with numerous outlets, has co-opted the word, has it lost its meaning? Is “artisan” the greenwashing of the food movement?

This is a thought that has crossed my mind frequently while traveling through France, the country whose food culture I hold in high esteem; a country of local producers and diners that have an appreciation for what they consume.

In a small French village – the kind that’s enclosed by stone walls and can only by accessed by going over a moat – in the Pyrenees I found a sign advertising “Miel dégustation du producteur,” tasting of local honey. 500 grams for only 7.50 euros. Cheap for something that’s good and local. Oh thank you France, for giving me a sign that’s so iconic it’s almost cliché.

Above the sign was another noting the store’s sale of “confitures artisanales” – artisan jams. In one small grocery store, the only one within the city walls, there were practically more local products than a Portland farmers market. The refrigerator in the back was filled with smelly unwrapped cheese and sausage from the French/Spanish border.

But I had to wonder; did the sign emphasizing the local specialties aim to attract a certain clientele that was already predisposed to being in search of such delicacies? Ultimately, isn’t even the artisan world all just about marketing?

We live in such a globalized, mono-cropped, GMO-infused, mechanized society where products made by hand, in small batches are no longer the norm. Long meals are rare, and eating a vegetable that your neighbor grew is even less so. All things that were once very normal today are practically foreign.

Globalization and the industrial revolution have left us with larger yields, and the ability to feed more people, more efficiently, but on our path to bigger, better and faster, we have lost many things along the way. To put it simply: we have replaced what we once used to be able to do ourselves with technology in a quest for simplicity and ease.

Even in a country like France that is notorious for its sale of specialty regional products – take the right exit off of the freeway and you might even find them in a truck stop – there is a problem of agribusiness and monoculture. The government might be better about regulating GMOs, but that is simply because of the fact they still exist. The romanticized view of the bucolic farm setting with a local paysan is harder and harder to find. And yet, when we are in a certain position that gives us the luxury of choice, that’s exactly what we want.

We are seduced by the idea of something being made directly by someone’s hands. Why? We don’t make anything with our hands anymore. We spend our days texting and emailing and computing numbers. When was the last time you created something with your own bare hands? Built something? Dug in the earth? Cooking is our last chance to reconnect with what we were meant to do: physical labor. It’s our thirty minutes a day that most of us disconnect from everything else and commit to the creation of a single (ok, maybe several, if there’s a side and main dish, and maybe even dessert, involved), and that is part of the reason we have an inherent draw to products that are made… by hand.

We live comfortable lifestyles. In our globalized world, we are so spoiled that we are accustomed to being able to eat oranges at all times of the year. Hell, I bought a Florida grapefruit the other morning because I was craving one instead of a croissant. Healthy? Yes. Local? Certainly not.

“Artisan” isn’t just a buzzword, it’s an attachment to a lifestyle that was once the norm, but in our modern day world, it’s a lifestyle that has nearly been lost. Unless we bring it back from the brink of extinction. Support the producer, support the cause.

The pull of “artisan” products is that there was an individual involved, not just a business or a corporate collection of people. Just like we should all get off of our email and sit down with our friends for coffee, we have to devote more time to real conversations with real people. If the words “artisan” and “organic” are obsolete in their meanings, we must look to something else to inform our decisions, and human to human contact is exponentially more informative than a nutrition label.

Talk to your farmer. Talk to your neighbor. Talk to the owner of your local grocery store. Know what you’re buying, not because you looked at the word that was slapped on the front of the package, but because you asked a question. If we are in a place to be making a decision about our food, we have the obligation to do so.

Artisan honey tasting in a small French town? Yes. But not because it says artisan. Because you know where it comes from, the person that made it and that it was made with love and intention.

This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Photo Credit: Anna Brones

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Local craft and cacti meet in Laura Siegel’s NYFW Spring/Summer 2013 collection.

