Two new eco-commerce sites offer discounted fashion and beauty brands.

JP Selects, an exclusive, new membership-based sale site for socially aware, fair trade and sustainable products – think Gilt gone green – will be working with many brands in the fashion space starting June 16th, including Nialaya Jewelry, Stewart+Brown, L’uvalla skincare, Calleen Cordero accessories, and Hype Clothing. An added bonus to members who sign up before the June 16th launch is a three-day spa vacation at the Amangiri Eco-Resort in Southern Utah.

Started by John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of Paul Mitchell and Patrón Spirits,  the products available at JP Selects are aimed at helping shoppers live a more socially and ecologically responsible lifestyle, from fashion-forward clothing, to unique jewelry, luxe beauty products, artisan-produced foods, and premier home décor.

The site will introduce one new brand every weekday at a promotional price that lasts 72 hours. After the introductory offer, products will always be available in their branded online store. Each new brand is also represented in a short documentary-style video, to help shoppers get to know the brand a little more.

“I believe success unshared is failure,” says DeJoria “I want to share my success with good people that sell great products while promoting a sustainable future and good business practices.”

Launching today is LovingEco, a members-only, social commerce platform, that offers innovative conscious products at exclusive price points (up to 70% off retail), without compromising style. Starting today, look for Cri de Coeur, Stewart + Brown, English Retreads and Eko Miko, and soon to come, expect to see Clary Sage Organics,  Eberjey, Happy Endiings, Leaky Collection, Margaret Rowe jewelry, Novica and Souchi.

Through a series of “limited-time and brand-specific sale events,” subscribing consumers are given the opportunity to access and shop for sustainably designed, fair trade and natural products at a discount.  Each sale features brands, which are hand-selected and available on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Additionally, 3% of net proceeds from each purchase is donated to the current ‘tastemaker charity’ to help support a social or environmental cause.

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Last weekend’s Portland Fashion Week endeavored for the title of most cohesive runway show on the West Coast and demonstrated the area’s evident talent pool with four former Project Runway competitors showing. Reiterating the event’s green consciousness was last season’s winner, Seth Aaron‘s debut of a dramatic Gaga-esque solar energy-inspired collection.

While Aaron’s collection and the headlining unique, solar-powered catwalk construction were a blazing argument for the need for new collaboration between the energy and fashion industries, the most radical thing to see was legendary Oregon textilist Pendleton‘s collaboration with Opening Ceremony and local luxury knitwear line Souchi – demonstrating that local companies can produce eco-wool clothing successfully.

Perhaps it’s timing. With chunky knits ruling the AW 2010 runways from Prada to Chloé, and the trend for heritage looks, the use of wool for clothing seems exciting again. As a natural, renewable, and fully recyclable fiber, wool’s green credentials are obvious. Are the knitters on to something?

“I’m not sure it’s necessarily cheaper to produce than cut and sew – it’s actually a bit more expensive especially locally,” says designer Casey Larkin, whose knitwear line, Adie + George, produced 100 percent in California, launched last year. “Looking at the big picture of the manufacturing process, knit wear is probably a good place to start in this recession because a knit house is usually a vertical program that handles the entire process from start to finish – making the process more efficient and therefore less expensive in the end.”

Larkin’s partner, textile artist and designer Sasha Duerr, outlines the many benefits to keeping production in America, “Just as with regaining our local food system, the initial cost for quality ingredients in our collection is higher – just like with organic and local food – but the exchange is that we are able to participate closely in the process of where our yarn comes from, where it is spun, where it is knitted, and finally dyed.” Duerr, who founded the Permacouture Institute and is devoted to reviving organic and natural dying processes, continues, “There is a true storytelling that comes with choosing local materials, working with local farms, reviving fiber mills, and domestic knitwear houses, and supporting other facets that support true economic recovery. Our vision for Adie + George is aligned with how we would like local and domestic fashion production to be in the near future. The whole process is hands-on and extremely satisfying.”

