Dress · Eco-Chick

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Deathy Hollows

by Katie Kish · 07/22/07

Harry Potter books give me a headache. I’ve read all of them and finished Deathly Hollows this morning.
Spoiler: ~~I was extremely disappointed that Harry didn’t die. It would have been too cool.~~

The only good thing about this particular Harry Potter book was the way in which the publishers/author went out of their way to ensure that it is one of the most environmentally friendly books ever published.

The orders for Deathly Hollows have surpassed the 2.5 million copy mark at Amazon.com and just over 1.3 million from Barnes and Noble. In June the export orders from Bloomsbury Publishing were 17% above what they were for the sixth book The Half-Blood Prince. Scholastic released a record breaking 12 million copies.

Millions of Potter fans eagerly awaited the release at 12:01, some dressed up and some freezing cold – such as the Australian man who jumped into a cold ass lake to get his pre-purchase receipt. Before the release a publishing company accidentally released 1200 copies and a man sold a copy on ebay for $250. The wikipedia entry had the entire plot line detailed nearly a week before the book was ever released. I personally recommend reading the wiki and not the book…

A book this big is bound to kill a lot of trees. But instead 16 publishers used eco-friendly paper including Scholastic who wasn’t going to but then faced a boycott. This initiative saved 200 000 trees and avoided almost 7.9 kilograms of green house gases. This is the equivalent to taking 1 577 cars off of the road. In all the book spurred the development of 32 new eco-papers, 6 of which were made exclusively for the book. In comparison, in 2003 you could find one publisher printing on eco-friendly paper, but now the Harry Potter initiatives have prompted 300 publishers to adopt new and better environmental policies. This could inspire other companies and publishers to do the same saving many forests – including Canada’s own Boreal that loses a lot of life from book publishing.

Amazon, Australia, book, books, car, cars, death, dress, gas, News, oil, paper, style, Tea, trees, trike

Dresses and Coyotes in the Great Smoky Mountains

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by Starre Vartan · 06/05/07

Come on, isn’t this better than a shot of yet another European monument or church? And it’s right here in the U.S.!

Trying to figure out a fun Summer trip? Feeling guilty about jetting to Europe because of how much CO2 your ride would produce? Wanting to try something different, that’s low-impact on your wallet and creates a minimum of stress?

Taken while lying on the ground, contemplating the mountains’ geology

Consider visiting one of our nation’s national parks. After all, you’re already paying for them with your tax dollars! (Hey, I know I sound like an ad for our parks system, but they’re really important ecosystems that are more than worth supporting, I say.) Over Spring Break I drove down with one of my best friends to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, which straddles the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. (I know, to be super eco-friendly, I should have gone to a park closer to my Connecticut home, but I’ve been to most of them, and I was saving Vermont for the Summer.)

Who knew you could find old-growth trees this size on the East Coast? I felt like I was in California as I hiked through the Smokies. And yes, I am wearing a dress! Very comfortable and great to hike in. Eco Chicks should all try it sometime (thanks to Brianne for the suggestion)!

While some of the park was crowded, and it will probably be more so during the warm season (this park is THE most visited park in the United States), once you get on the beaten trail, you will have plenty of room. Most folks who visit this and other parks only ever check out the edges of the woods, at best going on short day hikes.

All-natural cool-down time at a waterfall

Try camping out for just a night or two if it’s not something you haven’t had much practice in. Or stay in a campground and use it as a home-base for extra-long day excursions. Ask park personnel about hikes that will be your speed. We got some really good advice and suggestions from all the park employees that we asked. I’ve found this is generally true in national and state parks.

Rain can turn everything into a gorgeous wet wonderland as long as you’re prepared with the right gear.

We camped out in two different sections of the park, really getting to see a variety of ecosystems within a small area, and spotting some wildlife. Remember, it’s always smart to hang your food up in a tree to keep bears away; in the Smokies many campsites have pulley-systems already set up for this purpose, which makes it easy to keep the bears away. After all, you’re in their home now, but they’ll still want to chow on your treats.

