Bamboo · Eco-Chick

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Save Sustainably with Eco USB Sticks Made from Bamboo

I’d be lost without my eco USB stick. It’s the truth, and I’m telling it at the expense of sounding like a huge dork. Like my favorite shade of non-toxic lipstick, my branded USB sticks are a permanent fixture in my bag on any given day because they’re tiny and always seems to come in handy. I can’t tell you how many times someone has frantically asked me if I had a USB on-hand and when I hand over one of my earthy-looking USBs, the response is always, “This is so cool!”

Since Branded USB Promo‘s USB products are made from bamboo, they’re a far more sustainable way to transport your data as opposed to the plastic USBs out there. Another benefit is that they look nicer than your run-of-the-mill USB so you can save sustainably and make a statement.

Eco USBs are also a unique promotional item for all kinds of companies and events. If you’re wedding planning — the season is upon us after all — consider a branded bamboo USB as a really useful favor as opposed to the typical gifts for guests that often prompt an eye roll and then get tossed away.

Follow Branded USB Promo on Twitter and like them on Facebook!

bamboo, eco, eco branded USB, sustainable, Technology, USB, USBs

Artful Undergarments: Rio Wrenn’s R.A.W. Eco Lingerie Collection

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by Starre Vartan · 06/18/10

Portland, Oregon based textile designer Rio Wrenn has a unique vision for lingerie, combining modern eco friendly materials and dying techniques, antique constructions and ethical manufacturing to create her line, R.A.W. “I started R.A.W. in 2007, which is inspired by vintage undergarments ranging from the 1800′s to the 1950′s to modern day,” says Rio. Her collection of corsets, bras and undies has a special look, and with the Summer and Autumn 2010 trend of exposed undergarments, she’s right on target with perfect base layers for style mavens and lingerie fans alike.

And not only is Rio a conscious creator of unique pieces, she’s an advocate for women’s bodies and all the curves that go with them, and explained that her corsets aren’t meant to be restrictive or to reshape a body (she’s a fan of hips especially). “Corsets are actually very therapeutic, they make you stand up straight! I think people have a bad vision of corsets, but I don’t make them to be oppressive, they should be comfortable and supportive,” she says.

Each piece in R.A.W.’s collection is also a work of art and are handmade in Portland. Rio is a visual artist, but found that fine art was often out of reach to many people; fashion is a way to take a creative project and make it more accessible, wearable and affordable, she says.
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art, bamboo, bath, Beauty, book, books, boutique, car, clothing, collection, cotton, design, designer, designers, dyes, eating, eco, fabric, fabrics, fair labor, Fashion, labor, lingerie, local, men, natural, Natural Dyes, nature, ny, Organic, Plants, rape, silk, sustainable, vintage, wood

Behind the Scenes of the Project Green Search Model Competition Finals

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by Starre Vartan · 11/17/09

Project Green Search, the first-ever green model competition, has a winner! Rachel Avalon hails from Los Angeles, California, and beat out over 130 other serious contenders for her new title as Green It Girl (read more about Rachel and her plans here). But before the winner was chosen, there were activities, photo shoots and some very good times.

The Ten Gorgeous (and Green to the Core!) Finalists Photo by Courtney Dailey.

Judging Project Green Search was lots of fun; I got a chance to go to most of the activities with the finalists and got to know them; what an impressive group of young women! From an Indy racecar driver to a natural nutritional counselor, to a college activist and an environmental educator, this was a talented and driven group of contenders. And as you can see, all of them were gorgeous too! The judging crew and I (see below) had our work cut out for us.

The judges! From left to right: Michael Zaliski, CEO of Omniquest Media, Anna Griffin, editor-in-chief of Coco Eco Magazine, Starre Vartan, author and publisher of Eco-Chick.com (I’m wearing an organic cotton dress by Doie), Remy Chevalier, Co-founder of Project Green Search, Deborah Lindquist, ecofashion designer, Josie Maran, former model and force behind Josie Maran Cosmetics, and Darren Moore, host of AlterEco and founder of Ecovations.

Day One: I got a chance to meet all the girls at a breakfast at our hotel, The Standard on Sunset Boulevard. Everyone was so excited to be there, and Taryn from EcoDivasTV started filming right away, and off we went!

