Eco-Chick · The modern girl's guide to living green & fabulous.

Ecoist: Serious Sustainability for High Style Bags

Emerald The OC by Ecoist

With a marketing and venture capital background, the Marcoschamer brothers had always wanted to develop a brand to which they could also apply meaning, soul and longevity. The goal was “more than just profit, it was about leaving a mark”, says Ecoist Cofounder Jonathan Marcoschamer.

Jonathan spoke to me about a 2004 family trip during which he visited his country of origin- Mexico. There, he saw crafts made by artisans from a non profit organization called The Group to Promote Education and Sustainable Development (GRUPEDSAC). This organization helps underprivileged citizens in rural Mexico gain skills to become self sufficient. They’re taught sustainable farming and agricultural methods, techniques for harvesting rainwater, and crafts. Among the crafts, the Marcoschamers discovered interesting bags made of recycled candy wrappers which they bought back with them to Miami, where they currently reside.

Gold Ombre Botero bag by Ecoist

“It was a rough design version, but we saw a great story, concept and opportunity for improving the quality, fashion and styling of these products and taking them to the next level,” explained Jonathan. A partnership was created, which continues today. After improving their styles and colors, the Marcoschamers began selling the bags in Miami, and following an initial positive response, took them to trade shows.

Currently working with companies like Coca-Cola, Aveda and Clif Bar, Ecoist incorporates a variety of recycled materials including misprints and discontinued lines from food packages and soda labels. Ecoist has now distinguished 3 different collections within the line. Luxe, Flavors, and the original Classics. Practically waterproof, the Ecoist collection of bags offers a huge range of colors and styles.

Chocolate Baguette by Ecoist
Ombre Botero Ecoist Bag

Green Sheep of the Bush Monarchy? “Lauren Pierce” Launches Eco-Fashion Line

Lauren (Bush) and (David) Lauren

Twenty-four-year-old Lauren Bush let the word out in September that she’s launching an eco-friendly fashion line, although her decision to name the line Lauren Pierce has raised some eyebrows.

But for George Bush’s neice, it’s probably not easy being green when someone like Robert F. Kennedy states that your uncle “George W. Bush will go down as the worst environmental president in U. S. history”! And Lauren Bush isn’t alone in having different strokes from her politically high profile family folks. Just look at Newt Gingrich’s activist sister Candace.

But I give Lauren Bush “cool” points for her principled achievements. As an anthropology student at Princeton University in 2005, Lauren went to Chad as a student ambassador for the United Nations’ The World Food Programme.

In 2007, Lauren Bush designed a bag for FEED Projects, which she started with Ellen Gustafson, a former UN Communications Officer. This raised recognition and over 5 million dollars for the UN World Food Programme. A portion of each “FEED 1” bag sold brings hope of an education to an underprivileged child and supplies him/her with meals for an entire school year. Each “FEED 100” bag (available at Wholefoods) provides 100 meals to children in Rwanda. Many celebrities have been caught rooting for the FEED bags, like Desperate Housewives star Marcia Cross and Lauren Bush’s friend- PETA activist Elizabeth Berkley.

Lauren Bush is a serious Fashion Diva, as her modeling has been featured in Vogue and Vanity Fair magazines, and with Tommy Hilfiger, Abercrombie & Fitch, Isaac Mizrahi and Gai Mattiolo. She is signed with Elite Model Management- the agency that America’s Next Top Model winners sign with. Although Lauren’s degree is from Princeton, she also studied fashion design at Parsons The New School for Design in NYC and Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design in London.

I find it interesting that Lauren’s taste for fashion and eco-adventure extends to her personal relationships. She’s now dating…

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Recycled Eye Candy! Whimsical Sculptures From Plastic Bags

Arina and the pink bunny!

Rushing around NYC on a recent evening, I was stunned by what I saw in the La Mama gallery. With my nose pressed against the glass window, I gazed in wonder at a marvelously crafted menagerie of objects and characters with animated faces. These were inflated balloon-like sculptures, among which were a giant pink bunny, puffy clouds, a fluttering dove, a melting ice-cream cone, a uterus, and in the gallery’s center, a huge hand pointing to a crazy looking clown wearing kinky panties!!

Check those panties!

When I recognized unmistakable logos like “Have a Nice Day” and “I Love NY”, I realized what these sculptures werr made of; none other than the much-reviled plastic shopping bag! Curious about the story behind this suspected recycled art medium, I got in touch with the Miami-based artist Tawnie Silva. He informed me that his inspiration for this work comes from balloon floats made for parades. Originally Tawnie meant to have these sculptures constructed by a parade float manufacturer to his specifications. Disappointed with those results, Tawnie realized that the way to get this project done right would be to make everything himself.

Ava Eisenson of La Mama Gallery with Uterus piece

At this point his exhibition deadline was approaching and he couldn’t get parade float nylon in time for the show. Tawnie started researching other materials for making his inflatable sculptures. Several artists in his circle recommended plastic shopping bags as being great to work with, and Tawnie found this to be true. In Miami, however, most bags used in stores are the same. Since NYC stores utilize a wide variety of colors in their shopping bags, Tawnie implored his pals in Gotham to recycle their shopping bags and send them to his studio where he transformed them into these fascinating creations……and Ta Da!

Arina with a very happy fat plastic bag-lady!

Check out more plastic bag art at these sites below:
An Australian Artist

A compilation of plastic bag art, here.

Joshua Allen Harris’ Inflatable Plastic Bag Subway Art was covered by Treehugger and Inhabitat.