After months voyaging through Peru, Bolivia and India, Canadian designer Laura Siegel uncovered the indigenous crafts of remote villages and local artisans. She also discovered cacti—the succulents that caught her eye and inspired an entire Spring/Summer 2013 collection.

“It was amazing to me how something so bright and colorful as the cacti flowers could grow in such dry, muted deserts,” Siegel tells EcoSalon. From South America to Asia she explored life in the desert and the beauty that exists within it—like the re-purposed black tea waste in Kerala, India used to dye pieces within her collection, or the hand block printing renowned in this region. Farther north, in Delhi, she partnered with a leather smith to stitch her bags into finished pieces. In Peru, she partnered with a group of natural dyers called Eco Tintes, who softly colored the organic cotton and tencel fibers used to crochet pants (below) and knit shirts and sweaters.

From cacti to indigenous crafts, in her third season, Siegel shows range as a designer—fashioning jewelry, designing handbags and creating a complete collection omitting only shoes from her repertoire—a “future dream,” she tells us. With the free flowing nature of Siegel’s compilation, we’d be happy to tromp barefoot through the desert and all. And that’s how she wants you to feel when you wear her designs. “Happy,” she says. “Just happy.”

Designer Laura Siegel modeling her epynomous collection.

More looks we love:

Shoes by Love is Mighty

Images: Jennifer Barckley

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Bohemian chic jewelry from a socially responsible brand dedicated to empowering women through design and sustainable economic opportunities.

Founded by Kirsten Dickerson, a former set and wardrobe stylist, and Sophia Lin, who made a name for herself in graphic design, Raven + Lily is a humanitarian, fairtrade and eco-friendly line of accessories and stationery founded on do-good principles. Dickerson and Lin share a close friendship and passion for fashion and ethical design, and envision Raven + Lily as a platform to utilize those passions to alleviate poverty among women.

The brand’s current collections feature exclusive handmade and eco-friendly jewelry and accessories from North India, Ethiopia and Cambodia. The beauty of each design reflects the values, skill and culture of the woman who made it, and you can learn more about the artisans on Raven + Lily’s website.

By providing a sustainable source of income, these partnerships seek to empower women artisans who have been victims of trafficking, marginalized from society, or suffer from HIV. Raven + Lily uses 100% of their profits from sales to achieve their social cause: empowering women through design.  This means employing these marginalized women, but also launching new partnerships and funding microloans, healthcare and educational needs in their partnership communities.

The Ethiopia Collection is comprised of bohemian chic statement necklaces, earrings and bracelets crafted with handmade beads and charms from melted bullet casings and vintage silver coins. It’s made by HIV-positive women in Ethiopia.

The India Collection features gorgeous recycled cotton papers, hand-carved wood journals, metallic leather jewelry and hand-milled natural soaps. This collection empowers marginalized women in Northern India.

Raven + Lily’s new artisan group, located in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, specializes in creating beautiful pieces out of materials like naturally-dyed remnant jersey and hand-loomed cotton. These locally made raw materials also help employ community based weaving families and the craftsmen who produce them, many of whom are HIV positive or have formerly been victims of trafficking and abuse.

Feel good about buying something you know helps give back and empower women all over the world. And look good wearing it too!

The post Raven + Lily: Empowering Women Through Design appeared first on EcoSalon.

A list of the top sustainable designers currently on the fashion scene.

Sustainable fashion has come a long way since its humble beginnings with more and more designers taking chances with fabrics, silhouettes and collaborations. Here we offer you an extensive list of what we consider to be the top designers in the sustainable fashion field.

A.D.O. Organics, New York, NY: GOTS (global organic trade standard) certified fabrics, chemical-free herbal dyes, Fair Trade.

Afia, New York, NY: Sustainable women’s clothing line sourced and sewn in Ghana, West Africa.

Ajna, New York, NY: Certified organic and sustainable textiles, collaborates with indigenous textile artisans.

Alabama Chanin, Florence, Alabama: Slow design, organic fabrics, recycled materials, minimal waste, made by local artisans in Florence, Alabama.