A not-so-shy coyote I caught on camera on evening

Needs no caption

bears, car, dress, epa, Europe, fall, farm, Food, Home, MPG, north carolina, produce, spring, summer, trees, water, Wildlife, wood

Why Not Bamboo? Q&A with Eco-Fashion Designer Sara Kirsner of Doie

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by Olivia Zaleski · 05/05/07

Sara and I get into bamboo. Check out my dress . . . it’s from the Doie spring collection!

Considering I’m on a mission to cleanse my corporate-retail past and embrace eco-fashion, I’ve decided to learn as much about environmentally friendly fabrics as I possibly can. My first lesson comes from Sara Kirsner, the talent behind Doie, a beautiful collection of Asian-inspired bamboo jersey fashions.

All of Sara’s pieces are locally produced in New York City. I got to pay a special visit to her office and observe the designer at work amongst a plethora of bamboo swatches, organic cotton samples, and many adorable dresses. After picking out my favorite one from her spring collection, Sara and I talked shop and answered the ultimate question . . . why not bamboo?

Olivia: Sara, you obviously had some pretty good gigs with very famous and well-respected designers such as Marc Jacobs and Donna Karen. What made you leave that glamorous high-fashion world and start your own environmentally-focused line?

Sara: Contrary to what people might think, high fashion is only glamorous for the fifteen minutes the clothes are on runway. Even though it’s artwork, the amount of time and effort that goes into those fifteen minutes is crazy. I wanted to create clothing that was more accessible to the “everyday” woman.

I started out using regular cotton. After my first collection was produced, I was showing it to my friend’s mom, who also owns Vivaterra, an awesome website featuring eco-lifestyle products. She loved my collection and asked if I could make a few pieces for her in a sustainable fabric such as bamboo or organic cotton. I really liked bamboo and after learning more about it I decided to continue using it for all of my future collections. My family is very environmentally conscious. It just seemed natural. After learning how environmentally disastrous cotton is, I will never go back.

Olivia: It’s funny that you say it just seemed natural, because unlike spandex or polyester, cotton is a plant fiber and is commonly thought of as being “natural” and therefore ecologically sound. In reality, however, cotton uses a massive amount of pesticides and artificial fertilizers. To top it off, developing countries waste huge amounts of precious water and fertile land to grow cotton as a cash crop to repay national debts. Simultaneously, people who live in these countries are malnourished because of the shortages of water and agricultural land.

Sara: Yes, there is that misconception. In reality, however, five of the most commonly used cotton pesticides in the U.S. (cyanide, dicofol, naled, propargite, and trifluralin) are known cancer-causing chemicals and classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as Category I and II Chemicals— the most dangerous chemicals class.

Bamboo production is not completely virtuous as there are harmful chemicals used to breakdown the bamboo into fabric, but bamboo growth does not require any pesticides and is 100% sustainable.

Olivia: Fashion and environmentalism aren’t exactly two peas in a pod. Do you ever see the fashion industry fully embracing environmental practices? Is it even a possibility?

Sara: I think it’s “trendy” right now, because of the celebrity following, but I am hoping that it will be a lifestyle change for people and not a trend. Organic food was trendy at one time and now it is a choice that people make every day. I am hoping that will happen with eco-fashion.

I think if there is more demand for eco-clothing, the fashion industry will have to step up and change their practices. I think once large companies start to become more aware of how much harm they are doing, they will change some of their practices.

Olivia: Can you tell us a little more about bamboo jersey? What makes it your fabric of choice?

Sara: Besides being amazingly soft to the touch, bamboo is a highly sustainable resource. A grass, it’s the fastest growing plant in the world and doesn’t require pesticides. Bamboo is also naturally anti-microbial, which means the fabric actually prevents bacteria from growing on it, resulting in clothing that remains odor-free longer than other fabrics . . . meaning less trips to the dry cleaner, which is always a major plus for the planet and your wallet!

Olivia: So the question really is why not bamboo? Do you plan to continue to use bamboo for all of your upcoming seasons or are you going to branch out to other sustainable fabrics? If so what other fabrics are eco-friendly?

Sara: For next spring (’08), I will use bamboo, but plan to incorporate organic cotton into the collection. I think that organic cotton is a great eco-fabric and I am excited to use it.

Olivia: One last question Sara. Where can we buy your amazing designs?

