Zig Zag Zig Zag.

If you watch the two lines of high voltage geometric color interact for long enough it can really get you going and – accounting for the recent thinking of Missoni’s executives –  send your mind a blowing. A design fueled euphoria being the only explanation for the Italian knitwear legend’s dodgy decision to sell out their signature stripe to mass retailer Target this year.

Known for its multitude of colorful kaleidoscope patterns including abstracts, florals and the eye-catching chevron stripe, the distinctive design created by Tai and Rosita Missoni in 1953 has certainly been copied before. Originally championed in the U.S. by Diana Vreeland, editor of Vogue magazine, Missoni reach the peak of their influence in the fashion world in the early 1970’s. Run by the husband and wife team until handing over design duties to their daughter Angela in 1996, the house of Missoni was remarkable for staying above the many trends of the fashion world.

THEN:  Hitting their stride in the early 1970’s, Missoni started out as a small knitwear workshop in Gallarate, Italy, in 1953 opened by founders Rosita and Ottavio.

When Target’s low cost versions of Missoni products went on sale causing a stampede on stores (with lines up to 100 people long waiting for restocking, and Target’s website crashing repeatedly), everyone was tempted, even mass fashion boycotters like us. The line sold out within 24 hours. Many items appeared on eBay within hours, at two to three times markup.

Ultimately, customers were disappointed. In line with Target’s price range, the fabrics used were not the luxuriously designed wools, cottons, rayon and silk typical of Missoni and customers complained widely about the 400-product collection’s cheap appearance, shoddy manufacturing and unprecedented anger at how Target handled the launch.

FUTURE: The Chevron stripe’s classic boldness is perfectly suited to fashion’s ongoing taste for imaginative contrasts and the eclectic.

With the Target collaboration, only time can tell whether Missoni has cheapened their name for good. One thing is for sure, the incident reawakened a desire for all things chevron striped. Seen everywhere from tights to menswear and DIY paint tutorials, the graphic stripes and chevron patterns have a classic yet modern boldness that never goes out of style, however we incorporate it into our lives.

Now & Then: The History Of The Cocktail Dress

Now & Then: The Trench Coat

Now & Then: The Bold Brow

Now & Then: The History of the Cuff

Now & Then: The History of Turtlenecks

Now & Then: The History of Tights

Now & Then: The History of Skinny Jeans

Now & Then: The History of the Chevron Stripe

Now & Then: The History of Penny Loafers

Now & Then: The History of Go-Go Boots

Now & Then: The History of the Poet Blouse

Now & Then: The History of Ladylike Gloves

The post Now & Then: The History of the Chevron Stripe appeared first on EcoSalon.

A weekly roundup of EcoSalon’s top stories.

It’s hard to compete with Chevrolet and those sexy new ads for the $32,780 Volt voiced by George Clooney, but Ford argues the game plan isn’t really about competition, but rather cooperation when it comes to its soon-to-be released Focus and other electric vehicles. In Ford Revamps Fleet For The Plug-In Revolution, we take a look at what Ford and other auto giants are up to.

We love our moms but sometimes we have to scratch our heads and ask “What the hell did she just say?” In Word To Your Mother, we celebrate all the weird things moms say that we love them for regardless.

Urban homesteading is more doable than you think. With more people vying to be self-sufficient and sustainable while living in cities, there are a number of ways to cultivate ones own food, and even keep chickens while not angering the neighbors. In Making Homesteading Approachable, writer K. Emily Bond shows us some ways to do just that.

Covetable, high end labels like Missoni, Burberry and Margiela have maybe never been within financial reach for you, but there are ways around that. Design loving bloggers and their latest low impact, low price projects are enabling more and more D.I.Y’ers to achieve exclusive runway looks. Writer Rowena Ritchie provides you with the information how-to in her article D.I.Y. Your Own Missoni, Burberry and Margiela.

Mother’s Day is this Sunday and you might be sending mom some flowers right? Think twice, the U.S. Labor Education in the Americas Project reports that in Colombia and Ecuador, the two largest cut flower exporters to the U.S., workers earn poverty-level wages. What’s more, 55% of women workers in Ecuador have been victims of sexual harassment, and 66% of all workers suffer from work-related health problems due to handling dangerous pesticides. Your floral purchase ensures they get more of the same treatment. Folding in from public pressure, flower giants FTD and 1-800-flowers, are offering at least five arrangements and three fair trade gift baskets for those of you that care. In This Mother’s Day, Say It Without Sweat Shops, writer Andrea Newell provides us with links to shop for mom consciously.

Image: Oakley Originals

The post The Friday Five, Vol. 10 appeared first on EcoSalon.

Design loving bloggers and their latest low impact, low price projects.

The Twitterverse went wild Wednesday morning when Target announced Missoni as their latest designer collaboration. It’s set to launch September 13^th and promises to be one of their largest collections ever, featuring over 400 pieces, including clothing, dinnerwear and bedding.

Missoni for the masses? I have to confess I felt a pang of regret at the news, because while most shoppers are only too happy to get a look for less, and fashion retailers are keen to capitalize on a winning idea, I decided a couple of years ago that my wardrobe would be sourced as sustainably as possible. That means, for me, forgoing the temptations like Lanvin for H&M (a true test), and embracing the creativity and courage of my conscious convictions.

Perhaps you’re picturing a cheaply made, acrylic (shudder), knit Missoni top in your shopping cart and thinking the same. When you can’t stand another high-meets-low creation from a mass-market retailer, how are you going to get a designer concept look for less?

Allow me to introduce some of my favorite design loving bloggers and their latest low impact, low price projects. In the spirit of fashion’s new D.I.Y. ethos, their eye for a translatable idea is the perfect example of the web-obsessed world of fashion, concurrently serving eco interests.

Erica Domesek, the founder of P.S. – I Made This, describes her doable step-by-step guide DIY site as “A movement. It’s a call to action to reimagine, reuse & reinvent.” Her convincing replica of Burberry’s studded gabardine trench was truly resourceful, using chopsticks to recreate the studs. Chinese for dinner will never be the same again.

Runway DIY’s uncomplicated guide to updating a thrift-bought Baja Hoodie was in homage to Proenza Schouler’s hit-of-the-season: a beaded Baja Sweater. The site’s creative force, the mononymously named Arianna, presents fresh, straightforward projects that capture the latest trend’s coolest design detail or two.

For Virginie of Virginie Peny: Couture and DIY, enjoying fashion is a “self-made experience.” Her tutorials illustrate her unique take on exploring fashion media for personal inspiration. I loved her basic jersey tee interpretation of a slashed Maison Martin Margiela sweater from a recent edition of French Elle magazine. Too busy to slash your own? Every one of Peny’s DIY projects are available for purchase.

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