Hippyshopper

Make Your Own Shoes

Frustrated with ephemeral changes to women's footwear and the astronomical prices charged for a few scraps of silk and leather covered in glue, Mary Wales Loomis decided to learn to make her own shoes.  Possessed of sturdier construction than most fashion wear, and just as up-to-the-minute (your model, she says, can be easily updated to change the few bits that actually vary) your handmade shoes will also fit you perfectly since they're based on a 'last' modeled from your very own foot.  $26 USD for her book on how.  [GT]

Make your own shoes [via Trendhunter]

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2xist Soy Collection: softer than cashmere?

The new Soy Collection from 2xist features some attractive eco-models frolicking in soy-based briefs which are 95% soy, with 5% nylon for body.  The soy fabric has similar wicking properties to silk and is, they say, softer than cashmere.  It's also antimicrobial and has natural UV protection, so you don't have to remember sunscreen while you frolic with the models.  Starting at $19 USD.  [GT]

Soy Collection from 2xist [via Cool Hunting]

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Fairtrade organic cotton T-shirts from Traidcraft

This pretty pink crew-neck is tailored at Craft Aid in Mauritius which provides valuable employment opportunities for disadvantaged members of the community. Plus, it's made from organic cotton, so no nasty chemicals. Priced £22, it is from Traidcraft's new spring collection, which includes charcoal linen trousers, vest tops and flippy skirts. [Sarah Painter]

Related stories: H&M launch organic cotton collection | Fully organic tees

Bush (not that one) bags a green future

Lauren Bush (George W's niece, shown here toting another of those oh-so-trendy eco tote bags) is breaking with family tradition and establishing herself among the green glitterati: she's announced that she's developing an 'organic lifestyle brand'.

Ms Bush has so far been cagey about the details of her own green venture, but she turned up at New York Fashion week with the burlap tote on her shoulders, bearing the words 'feed the children of the world'.

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Knowns as the 'feed bag', Bush explained that as part of a project of the United Nations World Food Programme, each bag will feed an underpriviledged child in school for a year. The bags are due to go on sale via Amazon.com as of 1st April.

Gorgeous kimonos recycled into gorgeous bags by Tokyomade

The Itchi Puchi is about the most succulent and meltingly beautiful, yet eminently practical, handbag I've seen in ages. Lined with suede (purple and lime, for dash) and with a punk pink leather strap, the exterior is vintage chirimen, kimono silk and a delightful combination of style, whimsy and luxuriousness. Designed and hand-made in Japan by Tokyomade and only $85 USD. I want one of these in the worst possible way. [GT]

Itchi Puchi and other luscious goods at Tokyomade

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Recycled fashion event: From Waste to Wear

We've just had a week of fashion mania at Shiny Towers, so the Hippyshopper team have been hard at work looking through the haze of frocks, canapes and champagne, and keeping tabs on designers' ethical credentials.

On Thursday, I decided to see what the current crop of eco fashionistas had been up to, and dropped in on Refashioned: From Waste to Wear; the only event dedicated entirely to ethical fashion to spin off from London Fashion Week.

Many of the top names were in attendance, with catwalk shows from: Rebecca Earley, designer, researcher and curator of last year's Well Fashioned: eco style in the UK exhibition; TRAID Remade, the fashion label from the people behind the textile recycling charity; stylish vintage customisers From Somewhere, and aGaiN NYC, the hip US label that specialises in turning 'junk into funk'.

Having covered a fair few catwalk shows for our sister sites, I can honestly say that the 'greener' end of fashion is well and truly holding its own if these collections are anything to go by...

In fact, I was surprised there weren't more of them. Where were our old favourites Junky, Patagonia and Enamore?

The labels exhibited here were switched on, stylish, and above all, current. Not a rainbow beanie or dodgy hemp number in sight... From somewhere (left) had picked up on the trend for high-waisted dresses and oversized tops, choosing soft, neutral colours contrasted with polka-dots and stripes. B.Earley's shirts and printed leggings, meanwhile, referenced natural forms like bamboo and wild flowers. aGaiN NYC excelled in quirkily customised vintage bags and accessories.