Above image Pendleton for Opening Ceremony

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At the Shift launch party Friday, November 6th

For all the eco there is, it still isn’t easy being green.

I say that knowing this will change, but I needed only to open my own sustainable boutique to discover, “Houston, we have problems.”

My background is such that I write, market, sell and do coaching with and for designers who seek to prove they are just as good as any other designer doing forward fashion out there. That’s been great for many years.

The tables sure turned when I started my own shop, Shift, and I had to buy from them: I wanted things like reclaimed or organic silks, prints and the ever elusive non-skinny pant.

How about color from water-based dyes?

How about knits that are affordable?

The pieces of my boutique’s puzzle are slowly coming together to form a whole. But, here are a few things I found out along the way that has made living the eco-entrepreneur life very challenging:

A tired Amy DuFault ringing in the eco-goods at the launch party

Patterned fabric

There’s not much patterned fabric out there at an affordable price. If it’s out there, it’s typically very expensive. A few designers I spoke with said they can’t all buy the same print because they want to be creating different pieces from each other (but of course).

Thanks to a lack of demand for the small amount of sustainably printed fabrics out there, suppliers simply choose not to offer many. Think about that the next time you hit the local eco-boutique and you see all solids and heavy accessories buying.

I have a new appreciation for all my eco-boutique buying comrades out there.

Knits

In a perfect world, we could all buy chunky sweaters and luscious scarves at digestible prices. The handful of knit designers out there I love, like Lars Anderson and Souchi, ring in at different price-points that seem fair to me – but what will the shoppers tell me when they’re confronted with the tag? Well, on Cape Cod in the winter, they’re going to tell me plenty.

The knits ring in at a higher price point ($250 and up) because the designer often contracts locals, pays them a fair wage, finds pesticide free yarns and so on. $19.99 does come at a price, just one that consumers don’t see.

Construction

The last thing I want to be guilty of is using standard paints, virgin-paper business cards and bags, incandescent bulbs or anything, frankly, brand new. Being eco through and through means even the building has got to be green.

Thanks to a local carpenter/artist designing a wall unit and dressing rooms from reclaimed wood, and a steady influx of consignment furniture from a local eco-home store, we got there!

Recycled PET plastic hangers? Check.
Dress forms off Ebay? Check.
Recycling bins? Check.
Vintage mirrors and merchandising accessories? Check check!

Goodness, by the time all is said and done, my business partner and I will be running a green business initiative making other businesses on Cape Cod comply with a green certification. (For real. We’ve just been hired.)

And thanks to undergoing my own “greening” I will feel no sympathy.

This is all so worth it. Moreover, despite the challenges, it’s doable. The more we all support the people willing to conserve energy, reuse materials and be part of the solution when it comes to lightening their carbon footprint, the better people we will be.

At the very least, we’ll have some nice sweaters.

The post Walking the Talk: Adventures in Launching My Eco Boutique appeared first on EcoSalon.

The more I talk with designers, the more I want you to know what they’re thinking. Here’s some insight.

I recently asked nine various shades of green designers what they thought about the question:

“Does collaborating with big names like Target, Kohl’s or Wal-Mart sound enticing to you?”

Heyne Bogut: I think in order to make that work you need to have a very packaged and defined product that can be understood and categorized quickly and easily. I’m always up for a challenge and I like the idea of contributing to pop culture in any way, shape or form, but it’s tricky to water down what you do enough to make it work in those places.

Plus, there’s the quality end to consider, and the concern for what conditions it’s made under. So, basically, the idea is intriguing, but a lot depends on what these partners are like to work with. I know people who design product for Wal-Mart and the process is living hell. I’ve been approached in the past by mass producers and have found the attempted collaborations uneven and unsatisfying.

