When seeking the latest and greatest in mobile fashion apps, it appears that every major designer is downloadable. Forbes, Mashable and Harper’s Bazaar, among many others, have all ranked their top picks for browsing trends on the go and, well, when Chanel has an app, everyone else is sure to follow. Now, there’s a new kid on the mobile block: Orange Harp.

Based in San Francisco, it’s much more than just a fashion app and, rather, seeks to promote a socially responsible lifestyle with ease. Indeed, Orange Harp specifically partners with mission-focused brands that not only craft covet-worthy apparel and goods, but also, dedicate proceeds to causes ranging from ending domestic violence, to making nail polish absent of formaldehyde.

As if that’s not convincing enough, there’s more to love about Orange Harp, even further beyond this list of its four most conscious features. Shop away; the pleasure of this fashion app comes free of guilt.

1. Commitment to the environment.

After browsing the products featured on Orange Harp, it becomes clear that the vast majority of its partner brands are committed to more than one way of making a difference through their business practices. One of the most common of those obligations is to the environment, such as that of Ecoalf, an outerwear manufacturer that makes products almost entirely from recycled materials like used fishing nets and coffee grounds. Going in a slightly different direction is PuraKai, a clothing company that works tirelessly to protect marine life, which inspires the brand’s name; “pura” translates to “pure” in Spanish and “kai” to “ocean” in Hawaiian. Orange Harp itself, of course, also seeks to encourage an eco-friendly lifestyle through fun posts and tips in its blog, like its entry on “5 Questions” everyone should ask herself about recycling, buying cruelty-free beauty products and more.

2. Commitment to fair and ethical labor. 

One thing is abundantly clear on Orange Harp’s desktop site: 1 percent of all its sales go to Not For Sale (NFS), a non-profit that works to end of human trafficking, an issue of much discussion within the retail sector. Orange Harp even has a section of its website devoted to highlighting NFS, complete with a sharp, inspiring video from the organization’s co-founder, Mark Wexler.

“With human trafficking affecting more than 30 million people worldwide, the Not For Sale cause is incredibly close to our hearts,” Orange Harp states. “We started Orange Harp to support and bring you companies that are transparent about their labor, diligent about fair working conditions, and support communities around the world.”

3. Commitment to small business.

In addition to digital eco-style porn, Orange Harp makes sure to give each of its partner brands a chance to stand in the spotlight. When a brand is selected from the app’s list of Makers, every last one comes with an option for users to read its story, learn about where its goods come from and what, exactly, each company’s mission is. These brands, to the general masses, may seem somewhat obscure, speaking volumes of Orange Harp’s genuine devotion to a local, grassroots mentality.

4. Commitment to a healthier, more responsible lifestyle.

Especially with this year’s terrible winter, clothing is essential to life. So does food: A fact to which Orange Harp is no stranger. That’s why the app looks to encourage a holistically responsible lifestyle, going beyond what we wear, and extending into what we eat. Through its blog, Orange Harp looks to share information and knowledge on a healthy lifestyle, too, with content on the best foods for beauty and related topics. Delicious living, maximized.

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Images: Orange Harp

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An interview with the founder of a hot new green fashion finder app.

As any stylish eco dresser will tell you, it’s all about access. From finding the perfectly cut organic cotton tee, recycled leather boot or that vintage tea dress that makes a modern statement, putting together a unique low impact look is hard. We rely on tips from those style savvy friends who keep an ear to the ground for new designers, sport lines we’ve never heard of and the scoop on that secret vintage store in town that isn’t overpicked and -priced.

And let’s face it, when it comes to nabbing the best items, relations between pals can get decidedly unfriendly. Ever conveniently forgot the location of your favorite eco store when someone asks where you got that incredible recycled jacket? Or felt a sharp pang of jealousy at a friend’s beautiful vintage find?

Thanks to a new smart phone app launched in the San Francisco Bay Area last week, you’ll have access to all the latest insider information right at your very own fingertips. GreenGlamGo is a mobile social platform that offers the ability to search for green beauty products, sustainable fashion and vintage, handmade items from the retailers who stock them.

GreeGlamGo co-founder, Clarissa Nicola, answers a few questions and shows us how simple it is to keep our shopping sustainable and our shopping relationships civil.

What is GreenGlamGo and how do I get it?

It is for consumers who want access to green fashion, vintage, handmade items, Made in the USA, green bridal, and green beauty products. It is also for green brands and etailers who want to participate on a mobile application platform. We wanted to expand the playing field for consumers beyond online. We created a platform using flash lite 4 and adobe on Nokia phones so their products can be browsed easily and quickly.

What personal challenge inspired the creation of GreenGlamGo?

I have been in the fashion industry for 20 years now, and produced  over 2000 fashion shows and trend presentations for consumers and merchants. After my 10th season of telling customers to buy yet another new pair of black pants for their wardrobe, I stopped and thought “Really?  Do these people really need to buy another pair of black pants? How many pairs of black pants does one person need?”.  I looked at my own closet and realized I had about 20 different pairs, all in different shapes and fit and lengths. Then, I thought of the other basics, like white blouses, t-shirts, and I couldn’t help but think of the impact I was making by motivating people to buy more and inferring that what they had wasn’t enough.

Can you give us a run-thru of the process of say, finding a local fashion designer producing sustainable hats?

We  have four main categories: Handmade, Fashion, Bridal, Beauty. If a user clicks on Handmade, then Hats on the top navigation, they can easily find hats. If they want Bridal hats, they click Bridal first, then hats.

Tell us why you decided to include a handmade section, which doesn’t necessarily feature green designers?

We realize the importance of handmade as it keeps production out of factories, which greatly impact the environment.  With sites like Etsy, we felt it was visually cluttered and hard to navigate. We wanted to feature the best of handmade and to raise that bar by keeping it easy to find within the 4 main categories.

Why do you think it’s so hard to find green and locally produced items?

It is hard because they’re not accessible. No one knows where to find these things. People will buy green if it’s easy and they aren’t inconvenienced. The price has to be right, too. While it can be expensive, we built this platform to give small green businesses a chance to go global and expand their playing field. The more people know about what’s out there, the more accessible it is, and the more prices will go down.

How do you plan to promote GreenGlamGo to communities outside of SF, LA and NYC where it’s so much harder to find sustainably made fashion and beauty?

We partnered with Nokia as Nokia smart phones have a stronger market over the iPhone world wide. Their phones are purchased the most in Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia, and Latin America. That is one of the reasons why we went with them. Everyone goes to iPhone first with their app because they dominate the smart phone market in the US. We’re looking to reach as many potential green consumers as possible.

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