Alder, New York, NY: Part of the Pratt Design Incubator, all made in the U.S., materials sourced locally.

Allison Parris, New York, NY: Recycled materials, end run fabrics, organic silks, made in Manhattan.

Ambika, Catskills, NY: Made from shorn and brushed Angora rabbits on Ambika Conroy’s own rabbit farm in upstate New York.

Auralis Herrero, New York/Puerto Rico: Organic fabrics, promotes sustainable economies in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Avery by Wang, Vancouver, Canada: Recently launched, organic cotton, hemp.

Awamaki Lab, New York and Ollantaytambo, Peru: A Peruvian non-profit working with impoverished Quechua women weavers.

Carrie Parry, New York, NY Produced ethically and locally in the New York Garment District, sourcing environmentally conscious materials and textiles supporting artisanal communities worldwide.

Christopher Raeburn, London: Christopher Ræburn has become known for his utilization of re-appropriated military fabrics to create garments that are functional, intelligent and meticulously crafted.

Clary Sage Organics, San Francisco, CA: Clary Sage Organics is committed to using 100% organic or ecologically sustainable products.

Costello Tagliapietra, New York, NY: Uses AirDye waterless technology to create all their prints, made in New York City’s Garment District.

Crop by David Peck, Houston, TX: Manufactured with textiles dyed in the United States and select fabrics imported from fair trade co-operatives in India.

Curator, San Francisco, CA: Made in San Francisco, organic cottons, hemp, minimal waste.

EcoSkin, Los Angeles, CA: EcoSkin uses only environmentally sustainable luxury fabrics woven, dyed and sewn in the U.S.

Eko-Lab, New York, NY: 100% organic materials, natural vegetable dyes, all made locally by New York City artisans.

Elroy, Vancouver, BC: Uses organic cotton, bamboo, tencel, linen, hemp, wild silk, pineapple, wool and upcycled fabrics, manufactured by a small, family-run cottage industry in Indonesia, designed in Canada.

Eva Zingoni, Paris, France: Made in France from recycled materials, limited edition, surplus fabrics from Parisian fashion houses.

Feral Childe, New York City/Oakland, California: Organic textiles, recycled textiles and accessories, made in New York City.

Frei, Chicago: Organic cottons, natural dyes, and locally manufactured textiles.

Gretchen Jones, New York: Sustainable fabrics, made in New York City’s Garment District.

Harricana by Mariouche, Montreal, Canada: Recycled fur, recycled materials.

H Fredriksson, New York, NY: Silk, made in New York City.

Honest By, Antwerp, Belgium: 100% transparent company from production to sales, organic fabric, certified organic wools.

Indigenous, Santa Rosa, CA: organic fabrics, Fair Trade, low impact dyes, free range alpaca.

IOU Project, Tamil Nadu, India: The IOU Project makes unique, handmade, traceable apparel, Fair Trade.

Isoude, Newport, Rhode Island: Made in the U.S.A., silks, hand dyeing.

Juleselin, San Francisco, CA: Created from organic cotton and recycled fabrications, sweatshop free.

Kelly Lane, Pittsburgh, PA: Created from sustainable fabrics, made in New York City’s Garment District.

Koch, Dallas, TX: Sustainable fabrics, made in Dallas and LA.

Lara Miller, Chicago, IL: Multi-functional clothing, organic cottons, hand-loomed bamboo, hemp and vegan silk, made in Chicago.

Lavuk, Los Angeles, CA: Sweatshop free and made locally in Los Angeles with sustainable materials such as organic cotton, tencel, hemp and dead stock silks, multi-functional clothing.

Lina Rennell, Northern California: The Rennell line is an art brand with a heavy focus on original print work, U.S. production, sustainable textiles, craft and high-end tailoring.

Loomstate, New York, NY: Organic cotton, tencel, reduced water consumption, reduced waste, pursuing a closed loop product life cycle.

Loup Charmant, New York, NY: Organic cotton, natural dyes, silks, made in New York City’s Garment District.

