abteil shop: recycled soccer handbags

Abteil Design's 'Ball Bag' was presented at the Council for Sustainability in Berlin. Some repurposed design works so well that the new aesthetic created by reuse seems as if it was the original intention.

trilby made: recycled leather cuffs

While browsing Etsy, I happened upon Trilby Made's recycled leather reversible cuffs just now. Swoon. Their open, lattice-like design makes a dramatic eco fashion statement. Plus its two in one, you can wear the cuff two ways and they have two colors.

the hemptress: haute handbags go green

The Hemptress, a smart eco fashionable handbag company out of Los Angeles, launched this January with sustainability and eco mindfulness at it's forefront. Hemptress is the design team of Håkan and Arlene Nilsson, an eco & fashion forward duo. The Nilsson's helps you go green by offering bags made from hemp and recycled materials. Their company was founded on fair trade values with careful attention to where each material is sourced right down to the recycled bonded leather trim, recycled nylon & metal zippers, low impact dyes and hemp label. Hemptress also offers a vegan collection, which has a hemp/RPET lining. Their hangtags, business cards, and all collateral are printed on recycled paper with soy ink, and our shipping boxes are made from 100% post consumer waste. A portion of their profits are donated to animal rights group as well as Vote Hemp. So Haute.

ashley watson: recycled handbag perfection

Ashley Watson has been a Haute Nature favorite since her inception. And for all eco & handbag lovers everywhere, she never fails to please with her new designs.

form & fauna: eco shoes

Form & Fauna shoes use non-toxic biodegradable Italian synthetics, bamboo, organic hemp, recycled fiber insoles and water based glues in the production of their show line. Form and Fauna is a fair trade, cruelty free, hand made in the USA company. Bay Bertea, the designer of the line also incorporates recycled yoga mats into the of the shoes, giving props to her past as a yoga instructor.

silk scrap jewelry

VivaTerra

original women: woven zulu bracelets

The Fair Trade company Original Women offers women in Zulu communities a money making outlet for their expert basket weaving skills. Thes emarginalized and vulnerable women are turning their innovation, ingenuity and tenacity to weaving colored telephone wire into an art form that has gained global recognition.

The women making these beautiful bracelets are dedicated to helping themselves by gaining the skills and knowledge they need to support themselves and their families. Generating income to be able to receive basic education, health education, and HIV/Aids support is a key part of their innovative program.

eugenia kim: millinery

Recessionista alert: Tar-jay (Target) with be partnering with very talented milliner, Eugenia Kim to offer some more affordably priced hats. I'll be in line! Eugenia Kim's Target collection will be available April 18th- June/July 2010, this is her second team up with a large retailer, her first was Urban Outfitters. I must add that these hats are from her regularly priced line, we'll have to wait and see what she brings to Target.

duro olowu: eco fashion

Sustainable fashion by Duro Olowu for Spring/Summer 2010.

gueto studio: recycled jewelry

Gueto Studio Brazil, has gotten together with Brazil’s biggest petrol company, Petrobas to design products from recovered petroleum byproducts. Their jewelry line is made of rubber coming from the auto industry. Materials were selected that were not toxic to people who would be working with them manually. The result is a bit of green lovely-ness.

icebreaker clothing: sustainable merino wool

Ice Breaker clothing New Zealand proves that wool can be worn in warm weather. They have released a new line of “ultra-fine” merino wool T-shirts and they offer an entire range of men’s and women’s summer clothing. Merino wool is a sustainable material, and Icebreaker is launching a garment traceability program called BAACODE that will allow consumers access to the company’s sustainable and ethical practices through-out their entire supply chain. BAACODE will also track individual garments back to the New Zealand merino station where the wool was procured. You've gotta love Icebreakers ad campaigns too!

terry graziano: millinery

Terry Graziano handcrafts lovely hats from her New York studio from fantastic, high quality, mill-end surplus fabrics salvaged before landfill. Her hats are all lined in silk, adjustable and each can be fashioned in several different styles
Also available on her Etsy site.

