Available at only a few select stores in Canada (The Toronto Eaton Centre, Bloor Street, Yorkdale Mall, Downtown Montreal, The Pacific Centre and Metropolis at Metrotown) H&M’s Conscious Collection for fall 2011 is influenced by “the sweet romance of Swedish folklore”. Every piece in the collection is made with more sustainable materials, from organic cotton or linen to recycled wool and organic hemp.

Feminine, luxuriously embellished and pretty – the collection includes embroidered wool coats, lace blouses and floral accessories.

Eco Fashion at The Green Living Show With Fashion Takes Action – This Weekend April 15-17, 2011

photo via Sarah Stevenson Design

For the first time, Fashion Takes Action (FTA) will host the “Emerging Designers Boutique”, featuring twenty designers from across Canada – Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver at The Green Living Show, Canada’s largest green consumer trade show.  An additional 20 eco-fashion vendors will be at the show.

Buy Clothing Made Locally – Free from Chemicals

Designers:
Sarah Stevenson, Device Design, Rescued Designs, Miik, Pure Blankz, Aime, Nicole Bridger, Meemoza, Elladora, Croquis, Ressac and SoulFibres.

Accessories: So Creative, Eco Bling, Ecocessories, Lorena Santin-Andrade and Yes Lifestyle Organics with Sole Rebels providing eco-friendly footwear.

Fashion show: Main Stage – Sunday April 17th at 1:00.

Some of Toronto’s environmental leaders will model to show their support for sustainable clothing including NOW columnist and best-selling author, Adria Vasil; Founder of Local Food Plus, Lori Stahlbrand; musician and environmental activist, Tara MacLean, and award-winning broadcaster and author, Gill Deacon.

Location: Exhibition Place, Direct Energy Centre, Booth #129

Date: April 15th, 16th, 17th; Fashion Show: 1:00 pm April 17th (main stage). Seating for 300 people.
Admission to the Green Living Show is $12 for adults, or FREE with the donation of electronic waste.

It was like an early Christmas gift when I received a package of mostly all eco-friendly, safe winter goodies (thanks to Ashworth Associates) to help keep toes toasty and dry when the freeze hits!

Little Hotties Warmers for hands, feet and toes are little air activated pouches that provide up to 8 hours of heat in your mitts or boots…I had thought of buying those electric boots but Little Hotties are definitely a way cheaper alternative – a great idea for skiing or hiking – and claim to be all natural! (around $2/pack – avail all over incl. Zellers, Walmart)

You might have seen something like this – the YAKTRAX straps that transform your everyday winter footwear into heavy-duty traction control! There is even a YAKTRAX for Her that will go over heels! (about $20 – avail at Sporting Life and other sports stores)

I can’t wait to try this Granger’s G-Max Footwear Waterproofer on my leather boots. It claims to waterproof leather, suede and fabric whilst remaining environmentally-responsible. ($10 available at many sports stores including Mountain Equipment Co-op and Coast Mountain Sports)

My favorite cozy product is one of things that Oprah might put on her list – a cute little gift for all your girlfriends – the Airplus Spa Footie. Like moisturizing indoor slippers, the sock-like Spa Footie somehow relaxes feet and keeps them warm! ($6 at pharmacies and department stores)

Well-studied fashion designer Breeyn McCarney’s first showing (Fall 2010) wasn’t a full, sell-able collection that will snapped up by buyers – but a brief, enchanting waft of beautiful texture and ethereal delicacy – for those who appreciate custom quality – presented in mohair knits, feminine lace trims and hand-beaded pearls.

Titled and inspired by ‘Hardboiled Wonderland’ (and the End of the World), a novel by Japanese author Haruki Murakami and by ‘The Ruins of Detroit’ – a beautiful photographic project by Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre showing once gorgeous but now dilapidated spaces – the collection was created with the idea of finding beauty out of despair.

The Fall 2010 collection includes silky dresses with muddied sheer skirts, tattered knit sweaters and cut-out fur embellishments that denote the most feminine, luxurious apocalyptic feel but in soft hues – all using sustainable fabric and reclaimed fur.

Breeyn McCarney makes all her pieces custom. Combined with ethical fabric choices and delicate hand-work, this essentially adds up to tailored luxury clothing within the budgets of the most strapped fashion mavens. Please contact her directly at b@breeyn.com to discuss dress ordering.

Angle Media Group, a video, animation and motion graphics promo company, launched Expert’s Angle – a series of short video blogs where they interview experts in different fields to get a better picture of their work.

Video: Modrobes founder and owner, Steven Sal Debus and his new line of organic, recycled and sustainable fabrics.

Y’all remember Modrobes in Toronto? I loved the fleece track suits (maybe 2000/2001) and actually sported my most comfortable cotton lined, baby blue polar fleece pants and hoodie for years

Initially, Modrobes were made for and marketed to students – but there was a time I recall every nurse, skater and raver in the city in Modrobes. And then, it was gone.

Until recently. After an education in sustainable garment making and then a stint on Dragons Den, founder Steven Sal Debus relaunched the brand and re-opened a shop on Queen Street West in Toronto (620 Queen St. W) with a new vision of ‘clothing the modern world’ and offering eco-sportswear mainly marketed to urban cyclists. Apparently, the new riding coats are selling like hotcakes…

New Modrobes Sustainable Garment Shop, 620 Queen St. West, Toronto

What exactly is eco-friendly design and clothing?

