For a weekend at Free Spirit Spheres on Canada’s Vancouver Island, pack versatile pieces by Canadian eco-designers.

When packing for a stay at Free Spirit Spheres – a hotel in Vancouver Island made up of floating spheres – keep your clothing light and free as well. Bring comfortable pieces from a few of Canada’s leading eco-designers, like Nicole Bridger, Thieves, Bazant, Manitobah and Preloved.

Preloved Sylvie Snood
This soft, slouchy cowl drapes beautifully around the face to keep you warm and cozy through chilly nights. Preloved garments are entirely crafted from vintage fabrics – this one from two reclaimed wool sweaters – making each piece truly one-of-a-kind. It’s also reversible.
$19.50, Preloved 

Nicole Bridger Longing Cape
This cozy cape by Canadian eco-designer Nicole Bridger is the perfect way to stay warm in your sphere. The appeal of this 100% organic wool cape is all about the sculpting and draping, techniques Bridger perfected while working at Vivienne Westwood in London.
On sale for $231, Nicole Bridger 

Bazant Waterfall Earrings
Echo the spherical theme of the hotel with these hand cut and polished sterling silver dangle earrings with a nice brushed finish. Handcrafted from recycled sterling silver by ethical jeweller Lara Bazant in Toronto’s Distillery Historic District.
$75, Ethical Ocean

Manitobah Deerskin Mukluks
Keep your feet toasty at night with these Mukluks, based on a traditional Canadian style of footwear. Each pair conforms naturally to the shape of each wearer’s foot, providing an age-old comfort you can call your own. The vibram sole option make them a bit more suitable for activities like hikes in the woods.
$339, Manitobah

Hemp Exploration Travel Bag
Pack your weekend bag in this overnight bag, made from 100% hemp, the strongest and most durable of all natural fibers. Edging material is woven from hemp/flax yarns and all stress points are reinforced for optimum durability.
$97.95, LivEco

Thieves Crochet Sweater
This hand crocheted sweater by Thieves is made in Canada from naturally dyed organic cotton. The shape is highly wearable with an asymmetrical hemline that gives it a bit more of an edge.
$420, Thieves 

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Versatile basics with edgy details, easy-to-walk-in wedges and an extra-roomy bag are a New York City girl’s best friends.

There’s no doubt that New York City girls have a certain edge to their style. It’s all about basics with unexpected details – and yes, black. Heels are a must and wedges keep things comfortable. And always carry a big, stylish bag – because who has time to go home before the night begins?

Alkemie Ruler Bangle
Although it’s handmade in Los Angeles, this bangle is cast from a vintage NYC-approved ruler (possibly made in Buffalo, NY). It’s made from 100% reclaimed metal and adds just the right amount of unexpected quirk to an outfit.
$154, Alkemie 

Alpaca Slouch Hat by Mayu
A hat is a must for New Yorkers in the winter — to protect ears from sub-zero chills. This slouchy hat is hand-knit with 100% Peruvian Alpaca fiber and made according to fair trade principles.
On sale for $50, Mayu

NYC Necklace
You know you’re proud to be a New Yorker. Show your love for the Big Apple by wearing this necklace, made in Brooklyn from old, recycled records.
$38, Teich 

Thieves Armour Skirt
This high-waist fitted skirt is made from hemp wool suiting (45% hemp, 40% wool & 15% tencel) and covered with beeswaxed organic cotton, which gives it a great “aged leather” look. Definitely not your average pencil skirt, this one brings a fresh supply of attitude.
On sale for $173.25, Thieves

Crewneck Sweater by Edun
This sweater by Ali Hewson’s Edun is a sexy, edgy alternative to the ol’ cashmere basic. The strategic pattern of the knits keep it from becoming too revealing. We all know we need to leave a little for the imagination, right? Wear it to work underneath a blazer and on it’s own for a night on the town.
$312, Juno & Jove 

Sabine Triangle Bag by The Sway
Every girl in NYC needs a big bag that can easily go from day to night and will hold anything from heels and workout clothes to lunch boxes and reading material for the subway. This bucket-style messenger bag is extra-roomy and has both double shoulder straps and a removable cross-body strap. It’s made from soft upcycled patchwork leather and lined with The Sway‘s signature Aboriginal-inspired organic fabric.
$490, The Sway 

Millenium Black Wedges by OlsenHaus
These 100% vegan wedges by OlsenHaus are made from ultra suede and faux leather and feature a blonde pine wooden wedge heel. The mix of materials keep things interesting and the wedge heels ensure that you can walk the entire length of Manhattan if need be.
$300, OlsenHaus 

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Canada’s sustainable fashion growth is a healthy sign of the times.

