Gretchen Jones put sustainable fashion on the minds of mainstream America when she won Season 8 of the reality show Project Runway. Since then, Jones has produced several acclaimed collections for her eponymous label — the latest one unveiled just yesterday on Refinery29. This fall collection is a refreshing mix of subdued neutrals and vibrant yellows, blues and purples.

As in previous collections, patterns are masterfully integrated. Here, geometric tribal prints mix with more fluid organic ones with a distinct edgy, almost digital vibe. There is a lot of play with volume, but the silhouette stills feels very feminine. Patchwork details, elongated peplums, drop waists, ankle-length pants and wide trousers and skirts are some of the stand-out details. I also love the styling detail of shoes with contrasting ankle straps — something you can copy right now, while you wait for this collection to hit the stores.

photos courtesy of Gretchen Jones NYC

The post Vibrant Color, Bold Prints and Distinct Silhouettes: Gretchen Jones’ Fall 2013 Collection appeared first on EcoSalon.

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.

Gretchen Jones channels Haight Ashbury and pom pom flower power for a stunning Spring/Summer 13 collection.

It’s no secret we’re Gretchen Jones fans here at EcoSalon so catching up with her post GenArt Fresh Faces show this past Sunday was like sitting down with an old friend. Known on Project Runway Season 8 as one of the few designers to tout her love of sustainable fashion and design, Jones’ approach has since changed some.

We got her to sit still for a minute to answer some questions about her Spring/Summer 13 collection called “Any Day Now.”

Here’s what she had to say.

Your collections always have a meaningful name. What’s this one all about?

My collections are inspired by a piece of literature and the album I listen to most/what’s connected to the literature. Joan Didion’s essay “Where the Kissing Never Stops,” about Joan Baez’s early years organically found me and was meant to be. I started listening to Joan Baez’s album Any Day Now [which is the collection’s name] which was recorded around the time of Didion’s essay…its seemed like the Universe found my inspiration for me this year.

Though you’re not promoting it this time around, rumor has it this collection is your most sustainable to date.

Around 70% of the collection is made from ethical materials. I’ve incorporated organic cottons, worked with an amazing company called Indigo Handloom who works with off the grid weavers in India for my batik and The shiny boucle and and a few other hand woven silks, My custom prints are still digitally printed to reduce water waste and I continue to support domestic/local production.

What have you learned as a designer about promoting sustainability?
I’m a fashion designer, not an ethically focused designer and I think there is a difference. My ethical choices are honestly for me and my chosen path in supporting my personal need to be thoughtful about how I source and where I create my work. But I don’t think my customer is only a sustainable shopper…and to be quite frank, I believe the real way to continue to move ethical choices into the way we all live is to create strong enough work that stands on its own and can compete in a very competitive industry because it’s just good.

Your favorite piece?
The Short Suit and the Pant Suit for sure.

What’s the deal/inspiration for the cool headpieces?
AMAZING Ban.Do Black Label collaboration! I have been a fan of theirs for years and wanted to create some custom pompom headpieces with them for spring. It just seemed like the perfect collection to pair Ban.do with. They created these custom pieces by incorporating most of my fabrics from the collection. I really adore these pieces and totally feel like they quite literally “topped” off my looks!

I also used Shoes of Prey and created my first custom GJNYC shoes for the season and painted custom belts and jewelry.

The post NYFW: Gretchen Jones Channels the Literature of Joan Didion appeared first on EcoSalon.

Sleep-away camp crafts get a stylish Gretchen Jones DIY makeover.

I’m a collector of the natural kind. Rarely do I go on a hike, to the beach or park without scavenging up some relic from nature to take home with me to my apartment in Brooklyn. Being environmentally disconnected from grass and trees has made me want to integrate it into my life in new ways, even as accessories.

Today’s DIY was quite literally inspired from the overflowing bounty of driftwood that sprinkles my household’s corners, baskets and shelves. When I bring such findings home with me, I sometimes think to myself- “self, what on earth are you going to do with this once it’s home?”
So today is the day I put some sweet natural scores to good use.  

Being stylish to me has very little to do with how much money you have in your checkbook, and far more to do with the resourcefulness and imaginative ideals one can come up with on their own.
I asked myself how I could translate all these treasures into an earthy, hand crafted and playful version that spoke to my memories of my craft store scores decades ago.< With only a few hours, a few supplies and a very easy to follow set of instructions, you too can create a DIY necklace that makes you yearn for sleepover camp craft rooms and hazy summer days where what might be stuck in your braces had more precedence than how your lipstick clashed with your shoes.

I might not wear friendship bracelets anymore, but trade me something like this and I’ll be your best friend forever!

