It’s officially the holiday season! As we decorate our living spaces with bright holly and cheerful trimmings to soften the cold weather outside, don’t forget to carry that sparkle over to our style. Below are some fun metallic holiday fashion trends for 2013, pieces to carry the holiday cheer throughout the season—and as always our roundup is from the brightest picks of eco fashion. 

1. Cream Eye Shadow by RMS Beauty

RMS Beauty is a top natural beauty line created by celebrity makeup artist Rose-Marie Swift. These simmering eyeshadows are made with ingredients that support natural beauty and promote long-term health. Made with raw mineral pigments, these cream eye shadows double as a moisturizer for your lids because rms Beauty is all about the “synergistic interchange” between their products and your skin. Packed in recyclable glass containers with an air-tight lid to preserve freshness, these cream eyeshadows won’t dry out.

rms beauty, $28

2. Manta Ray Ring by Alkemie

Alkemie jewelry is one of our favorites. Run by a husband and wife team based out of Topanga Canyon, in California, they are continually inspired by the nature around them. Alkemie jewelry is made from 100% reclaimed metals, and handmade in Los Angeles. This ring of a Manta Ray is a reminder of the inherent value in spending time with yourself, and being peaceful in your own skin—just like the Manta Ray.

Alkemie, $176

3. Large Heart Necklace by See Me

The universal symbol of a heart resinates everywhere, but this necklace isn’t just any heart. See Me works with victims of domestic violence in Turkey and Tunisia, offering employment, escape and community by using their artisan skills to hand craft these beautiful pieces. See Me is dedicated to providing sustainable work, not charity. “Each heart is unique, just like yours.”

See Me, 123 euros

4. Metallic Gold Pillow Cover by Kyle Wayne Taylor Home

A great Etsy find, these pillow covers are a modern addiction to any color scheme. Handmade 100% cotton covers are handmade in Williamsburg, Virginia. You could even get crafty, and wrap a gift in them!

Etsy, $35 each

5. Relaxed Blazer and Pleated Mini Skirt by SUNO

SUNO is a high-end label with sustainability embedded in their DNA—a great example of a brand that is both design-driven and sustainability minded. All SUNO clothing is made in New York City a few blocks from their design studio. Sophistication meets edge with this metallic blazer and skirt combo.

Relaxed Blazer, $477

Pleated Mini Skirt, $405

6. Katherine Shell Clutch by KAYU

KAYU is a California based label founded by South East Asia native Jamie Lim. Jamie’s upbringing was surrounded by artisanal craft and KAYU is an ode to preserving and cultivating the survival of traditional techniques, and economically supporting the artisans. This clutch is intricately laid with mother of pearl shell onto a hand-carved wooden base. A percentage of each sale is donated to education and health initiatives in the area it was made.

Minz, $590

7.  Large Wood-Carved Journal by Raven + Lily

Raven + Lily is a B Corporation, an Ethical Fashion Forum award winner, and one of the most widely know eco-fashion brands. This beautiful journal is hand-carved from wood and bound with vegetable-tanned leather. Fair trade made by women in northern India, proceeds from the sale of this notebook go to fund literacy programs for the women artisans and children in the community.

Raven + Lily, $24

Want more On Trend? See Also:

Eco Fashion Brands Prove Beauty in Simplicity With Burgundy and Basics On Trend

 The Unbelievable Value of Upcycling Clothes 7 Ways: On Trend

On Trend: Dark and Tan – The Smartly Sexy Fall 2013 Color Trends

Covering Up With Ethical and Organic Leggings: On Trend 

Personality Pops With Patterned Pants: On Trend

Images from the eco fashion brands, collage by Juliette Donatelli

Keep in touch with Juliette on twitter @spadesandsiLK

The post Metallic Holiday Fashion Trends 2013: On Trend appeared first on EcoSalon.

SUNO New York offers gorgeous womenswear collections that celebrate the textile traditions of global cultures by supporting artisan communities.