Made By, Peruvian Highlands: Eco-friendly Alpaca yarns, hand knit by the local highland Artisans of Peru, Fair Trade, organic colorants.

modaspia, Placerville, CA: Organic fabrics, end run fabrics, made in San Francisco.

Nau, Portland, Oregon: Organic cottons, silks, tencel, recycled materials, cruelty-free wool, partners for change with Ashoka, Ecotrust, Kiva and Mercy Corps.

100% NY, New York, NY: Organic, recycled, and ethical materials, produced entirely in New York.

Organic by John Patrick, New York, NY: Handmade metallic lace, sustainable recycled wool, organic cotton, biodegradable cotton cupro, vegetable-tanned leather, hand-loomed Angora, digitally printed silks,

M. Patmos, New York, NY: Eco-friendly merino wool and alpaca, faux fur made from wool and alpaca, and vegetable tanned leather, handwork techniques from women’s artisan collectives in Nepal and Bolivia, as well as zero-waste seamless knitting technology from Japan.

Portland Pendleton Collection: Portland, Oregon: Pendleton fabrics are woven exclusively in Pendleton’s Northwest Mills and all of the apparel is sourced and produced in the U.S.

Partimi, London: Digitally-printed silks, organic wools, modals, milk fibers, and luxurious cashmere.

Piece x Piece, San Francisco, CA: The fabric used in each piece is selected from a changing stock of luxury discards.

The Podolls, San Francisco, CA: 100% organic Supima Cotton, made in the U.S.

Popomomo, Los Angeles, CA: Organic cottons, Cupro, recycled materials, made in Los Angeles.

Prairie Underground, Seattle, Washington: Organic cotton, hemp, designed and manufactured in the U.S.

Raleigh Denim, Raleigh, NC: Handcrafted denim on vintage machines from the 1920s, sustainable cotton, organic cotton for Fall 12.

RESTORE Clothing, New York, NY: Repreve® Recycled Nylon, made in the New York City Garment District.

Rogan, New York, NY: Silks, organic cotton, alpaca, wool, bamboo, made in the U.S.

Samantha Pleet, New York, NY: Organic cottons, silks, Made in the U.S.

Soham Dave, New York, NY: Soham Dave focuses primarily on using biodegradable fabrics, recycled materials, and hand embroideries.
 

Stewart+Brown, Los Angeles, CA: Organic cotton, organic pima cotton, hemp, surplus fabrics, Mongolian Cashmere produced through a sustainable supply chain, Fair Trade.

Study NY, New York, NY: Organic cotton, linen, recycled materials, zero waste, made in New York.

Suzanne Rae, New York, NY: Silks, organic cottons, other sustainable materials when possible, made in New York City’s Garment District.

Thieves, Toronto, Canada: Soy, hemp, organic cotton, bamboo, Tussah Silk, organic wool, Seacell, tencel.

Titania Inglis, New York, NY: Japanese organic cotton, French vegetable-tanned leather, and dead stock wool from New York’s garment industry, made in New York.

Vaute Couture, New York, NY: Vegan, fair trade.

Did we miss someone? Email amy@ecosalon.com with your tip!

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LA shows the love for local designers, artists and makers of food.

This past weekend, local makers of food, fashion and art gathered at The California Market Center in LA for Unique LA’s Local Love event — the largest independent design show in the country. As a relatively new East Coast transplant, I welcomed the opportunity to meet and mingle with designers and makers on my new home-turf. The products at the show were all made in the U.S., so all the dollars spent during the weekend went straight towards stimulating LA’s design economy.

There was plenty of love-themed merchandise on display, perhaps because this was the perfect opportunity to buy a last-minute Valentine’s gift. We particularly liked the LA Love tees by MNKR and the sweet linen heart coin purses by Yellow Wallpaper.

Of course there were lots of cute tees and onesies for the little ones, emblazoned with everything from squirrels, whales and hearts, like at Jasper Wren, to LA-centric statements like the “I live and cry in LA” onesie from Kira.