Supplies

• Fimo Dough in the Colors of your Choice [Available at most Craft Stores]
• Acrylic Paint to Mix/Match Fimo Selection
• Paint Brush
• Driftwood or a Twig/Branch of your liking
• Yarn, String or Fishing Line for Stringing Beads
• Tape
• Scissors

Beads

• Mix & Match Custom Fimo colors by Needing colors together.
• Roll into balls of varying sizes to your liking
• With a toothpick create holes in each bead approx 1/8″ wide for easy threading
• Lay beads on cookie sheet lined with tin foil/wax paper
• Bake at 275 degrees for 15 minutes
• Let cool

Driftwood Art

• Pour out colors for mixing onto plate
• Use paintbrush to mix/match custom color palette to match beads
• With pencil, etch out design onto wood for tracing lines
• Carefully paint in design to your liking (There are no rules. Do what you want.)
• Let air dry

Stringing

• After letting beads cool [while paint on driftwood is drying] start stringing beads
• Choose amount of beaded sway below the piece of driftwood you want and mark
• Mark driftwood back and tape/tack string in place so beads are fixed below.
• Finish beading to desired length
• Tie knot to fix sides for clean finish [**Measure head to make sure necklace can fit over without breaking]
• Voila! One custom summer brights Nature vs. Urban Yoked necklace!

Designer Gretchen Jones is a New York City designer creating under her own eponymous label. Jones was also the winner of Project Runway Season 8.

The post DIY Friendship Necklaces with Gretchen Jones as Camp Counselor 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!

The post The Ultimate List of Sustainable Fashion Designers (From A-Z) appeared first on EcoSalon.

A scene inspired by a midnight desert, a Warhol muse, and personal tragedy at Gretchen Jones’ Fall/Winter 2012 presentation.

Outside it was snowing, but inside Chelsea’s Root Drive-In, a desert had been realized.

This wasn’t your sun-kissed, white linen and turquoise desert, though. This was darker, more melancholy – the desert at midnight. The room was pitch black, save for small spotlights trained on the models, who stood on wooden platforms arranged in a circular pattern among sand and stones. In one corner, a smoke machine created a haze. In the other, the Gang Gang Dance’s Brian DeGraw spun mellow electronica.

The occasion was sustainable designer Gretchen Jones’ Fall/Winter 2012 presentation, and when I spoke with Jones about the inspiration behind her new collection, the decor made perfect sense.

“This season I’ve been dealing a lot with life and death and how they’re intertwined,” said Jones, whose father passed away shortly after her premiere solo presentation last season. This new collection is in homage to the man, whose Apache background served as Jones’ primary design muse.

Like every season, Jones also drew inspiration from literary and musical influences: The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe, Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, and, appropriately, Desertshore by Nico, a 1970s German singer and Andy Warhol muse.

The resulting collection was striking, with strong silhouettes and decadent but sustainable materials. Among the most eye-catching ensembles were a digitally printed silk floor-length gown and a sleeveless pantsuit made from burnt orange wool lattice.

“The textiles tell the real story,” Jones told me. “I use them to inform the audience about where I am.” She explained that the wool lattice represents the contrast between life and death, while a purple crocodile print embodies the process of transformation that she’s undergoing.

The outfits were accessorized with hats from Little Doe, boots from Durango, and archived Hopi, Zuni, and Navajo jewelry from Ruby+George. Minimal make-up and cracked turquoise nail polish (which I’m totally rocking this spring) completed the models’ looks.

Some of our favorite pieces, along with close-ups of the details, are featured below.

Images: Jessica Marati

The post EcoSalon at NYFW: Gretchen Jones appeared first on EcoSalon.

To tumble = to come by chance; to come to understand.

It’s this sort of happenstance social tumble-ing that seems to be taking the globe by storm. Tech-savvy or not, online perusers are seriously embracing the rumbling, stumbling platform that is: Tumblr. For finding the hottest new looks on the runway to inspiring videos and photographs for design, Tumblr is quickly becoming a resource for style and fashion. When feeling overwhelmed by the tumultuous expansiveness of Tumblr’s community, look to these 20 fashion finds – their curations will keep you coming back for more.

Above Live
With a focus on sharing information on the “endangered beauties of the world,” Above tackles issues of climate change and environmental degradation with a holistic approach to sustainability. For inspiring images and content that stretch across the board from food and travel to architecture and fashion, their Tumblr continues to establish a connection between art and nature.

Gretchen Jones
If you’re curious about the happening of a self-made creative designer, Gretchen Jones’ Tumblr is for you. A collection of both outfits she rocks in Brooklyn and NYC, with musings for her upcoming collections, Jones gives you an inside look at her inspiration board. Be it music or photographs, art or literature, her Tumblr showcases a snapshot of the depth of her creative process.

