Sustainable style news from EcoSalon’s West Coast Fashion Editor.

All that Glitters – You had me at Goodwill. Get up early and get in line to join hundreds of bargain hunters lining the streets for Seattle’s annual Goodwill Glitter Sale this weekend. Opening at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, and Sunday, Nov. 13, the 2011 the Glitter sale will dazzle you with all the glitzy and sparkly items that come through their doors over the years. Held at Seattle Goodwill’s Dearborn Street store to fund the organization’s free job training programs, there will be thousands of second-hand designer deals from Jimmy Choo Shoes to Carolina Herrara, and everything in between to brighten up these darkening days.

Gräu Haus – Claudia Grau, one of Melrose Avenue’s original designer/retailers from the 1980’s and perhaps the first modern eco-friendly designer, recently opened a new retail store at the Crossroads of the World shopping mall on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. One of the earliest pioneers in deconstruction, she began to repurpose used clothing into new garments in the early 1980’s. Inventing what she calls “collage clothing” where she combines pieces from old clothes to make new ones. Grau has referred to her bold, eclectic style as “adventurous clothing for fearless women,” her ever evolving hand-dyed and hand-sewn clothing will be available to purchase online this month with the launch of her e-commerce site.

Local Color – Blending art and design with some colorfully cool fashion, check out RGB shop+gallery’s Before It Was Sewn exhibit opening Saturday, November 12. Located on Fillmore Street in San Francisco’s Marina district, RGB showcases local artists, photographers and illustrators in its rotating art space. Get down to music by DJ CrazyChan and live modeling by Crystal Lynn. 
Complimentary drinks provided by Magners Irish Cider. Arrive early and enjoy 10% off your purchase the entire evening.

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Sustainable style news from EcoSalon’s West Coast Fashion Editor.

Dude Lube – A pinch and a punch for the first day of the month – did you know today marks the beginning of Movember? Formerly known as November, Movember is a moustache growing charity event held each year that raises funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men. For those men in your life who are growing one in support, help them along with Dude No.1, the decidedly manly scented beard oil from San Francisco’s fabulous Curator store. Fresh, spicy, and woody, the 100% natural oil uses only essential oils, organic hemp seed oil and American jojoba oil. As if you needed another reason to get closer.

Electric Life – Join the local eco-glitterati in welcoming the directors and stars of the highly-anticipated film Revenge of the Electric Car  to the Bay Area this Sunday November, 6. Premiering at the Landmark Embarcadero cinema just over the bridge, director Chris Paine’s new documentary film takes us behind the closed doors of Nissan, GM, and the Silicon Valley start-up Tesla Motors to chronicle the story of the global resurgence of electric cars. Hosted by Nissan and Heart of Green, the after party reception will be held at the beautiful Le Meridien where guests will enjoy delicious local cocktails and appetizers.

Beyond The Fold –  As Style.com’s inaugural magazine plopped onto doormats across the country this week, the idea of websites going to print seems like eco-progress in reverse. Which is timely considering next week sees the staging of Issue No.5 of the world’s only live magazine, Pop-Up Magazine. Held at San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall and showcasing the country’s most interesting writers, documentary filmmakers, photographers and radio producers as they discuss science, music, politics, art, business, food, literature, design, nature–all in a 90 minute show that exists for one night, in one place. Get your name on the waiting list for tickets today!

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Sustainable style news from EcoSalon’s West Coast Fashion Editor.

Earth Quake – Pendleton’s Portland Collection is shaking up the fashion world, sending seismic waves of inspiration across the local design scene. Take a look at Portland fashion week emerging designer awardee, Amanda Grisham’s label, Grishley. Inspired by Pendleton’s colorful prints, I love her creative graphic color-blocking technique using leatherette strips. We’ll keep you posted on when this hot collection goes on sale – in the meantime, you can keep up to date with all her news and inspirations here.

California DNA –  Another collection to keep in your line of vision is Los Angeles-based Alternative Apparel’s consciously casual Spring 2012 styles. While their website sees the launch of their new cozy holiday collection, an expanded collection, entitled Oasis of Color hit the runway last week at Vibiana, a renovated cathedral in the heart of downtown Los Angeles during LA Fashion Week. Watch Founder Greg Alterman and Design Director Lissa Zwahlen discuss how the Palm Springs desert landscape served as inspiration for the bold hued prints and sun-bleached earth toned palette.