Representing the shoe side of things were Worn Again, whose recycled trainers looked even better close up than they do on the site: the choice of materials they've used is fab - checks, bright colours and suit material - and the melted plastic soles create a unique camouflage effect.

The evening rounded off with a series of workshops and activities, including a drop-off point for old clothes, organised by TRAID.

Katharine Hamnett saves the future with Lily Cole

Save the future is the slogan of Katharine Hamnett's new "Cotton Campaign", which not only includes the vest worn by Lily Cole (available online soon) but also a whole line of environmentally conscious jewelry made from ethical metals, and named after Greek gods and goddesses.  Hamnett is working with the Environmental Justice Foundation to establish EU Regulations to stop the import of cotton made from child labour.  [GT]

Katharine Hamnett's Cotton Campaign [via Vogue]

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Today's tote: Dorothy Perkins recycled shopper

It's official: bags are the 'green fashion item' to be seen with this season, and every shop under the sun is bringing out its own recycled tote. The latest I've spotted is this Recycled Shopper from Dorothy Perkins, a nice take on the current 80s-style big text craze sparked by House of Holland. It costs just £8, and bears the legend: 'one person's rubbish is another person's treasure'.

Bandwagon? I think so. But at least this one runs on green energy.

[Via The Bag Lady]

Anya Hindmarch's 'I'm Not a Plastic Bag' bag |Ecoist's 'Confetti' Sweet Wrapper Clutch

Loiste II self-winding cog watch with double moon phase

The Loiste II watch was originally designed by the shape of a motorcycle kickstart pinion.  It also incorporates a double moon phase display, one for the northern hemisphere and one for southern.  The watch uses a 'Turbini' winding mass, which are kinetic self-winding gears that rewind itself every time you move, and you can watch it move.  So no battery needed, and 42 hours standby life when you take it off.  [GT]

Loiste II watch [via Cool hunting]

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It's here! The M&S top: made from 11 plastic bottles

A month ago we reported that Marks and Spencer's would soon be making clothing out of bottles as part of its £200m eco-plan. So if you were wondering what this would look like,  here's a taster. The first item to be displayed is this black fleece made from 11 plastic bottles, which look like, well, a fleece. It's not going to be wowing 'em at London Fashion Week, but M&S sells a lot of fleeces, and making staple wardrobe items from recycled materials makes perfect sense when you consider that the chain will save 6000 barrels of oil a year to make fleeces alone.

Related Stories: M&S announces unprecidented green overhaul | The green welly brigade

Added to that the bottles that would have otherwise gone into landfill, and you have a coat that would make the most cynical among us feel as warm and cosy inside as out. The brains behind the recycled clothes are Greenpac, an innovative recycling organisation that worked with M&S to create the new line of clothing. The fleece is just the beginning of the suggestions Greenpac are putting to M&S, and it'll be very interesting to see what they do next. They seem to be full of good ideas!

Yay or Nay Wednesday: Brown and cerise bag from Love Eco

We seem to be featuring bags almost daily just now, and having spotted some of the fashionistas queueing up for Christopher Kane's catwalk show with their 'eco bags' yesterday, I think this may be the start of something big...

So today we bring you this stylish clutch bag, courtesy of Love Eco. It's made using leather remnants from the furniture industry, which would otherwise go to waste. There's no doubt in my mind that it's a fab design, and I particularly like the cerise lining and oversized vintage buckle. But how do you guys feel about leather accessories? To those of you who don't wear leather as a rule, do you feel differently about items like this?

Sharma Designs 50% off sale

The bad news is that Sharma Designs is going out of business, but the good news is that this jewellery designer, chock-full of pieces made from stone, hand-spun metal and exotic wood, is selling all their remaining inventory at 50% off if you enter "ByeSharma" at checkout.  Shown here is a pendant made of ebony, 50mm long and 10mm across, with sterling silver chain and findings.  At 50% off it would be $19.50 USD.  [GT]

Sharma Designs [via IndieFixx]

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Margiela brings recycling to Spring 2007 Haute Couture

Bringing more green into Elle, Maison Martin Margiela has a Spring 2007 Haute Couture line which features this trenchcoat made from 40 shopping bags, jackets made from duffle bags, and dresses made from god-knows-what  (but they look better now anyhow).  You may recall last year Elle did a 'green' issue for Earth Day; nice to see continued coverage of green material.  [GT]

Maison Martin Margiela: Spring 2007 Haute Couture

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Rough Sleepers: designer charity shop

A charity shop with a bit of an edge is opening up in Camden later this month, with all profits going towards fighting social exclusion.