Past Fashion Future
Known for her on-trend sustainable style writing on Treehugger, Emma Grady’s very own Tumblr Past Fashion Future dips deeper into peoples’ personal style and aesthetics, as well as profiling upcoming fashion-forward events. Her trademark “Something Old, Something New” series showcases individuals who incorporate vintage and heirloom pieces into their everyday wardrobe, and shares each of their unique stories behind the style.

Permacouture Press
If the processes behind the vibrant colors of hand-dyed designs intrigues you, the Permacouture Institute’s Tumblr is right up your alley. Founder Sasha Duerr’s Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes bridges a strong connection between food and fashion, plant and fashion. Lessening this gap between nature and culture is exactly what is embraced on the hands-on experiential learning offered on the Permacouture Institute’s Tumblr.

Street Etiquette
Let’s not forget all those dapper dudes out there. When it comes to men’s fashion, Street Etiquette serves just what we ordered. A bit street, yet infused with classic, authentic style, Street Etiquette reminds us that some men can truly knock our fashionable socks off. Founded in 2008 by Joshua Kissi and Travis Gumbs – a couple of style innovators – Street Etiquette reveals the intersection between historical anecdotes and their references to modern-day style.

Miss Moss
If you haven’t stumbled upon Miss Moss yet, you’re missing out. A designer from South Africa, Diana’s clean and simple, yet insanely on-point style and design aesthetic marvels us. Her Tumblr focuses primarily on global street style and fashion; looking for a bit of outfit inspiration? Can’t get creative with your closet today? Check out Miss Moss’s Tumblr to ignite your inventive and resourceful style sense.

Fashion Gone Rogue
Fashion Gone Rogue is known for its constant stream of fashion lookbooks and magazine editorials. If you’re feeling like buying Vogue off the shelf has gotten a bit pricey or you just don’t want to continue to waste the paper, Fashion Gone Rogue’s Tumblr will satisfy your high fashion cravings, and most likely spark your travel bug (if you have one), as global spreads seem to be a recurring theme.

Well Spent
Brad Bennett, the brains behind Well Spent, is a stand-out curator of “honestly crafted products.” For Bennett, this means pieces that were made in first world conditions, using sustainable materials, made in the U.S., or truly made to last a lifetime. Tumble with him at Well Spent along his search for fashionable goods that last.

Mr. Larkin
Designer Casey Larkin comes from a diverse array of experiences that have shaped her creative lens. She was born in Oklahoma, grew up in Texas, went to fashion school in the US and abroad, toured with some bands, lived in Paris, lived in LA, and now has found her home in San Francisco.  With such an eclectic story, her Tumblr is a perfect collage of her past and current adventures in design and creation.

Afia
“Play pretend until it’s real.” This is the mantra sustainable fashion label Afia lives by. Sourcing textiles from Ghana and working with Ghanian seamstresses provides the basis for an incredible story line. Designer and founder Meghan Sebold invites us to travel with her on her “ride”and presents tidbits of life’s lessons along the way.

Trendland
For images that require a second glance and bold colors to brighten any day, Trendland is the source. Presenting a collection of music, art, design, photography, technology, pop culture, advertising and FASHION, this online magazine boasts that they dish out “a multi-course menu of new ideas each day”.

T Magazine
The New York Times is inevitably a go-to source for news and events. Turns out their Style Magazine T, is just as addicting. Simple, clean, and beautiful.

JeffreyB
Florida native Jeff Boudreau is a young photographer whose work with People Tree and Bora Aksu has landed him in London-town. He clearly has a knack for impeccable taste; tumbling for him includes his own photography as well as inspirations.

CFDA
The Council of Fashion Designers of America is one of those hip and in-the-know organizations who are well aware of the up-and-comers before the rest of us. Watch their Tumblr for fashionable foresight and an insider look at the current trending designers.

Nowness
While Nowness is undoubtedly a source for overall culture, they provide such a style-focused vision, it was impossible to deny their inclusion on this list. Looking backwards and forwards at the same time, Nowness has a way of invigorating and grounding the viewer.

Rachel Comey
Fashion designer Rachel Comey is all about vintage with a rock-and-roll edge. Tumbling for her resembles a reflection of her design aesthetic. The vibe it emits is almost an “enter at your own risk” feel; either way, you will be exposed to eclectic juxtapositions and unexpected designs.

Ermie
If you’re a designer, this is a haven. Curated by Jennifer Parry Dodge, a textile and clothing designer herself, the vibrant hues and textures harbored within her Tumblr are almost unbelievable to the eye, particularly for a web-based platform.

Lost In Fiber
Environmental fiber artist Abigail Doan has a way with conjuring up the most lovely, calming, serene images from across the web. Her collage of imagery consistently conjures feelings of self and its relationship with the environment.

Its Couture
When you’re willing to be wowed by the handmade, custom creations of designers near and far, It’s Couture says it all in the name. Showcasing solely couture fashion, the intricacies and embellishments will take your breath away.