Pop Up Pie – Sustainability’s sweetie pie, actor Adrian Grenier and film and TV producer Peter Glatzer open the doors on Friday to their 2^nd Annual SHFT pop-up shop. Located on LA Brea Avenue for a seven-day run, the mark-shift store will feature eclectic eco items for your home including furniture by designers Samuel Moyer and William Stranger, plus local artwork by 30 artists including Vanessa Prager, Melodie McDaniel, Jeremy and Claire Weiss and MB Boissonnault. And don’t miss the ultimate in eco traveling, the Schwinn Vestige commuter bike made from organic, recyclable flax fiber and coated with water soluble paint.

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Sustainable style news from EcoSalon’s West Coast Fashion Editor.

Hurlyburly’s Done – Costa Mesa based surf and skate brand Hurley and Nike have partnered up with Otis College of Art and Design to create Considered, a mentorship program for students that challenges them to come up with eco-friendly fashion ideas that follow the Nike Considered Index Tool, which evaluates all aspects of the supply chain. The program provides students who want to gain more than just a fashion education an opportunity to embrace design while considering the long-term effects on the environment. Organized into a contest style format, the resulting collections will be presented at Hurley’s H Space Gallery from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, October 20th.

Wear Something Rare – San Francisco is a sizzling hotbed for locally producing ingenuity these days. Check out some of the Bay Area’s hottest new indie designers at SOMA’s 440 Brannan’s fall sale event this Thursday, October 20^th from 6-10 p.m. Featuring local lines Johnathan Baker, gr.dano, Zansus Purses, Heiros, MENK and my favorite find of late, Suzy Tamimi. One of San Francisco’s “Ones to Watch,” the talented designer’s head turning fall collection shows her strong sense for creating a scene stealing look.

7 Year Niche  – What does it take for a local designer to keep her entire production – from first sketches, to patterns and samples through to socially responsible manufacturing – in San Francisco? According to Saffron Rare Threads designer Priya Saraswati, it takes Grit, Gloss & Glamor. Celebrating 7 years of business and flattering, fabulous fashion, Saraswati and her team are throwing an anniversary event and fashion show this  October 20^th. Delicous drinks, haute street food and the most lively bunch of lovelies you could hope to shop with. Enjoy a 15% discount all night.

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Sustainable style news from EcoSalon’s West Coast Fashion Editor.

Africa Outlook – Shop San Francisco-based Wildlife Works’ Kukhanga collection, the recent relaunch features extracted elements from the vibrant prints found on the traditional Khangas worn on East African Women. The easy-to-wear line of tops, jackets and accessories are certified organic, handmade and hand screen printed by local women at their carbon neutral EcoFactory built next to the wildlife sanctuary Wildlife Works started. Thought that was impressive? The conscious company also offsets their carbon emissions throughout the entire manufacturing process through REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), which aids local wildlife preservation.

Hot Childe In the City – There’s a reason why we can’t stop loving on Feral Childe, they’re talented, original and prepared to put their money where their mouths are. Meet delectable designers Moriah Carlson and Alice Wu at their fall trunk show at SALA Boutique in Berkeley on Saturday, October 15^th. My advice? Snap up one of their flattering silk georgette dresses in the orchestra print, sure to be the sustainable must-have of the season.

LA Stories – There’s just something about California (and its not the cheese). A new exhibition “Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A., 1945-1980″ at L.A.’s Getty Museum explores the eternal appeal of the Golden State, which influenced celebrated artists like David Hockney and Ed Ruscha. But wait, there’s more… the exhibit kicks off 60 further shows all over Southern California over the next six months, including a massive public sculpture and performance art event that will take place during an 11-day festival in January.

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Sustainable style news from EcoSalon’s West Coast Fashion Editor.

Fashion Week Wow – Portland’s Fashion Week kicks off tonight with the official launch party held at Urban Studio in the Pearl District. Proud recipients of the country’s #1 sustainable city honor, Portland hosts the five day event that features a special lineup of world-class sustainable designers like Avni, Anna Cohen, Ethos Paris, and Lenzanita on Thursday, October 6^th along with top local brands like Stephanie D. Couture, Ms Wood, Collier, and Amai Unmei on Friday, October 7^th. Support green fashion and see why Portland is known for being a hotbed for U.S. design talent.

Straight Shot – Head down to San Francisco’s green Temple Nightclub for the third annual Catapult Design fundraising event to see some of the latest design work with a social impact and see some of the coolest people in the Bay Area in one room together. Catapult Design is a maverick design studio devoted to creating “human-centered” designs and to addressing the issues facing nearly 2 billion people around the world without clean water, food and shelter. See you there!