And shopping there won't be your average Oxfam experience. At Rough Sleepers, you'll find a fusion of high-end fashion brands alongside the work of talented new designers. Uniquely, the store also provides training and work-space for homeless, exhomeless and other socially excluded people.

Novas, the charity behind the project aim to provide a 'high quality environment for developing and selling fashion by contemporary and fresh new designers'. Novas artistic director Paul Everitt said there would be a sewing studio supporting people back into the workplace as well as opportunities to work in the shop.

Rough Sleepers will be located at 43 Chalk Farm Road, Camden, London NW1

Via [Catwalk Queen]

More clothing retailers to go fairtrade

Clothing chain Oasis and supermarket giant Sainsbury's are the latest in a lineup of shops to introduce fairtrade clothing, while Topshop is to expand its People Tree concession to coincide with Fairtrade Fortnight later this month.
Oasis will be selling a range of denim and jersey under the name 'Future Organic', initially to be trialled in 12 of its stores from April.

The garments will all be made under fairtrade conditions. Meanwhile Sainsburys, already the 'biggest fairtrade retailer in the UK' according to New Consumer, will be adding a range of fairtrade clothing to its existing TU label. The cotton items, which originate from farms in West Africa, will be added to the range in 66 Sainsburys stores this month.

Topshop is to stock more People Tree items in its larger stores, and these will soon also be available to buy on its website. The new range set to appear on 26th Feb is more fashion-aware than ever, covering all the current trends, like empire-line tunics and softly layered tops.

Hayden-Harnett 'Friends of Al' tote

Still annoyed that Bush beat Al Gore in 2000? A fan of 'An Inconvenient Truth'? Want to show your support in aid of the fight against global warming? Well, do we have a bag for you! The fabulous Hayden-Harnett, best known on The Bag Lady for their beautiful, vintage-styled bags, were so inspired by Al's environmental work, that they created this eco-friendly tote in an effort to save our planet. At $55, you may think it's a bit pricy, but when you consider that $25 goes to global warming charities and $10 goes to American Forests, to plant more trees (10 per bag, in fact!), then it's well worth the warm and fuzzies you'll feel, knowing you're doing your part!

Fashionista plus chemist equals melting dress

Some gals insist on wearing a dress only once, and never again. The dissolving polymer dress, made of polyvinyl alcohol, melts at a rate that'll "survive a sweaty party", and then drips away. It is covered with flowers which darken with dye as they melt. A similar principle is behind the dissolving water bottle, which melts in hot water into a goo that is nutritious for plant seeds. These projects are created by fashion guru Professor Helen Storey and Professor Tony Ryan, chemist. [GT]

Introducing the dissolvable dress - just don't spill your tea [via Ecofriend]

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Gorgonz Exhale Gloves turn your breath into heat

So when it's cold out (not right now, as such, but assuming it happens again sometime) you blow on them, which does basically nothing, but makes you feel better.  Unless, of course, you're wearing Gorgonz Exhale Gloves, which have tiny air pockets that you can blow directly into in order to warm your hands up (and then it keeps the warm air there, insulated, instead of it just blasting off into the aether).  Since you've got to breathe anyhow, you might as well repurpose it into having comfy cuticles.  $35 USD.  [GT]

Gorgonz Exhale Gloves [via Coolbuzz]

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Ekawear: Fair trade snow wear

I wouldn't normally look to the sporting world for style, but I've just been surprised by Ekawear, a funky, fair trade brand designed by Snowboarder Gilly Seagrave. She sells very cute crocheted hats, ipod pouches and other wooly items in cheerful colours to keep you (and your favourite gadgets) all snuggly, whether you're planning to hit the slopes or just slope around the frozen streets for the rest of winter. The current collection is particularly lovely, and references 1920s cloche hats.