The first thing that caught my eye when I entered the space (perhaps because it was right by the entrance door) was a tipi, surrounded by pillows, towels, book ends and coasters adorned with lovely graphic prints, all handmade in LA by Wolfum.

My nose directed me to my next favorite — coconut wax candles by Queen Bee’s Hive, scented with spa-grade essential oils. Topanga Candle Company uses vintage vessels such as tins, food containers and film canisters to hand pour the wax into, a creative way to give these objects a new life. You can even bring in your own vessel and they will make it into a candle for you.

Another company that creatively reuses our old stuff is My T-shirt Pillow who, as the name suggests, takes old tees and makes them into cozy pillows. I also loved the recycled cashmere scarves, made from thrifted sweaters, by Creature Cashmere and Stella Neptune.

There was a ton of great jewelry on display — some of my favorite were an action-provoking necklace in black letters by MNKR, a poetic banner necklace with butterflies by Fruition, message necklaces by Solstice LTD, recycled metal pieces by Tiffany Kunz, bold color and ceramic pieces by Kyyote, and pendant necklaces by Love Nail Tree (that camera is for all you bloggers out there).

For the boys — and the girls who steal their clothing — there were bow ties in all sorts of colors and materials by Pocket Square Clothing and wood eyewear by Sire’s Crown. And a new favorite, Hepp’s White Truffle Salt is something I can’t live without.

I was thrilled to see the kind of creativity and high level of design that comes out of Los Angeles. Shopping locally means that you are directly supporting this industry of small-scale designers. They are often the ones who push the envelope and give us the unexpected. That is something we need to cherish and of course, show the love to.

The post Unique LA’s Local Love Event appeared first on EcoSalon.

A sleep well-traveled.

These bright and worldly pillow cases are handmade by artisans in Southwest India using Batik, the traditional Indian art of creating patterns on fabric. A set of three pillows spans the globe from the Americas to Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. At $95, that’s a much better bargain than an around the world ticket, in coach.

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

The post Lustables: Continent Pillows appeared first on EcoSalon.

If it’s fast and stackable, it’s hackable. That includes IKEA and West Elm, too.

It’s been a good week for hackers. The internet collective known as Anonymous hacked some 70 law enforcement websites and the Syrian Defense Ministry. Even the New York Times Op-Ed page was kinda sorta (but not really) hacked.

It is in the same cyber spirit – interestingly its own branch of DIY – that we investigated some design hacks, namely fast furniture getting a slow upgrade.

Like this find from Green Upgrader, IKEA legs strapped to a scavenged wood pallet.

Nice.

It turns out that there’s an entire blog dedicated to IKEA hacks called IKEA Hackers. Very search engine friendly. Like Anonymous, their modus is to crowd source their hacks from all over the web rather than go it alone out of a dark living room in Encino.

So goes their mission statement: “We hack, personalize, repurpose IKEA products into the very thing we want.”

This bench is made entirely out of LACK coffee tables sourced from Craigslist.

The hacker, who goes by the name Charles Crawford of San Diego, CA (an alias?), built the bench by cutting each LACK in two, filling them with expanding insulation foam, and coating the whole thing in paint for waterproofing.

A designer who calls himself Andrew Riiska, also of California (coincidence?) hacked four laminated IKEA legs with two seats from antique banker’s chairs.

I am reserving opinion on the widely blogged about treadmill desk because I do believe a healthy and active lifestyle is not that hard to come by, though I can appreciate the JERKER desk/treadmill combo by hacker John of Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

An interesting twist on the fast furniture hacking trend on the web is the scavenged hacking scene out of Tel Aviv. A duo known as Godspeed, comprised of Joy van Erven of Holland and Finn Ahlgren of Sweden, skip the design phase entirely and construct furniture out of raw and scrap materials.

Their M.O.: they hack each piece in an hour or less.

Images: IKEA Hackers; Godspeed

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