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

Polli’s Peter Pan Collar Necklaces

Polli is an Australian-based ethical jewelry company (run by women!) which uses recycled materials like stainless steel, sustainable plantation pine, and 100% recycled card. Their peter pan collars are, as you can see, beyond gorgeous; I would wear them over a blouse, as an added decorative touch, or with a scoop neck blouse. They have lots of beautiful filigree-type necklaces too, with mini-scenes on them (this one of a boat on high seas). So sweet!

Heroines for the Planet: Upcycled Bag Designer Monica Ralli

She’s a certified nutritionist, eco-entrepreneur, author and the reigning Queen of Green in the twitterverse. It’s no surprise that Monica Ralli, founder of Urthbags, is a Heroine for the Planet. Her wildly popular eco-bags provide jobs to underprivileged women worldwide as old, discarded objects are cleverly transformed into statement-making arm candy.

With her new book to be released this spring, I talked with the eco-chic bag extraordinaire about the fair-trade womens organizations with which she works, sustainable sourcing, and why she chooses to be a mouthpiece for the do-gooders in our world.
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XOXO for MapleXO Recycled Skateboard Jewelry

Lindsay Holmes began her Portland-based jewelry company MapleXO back in 2005 inspired by her passion for skateboarding. She has since then been crafting vibrant jewelry from broken skateboards. Holmes has refined the process of drilling, cutting, shaping, and sanding the boards to preserve not only the amazing graphics of the original skateboard designs, but also to reveal the contrasting colors, wood grains, and layers inside the skateboard decks.

In this season’s collection she has expanded her line to create LeeMOXO jewelry pieces, a collaboration with origami jewelry designer Leela Morimoto, of LeeMo, and to produce a series of limited-edition iPhone skateboard cases in collaboration with Grove Made.

Holmes’s inspiration shows the natural link between the outdoor sports we love and a commitment to the environment. As she expresses: “Recycling the boards has been my way to give back to this community by reducing the environmental footprint of skateboarding and giving the old boards new life.”
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WASTE Bags: Junk Transformed into Fab Bag For Any Occasion

Envision a typical day for yourself. The hustle and bustle likely has you switching gears and bags at light-speed. Whether you’re hitting the gym, taking your pup for a stroll, walking the kids to the park, lunching with clients or enjoying a cocktail with friends, chances are you’re swapping bags and crossing your fingers you don’t forget anything all at once. The never-ending transitioning during a hectic day is maddening!

If you struggle with bag issues like me on a daily basis, I’ve finally found an answer to our prayers. I discovered WASTE bags while scouring the internet for a bag that could take me from day to night, with ease. They’re sleek-looking and so versatile that you’ll place the countless bags you own in the back of your closet.

Aside from getting you seriously hooked on their bags, WASTE is committed to reducing their impact on the environment. The hip company re-purposes rejected materials from the auto industry. Undesirable scraps of leather, polyester, rubber and seat belts, once regarded as junk, are transformed into WASTE’S elegant bags. The unique materials used make each bag a one-of-a-kind gem, sure to capture attention and garner more than a few compliments.
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Knots & Stones: Mega Gorgeous Jewelry Made from Seeds and Nuts

Guest Post by Andrea Rodriguez-Tarazi, founder and president of Knots & Stones

The use of seeds in making jewelry and body ornaments has been in practice for thousands of years. Back in my home country, Colombia, and in particular in cities like Bogotá, beautiful necklaces, bracelets and key chains made with chocos (huayruros), achiras (chirilla), bombona (pambil) and chumbimba (jabon) seeds are commonly found on the streets as they are sold by street vendors and beggars. Unfortunately, the beauty of the craft is often lost due to the conditions that bring these artisans to the city. Many of these street artisans and beggars are indigenous men and women, and farmers that have been displaced from their rural homes because of threats or killings carried out by FARC rebels in their communities.

About six years ago while visiting my family, I realized that if I was able to organize my jewelry making hobby as a business (which would also come with the benefit of not having to practice law), I would have the chance to provide a few of these men and women with an opportunity to provide for themselves and/or their families.

Consequently, when I quit my job last year, I connected with a small workshop in Bogotá, which is run by a young couple who provide training and employment to single mothers and young men by making and selling quality handicrafts, specifically, seed jewelry. Currently, Knots & Stones employs four men and six women working on a full-time basis and a few women who work from home because they have small children to care for. The full-time artisans are paid the official minimum monthly salary while the “satellite” workers get paid per piece.
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