We hear about it – and most of us think of rough hemp and bamboo in shades of beige and green.

When I read about the sustainability practices of Nicole Bridger, winner of Canada’s first eco-friendly design award, Design Forward, I was reminded of what is means and takes to create true eco-friendly clothing. Comfortable, ethical and beautifully constructed and trendy. Soft and wearable.

As winner of Design Forward she receives:

• A three-month national PR campaign, provided by Third Eye Media
• Feature in EcoSalon – the number one green fashion blog!
• Participation at Nolcha Fashion Week’s Ethical Fashion Preview in NYC in September 2010
• $1000 in eco-friendly fabric, supplied by Telio (to make a sample collection to show in NYC)
• $1,000 towards Fair trade and Organic certification, provided by Ecocert.
• and more!

Nicole Bridger, Vancouver-based designer

Fabrics/Blends:

Nicole Bridger uses mostly organic cotton, and natural fibres such as hemp, linen, bamboo and soy jersey. Wool is certified organic as well.

She has made a conscious effort to tack the orgins  of all fabrics used in her collections, including hemp jesery and modal jersey orginating from LA, organic cotton woven in Portugal, and linen grown in Belgium.

Production

All garments are made/sewn in Vancouver, Canada – supporting good working conditions and fair wages.

Design

Garments are named through design affirmations, like “heart”, “truth”, “protection”, “listening”, “courage” etc. Neutral colour palate, allows for multi-seasonal wear. Designs are cutting-edge, feminine and practical.

In the context of her maternity collection, the design integrity is not sacrificed, and it has the added bonus of being worn before, during and after pregnancy.

Special Features

Tagua nut buttons (like coconut, made in China).
Labels are cotton instead of polyester (made in India).
Hangtags, business cards etc. are made from 100% post-consumer paper in Vancouver.

Nicole was up against finalists: Laura Chenoweth and we3(twigg & hottie).

Some of the other competing designers nominated for this award include Thieves, Deux FM, and Paper People Clothing.

When it comes to purging bags of clothes, shoes and accessories (which I regularly do), I used to almost always head to the nearest Goodwill to unload. After visiting more than one ‘unruly’ store though, it sort of became harder to imagine my once loved, still wearable clothes getting lost in those dump piles.

So, Salvation Army became my next recipient of donated goods – especially because it maintains its “thrift” store mentality and keep its prices low for low-income shoppers (which is why I never donate to Value Village…).

There are however many smaller community centres, churches and shelters that provide clothing, home goods and toiletries for needy families, young moms, homeless folk – a more grassroots approach to recycling clothing and home goods:

** please keep in mind when donating to community centres or shelters that the clothing and/or linens should be clean and wearable. Also, these places are often in need of seasonal items like winter coats, etc… **

Where to Donate Clothes, Shoes, Homewares & Unused Toiletries in Toronto

Red Door Shelters emergency shelters across Toronto - in need of household items and linens, seasonal clothing. 21 Carlaw Avenue, Toronto

The Scott Mission clothing bank-502 Spadina Avenue, Toronto 416-923-3916

Dress Your Best changes the lives of Canadians by outfitting women, men and youth with clothing for employment. DYB gives each client an average of 5 outfits – 20 to 30 articles of clothing – including shoes and various accessories. Open for clothing donation drops offs on Wednesdays between 10am-8pm c/o The Walmer Centre 188 Lowther Avenue, 3rd floor, Toronto

Good Shepherd Centre homeless shelters accepts clothing, toiletries and recreational items. 412 Queen Street East (near Queen East & Parliament Streets)

YWCA Womens shelter – Call donations coordinator 416.693.6978, ext. 231

Convenant House teen shelter – needs clothing, books, etc…20 Gerrard Street East, Toronto,  (416) 598-4898

Pick Up:

Oasis Clothing Bank (the ones with the green bins around city): Check the website to see the items they will pick up > http://www.clothingbank.ca/faqs.asp

Donate Art Supplies et al.

Sketch provides opportunities for street and homeless people between the ages of 15-29, to engage in the arts in a cross-discipline studio environment or in the community. In need of everything from art supplies to kitchen appliances to toilet paper. 580 King St. W., 2nd Floor, Toronto (416) 516-5428

Donate Toys/Magazines to your local hospital for use in the waiting rooms.

I could go on and on – so for more places to donate your stuff including ink cartridges, computers, shoes, toys…  http://www.toronto.ca/reuseit/orgs.htm

For a list of shelters and social service agencies in Toronto, check outhttp://www.211toronto.ca

New York’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week begins tomorrow, Feb. 11-18, 2010.

Also taking place in New York is the GreenShows Eco Fashion Week, February 14-17, 2010.

Featured ‘Green’ Designers

www.garyharveycreative.com

www.vautecouture.com

www.thieves.ca

www.joanneberman.com

www.willianonline.com

www.popomomo.com

www.samanthapleet.com

www.deuxfm.com

www.houseoforganic.com

www.cmarchuska.com