Sara: If you go to my website: www.doiedesigns.com there is a list of stores where you can find my line. You can also order directly from the site.

bamboo, Cancer, clothes, clothing, cotton, design, designer, designers, dress, Eco-Chick, epa, Events, fabric, fabrics, farm, Fashion, Food, local, mom, New York City, Organic, organic cotton, organic food, produce, spa, spring, style, sustainable, sustainable fabrics, waste, water

Project Earth Day Fashion Show in NYC

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by Olivia Zaleski · 04/22/07

By Olivia Zaleski and Starre Vartan

The above video, filmed by Brian Clark Howard, with Olivia Zaleski as host and Starre Vartan as producer, was recorded the night before the fashion show. Check it out to hear from some of the designers who showed their stuff, as well as learn about the sustainable aspects of the show’s set design.

NEW YORK, Thursday, April 19th – Who knew organic cotton, hemp, and recycled soybean fiber could be so hot? Well, we at Eco Chick had a pretty good idea, but thanks to EGBNY’s Project Earth Day Fashion Show, the rest of the world is catching on. The show featured two sections: a student-design competition, and a local NYC eco-designers showcase, proving once and for all that green is beautiful, sexy, and fashion-forward, not frumpy.

Set & runway designer Amber Nelson
Image by Starre Vartan

Organized by EGBNY (which stands for Emerging Green Builders New York, and is part of the national US Green Building Council), and co-sponsored by Teknion, Green Drinks, and 02NYC, the event pulled out all the green stops by reducing, reusing, and recycling on all levels, including a sustainable runway made from 100% recycled plastics, re-using shipping pallets (which will be returned to the warehouse after the show), and modular carpet samples made from recycled fibers. Even the hardware securing the runway was salvaged.

Project Earth Day fashion show coordinator Molly Garretson says, “EGBNY wanted to host a fun annual event to celebrate Earth Day and to encourage learning, networking, and sharing new ideas about green interior design and eco-fashion.” Mission certainly accomplished!

Part One: The Student Competition

The winning student design, by Xay Xiong
Image by Josh Wiese

Second-place winner from designer Kacie Rushton
Image by Josh Wiese

Rear detail of Rushton’s recycled polyester pants and hemp jacket
Image by Starre Vartan

Third-place winner Jennifer Kim’s futuristic creation
Image by Josh Wiese

Red Dress
Image by Starre Vartan

Back of Red Dress
Image by Starre Vartan

An Honorable Mention went to for this Chanel-print-inspired coat by Caroline Hur.
Image by Josh Wiese

Dress made with recycled fabrics and a bodice woven from a plastic bag

Student designers with their models
Image by Starre Vartan

The judges’ table (from L to R): Jennifer Busch of Contract Magazine, Randy Fahey of Gensler, Christian Larsen from MoMA, Jill Danyelle, of FiftyRX3 (and a designer herself) and Margaret Lydecker of GreenDrinksNYC.
Image by Starre Vartan

Part Two: Local NYC Eco-Fashion Designers

Bahar Sharpar dress

AuH2O reworked top (from men’s pants) and skirt
Image by Josh Wiese

AuH2O restructured/recycled dress
Image by Josh Wiese

Doie dress
Image by Josh Wiese

Dress from Ekhovarhuset
Image by Josh Wiese

Dress from Ekhovarhuset
Image by Josh Wiese

Yellow Loyale frock
Image by Josh Wiese

Image by Josh Wiese

Men’s organic cotton denim jumpsuit
Image by Josh Wiese

Charcoal Hemp Suit
Image by Josh Wiese

For more pictures, check out the Flickr photostream.
For more coverage, go to Inhabitat

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30×30 says Bloomberg

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by Summer Rayne Oakes · 04/18/07

On Sunday, April 22nd, New York City’s mayor, Michael Bloomberg will announce PlaNYC 2030 – one of the more advanced 25-year climate action plans put forth to date. After six months of work, the NYC team put together a plan that will reduce the city’s total emissions 30 percent by 2030. Earlier this week, Bloomberg’s office released a study that shows that NYC contributes 1% of the nation’s greenhouse gases.

The team at itsgettinghotinhere.org urge you to write Bloomberg and other city mayor’s to support this progressive initiative. The mayor is set to announce the comprehensive plan on Sunday at 1:00 PM. The plan and the mayor’s speech will be available on the PlaNYC website and will address: