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

Ekovaruhuset – Translates to "Totally Justifiable"

3 Comments

04/27/06

If Eco Chick were a store, it would be Ekovaruhuset in Stockholm, Sweden.
 Tucked into the old part of Stockholm, between junk-riddled flea markets and souvenir shops toting more viking paraphernalia than you can shake a sword at, Ekovaruhusset showcases the most fashionably feminine eco-clothes we have ever come across in one place.

When we found Ekovaruhuset, owner Johanna Hofring was busy holding a baby, directing extremely tall models for the following day’s fashion show, and greeting friends. In addition to her store in Stockholm, she is preparing to open a location in the Former Art Fiend Foundation building on Ludlow Street in New York come fall.

“I don’t know if it will work in New York.” She admitted cautiously.

An extremely fashion-forward boutique offering ecologic products that can’t be found anywhere else in the city? We think it will do just fine.

The clothes on sale at Ekovaruhuset are not for those watching their cash flow, but that’s why God invented credit. Baby-shirts with imprints of Elvis, Einstein and Jesus, for example are $23. However, as they are the American Apparel Sustainable Edition they are completely justifiable even if your kid will outgrow them in a month.

In addition to American Apparel Sustainable Edition, Ekovaruhuset carries a wide-range of noteworthy labels:

Blackspot sneakers with their hand-drawn anti-logo and vegetarian leather, Kuyichi Pure Denim eco-streetwear line, and Camilla Norrback’s more exclusive line of clothes that make you drool with desire. The good thing about everything at Ekovaruhuset is that (regardless of how it hurts your bank account), you won’t be hurting the environment – and thus well worth being a little late on the rent.

Go There: Ekovaruhuset, Osterlanggatan, 28, Gamla Stan, Stockholm

Call: +46 8-22 98 45

Email: info@ekovaruhuset.se

Baby, car, clothes, denim, Eco-Chick, epa, fall, Fashion, fashion show, Home, junk, leather, model, models, shoes, sneakers, sustainable, vegetarian

Move Over McMansion

No Comments

04/13/06

Here’s a home that is built with no non-recyclable residue or plastics, utilizes solar energy (not only to heat the water but to produce energy as well) and looks incredibly fabulous. Sound like a fantasy of the eco-chick’s distant future? Not so – it exists today thanks to Germany’s WeberHaus.

According to Ann M. Requa, the WeberHaus Representative of Catalonia, Spain, “Germans demand good wood” and good wood they got. All the wood used in the WeberHaus construction comes from the Black Forest, which is replanted and within 100 years will grow 2-3 times its original amount. The wood is then fabricated to include insulation of mineral wool, recycled glass, soda and sand. This creates a wall so strong a VW Beetle was hung from one of their showroom walls for months.They are even fire-resistant. More »

Eco-Chick, Energy, fabric, garden, Germany, Home, model, models, Nau, plastic, plastics, produce, recycle, recycled, reuse, soda, solutions, spa, style, water, wood

Rural Tourism in Catalonia– Not Quite There Yet

1 Comment

03/23/06

Being such a slave to metropolises, I rarely consider entertaining the idea of any type of rural tourism. In fact, I know little about anything rural. According to Planeta.com, an online global journal of practical ecotourism, rural tourism can be defined as a type of travel that “allows travelers to visit areas outside of urban areas.” With that definition in mind, I began exploring what kind of rural tourism exists in Catalonia, the region of Spain where I reside. 

I was surprised when I started my research to find that there aren’t a terrible amount of resources available for those hankering to spend some time breathing in the pre-Pyrenees air in a house made of stone while livestock graze outside the window. 

John Erceg is the Director General of Engrande, an online booking site of hotels, hostels and apartments including Ruralsi, a site that specializes in rentals of rural houses in Catalonia that start at as low as 10 EUR/ night. John explained that rural tourism has a much stronger presence in France than in Spain.

According to John, following WWII the French government poured resources into marketing rural tourism to help the impoverished French countryside. Spain, unfortunately, never followed suit. 

There is no reason, however, why Catalonia, which is attached to Southern France, can’t also have a stronghold on the rural tourism sector. This site focuses exclusively on eco and rural tourism in Spain, although it leaves a lot to be desired. Another site called Top Rural does not offer as many options as Ruralsi. It is a shame, since surely there are travelers out there that would opt for a night listening to cow bells rather than the merrymaking of boisterous tourists on the calles below.

book, Eco-Chick, resources, spa, travel, urban

Greenpeace TV

4 Comments

02/21/06

According to a survey by Salary.com, the average worker admits to wasting 2.09 hours per eight-hour workday (not including lunch and scheduled break times). Participants in the survey sited “personal Internet” use as the biggest distracter from their workday.

It is well known that the Internet does have the ability to beckon us away from end-of-the-month budget reviews, proposals with a 5 p.m. deadline and other important work-related duties that we are actually paid for. It’s essentially inevitable. But at least now there is a way to waste away your 2.09 hours, be entertained, and become better informed about environmental issues, and it’s through Greenpeace TV.

The Friday the 13th ad that can be found on Greenpeace’s UK site urges us to “Tell Tony Blair nuclear power is not the answer to climate change.” We are encouraged to do so by watching a highly convincing act of terrorism whereby a highjacked plane flies straight into a nuclear power plant while a British family watches from the seashore.

Another great ad that will eat up three minutes and 29 seconds of your day is told to us from the perspective of some great apes. The spot begins when a family’s house is torn apart with a chain saw (an analogy to the ape’s ancient forest being sawed down by international loggers). The apes pose the great question, “Why destroy ancient forests for wood and paper when it could all come from responsibly logged wood and timber?” That’s a great question indeed.

In addition, you can eat up your time by watching clips about everything from E-Waste in Hong Kong to the fictional Greenhouse Olympics. They are well-produced, high quality and likely will bring you a better chuckle than skimming through listings on match.com

budget, climate change, Eco-Chick, Home, lunch, nuclear, nuclear power, paper, produce, reviews, tv, video, waste, wood

EU Eco-Label

1 Comment

02/14/06

During my investigations into the greener side of Europe, I have come across an interesting logo. Part flower, part euro and part flag, it symbolizes the EU Eco-label.

It is called the “flower logo,” and it was established in 1992. The Web site Eco-label.com describes the eco-label as a unique certification scheme aimed to help European consumers distinguish greener, more environmentally friendly, products and services (not including food and medicine).

There are 23 product categories, ranging from Textiles to Do-it-Yourself. Within these categories, products range from light bulbs to lubricants.

The good thing about this label is that it is easy to identify and is present throughout the EU. That means environmentally friendly products can easily be identified regardless of what country you find yourself in.

Eco-Chick, Europe, Food