Mociun: I think collaborating with someone like Eastpac or Keds would be great. Or some company that makes things I don’t. I would love to have a printed backpack or something like that. So I guess I would be more interested in doing a collaboration with a company where I could design print one of their products. And doing something with a company like Target could be cool, just to get exposure and see what production on a really large scale would be like.

Harper Della-Piana:  There would be positives connected to working with companies like that, of course. The prospect of making a large-scale impact on my company’s finances; provided the pieces I design for a company like that are made in the U.S. or by ethical workrooms would be part of the guarantee. I would not work on a project with a company like that if it didn’t have a positive impact on the workers or the environment in some way.

Alison Kelly/Dahl: Collaborating with larger corporations is at once appealing and unappealing. First, you will have to mass produce your collection in a ghastly inexpensive manner. Department stores like these aspire for quantity, not quality, which leads you to the question of whether or not you’ll want to forfeit the integrity of your designs by having to use cheaper textiles, eliminate important design elements and manufacture in China. I have a friend who just turned down an Anthropologie deal because they would not succumb to her eco-friendly standards. It becomes a question of morality.

Cmarchuska: I have mixed views about collaborating with big names like Wal-mart or Target. Ultimately, I feel  there could be some great opportunities for exposure and marketing when combining efforts with a major retailer.  However, it is tough as a small start-up/new designer to find favorable agreements for both parties. I think I would work with a major retailer if the terms were right.

Souchi: I understand why designers are enticed by these types of collaborations but I have no interest in this avenue of exposure. The type of collaborating that would excite me would be to work with artists I admire in all mediums. I think Marc Jacobs is fantastic with this. His collaborations with Stephen Sprouse and Murakami were great because they were new and unexpected for a house that traditionally was about the brown and camel logo. Or when Hermes hired Martin Margiela to be its house designer. For me, it would be a combo of materials – mixing yarn ideas with metal smiths or painters.

AK Vintage: Enticing?  Yes. Very much so, in fact. I’m interested in building my business and doing it as green as possible. I think if big box stores like these were ever to approach me they would obviously be interested in the sustainability of my product/brand just as much as my ability as a designer, because that is part of the identity I’m creating for my lines as well as for myself.  And, under these circumstances, I would absolutely be open to having that conversation.

Mothlove: I grew up in a small town, where my quaint little downtown full of mom & pop shops not only supported its community, but was supported by its community. Wal-Mart arrived in our town, and that sad story we’ve already heard started playing. A small, yet thriving community ceased to exist. Those small shops now represent the individually-owned boutiques I pursue as a designer.

I believe in the independent, the well-crafted and the local. I also believe that the designer-to-boutique, boutique-to-customer [relationship] creates community; communities with consumer awareness, communities that self sustain and support. Of course, financially the idea of big box collaboration is tempting, but I’d lose my story. And the consumer would lose its culture.

Aster And Sage: Collaborating with Target or Wal-Mart is definitely an enticing idea. I daydream about my imaginary Target collection all the time. Mmmm, yes.

Read more candid thoughts from eco designers.

Image: j.reed

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You like to buy U.S. designed and manufactured clothing, but how do designers feel about their roles in it?

11 designers would like to tell you.

Emily Katz: I enjoy being able to talk with my contractors, meet with them when need be to make sure they are doing the quality that I require, and know that they are only a few miles away. I could bike to 2 out of 3 of my sewers’ workplaces. I think it is important to know how the garments are being made and to have a hand in it. However, we still need to find cheaper ways to produce locally. It is difficult to compete with big brands who are “luxury” and are charging the same amount as small eco designers who manufacture domestically. They have a much higher profit margin, and that can be the difference from staying in the mainstream consciousness, or going out of business.

Angel Court Jewels: To me, an eco line is about a concern for the whole. Producing in the U.S. is the same sentiment. Production in the U.S. helps us all just as producing and buying eco helps us all.