Lulu Frost
Who knew accessorizing could be this glorious? Through inspiration from her grandmother and family’s involvement in the estate jewelry industry for generations, Lisa Salzer of Lulu Frost creates one-of-a-kind pieces using unexpected combinations of vintage and antique pieces. Be it chandelier crystal, forgotten keys, or show buckles, Salzer’s aesthetic of new and old and stories left untold is exhibited throughout her Tumblr.

Image: Good Morning Kids

The post Curated Style: Top 20 Fashion Tumblrs We Can’t Get Enough Of appeared first on EcoSalon.

EcoSalon’s weekly playlist pick from 8tracks.

Today I woke up to the sound of pouring rain. For a quick moment I thought about complaining – an easy thing to do when it’s 6 am and dark and dreary out – but then I decided that the change of seasons probably required a change of attitude.

That’s why I am loving this EcoSalon exclusive playlist put together for us by the lovely Gretchen Jones, called Changing Phases. A wonderful collection of her favorite songs for fall, in honor of our fall playlist giveaway contest. So take a listen, get inspired, and send us your own fall mixes that are making you fall in love with the season all over again.

1. Great Life by Caveman
2. The Future Starts Slow by the Kills
3. The Landing by The Lines
4. Bad Ritual by Timber Timbre
5. Desire Lines by Deerhunter
6. Wildfire by SBTRKT
7. Sutphin Boulevard by Blood Orange
8. Truth by Alexander
9. Truth Sets In by Avi Buffalo
10. Cruel by St. Vincent
11. Lord Knows Best by Dirty Beaches

Listen by clicking here.

On Music Monday we bring you a featured playlist from one of our favorite music sites 8tracks. From indie rock to electro pop we hope it’s a playlist that kicks your week off right. 

Image:

The post Music Monday: Change Your Phases appeared first on EcoSalon.

We love you, New York.

EcoSalon is here for New York Fashion Week (NYFW), covering the latest looks from eco fashion designers. See our coverage so far on beloved independents like Gretchen Jones and John Patrick, and check back daily as we’re discovering new lines while we’re at it.

With NYFW in full swing, the streets are packed with style, and we’ll be bringing you exclusive news and pictures all weekend. To stay up to date on both the latest runway looks and street style, follow the tag NYFW here at EcoSalon. Tonight we’ll be checking out Ivana Helsinki’s show, then heading to the Yield Exhibit at the Textile Arts Center in Brooklyn. Stay tuned, and hope to see you there!

Sundresses we love. Shorts: the same cannot always be said. The right pair of shorts on the right frame can be cute, chic and fashion forward. But then there are the pairs best left in the dark. (That’s not the only thing we’re seeing all over the place: what’s with everyone in New York smoking again? We even found ciggy butt litter at our event room last night!) In other words: Please, Anything But Shorts. There, we said it.

This weekend marks an event we will never forget: 9/11, a decade ago. In honor of one of the world’s greatest cities and the dynamic and resilient spirit of its people, we look back on one 9/11 survivor’s touching tale of healing from the trauma of that day.

Sailed Manhattan lately? It is an island, after all. Our volcano-hunting travel writer and NYC dweller Shira Levine does just that, and finds a new appreciation for her home, New York City.

The post Friday 5: We Heart NY Edition appeared first on EcoSalon.

Gretchen Jones channels a mix of Patti Smith and Don Juan to create her own distinct vibe for spring ’12.

Having known Gretchen Jones for years and watching her climb her way up to where she currently stands is truly inspiring – and it’s a tale of how hard work pays off. That said, walking into her presentation was to witness Jones at a whole new level, away from Project Runway, away from her fashion foundation in Portland, Oregon, to the present moment, where the designer is fusing her supreme sense of styling, fantasy and music to give us her spring ’12 collection, Horses.

I caught up with Jones the day prior at Tour de Fashion’s “Borrow A Bike,” and she said of her collection: “Each one of my collections has something to do with music and literature. This time I grabbed from The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge by Carlos Castaneda and Patti Smith’s album, Horses. Both are all about searching for a higher truth,” says Jones.

“Plus I feel like I can bring a connection to the consumer when it comes to the creation process, bringing in music and literature that people love and can relate to” she says of her silk and silk cotton line made in New York City’s Garment District.

With a full house, models lined up for mug shots (their numbers called one by one), and the music of Nouveau Classical Project composed just for her presentation, Jones infused fashion week with something fresh and pretty yet authentically old school rocker, and yes, always that hint of fantasy we’ve come to know her for.

Images: Amy DuFault

More from the archives: Read Gretchen’s exclusive column for EcoSalon, EcoSalon at NYFW: Gretchen Jones’ Horses appeared first on EcoSalon.