SUNO is a New York-based fashion label that designs and creates beautiful womenswear in collaboration with artisan communities of textile weavers and garment assemblers. Launched in 2009 by Max Osterweis and designer Erin Beatty, the label initially used Osterweis’ stockpile of vintage Kenyan textiles to produce the first collection, which was predominantly manufactured in Kenya. The designs, bold prints and lively colors spoke to the fashion community, and the label has since grown to become a successful designer brand. Nonetheless, the label has kept its integrity by supporting the beautiful creations of artisan communities in several countries, and by creating clothing that is impeccably tailored and responsibly made.

SUNO Autumn-Winter 2013

Since its founding, SUNO has evolved to include textile producing artisan communities in India, Peru, Kenya, as well as its home base in the New York Garment District. Kenya, a long time home to Osterweis, is where production began as the founder wanted to help save the Kenyan economy after the post-election violence of Spring 2009. After SUNO’s opening show, retailers such as Opening Ceremony, Enny di Monaco, Ikram and Maria Luisa quickly caught on to the brilliance of this fresh, new label, soon sharing the label with style and ethics savvy women. Other distributors were quick to follow, as SUNO is currently available at more than 60 retailers worldwide, with names such as Harvey Nichols, Celine and The Webster on the roster.

SUNO Autumn-Winter 2013

The use of traditional techniques renders SUNO garments of the highest quality, while and emphasis on fit and detailing makes these ethnically inspired collections accessible to the modern, urban woman. Fabric is definitely one of the main features in all SUNO collections, and although their garments often assume a tribal or folksy feel the designers say: “When we’re looking at textiles, we don’t really think about them as being ethnic or not ethnic. We see them as beautiful and interesting, or not. We’ll never abandon beautiful and interesting patterns.”

SUNO Autumn-Winter 2013

Despite the ubiquitous unwearability of several designer collections, SUNO manages to create cute ensembles and separates that can easily be paired with basics for a unique and comfortable outfit. As seen at the recent NY fashion week shows, SUNO’s ethnic and folkloric style has taken a Slavic twist for the colder months of 2013. Golden paisley prints, floral prints and embroidery, ruffled hemlines, coverall dresses and pinstriped shirtdresses evoked modern Russian dolls at SUNO’s show. Fashion crowd favorites were definitely the Swarovski crystal encrusted piece, which injected a bit of lavish glamour to the dainty collection.

SUNO Autumn-Winter 2013

Collaborations with jewelry designer Pamela Love and footwear designer Nicholas Kirkwood have allowed SUNO to offer accessories that evoke the optimistic, fresh and vibrant looks of their garments. Vibrant, eye-catching and intelligently designed, these ethically produced collections are definitely an investment to flaunt and be proud of. Although Osterweis and Beatty haven’t created the label around the message of sustainability, their mission to “create a visible and sustainable brand that produces high quality clothing…while using and developing local talent” is being brought to life through their luxurious, logical and definitely lovable clothing.

Images: SUNO 

The post SUNO: Unique Modern Fashion with Respect for Tradition appeared first on EcoSalon.

Every eco-fashion website you go to is probably comprised of some red hot talent when it comes to work outside the site. EcoSalon fashion writer Greta Eagan is a great example of one of our writers taking an entrepreneurial walk outside our own pearly green gates. Recently launching FASHIONmeGREEN, a sustainable fashion awareness project two months ago in L.A. (The L.A. Project), she’s now in New York City wrapping up her New York Project (shot at the SoHo House) with Eleanor Banco, PR Director of Style.com and Teen Vogue.

Next stop? London – to find her next victim or “style influencer” to help morph a darker shade of green.

All clothing and accessories will come from local eco-designers based in each city and will be stylishly showcased in an editorial spread on the site as well as behind the scenes video webisodes. The site will also run the FMG Daily featuring current trends and style tips with eco-alternatives (indicated by a green leaf).

Eagen says “The idea is to impart a style source that is relatable, inspirational, current and eco.”

I recently caught up with Eagen to talk about her new project.

(Side note, if you’ve got an entrepreneurial fashion mission you’re on, pitch it to us!)

Inspiration behind FMG?

I really wanted to build a global platform for eco-fashion with resources, and create a way to bridge the gap between mainstream and eco-fashion. My motto is to provide a (digital) space with style standards as high as the eco ones.

With all the information out there about forward sustainable fashion, do women really still think it’s not stylishly comparable? Could this possibly be true?!

