Amber Valletta’s Master & Muse: Masterful Collabs with Eco Fashion Designers
I’ve been hearing about Master & Muse, Amber Valletta’s—the supermodel and conscious citizen—eco fashion collection sold through the UK’s YOOX.com (via YOOXYGEN), for awhile now. So when it finally debuted last week, I was pretty excited. And Valetta doesn’t disappoint; I am loving her picks for collaborative partners-in-design (with more coming in later this year). How did this all come about?
One of Amber’s deepest core beliefs has always been that substance and style do not have to be mutually exclusive. Master & Muse exists so that we can have both at the same time. Over the last couple of years, Amber has sought out brands, artisans, designers and entrepreneurs who are courageously pushing the envelope in how fashion is designed, sourced, constructed and sold. She discovered it is possible to be both fashionable and socially responsible, but it hasn’t always been easy. Until now.
The Master & Muse shop, in collaboration with YOOXYGEN, provides a fun, accessible and informative one-stop-shop for those who want to buy better. Master & Muse exists for those super stylish, conscientious shoppers, who want to shop confidently, secure in the knowledge that the clothes and accessories they are purchasing are good for them, their family, and the community at large.
It’s about time we’ve seen some new high-fashion energy in the eco fashion community. Because reforming (and revolutionizing) the fashion world is an imperative that won’t (can’t and shouldn’t) go away, and it shouldn’t be left to already incredibly busy, burdened and, frankly, overworked designers to do all the heavy lifting in this category. And besides, designers can only do so much—they are only one part of the complex puzzle that is the fashion world.
It takes consumers, writers and bloggers, editors, models, muses, make-up artists and many more to change the fashion business for the better: Which means better conditions for the mostly women who make our clothes, for the ecosystems where our clothes are produced, and an overall positive—not negative and polluting—result from clothes design, manufacturing, and wearing/using.
Forthwith, my fave picks from the very impressive Master & Muse debut:
These ‘slippers’ from Sydney Brown are handmade from eco-friendly materials and made in the USA and Berlin. What wouldn’t these incredible shoes pair well with?
These cupro pants, made with designer H. Fredriksson, have a delicious giant palm print that’s three-season perfect.
There are a number of accessories in the under-$100 range, including these earrings made in Greece from recycled gold and silver from designer Joanna Cave.
Backpacks are so damn useful, versatile and (bonus!) better for the back and shoulders than giant totes. This one by Vivienne Westwood is not only made from recycled leather and canvas, but it’s also, “made by a community of Kenyan craftswomen and certified by The Ethical Fashion Initiative, a program of the International Trade Centre that comes under the United Nations and the WTO.” How about that for awesome? (And that print is killer too.)
This wear-all-the-time skirt made with Svilu, made from flax and cotton, would be a figure-flatterer for any lovely pear-shaped lady (I am one!), and would pair beautifully with bare legs or fun tights, for year-round wear. Made in the USA.
Made in England by Beautiful Soul London, this cropped midi blouse would look as cute layered under denim overalls as with a pair of high-waisted shorts or trousers. The old-fashioned wallpaper print and colors makes this top a bit less scandalous than it would be otherwise—great fun! Of course, you could always layer it over a slip dress like this one from John Patrick Organic and change up the tired dress-and-cardi combo for your next summer wedding.
See plenty more fab collabs over at Master & Muse’s shopping page.
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Starre Vartan
Starre Vartan is founder and editor-in-chief of Eco-Chick.com and the author of the Eco-Chick Guide to Life. She's also a freelance science and environment writer who has published in National Geographic, CNN, Scientific American, Mental Floss, Pacific Standard, the NRDC, and many more. She lives on an island in Puget Sound with her partner and black cat. She was a geologist in her first career, and still picks up rocks wherever she goes.
