Category — Fashion

Loving this “making of” video – behind the scenes of MANGO’s Summer 2012 campaign with Kate Moss. Clean, simple, fresh – all the things summer should be. And Kate Moss just keeps getting more stunning as the years go by. Love the killer black dress, all whites and pops of color. Bring on the sunshine.

So much to love about the recent Chipotle Cultivate Festival in Chicago.  Free to get in, dishes highlighting fresh, local, responsibly grown ingredients, celebrity chefs, great indie bands, and an entire experience dedicated to “learn(ing) about sustainable farming and get rewarded along the way”.

My friends at Loomstate designed their new uniforms and staffed a Loomstate for Chipotle booth at the festival selling exclusive Cultivate products as well as teaching attendees about sustainable production with a farm-to-finish area. Loving the common ground approach – whether the end product is food or clothing, it all starts in the earth. Chipotle proves yet again that being a main stream brand does not mean you have to sell out on your values – you can still get so much right about socially conscious thinking, branding and good business.

Last fall Ferragamo launched the eco-friendly Ferragamo WORLD collection with a portion of proceeds going to the entrepreneurial and action oriented Acumen Fund. They’ve continued the program for F/W 2011 with a slight expansion of the line. In their words: “The results of this innovative project have been extremely positive. From November 20101 to date, 5% of overall proceeds have been donated to Acumen Fund, helping to support transformative businesses providing healthcare, housing, agricultural improvements, clean water and energy to the poor in India. In the second season, Ferragamo WORLD will contribute to Acumen Fund in support of businesses such as one that provides safe water at affordable prices to rural communities, an energy company that serves the poorest state with renewable energy, and a network of maternity hospitals in India, known for its high-quality, affordable care.”

I don’t know if I’d exactly call the partnership innovative but it’s always good to see luxury brands embracing social consciousness. I do wish they did a bit more to promote the partnership. Not a lot of buzz since the launch event last fall (below) and print ads are dreadfully dry. Would love to see some content profiling these upcoming projects and really showing the change being affected but for now, a move in the right direction.

Building on a classic formula to spur innovation and brand awareness, Loomstate helped get Parsons The New School’s first course on zero waste design off the ground this fall. With on average 15-20 percent of fabric used in clothing production being discarded, zero waste design is fast becoming a rising star in the world of sustainable design. The course, one of the first of its kind in the world, saw students exploring zero waste denim under the guidance of mentors Scott Mackinlay Hahn and Rogan Gregory, Founders of Loomstate and no strangers to sustainable design.

Photo credit: Parsons The New School

In concert with the course the school’s Sheila C. Johnson Design Center opened the exhibit Zero Waste Denim last night offering a behind the scenes look at the design and production process through the lens of Loomstate. Rounding out the program, Loomstate will be producing one of the student designs in their Fall 2011 collection.

Photo credit: Parsons The New School

“The exhibit is on view February 8-23, 2011 at the Sheila C. Johnson Design Center, Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries, at Parsons The New School for Design, 66 Fifth Avenue, New York. Admission to the gallery is free. They are open daily 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Thursday evenings until 8:00 p.m.; closed all major holidays and holiday eves. Visit New School for more.” – via treehugger.

No one needs to tell me twice that in the dead of winter the right clothing can make the difference between a glorious, soul lifting run and a torturous, exhausting experience. Whether you’re a city dweller or a country mouse, if you enjoy being in the outdoors winter is the season where gear matters most. This winter on the east coast has been snowy and cold but sunny  – the woods, parks, hills and even sidewalks beckoning you out to go exploring. Each time I bundle up, no matter what the outdoor activity, I find myself reaching over and over again for the same key pieces. Here, 4 brands that are staples in my winter wardrobe and provide gear that will last and keep you comfortable no matter what the elements.

UNDER ARMOUR: This running brand is great for core pieces. Their ColdGear line keeps you toasty with deceptively light weight materials. Their running tights are great with the mock neck tee or convertible tee under whatever good wind-stop fleece or running jacket you have at home. The top will keep your core warm and dry. For really cold days layer a summer-weight tee over the winter gear and if you’ll be in the snow use the running tights like long underwear under your ski pants or just wear with gators. They also make good basic accessories – hats, gloves, underwear and bras.

ATHLETA: Women only – this brand is great for rounding out your winter outdoor wardrobe with a little color or splash of femininity. Their wind-stop mid-weight jackets are super comfortable and last forever – when they say wind-stop they mean it! They’re online only but my Aunt Alice introduced me to this brand 4 years ago and I’ve yet to be disappointed with anything I’ve ordered there.

SMART WOOL: Without question the most comfortable, stylish and warm wool socks out there. They are not cheap but they are worth it – I wear these all winter long for everything from snow shoeing to under riding boots at meetings or events. They’re great over regular tights to keep you nice and warm with skirts or a jumper or they even make full length tights.

NAU: Sometimes when a brand is so well marketed, the skeptic in me worries if the products stand up to the hype but Nau does not disappoint. This is a brand I love everything about. Their base layers are beyond this world effective at keeping you warm and dry and are styled well enough to take you from Sunday morning coffee to yoga to business meeting to cross country skiing and back again. If you can’t tell I literally live in their tops. Their jackets are equally functional and versatile. I picked up their Asylum shell this winter and was doubtful it would be warm enough to take me through the season but so far I’ve been happily proved wrong. There have been many moments outdoors wearing this jacket with just a tee and a light fleece underneath where I’ve been watching people around me freezing and actually been thinking I was a bit too warm and could have done without the fleece. Their tights and pants are great too, and their scarves, and their hoodies, and …. you get the picture.