Vanessa Meier even looks gorgeous in curlers! At Shades salon in LA. Image by Remy Chevalier for Lu Magazine.

art, bamboo, cashmere, community, contest, cosmetics, cotton, denim, design, designer, dress, Eco-Chick, ecofashion, electric, environment, farm, Fashion, fur, Furniture, garden, green model, greens, Hair, hemp, Home, interview, it girl, Josie Maran, Los Angeles, magazine, media, model, natural, nontoxic, Organic, organic cotton, pictures, skin, Starre Vartan, tv, video

Lovely Lingerie That Just Happens to Be Eco Friendly!

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by Starre Vartan · 06/10/09

I think lingerie might be the toughest thing to find in sustainable fabrics. Here are five lovelies to inspire you, since Summer weather means that bra straps will be peeking out!

Clockwise from top left: Cosabella organic cotton thong and underwire bra, g=9.8 bra and panties made from recycled pine fibers, Spreegirl bamboo underwire bra and panties, Enamore, UrbanFoxEco bamboo and vintage lace cami and panties.

And check out this cute video for Enamore!

bamboo, lingerie, organic cotton, vintage

Six Seasonless Eco Fashion Must-Haves: I've Worn Them!

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by Starre Vartan · 04/14/09

I tried to keep my shopping to a minimum the past six months, but these super-wearable items were the ones I chose to spend a bit of cash on. Each of them is highly versatile, on-trend and most importantly, sustainable. They are also pretty seasonless, and I’ve been wearing them in all kinds of temps, and they all travel particularly beautifully.

Starre Vartan and Arina Vikdorchik at Kaight on the LES

NEVER have I worn a single piece of clothing so much. My organic cotton Prairie Underground Sweatshirt Dress works as a dress (as seen here, my friend Arina has one too!), as a coat over a dress, over jeans, or (admittedly) as ultracozy nightwear. Kate MacGregor at Kaight (where I bought this great piece) says it’s the line’s best seller and they keep making them in different colors. The hood is huge and makes me feel like I’m going to romp in an enchanted wood.

Um, that’s not my butt, but that is the style of my jeans!

Aristocrat Jeans are marketed as “Pure Luxury Denim” and they really nip and tuck in all the right places due to their excellent cuts and lines, which are designed to slimmify. They don’t stretch out in between washings, which always annoys me about denim and means I also need to wash them less (how eco!). They are made with a super eco-friendly dying process and have stayed nice and black. I got these at Kaight and they are still in stock there.

So delicious.

Melissa makes the cutest vegan shoes in all sorts of shapes, from flats (which they are famous for) to heels. Friends Jill Fehrenbacher at Inhabitat and Gloria Dawson at The Daily Green both love their ballet slippers in silver, but I’m a heels devotee, so I chose the Vivienne Westwood Mary Janes and they are comfortable to wear for walking around NYC and feel very Frenchy-chic with black tights.

Melissa’s ARE made of (usually-avoided in my life) plastic which is great for vegans and the factory where they’re made has tight controls on water use (making sure that any effluent is super-clean) and any chemicals used in production of the shoes are not ending up in any kind of waste stream, so I consider them quite sustainable, since the company is so attentive to possible pollution and they are high quality and long-lasting (and waterproof!).

At Greenwich, CT beach in November

I get insane compliments on my Virginia Johnson graphic print shawl made with eco-friendly dyes. It’s got duckies on it! Johnson is known for the quirky, modern and fun prints on her shawl-size neck warmers.

At Mammoth Mountain, Cali in March and the thermal baths in Weisbaden, Germany in December

And when I looked through pix, maybe I actually wear it more than my Prairie Underground sweatshirt dress. It is a huge, soft scarf, perfect for travelling, and she has a number of cotton scarves on offer for summer in her fab prints (you can also just buy her fabrics, and she makes cute clothes too).

Starre Vartan at left in the Fin dress, model in a dress from the Ryann collection by Raina Bleyer (at right).

My Fin Bamboo Little Black Dress is almost too wearable. Though it doesn’t seem to be still on sale anywhere (I found my at Ekovaruhuset), there are a few similar styles at Equita.

My Romp tunic-length t-shirt- and look closely- I’m wearing the Melissa pumps!

Romp (based in the UK, but they have a super-sexy store in Los Angeles) makes some serious ecofriendly leather goods (their story is fascinating), and lucky for me really fabulous organic cotton t-shirts too. This one has a dirty French limeric on the front, and an unusual length and cut. Love the longer-still-short-sleeves.

bamboo, dyeing, ecofashion, Kaight, organic cotton, sustainable