Indie Summer – Come outside for the Bay Area’s last outdoor fashion event of the year. Showcasing the skills of the local DIY community, San Francisco’s Indie Mart will host 100 vendors this Sunday, October 9^th. In addition to the food, beer and bands the event is known for, there will be original goodies available from local creatives like SeedStore, Gangs of SF, Pretty Penny, San Franpsycho, Indosole, Workshop, Black Jet Bakery and plenty more. Get it while it’s still hot.

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Sustainable style news from EcoSalon’s West Coast Fashion Editor.

Beauty Does – Defining beauty, or rather redefining it from its traditionally narrow confines, is a charge that eco-fashion editors hold dear. Please join EcoSalon and Groundwork Opportunities, a San Francisco-based non-profit organization that supports projects to reduce poverty in the developing world, for Define: Beauty the first annual fashion show that will fund a clean water well for 4,000 people in Moshi, Tanzania. Held this Thursday, September 29^th, the show will feature original pieces created by San Francisco designers Cari Borja, Ken Chen, Dallas Coulter, Sarah Liller, MENK, Kajan Padraig, Retrofit Republic and Daniel Sudar that are designed to show the intrinsic beauty within us all. Beginning at 6:30 pm, the event includes a reception that will feature expertly crafted bites from Mission Cheese and Beast and the Hare. Want two tickets to the event? Just leave a comment below and you’ll be automatically entered to win.

Equinox Fever – The best thing about it being officially fall? We can get serious about picking a piece, or two, from Pendleton Woolen Mill’s magnificently modern and fashion smart Portland Collection.  Created by the newly signed on design team of Nathaniel Crissman and Rachel Turk, co-founders of the vintage inspired label, Church & State and John Blasioli, who designs an eponoymous menswear line, the designers reported in this Month’s ELLE having “their minds blown” by a visit to the company’s archives of hundred year old garments that had been “frozen and thawed to preserve against moths” in downtown Portland. Although the collection’s Native American-inspired motif is this season’s surface pattern touchstone, the unisex line of sweaters, coats and knitwear (prices $68 to $650) are designed “to make it something people would still want to wear 10 or 20 years from now.”

Posing Questions – The salient “Posing Beauty in African American Culture” show currently at USC’s Fisher museum in Los Angeles examines a wide range of media, including photography, film, video, fashion, advertising and internet that, according to the program notes, hopes to “challenge idealized forms of beauty in art by examining their portrayal and exploring a variety of attitudes about race, class, gender, popular culture and politics.” The exhibition includes images of women clad in frilly white dresses and sun hats in 1938 Louisiana, Lyle Ashton Harris’ 1987 photograph, “Miss America,” which shows an African American woman with white face makeup and an American flag draped across her bare upper body, and a striking photo of Michelle Obama taken in 2006, engendering a stirring discussion about what is considered beautiful, both within African American culture and beyond. Don’t miss the panel discussion, “Posing Beauty Posing Questions,” on Oct. 4.

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Sustainable style news from EcoSalon’s West Coast Fashion Editor.

Trunk Love – When South African born jeweler Jeffrey Levin looks for inspiration for his rough-hewn, smoothly soulful jewelry line no surface is left unturned. His latest collection of reclaimed wood jewelry is made from furniture remnants from the sustainable L.A based Cisco Home furniture collection. The results are a revelation – take a look for yourself at his trunk show this Saturday, September 24 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Cisco Brothers Showroom in San Francisco. Sometimes it takes an artist’s eye to remind us not to take the familiar for granted.

Dude Fest – Who’s to say what’s stylish? In my house, the “dude,” aka Jeff Bridges as “The Big Lebowski,” evidently had as much of a style impact as Faye Dunaway did in Sidney Lumet’s “Network.” This weekend’s Lebowski fest in Los Angeles celebrates all things related to the 1998 Coen brothers’ cult comedy. Whether you’re a Dude, a Walter or a Maude, it’s a two-day party that features special guests including Itty Bitty Bang Bang who will perform Burlesque done Lebowski-style  costumes, trivia, and a raucous bowling party on the last night. White Russian, anyone?