I really think it comes down to awareness. People want to be responsible in their purchasing. We have seen that with the organic food movement and insurgence in hybrid vehicles. When it comes to clothing and fashion, it is just going to take time to educate the consumer and show them what options they have. I would also add, that a lot of the designers who are designing “˜green’ are independent and therefore not as well known as the bigger brands, so again it’s a matter of exposing them to the consumer.

You’ve FMG’d fashion blogger Lucrecia Chan and Style.com’s Eleanor Banco, were they surprised there was so much sophisticated greenery out there?

Absolutely! They both had some idea of what was out there and knew a couple of designers who are green, but the makeover really exposed them to very fashion-forward eco-options they didn’t know existed. I know that they were coveting some of the pieces from the makeover!

Did they pick their own looks from a bunch of clothes you acquired from designers or did you style them all the way?

The core concept of FMG is to select style influencers whose style stands on its own and has garnered them respect and admiration in the fashion industry. Through the makeover, we adamantly hold onto that original style sense to recreate their style aesthetic using mostly eco-inspired pieces. So the process is always very interactive and collaborative. When I do a first pass through the designers I want to pull for the shoot, I will always revert back to my style influencer’s image and ask, “Would she wear this?” Then, we work with the influencer to select exact pieces from eco-lines. Finally, the day of the shoot we will have a handful of outfits outlined, but always allow for the flexibility to change things as we go so that it communicates their true style sense.

Always five looks and how are the five looks picked?

It really is a brainstorming process. We will chat about their style signatures and the story they want to tell through their outfits. Also, because the spread is published online with a Shop The Shoot section, the looks are very seasonal and represent what the influencer is wearing at the moment. We always want the looks to be relatable, corresponding to the time of the year and also sourcing real women who work in industries that command a strong sense of style.

What’s your best advice for newbies?

It’s important to remember that no single brand out there is 100 percent sustainable at this point in time, so to hold yourself to those standards is unrealistic. Instead, start with what makes sense to you and explore. Thrift or vintage shopping is a great entry point. By reusing a piece that was previously produced, you extend its life cycle and just that is very sustainable.

Going green with your wardrobe is a lifestyle decision and I liken it to formulating an individual’s diet. Are you animal- friendly? Is ethical fashion of utmost importance to you? Or are you more concerned with carbon-footprints and dying processes? You decide what is important and make your purchasing decisions from there. It really is a personal journey for everyone which, I think, is the way fashion should be.

The NY Project- Teen Vogue’s Eleanor Banco from FASHIONmeGREEN on Vimeo.

Photographer – Jamie Beck (FromMeToYou)

Photographer’s Assistant – Colleen Duggan

Natural Make-up Artist – Jessa Blades

Video Assistant – Andy Mirabito

Designers used for the N.Y.Project:

Suno
Stella McCartney
Doucette Duvall
Cri de Coeur
Osborn Designs
Study
H Fredriksson
Lizzie Fortunato Jewels
Lauren Pierce
Bodkin

The post Style Influencers Get FMG’d appeared first on EcoSalon.

The new Sex and The City 2 movie delivers two hours of fashion-packed drama with witty interludes and an exotic getaway – pretty much fulfilling every woman’s fantasy. It comes as no surprise, then, that this week the fashion industry is literally obsessed with the SATC 2 motif. It goes without saying that the fabulous four each exhibit their strong sense of style, that usually involves a plethora of dresses and an equally extravagant shoe and accessory wardrobe.

With easy dresses and interesting prints incorporating statement accessories, it looks like SATC stylist Patricia Field nailed it once again, giving women everywhere the inspiration for a steamy summer. The new collections from Suno, Jonano, and From Somewhere are fit to take the order of these sexy summer essential.

Finish off your look with a pair of blue-toed shoes from the vegan line Cri de Coeur, and a pair of eclectic earrings made from girls rescued out of human trafficking in Vietnam. Sexy summer style has never done so much good while making you look good.

And don’t forget to take a peek at some fashion lessons we’ve learned from Carrie Bradshaw!

The post Sexy Summer Style Inspired by SATC2 appeared first on EcoSalon.