Melissa Shoes “Shop Within a Shop” at Kaight in NYC

Eco Chick Editor Starre Vartan trying on the (adorable) new Vivienne Westwood Lady Dragon Melissas with heart detail (here and below).

Melissa Plastic Dreams Shoes are made from plastic – normally NOT my fave material, but in the case of these fab stompers, I make an exception because: they are long-lasting, waterproof, ridiculously cute, AND the factory where they’re made in Brazil is closed-loop, meaning that NO wastewater or gases from the production process ever makes it into the environment. It’s practically zero-waste.

The company also partners with major designers like architect Zaha Hadid and Vivienne Westwood to create truly memorable designs. I’ve been (very actively) wearing my Vivienne Westwood maryjanes for a year now and they still look new! Also shiny like patent leather, but wears a LOT better.

And now one of my fave stores, Kaight in NYC, is ‘hosting’ a Melissa shop within the store, so you can check out a much larger selection of Melissas (avail online too!) and try them on if you visit the LES. At the opening reception, I tried on a few pairs and am loving the tortiseshell flats with the cute bow on the front, which are perfect for Spring.

Brazil, eco fashion, Fashion, NYC, shoes

Starre Vartan is the founder and editor-in-chief of Eco-Chick and author of The Eco-Chick Guide to Life (St. Martin's Press). A problogger and oft-quoted green living expert who has been featured in the NYTimes, Elle, Glamour and Whole Living, she is a contributor to The Huffington Post, Inhabitat, and Hearst's The Daily Green, and is currently editor-at-large for Coco Eco Magazine. An active ecofashionista, she has style edited for Plenty magazine and coordinated runway shows. She splits her time between Connecticut and NYC and calls Sydney, Australia her second home, even though it was her first (as that's where she was born and most of her family resides). When not writing, blogging, or researching her next book, she is trailrunning, trying to cook, or snowboarding.