deborah lindquist: goth country

Deborah Lindquist

hemp couture: sustainable eco fashion

In modern times, industrial hemp has been used for paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food, and fuel. In the past three years, commercial success of hemp food products has grown considerably. Hemp is one of the fastest growing biomasses known, producing up to 25 tonnes of dry matter per hectare per year. Hemp is one of the earliest domesticated plants known. For a crop, hemp is relatively environmentally friendly as it requires few pesticides and no herbicides, saving our soil from pollution.
This roundup of gorgeous hemp products by Hood Lamb, Livity, Sidual, Sativa Bags, Braintree Hats and Heather Heron Handbags show just how far this sustainable plant fiber has come. For more information go to Hemp Industries Association.

barley & birch: green clothing manufacturer

Barley & Birch manufactures 100% certified organic cotton childrens clothing with water-based inks. (They don’t pollute the earth, water, or expose farm workers to toxins.) All products from their company are made in the USA and at least 15% of their profits go to several carbon-reducing initiatives in order to fully offset the carbon emissions that result from the production of the garments. At least another 15% goes to organizations that improve people’s lives around the world.
Kyle Smitley, Barley & Birch’s founder is among Inc.'s 2009 listing of "30 Under 30: America's Coolest Entrepreneurs."
30 under 30

B&B offsets any emissions created by production and shipping, and work with manufacturers and suppliers that are largely powered by solar energy. B&B uses certified organic cotton and water-based inks, so they do not pollute the air and water with chemicals. The product line is made in the United States for a lower carbon footprint. Socially, the company donates at least 10% of profits to a variety of organizations working all over the world to improve the lives of others, supporting everything from educating rural farmers on sustainable agriculture to providing shelter to victims of abuse. Barley and Birch stands for the growth of justice and equality throughout the world.

stewart & brown: winter giveway!

Stewart & Brown, a lovely fashion label based in Ventura California is the brainchild of Karen Stewart & Howard Brown, partners in life and work. They launched their ethical fashion brand in 2002 in L.A., determined to pioneer the sustainable fashion movement. Both Stewart and Brown bring a high level of creativity to the collection every season. Karen, a trained painter and New York native, and Howard, a graphic artist and Montana native, oversee every aspect of the product and brand themselves.

Stewart+Brown designs offer the highest quality and functional style while remaining sustainable. The company donates a minimum of 1% all sales to non-profit, non-governmental environmental and social welfare organizations.

For all you readers, Stewart&Brown is hosting a giveaway this week for this gorgeous Hilda Cap-orchid colored merino wool hat. With a chunky knit, this fair trade gem will make you the adorable envy in the cold snowy days to come. To win, please leave a haiku about cold/wintry weather in the comments. Do not forget to leave your email (ideally in non hypertext link format), so that I can retrieve your mailing address for Stewart&Brown to send Hilda to the winner. Winner announced Sat, Nov 7. (5,7,5 syllable poem)

snug organics: GIVEAWAY!

Snug Organics is hosting a wonderful giveaway for HauteNature today. In order to win this 100% organic cotton 3-6 month old snuggly sleeper garment please leave a haiku about organics in the comment section. You could even win it to give as a gift for a friend with a small baby if you have a great haiku. The pumpkin color accents are perfect for October! The founder of Snug Organics, Erin Royer has created an innovative design inspired by the old school blanket sleepers we wore in the 70's, but with an updated organic twist focused on safety and simplicity. The blanket sleepers are free of flame retardant chemicals. See them on her site at Snug Organics. A winner will by chosen by me and announced one week from today-on October 21st. (in case you need reminding--a haiku is a poem with 5 syllables on the first line, 7 syllables on the seccond and 5 syllables on the third)

recycled fabric bootie roundup

All these baby booties are made from recycled materials and all would be wonderful gifts.

PBM
KP
Wooly Baby
Kaboogie

agua: recycled cashmere for children

Trash-à-porter has a new Agua line for children that I love! The recycled cashmere line for babies is available at ABC Home, online at NY DesignRoom, at Smoochiebaby in Brooklyn & LMNOP Chicago.

blankety blank blank: you guessed it, blankets

Recycled cashmere poncho, um....yes please. Find one at BBB.