Archive for June, 2010

Vegetable tanned leather shoes

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Although many people wear leather shoes, few would consider buying or recognise the benefits of vegetable tanned leather. When leather is tanned, a cocktail of highly toxic chemicals are used. Lead, zinc, formaldehyde, dyes and cyanide-based chemicals are just some of the substances used to remove the flesh from the skin and stabilise the structure of the leather. Tanneries are also notorious for causing severe air and water pollution which is damaging to the environment and the health of those living nearby. Workers in the leather industry are often exposed to these dangerous chemicals sometimes without any protective clothing or even shoes.

Spartoo sell a range of vegetable tanned shoes which are a great eco friendly and ethical alternative to conventional ethical shoes and are also beautifully made with great attention to detail.

These stylish Thailandia Mar shoesare made with vegetable tanned leather by Pikolinos. A Spanish brand that manufactures comfortable shoes with respect for the environment.

These Iggdrasil  Maki shoesare also made using vegetable tanned leather, this time by El Naturalista,  a brand that specialises in eco friendly shoe designs.

These stylish Equador shoes are also by Pikolinos and feature two colours and lace cut out leather for an unusual design. This shoe is perfect for those who are concerned with style as well as comfort and the impact of fashion on the environment.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Eco Fashion, environmental | No Comments »

Katherine Hamnett Lauches New Eco Beach wear

Saturday, June 19th, 2010
British designer Katherine Hamnett has designed and launched a new swimwear range for online fashion retailer YOOXYGEN. This is a rather special design- the swimwear is eco-friendly! YOOXYGEN, part of the YOOX group, is popular for being a go green company with many of their clothing and accessories made from either recycled or organic fabrics.

 

The collection is called ‘Save the Sea’ and includes bikinis, swimsuits, totebags and beach towels for both Men and Women, and are made entirely from renewable fabrics, organic cotton, and recycled polyester. Some of the pieces are decorated with cute polka dots, whilst others are more plain but bear the ‘Save the Sea’ logo. There are 14 pieces to the collection altogether, and the prices can be a bit expensive- starting from around £45 but with a percentage of each sale going to charity. The designs of the collection represent an old-fashioned 50’s style, whereas Katherine Hamnett’s usual style is more 80s. Her style was so fresh and and also successful that many other designers copied Katherine-she was the one responsible for the baggy slogan t-shirts which many of us still wear today as well as leggings, distressed denim, and the crumpled look, and started to make ethical and environmental clothing.

 

When talking about the swimwear collection, Katherine says, ” I have called this collection Save the Sea because the sea that we all love is dying due to the impact of human activities such as oil spills, sewage dumping, industrial pollution, chemical fertilisers and pesticide run-off, lack of fish stock management and over-fishing which can lead to the extinction of different species in the sea.” Hopefully, with the help of this new collection, we can all be made aware of the dangers to the sea and start making changes that could help the future!

Tags: , ,
Posted in Eco Fashion, environmental, sustainable style | No Comments »