THE GALLERY LA’S MISSION STATEMENT:
"Our desire is to raise global awareness of sustainable living and transform the world of fashion. We achieve this by promoting socially responsible designers who are agents of change.
This is our Green Initiative and our reason for being."
THE VIBE: cool and groovy and oh so green! After a whirlwind 48 hours in LA, we were delighted to plop down with an Adina organic Ethiopian iced espresso. Being that we were in the Gallery, the coffee served is of course USDA organic. Adina gathers their 100% organic ingredients from co-ops, collectives and small producers around the world, and insist that they are paid a fair wage that’s typically well-above market price.
Served on ice, this organic treat is just sweet enough.
www.adinaworld.com
ABOUT MIKEY KOFFMAN
Mikey is a guru on all things eco. Although she calls herself a “humanitarian” she is more than that – she’s one h—l of a PR and salesperson. We were very impressed by the show she put together in March at Mercedes Benz LA Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios, and look forward to her next one [and a great after-party as before!] in October.
Mikey reps 11 lines, for her, animal rights and human rights go hand in hand with sustainability.
She sat down with us and answered some of our questions about what it takes to qualify for a green standard.
LYRA MAG: What does it mean when a farm says, “We’re certified organic”?
MIKEY: To be a certified organic farm: you have to be pesticide and chemical free for 7 years. Needless to say, very few qualify.
LYRA: Why do so many people make an issue about factory farming?
MIKEY: It’s the easiest target, it’s much easier to attack factory farming instead of insisting everyone be vegan.
LYRA: A lot of the green lines we like don’t use organic dyes. What do you think about organic dyes?
MIKEY: Organic dyes are really tough because they haven’t been tested enough. You’re in a catch 22 because you want the customer to be happy, not for
You have to be able to produce a garment that is fashion forward, is sustainable and will sell, that’s the challenge we’re facing with now.
THE 4 LINES THAT CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION:
SMART GLASS JEWELRY
MISSION STATEMENT/MOTTO: “Drink it. Wear it. The beautiful jewelry inside this box was handcrafted by Atlanta Artist Kathleen Plate from a recycled bottle. Really!”
Kathleen gets her bottles to make her jewelry from Coca Cola and the Aveda Corporation. She also uses some special blue sake bottles as well as the wine and beer bottles she donates to affiliated events – she donates the liquor inside, and keeps the bottles to make jewelry.
Kathleen is growing her profile, she’ll be debuting on the Home Shopping Network in a 1 hour spot in July and 1 in August as their “organic guru”, when she’ll be talking about Smart Glass and other eco products.
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PRICING: $30 – 250 per item
BRANCHING OUT
Kathleen is also available for special projects such as chandeliers. She’s been commissioned by Magic to create the installations, which will include some of her stunning chandeliers.
We were thrilled with the ultra light emerald green glass gypsy hoop earrings we received in our gift bag. We’ve never liked beer, so finally, something about beer we like!
For more information on Smart Glass and to view the collection, visit
www.smartglassjewelry.com
PROTECT THE ELEMENT
THE DESIGNER: ROSHI SALIM
Roshi’s line looked elegant yet laid back, and luckily for us, she happened to be in the showroom, preparing for the show later that week at Fred Segal.
Roshi describes her line as, “A mix of yoga and couture dresses." She prides herself on doing everything in its natural state, but she did add in some black pieces due to requests from buyers. The black pieces appeal to celebrities such as AMY SMART, who wore one of Roshi’s black dresses to the Gallery's Show in March at Mercedes Benz Smashbox Fashion Week.
RETAIL PRICING: $80 - $350/400
PANBEH YOGA BAGS – in Persian, Panbeh means cotton.
Designer, FARIMAH, came up with a nifty idea when she created these eco-friendly organic canvas cotton yoga bags. Panbeh bags are multifunctional and can be used not only for yoga, but also for the gym, the beach, or anytime you need to tote your stuff around..
What we loved best: Panbeh puts an end to dropping your yoga mat as you attempt to carry it in your tote bag, which is always off-balance.
We wish we’d had a Panbeh bag on our trip back to New York.
For more information on Panbeh bags, visit
www.panbeh.net
JUNGLE GURL - This retro inspired swim line put us in the mood for Mercedes Benz Miami Swim Week coming up in July, and it was favorite line in the Gallery LA's Showroom.
THE DESIGNER: NATALIE GONLONKA is a former model-cum-actress-cum-designer. Says Natalie, “Norma women don’t associate bikini shopping with a love-fest. “But they should! Because buying a bikini symbolizes a certain freedom. It means you’re breaking the restraints and getting to the most beautiful you!”
THE CONCEPT: Taking the vintage fabrics in explosively bright prints that she’s amassed over years of global travel and reworking them into one-of-a-kind bikinis that happen to be eco-friendly.
THE VIBE: retro Miami, Malibu, Hawaii, and Marbella, with the glamour of the seventies disco era when everyone wore great bikinis like these and had a San Tropez Tan to go with it.
WHERE TO GET THEM:
Fred Segal, Planet Blue, Lulu’s [South Beach, Miami]
For more information, visit the official website,
www.junglegurl.com
END NOTE – KEEPING TABS ON M THE MOVEMENT:
We’re keeping an eye on M – the Movement. M showed his urban hip hop line at the Gallery LA's show at the last Mercedes Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios. Both he and his clothes were a big hit with the crowd. Says Mikey, “He’s just merged with a much larger company. He’s like a Monk, an incredible person. He uses a lot of sustainable fabrics in his line, 50% + of his fabrics are sustainable.”