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

Fashion Me Green: The London Project

We love Fashion Me Green here at Eco Chick (in fact, Greta, the founder of the site blogged with us last year!). This breakout eco fashion site is home to one of my fave eco fashion editorials to date, the FMG city ‘projects’ wherein site publisher Greta Eagan travels to a foreign (or domestic!) city, finds amazing vernacular ethical wares and accessories, and puts together a gorgeous shoot worthy of a glossy mag featuring a local notable fashionista.

Greta has curated projects in LA, New York, Boulder and San Francisco, and the latest installment takes place in London, England, where the lovely Caroline Issa, Tank Magazine’s founder, modeled for the editorial. The shots here are just a sneak peek; check out the site for more details, and to learn more about the designers featured (not to mention find all the info to and shop the shoot)!

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Estethica Brings Sustainable Style to London Fashion Week

This year I realized a long-time dream; to attend London Fashion Week. Following directly on the heels of New York Fashion Week’s first season at Lincoln Center (and the best ever Greenshows yet!), I barely had time to catch my breath from the NYC festivities before I was on a plane across the pond. While there, I had the chance to meet with Livia Firth and tour her ethical boutique, Eco Age, and catch up with my best friend Jenn, who calls the city home.

Estethica, now in its fourth year, is London Fashion Week’s sustainable showcase, and it’s grown (like eco fashion in general) tremendously in the years since it was founded by Orsola De Castro, who I got a chance to interview. Check out the video above, wherein I interview Orsola about her line, From Somewhere, hear about the sheep behind supergorgeous knitwear by Makepiece, and check out the chic chapeau-purveyor Pachacuti.

Eco Chick Escapes To: Livia Firth’s Eco Age Boutique in London!

Eco Age’s front window

During my most recent trip across the pond, I stopped by London to check out London Fashion Week and visit my best friend, Jenn, who lives in my second-favorite city in the world (the first is NYC baby!). And thanks to a fortuitous hookup by the lovely Rachel Sarnoff over at Ecostiletto, I got a chance to connect with Livia Firth (yep, wife of Colin!) who runs Eco Age, a fabulous boutique in the Chiswick section of London.

And talk about walking the talk; Livia, as the wife of a Hollywood star, (Colin recently starred in Tom Ford’s directorial debut, A Single Man), is expected to turn up at red-carpet events looking fabulous, and this past Spring she took up Vogue UK’s ‘Green Carpet Challenge‘ – and came off beautifully, exploring all the ways of being sustainably stylish, from repurposing to seeking out designers who use ethical fabrics and dye techniques. Eco fashion at the Golden Globes and the Oscars? Livia did it!

Thanks to Livia Firth for the awesome tour of her store in London!

Livia gave me a tour (see video above) of her store, which carries her own carefully edited (and strictly vetted) selection of eco fashion, home decor, and great gifts, and in the basement, an eco-materials consultancy (which I had no idea of until I was on the tour!). The amazing thing is that with the breadth of categories she covers with what she sells in the store, her awesome recycled furniture initiatives for London Design Festival, and the learning space and consultancy for eco materials (think flooring, tiles, fabrics and wallcovering) Livia’s doing so much besides running a store.
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People Won't Change for the Environment (on my campus)

A recent article outlines a pretty simplistic poll conducted in London about people’s willingness to change their behaviour for the good of the planet.

A straw poll of 15 British men and 15 British women between the ages of 25-75 in central London, showed all were willing to make small changes for the environment, such as recycling, but few would commit to more fundamental changes to behavior.

The outcome was pretty surprising. People will “try” to drive less, and others take a shot at proper recycling. But no one is ready for a change in their lifestyle. This inspired me. I was sure I could find better numbers and results here in Toronto, Canada. We are supposed to be eco-friendly up here, right?

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The Duke of Cambridge: London's First Organic Certified Gastropub

Starre Vartan and Jennifer Lara Cross at The Duke of Cambridge gastropub in London

A few weeks ago I took a bit of a holiday and visited Jenn Cross, one of my best friends in all the world in her adopted hometown of London. I had a fantastic time as I always do, and one of the highlights was the amazing meal I ate with Jenn at The Duke of Cambridge, which bills itself as “Britain’s First Organic Certified Gastropub.” (A gastropub is a pub that serves food alongside delicious British and imported beers).

All food and drink is certified by the Soil Association, and aside from the food, the eatery does everything possible to lower its impact, including recycling building materials and furniture, kitchen waste, tin, paper, card, corks and glass. They compost food waste, and the pub’s electricity is solar and wind-generated. They clean with only nontoxic and biodegradable cleaning products and have gotten involved in food programs at local schools. Really, really impressive commitment to the environment, health and great food (which are, of course, inexorably intertwined).

Our menu changes twice daily, and our chefs create dishes according to what is at its peak of freshness and flavour. All our food is made at the pub – from the ice cream to the bread and pickles. You’ll always find two meat, two fish and two vegetarian main dish choices.

Our chefs buy produce directly from small independent local farmers, and they ensure that nothing goes to waste – for example, instead of buying individual cuts of pork (which is costly and wasteful) they buy a whole carcass and use every part of the animal. This way, the farmer gets a decent payment for his animal, nothing is wasted and you get to try a broad range of delicious dishes.

Our meal was fantastic; we started with a bottle of organic prosecco (top image), as a little bubbly was in order for our celebratory meal.

We shared an appetizer of rocket (arugula), poached salmon, cucumbers, radishes, and horseradish kohl rabi with fresh lemon (£8). Every veg was tasted as if it had been pulled from the ground, washed, and brought to us moments later (especially the radishes; I’ve NEVER had such a crunchy radish before!) and Jenn said the salmon was amazing.

My main dish was the white bean and coriander cakes with tomato sauce and carrot salad (£13) which was not only very filling, but nuanced with garden centric flavors. From the coriander and other fresh herbs mixed into the lightly mashed (but not evicerated) white beans to the tang of the (very generous) topping of tomato sauce, to the simple carrot and greens salad that underlay the bean cakes, every bit of the dish tasted of sunshine, good soil and clean water (the flavor of great veggies is connected to the quality of the land in which they’re grown).

Jenn’s whole herring (no kidding!) with day lentils, greens and black olive tapenade (£16.25) was, as she reported “very tasty, with a crunchy skin and a mellow white meat.” According to her, the fish didn’t need much seasoning, and it didn’t have much, letting the fresh fish’s own flavor shine through. The lentils were hearty without being too salty, even with the tapenade, which was (as they are meant to be).

The Duke of Cambridge is about great food, served simply, and while we were there, many of the day’s specials were erased from the menu on the wall, as their small quantities were eaten up by the full crowd at the pub, so I’d recommend eating earlier in the evening if you want to have the menu’s full choice. There are two meat, two fish and two vegetarian meals offered at lunch and dinner.

Unfortunately, Jenn and I had no room for dessert, and I enjoyed a (fair trade and organic) espresso and caught up with my friend at our wooden table under the skylight as passersby on the streets of Islington bustled by.