Abi Silvester [Via Nollie]

If you think you'll like the cut of their jib (or just look at some very pretty butterfly animations), Ekawear have just launched a new website with lots of info on the company's ethics and links with Auroville, India, where the products are hand-made. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Seriously funky junk: Fairtrade recycled clothing

The green fashion revolution continues apace, with the launch of another new recycled clothing label this week. And I think these guys have timed it pretty well with the current craze for bright sixties prints...

The Manchester based label have a spotless ethical record and are bursting with great ideas. The launch range, shown at London Edge included colourful wrap dresses, Barbarella-style vintage bags, retro print shirts with psychadelic swirls and customised hemp shirts. In another line, they've come over all Christopher Kane, with vintage t-shirts daubed with geometric neon shapes...

Owner Daniel Clark also imports fairtrade hemp clothing from a village in Laos, and will be including some selected items in the Junk Shop range. We'll be keeping an eye on their progress!

See the collection at Junk Shop's Website

Newspaper dress to headline eco fashion show

Paper dresses haven't really made a comeback since the '60s, but next week, a ballgown made from newspaper by British designer Gary Harvey will appear as part of Estetica, an eco fashion show at London Fashion Week.

The voluminous creation makes use of over 30 copies of the Financial Times, attached to a salmon-pink corset.

[Via Vogue]

See also: New York Fashion Week goes green | Green is the new black at the Dana Centre

Vogue tells us this will be just one of many designs to be shown at Estetica; a show that aims to bring attention to the importance of Fair Trade, organic production and recycling and we'll be keeping an eye out for more details on what sounds like an absolutely ripping show...

New York Fashion Week goes green

Hot off the press from Catwalk Queen: another bit of proof that fashion is getting a conscience...

LENY, or Limited Edition New York is turning New York Fashion week green in a trade show ending today. Over in Chelsea the LENY took over the mezzanine of the Industria Superstudio building for three days to host a show in support of Al Gore's Climate Project. Loewe, Marc Jacobs (above right), Paul & Joe and Diane Von Furstenburg (above left) were just some of the brands who showed one-of-a-kind creations to select retailers  and have pledged to donate 10% of their profits to the Climate Project. Buddhist Punk is auctioning t-shirts designed by Kate Moss, Gwyneth Paltrow, Christy Turlington and Carine Roitfeld; the proceeds of which will go to Al Gore's favourite cause.

Pictures courtesy of Coutorture.com, sponsored by ShopStyle.com

Adili - one-stop shop for ethical fashion

Adili brings the best of fair trade fashion under one virtual roof, making it easier than ever to dress well without compromising your ethics.

With clothes from People Tree, Howies and Eternal Creation, most tastes are catered for. Including those who like a bit of luxury in their undies - check out the pretty Camelli Cami and Knickers set left.

Related stories: Fashion Made Fair | Green lingerie roundup | Junk Mail Gems

Japan to save the world — with heated bra.

While we're on the subject of underwear, a 'heated' debate on climate change in Japan has prompted one lingerie company to offer a planet saving solution of it own...

Triumph (which already has a long history of making eco-themed and downright batshit bras) has joined the country's fight to save energy with this fluffy, heated number following calls from the Prime Minister to keep central heating down. Its cups contain an eco-friendly gel that heats up in a microwave prior to wearing, then keeps your extremities cosy for hours. It also contains a built-in boa.

[via BBC]

Related Stories: Triumph's Shopping bag bra  | Eco lingerie you can actually wear

"We hope this will not only prevent global warming, but also provide a little fashion chic to the office", said a Triumph spokesman. Right...and I thought the dress code at Shiny Towers was liberal...

Pick of the bunch: green lingerie

Of all the clothing items going green at the moment, lingerie has got to be the most exciting, and prior to V-day, it's cropping up all over the shop. Natural textiles like hemp and baby-soft organic cotton mean kinder, more natural fabrics against our skin, and looking at some of these products, I defy anyone to claim that eco friendly isn't sexy!

Our current favourites Enamore bring a taste of '40s glamour to eco-style undies. This fantastic handmade set is made from black hemp, ribbon and lace.