Haute Horror – Los Angeles based photographer Melanie Pullen has used clothing from prominent fashion houses and has been featured in the industry’s top magazines, including Vogue and Flaunt. In her latest exhibit “Haunted”  at Ace Gallery in Los Angeles, September 20 to December 20, she trains her high-fashion eye to the moment just before the impending disaster of a car crash or a gun shot, stylizing the scene and distracting the viewer from oncoming darkness and despair. In her choice to recreate real life subjects and stories, the body of work is unsettling and thought provoking and not to be missed by those who like their fashion served straight up with a side of melancholy.

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Sustainable style news from EcoSalon’s West Coast Fashion Editor.

En Plein Air – This fall’s CAPSULE Urban Air Market takes place on Sunday, September 18^th and previews the fashion shopping of the future. You’ll find locally produced, artisanally made clothing and accessories close to the source – free of corporate retail mentality and overhead markup – in a farmers market like setting. The bi-annual, free event spanning 4 city blocks will feature over 130 independent designers of men’s, women’s, and kid’s clothing, accessories, jewelry, paper goods, glassware, and unique home décor. The designers are selected based on their quality, originality and sustainability of design. Some EcoSalon fav’s representing are Earthlust, Mission Thread Clothing and LINQUIST jewelry. We’re liking the forward thinking vision so much, we’re sponsoring it. Come down, check out some cutting-edge sustainable style and don’t forget to say hi when you see us at the scene.

Cause Connect – According to Etsy‘s new European Director, Matthew Stinchcomb, “the prevalent corporate mentality has left us ever more disconnected from nature, our communities, and the people and processes behind the objects in our lives.” The first step in his plan to create a more sustainable future is to create healthy micro-economies by supporting small businesses. Taking place in Berlin, Germany, and partner locations across the world this weekend is “Hello Etsy: A Summit on Small Business and Sustainability” a hands-on gathering for entrepreneurs, which will include training, a talk by Environmentalist Bill McKibben (350.org) and the chance to win five small business grants. West Coast hosts include GOOD in Los Angeles, CA; California College of the Arts in San Francisco, CA; and the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon. Each of these locations will feature their own live speakers, panels, and workshops.

Seattle Strut – Sashay on down to Seattle’s Showbox Sodo for Fashion First’s 8th annual fashion show this Thursday, the 15^th of September. Sponsored by Seattle Magazine, the long-running charitable event will showcase leading-edge local designers and retailers, featuring the latest looks from La Ree Boutique, Baby & Co., Lizzie Parker, REPORT footwear, The Finerie, Sway and Cake, Ragamoffyn’s, Chez Chic, Mercer, the Art Institute of Seattle and Seattle magazine’s own 2011 Seamless in Seattle winners. Proceeds from the event will benefit Rise n’ Shine, a local nonprofit providing advocacy, mentors, summer camps and more to children and teens affected by HIV/AIDS.

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Sustainable style news from EcoSalon’s West Coast Fashion Editor.
Style Spotting – Trust San Francisco style maven’s Ben and Chris Ospital’s ability to spot a homegrown fashion talent on the rise. Launching McIntosh Fry’s ‘Salon des Artistes’ Delphinium collection at Modern Appealing Clothing (MAC) this Friday, September 9^th, the high-concept collection is a collaboration between two friends—a painter and an evening wear designer—whose daringly romantic eco eveningwear promise plenty of sustainable and society scene stealing.

Lip Sync – Your food is local, what about your Lipgloss? Elizabeth Street, a new boutique lipwear collection pays tribute to San Francisco’s charming Noe Valley District. After years in corporate cosmetics, make up artist Kelly Crispen decided to apply her know-how to the single product that women hate to go without – their lip gloss. Inspired by, and named for the streets in her neighborhood, the high shine glosses are loaded with antioxidants Vitamin C & E. The long-wearing line is paraben-free and vanilla scented.

Retail Rubbernecking  – Los Angeles needs no excuse to “shop for a good cause,” but plenty of guaranteed celeb sightings certainly sweetens the deal. There’s lots of low-impact fun to be had at the LA edition of Fashions Night Out too, including a Ferris wheel on Rodeo Drive, champagne and appetizers for those checking out the latest styles at Unique Vintage and humanitarian- based merchandise from Falling Whistles, Krochet Kids, Raven + Lily, International Princess Project, Liberty in North Korea (LiNK), Def.i.ni.ci n and Freedom and Fashion. Purchasing a bag, jewelry or clothing from these guest vendors supports those working to end modern-day slavery. The eco-friendly highlight of the night has to be the free shuttles that are available to transfer shoppers around the city from 6 to 11 p.m.

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