With easily more than 50 Canadian designers now working various sustainable practices into their collections, it was difficult to highlight just these five. Canada has seen tremendous growth in the number of eco fashion designers over the past few years. The following designers represent both those who have been leading the movement in Canada, and also some up-and-comers that you should be watching. Their A/W 2011 collections are sure to impress even the most discerning.

Nicole Bridger, Vancouver

Nicole was the first winner of Canada’s Fashion Takes Action award, Design Forward. Her A/W ’11 collection is entitled “Safe to Love,” aptly named after a personal experience she recently had. “Every season I reflect on life lessons that I’m learning”, Bridger says of coming out of a painful relationship. In addition to earth tones, we can expect to see passionate colours from Bridger this fall including reds, purples, and blush pink.

Thieves, by Sonja den Elzen, Toronto

Continuing on the theme of consciousness, Thieves’ A/W 2011 is entitled “Reflection,” which according to designer den Elzen is the embodiment of seasons layered and loved.  “It is about the seasons and years blending together, erasing the lines of time and offering genuine lifelong pieces that become the foundation of a wardrobe for those who are reflective and conscientious of their surroundings.”

This fall, we can expect to see more of the highly tailored look den Elzen achieves with beeswaxed organic cotton and hemp/wool/tencel suiting blends, combined with soft draped jerseys, organic wool knits, and lush, hand-knit wear.

Adhesif, by Melissa Ferreira, Vancouver

Newer to the scene but becoming known for their use of reclaimed and recycled materials, Adhesif recently rocked the runways at Vancouver Eco Fashion Week . For A/W 2011, we can expect to see more vintage tweed, wool suiting and printed cotton twill.

“The colour palette reminds me of a sunset on an open field in the Prairies,” states designer Melissa Ferreira. “Many pieces have a draped feel to them but I have added in some pieces that have a ‘sack’ or box-cut look as well”.

 Harricana by Mariouche, Montreal

For more than two decades, luxury fur designer Mariouche Gagné has been ethically recycling fur made in Canada. She claims to have recycled over 50,000 coats, saving 400 metric tons from landfill. The Harricana A/W 2011 collection features three themes: Femme Fatale, giving rise to elegance and femininity; Military, urban, unisex and streamlined; and Timeless, evoking the wild and untamed nature of the great Canadian outdoors.

Device by Melanie Ferrara, Toronto

Since 2008, designer Melanie Ferrara has produced a series of vintage-inspired modern classics, made in Toronto using tencel, organic wool and organic cotton. For inspiration for her A/W ’11 collection, she looked to the period of the 1940s. “Fashion at that time was influenced by wartime austerity measures, and was characterized by tailored silhouettes with an emphasis on the waist and shoulders,” says Ferrara who adds she used a neutral color palette of navy and black as the base, paired with greys, cream, plum and plaid.  “The result is a collection of timeless, wearable pieces which range in style from modern casual to sophisticated elegance.”

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Will you be in New York this February for Eco Fashion Week? (And do ya like how we’re slowly turning the tables on you, boring old Fashion Week?) The GreenShows should be your major focal point.

Touted as the only “premiere fashion event exclusively committed to eco-friendly, ethically sound, fair trade fashion in New York City,” the venue, now in its second season, has peeled some serious rubber (not to mention, appealed to some really great talent).

Thieves by Sonja Den Elzen, Spring 2010

This time around, notable designers like Samantha Pleet, Thieves by Sonja Den Elzen, cmarchuska and eight others will debut their Fall 2010 lines to hungry eco-press and audiences hoping for something new from the sustainable front.

Designer Samantha Pleet, photo by Jacqueline Di Millia

This is a challenge when all designers participating in The GreenShows have to abide by a “Designer Criteria” which means they have to include some aspect of the sustainable design industry. In this case it means:

1.    Vegan/Animal Free
2.    Ethically Produced
3.    Fair Trade
4.    Organic Materials
5.    Recycled Materials
6.    Ethically Produced Wool
7.    Natural Dyes
8.    Carbon Footprint Conscious

Let’s hope it also means really well crafted designs that don’t play it too safe.

Main image: The Daily Green

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