Follow the jump for more of the best eco-lingerie we've seen this week...there's still time to order, boys! ;-)

Green Knickers (and boxers): Online store selling loads of really cute fair trade frillies in a wide range of colours, pictured above; each arrives in its own biodegradable gift box. They also provide a lot of useful info on exactly what makes their knickers ethical.

The Natural Store has a pretty range by organic gurus Ciel, including an ultra-feminine, black crossover bra in organic Pima cotton from Peru, decorated with Irish lace.

On a budget? M&S fairtrade knickers are made from soft, seamless cotton and come in a pack of 2 for just £8. A percentage of this product's sale goes towards small-scale cotton growers in India and Africa.

See also: Green lingerie at Adili | More products from Enamore | Lingerie craze at Catwalk Queen

BBC launch eco fashion challenge

If your creative passions have been fired by the current craze for eco fashion, why not have a go at designing your own?

The Scrap Fashion Eco Competition run by the BBC, could be your chance to get a foothold in this exciting and still relatively young industry. The challenge is to create an ethically sound garment using old denim. 

Judges include eco warrier and Red Or Dead founder Wayne Hemingway, and the winning design will be showcased at the 2007 Ethical Fashion Show in Paris.

If you're stuck for inspiration, there are some impressive examples of work already submitted here.

Mad Fish: Veggie-friendly shoes that don't look it

If you're of the Gothic persuasion, a rocker, biker or alternative bod of any sort the chances are you'll have had the 'leather dilemma' at least once in your career; do you compromise your principles to wear the styles you love?

Fortunately, someone's finally come up with the seemingly obvious solution of using veggie-friendly materials to create credible, streetwise footwear designs that work well with alternative gear and stand up well to the likes of New Rock, Demonia and Doc Marten.

The team behind Mad Fish have only been trading a couple of years, having become fed up with the lack of vegan and veggie footwear on offer to suit their own off-beat tastes, but their shoes are now gaining a cult following among the alternative crowd, and are definitely a name to watch.

Anya Hindmarch's 'I'm Not A Plastic Bag' Bag

Thanks to our friends over at The Bag Lady for the heads-up on this Anya Hindmarch bag, which is part of the designer's effort towards making the world a greener place. She claims that every year, each person uses an average of 167 plastic bags, which obviously sit in landfills, doing nothing for the environment. For £5, you can get this simple cotton bag which is limited edition, and will be coming your way in March. I have to wonder though, why it's limited edition - surely something like this would do greater good being available all year round?

Ruth Singer for Enamore: Eco meets Retro

As a big fan of all things cute and crafty, I'm completely enamoured with the new corsage collection from Enamore, a fashion, lingerie and accessory label whose designers work entirely in organic and sustainable fabrics including hemp, cotton, silk and soya.

The handmade accessories for spring 07 are designed by Ruth Singer,  an emerging textile designer who works with eco and recycled fabrics.
Enamore is one of the first fashion labels to combine retro styling with eco principles, and Ruth's corsages will compliment their fabulous '40s range perfectly.

These items won't be available to buy until March, but if you like what you see, Ruth Singer for Enamore will be exhibiting at London Fashion Week from 12th Feb!

H&M launch organic cotton collection

High street high-flyer H&M has become the latest in a growing number of clothing retailers to introduce a fashion range made from organically grown cotton. The organic pieces will be marked with handmade labels in the chain's spring collection, which is due to hit our high streets in March.

Not in the slightest bit 'hippy' looking, the clothes reflect current catwalk trends: the women's range is all about clean-cut romanticism, with wide A-line dresses, tunics, blouses and fine jersey tops teamed with leggings, while the teens range is built around jeans, T-shirts and sweatshirts.

With tunic dresses coming in at around £22, the prices are pretty competitive. But I couldn't help noticing there's no mention of fair trade or workers' conditions here, which might have something to do with it...

Bamboosa - bamboo clothes for all the family

Bamboosa sells 100% bamboo clothes for men, women and babies. The range is simple and affordable, with items like yoga pants, t-shirts and gently-fitted v-necks.

The Bamboo Baby Rib Tanks (pictured) are $22 each and come in seven different colours

Best of all, fabric made from bamboo is natural, soft and sustainable. Hurrah!