Aster and Sage: I’m in New Jersey and my products are made by me or by my stitchers in New England. UPS ground guarantees next day delivery, so I can get stuff to or from them overnight. I can visit them easily (though I wish I did that more often). I think it’s a little like buying fruits and vegetables; I may think globally, but I try to eat and manufacture locally.

Filly: I benefit from manufacturing in the USA by being able to connect with my manufacturer. I know her. Her name is Mary. She lives in San Francisco. She drives a Mercedes. And she likes my designs. She is beautiful and kind and rooting for me. Neither of us is exploiting the other but we are both benefiting from our relationship.

cmarchuska: I benefit from having my line manufactured in the U.S. for numerous reasons; some of the most notable would be:

– quality control standards – I am able to be involved actively in every aspect of the manufacturing process and to make sure the pieces are put together according to my standards.

-shorter runs/on-demand runs – Manufacturing in the U.S. provides you with the luxury of being able to produce smaller run sizes and on-demand runs which is very important in this tough economy.

-fair trade/fair labor/eco-friendly processes – I guess this relates more to start-ups and smaller companies, but you are able to oversee the operation (as mentioned in my first point) versus working with China/India where you might just be entrusting another individual on these very important issues.  This was one of my main reasons for manufacturing domestically here in NYC.

Souchi: I love that our production is not only made in the U.S. but that 100% of our line is made in our studio in Portland, Oregon. The benefits are on many levels: creating jobs in the town I live in, overseeing quality on each piece, cutting shipping costs which  lowers fuel costs.

Figs and Ginger: We benefit from feeling good about supporting our local economy.  There’s nothing better than feeling good about yourself!  Also we have much more control of the quality of our products because we’re making it ourselves in the U.S. and not having it produced overseas.

Kate Organic: Producing Kate Organic in the U.S. 45 minutes from our house has a lot of positives and negatives. We like being in control from start to finish, but, we hate being in charge from start to finish. Every decision is ours. Every choice that is right or wrong is ours. No excuses! When we made the line overseas, sometimes it felt like flipping a coin and whatever you got, you got.

It is nice to keep as much money in the U.S. as possible. But, since it is made in the U.S. the costs are so much higher. Stores do not like that the costs go up. They want it made in the U.S., but they want it at a lower price point, so it gets rough. At this point our biggest issue is keeping stores in business.

Feral Childe: Feral Childe works with printers, dye houses, cutters and sewers within a 50-mile radius! Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Long Island and Paterson, New Jersey are also frequent stops. We want to support our local garment industry and have become so friendly with our suppliers and contractors that it would break our hearts to get our clothes produced elsewhere. The New York City Garment District is totally unique. Where else can you get your clothes cut and sewn on the sixth floor, run across the street when you discovered you’ve run out of elastic, dash back upstairs and then scoop everything up to get the snaps put on by the guys on the sixth floor? Not to mention our accountant and our favorite fabric showroom are across the hall from one another in yet another tall building! It’s one-stop shopping. Business is very much done by word of mouth here so everyone really counts on one another – it really is a community. We love the history of the Garment District and we are proud to produce Feral Childe in New York City.

Mothlove: The costs I face as a small/independent and American-made designer currently outweigh the benefits. The average citizen has been so spoiled by low-cost, poorly-made and outsourced products, reluctance to truly support local artisans remains. Education is key; re-learning the importance of not only locally-made, but well [made] – and with environmental/economical consciousness comes cost. Costs to the designer (especially small-scale designers) in supplies and production equal higher price tags, especially in independently owned/operated boutiques – the new “mom & pop” shops that support them. Without supporting the boutiques, we don’t support the local economy. Without supporting our local economy, we lack the support for the artisan. And without the local artistic community, we lack culture.

Kim White: Number one, my buyers care. They ask where my stuff is made. Number two, locally made means I can see production and catch mistakes. I don’t get production from, say China, and it’s done wrong. Quality Control is waaaay easier.

Image: The Shopping Sherpa

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