Currently browsing Fair Trade

One of the things that’s driven me crazy living in Germany is the lack of sustainable clothing. I don’t shop all that often, but when I need a new pair of shoes or a sweater to get through the cold winter, I feel like a traitor walking the shopping streets here, passing all the big-name [...]

Thankfully, there are a quite a few organic denim companies out there, so those of us who jones for jeans have great choices. (We’ve covered some of them here and here.) But Sharkah Chakra takes it to a whole other level, hitting the denim triumvirate: fair trade, organic cotton AND non-toxic dying.
Sharkah Chakra [...]

I am a fan of Zhena’s Gypsy Tea. Being a compulsive tea drinker, I brew my own, rather than buy it bottled, or go to a cafe every day and use wasteful cups. The Raspberry Earl Grey is yummy iced. There are many other flavors to choose from in the vast array of Zhena’s Fair [...]

Deadly pet food, poisonous toothpaste, carcinogenic shrimp, and toxic Thomas the Tank Engine toys aren’t the only dangerous exports coming out of China. According to the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, a trusted source amongst academics and UN environmental envoys, The People’s Republic of China is now the largest producer of greenhouse gases. As China continues [...]

You’ve gotta love a company with a moniker like Blake Hamster. Besides the cute-as-a-tiny-rodent name, the company is actually a group art project, not just another fashion label:
Blake Hamster is a collaborative effort by a loose network of designers, artists, marketeers, journalists, authors and musicians from all over the world. It is their aim to [...]

This issue of S4 was an enlightening one to write. Denim is the perfect product to highlight pertinent issues around: There is so much activity happening in the world of denim on the sustainability front + it is such a staple in so many people’s wardrobes. How can you go wrong?
I waited for a long [...]

If you want to feel pleased with yourself, your country, or your recent tropical vacation, don’t watch “Life and Debt,” Stephanie Black’s 2001 documentary about the relationship between the IMF and Jamaica. The film is antagonistic–it features lots of shots of overweight, drunk and dopey looking Americans–but the interviews with Jamaican farmers, former Prime [...]

The Palma Collection is completely on par with my sense of style: artisanal, vibrantly exotic and steeped with a raw edge.
Palma’s vivid collection of jewelry is made from the “vegetable ivory” of the fruit or the nut of the Tagua tree (Phytelephas macrocarpa). When I received my pieces in the mail, I was surprised [...]

A rumor began spreading on the internet that Ali Hewson’s, Edun, line was closing. This was picked up by the website, Style Dash, who pointed to a press release that now has been removed from the internet. According to sources, Edun is not closing.
On a side note, creating a fashion label, let alone, a [...]

As a person dealing with a newly discovered gluten allergy, I totally need to rant about how in love I am with LÄRABARS. Not only are they a super tasty snack, but they’re healthy and full of great ingredients.
Each LÄRABAR (there are currently 6 flavors) contains 1 1/2 servings of fruit (!) and no [...]