Related stories: Buy a bamboo pullover, save a panda | Review: Timberland bamboo sandals | Bamboo sports bra

Green is the new black at the Dana Centre

If you thought London fashion week was more fur-trade than fair trade, the shows merely an orgy of waste and excess, be prepared this February to think again.

The Dana Centre (part of the Science Museum but with booze and a late license) is playing host to Refashioned: From waste to wear on Thursday 15th February, an evening of events showcasing some of the wonderful things that designers can do with old clothes. No less than 700,000 tonnes of textiles are jettisoned each year, and the rise of fast fashion and seasonal fads has made us fickler than ever when it comes to style. It sounds a lot, doesn't it, but we're all as guilty as each other...military jackets anyone? Book early to avoid disappointment, and bring along last season's rejects for a green makeover.

Meanwhile, 'Eco fashion' has become something of an industry buzz-word, and the last year has seen it taking up more and more space on catwalks, in Topshop and on the svelte forms of various fashion icons. We'll be keeping an eye out for eco-friendly labels exhibiting at LFW next month, and a glance at its exhibitor list (which includes the likes of Ethical Fashion Forum) already suggests they'll be better represented than ever.

[Via our friends at Catwalk Queen]

Fair Indigo winter sale

The Fair Indigo Winter Sale has some stuff that is so sexy, so drop-dead gorgeous, and at such good prices, that even a notorious tightfist like me is tempted. The sale prices are so dramatic - their Silk Peasant Tunic at only $19 USD, Sleeveless silk chiffon top at $14, and Cashmere Piped V Neck Sweater at a super-styling $49, because the clothing pieces aren't sizing too reliably (generally a tad on the overlarge end) and they're passing the savings on to you while they revamp. The savings for men aren't quite so dramatic, though they do have a cashmere turtleneck for $99, about which one can't complain. [GT]

Fair Indigo Winter Sale

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Patagonia recycles rivals

Last year, Patagonia wanted your underwear (so long as you were really, truly, done with it). This year, Patagonia is recycling any and all fleece into new ones, with the recycled fleeces generating only 20% of the emissions generated by creation of virgin fleece. (So yes, it's a good idea to send it to Patagonia instead of just donating it to charity, if it's gone beyond comfortable wear and into scruffy looking.) Patagonia's goal is to go all-recycled by 2010. [GT]

Patagonia offers to recycle your fleece: even if it’s a North Face one

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T Shirt and Sons organic shirt printing

Offering organic and fair trade shirt blanks at about £5 each (minimum purchase is a ten pack; next price break is at 60 shirts), T shirt and sons is the UK's only Soil Association certified t-shirt printer. They offer everything: concept, design, artwork, proofing, packaging and distribution logistics, through to garment sourcing and the manufacture of bespoke items of workwear, uniforms and promotional clothing. Check out their limited edition shirts, including numbered wear from Kylie's Showgirl tour. [GT]

T shirt and sons

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Silverchilli jewellery - fair trade loveliness

Silverchilli brings you fair trade Mexican silver jewellery at a fair price. Take these delicious chilli earrings for example; they are just £7.50.

The Silverchilli range includes bracelets, necklaces, pendants, cufflinks and even a wedding ring service.

The company also has a commendable environmental policy - read all about it over the cut.

Silverchilli offset their business travel and the cargo flights that bring in their merchandise, use recyled stationery, PDF virtual catalogues, and re-use packaging.

Well, that's just made me feel good writing it down. Now for some retail therapy...

Related stories: Recycled silver jewellery | arc flat earrings | Ethical Lord of the Rings

Winter sale at The Green Directory Shop

By offering just these 70 gram, 65% cocoa solids organic Rococo chocolate bars in lavender, sea salt, Earl Grey, cardamom and more at 18% off (£2.87 instead of £3.50) the Green Directory Shop is pretty much already assured of a successful winter sale, but I'll also mention they've got their wind-up mobile phone charger and torch on for £12 and the Green Directory 2006-2008 on for only £6! [GT]

Green Directory Shop

Related stories: Peopletree January Sale | Love-Eco Winter Sale | Ethical sales and boycotts outstrip beer and fags sales