Green GLAMOUR: The Class Trade Show LA, the be ECO CHIC Global launch Evenbt & Cynthia Gale's Geo Art Showroom
Text, Vivian G. Kelly & Laura C. Wood
Images of the be ECO CHIC show, Casi Densmore-Koon
Images of the Geo Art and of Cynthia Gale, courtesy of Geo Art by Cynthia Gale
Images of the ECO CHIC Global Launch Event, Casi Densmore-Koon
Image of the be Eco Chic invitation from www.beecochic.com
THE CLASS TRADE SHOW
TIME/PLACE: August 20, 2008 at the Santa Monica Convention Center
The event had some wonderful extras we hadn’t expected at a trade show such as an incredible massage courtesy of the OC SPA located in Huntington Harbour, California. If you can’t get there for one of the massages you can however order one of their adorable eco bags online for well under $100. This is a great price point especially in the eco market which tends to have a bit of a higher markup.
CROC CONNECTION
Also well-priced are OCEAN MINDED’s eco flip flops. Believe it or not, Ocean Minded is owned by CROCS, although they originally started out as a cause driven company to clean up the beaches and oceans. The sandals are actually made out of recycled Crocs and come in a bunch of cute styles under $50. Maybe it’s time to add a pair of these to your wardrobe to sit next to the Havainas you’ve already got sitting in your closet.
JEANS
We spent some time with the guys from NUDIE JEANS who are partnered with AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL. They’re a European company that’s looking to sell their jeans in the USA. Hats off to Class for bringing some innovative new resources.
In the meantime, to see more of their collection, go to their official collection,
www.nudiejeans.com
One of the highlights was finding URTH BAGS. We’ve posted an image of one of our favorites, the
Recycled Coconut Shell Bags- Sling
Dimensions: 21x10x13cm
Urth Bags are bags with a purpose. They desire owners who choose to live Eco-friendly lifestyles and are looking for a bag to share it with. Urth Bags are ready to be taken anywhere and for any occasion. They are durable, stylish and ready to be reliable companions to any lifestyle. They come in many different styles and are all made from recycled or biodegradable materials so you can feel good about owning one while making a bold eco-fashion statement.
Price: $68.00
Our other pick was Urth's
Recycled Juice Box Bag-Clutch
Dimensions: 9x4x1 in.
Price: $33.50
Available online at www.theocspa.com
GREEN THEME
Class Trade Show did stick to their overall Green Theme, they partnered with TRUE OFFSETS a Hawaian company that bought abandoned sugar cane fields and go there themselves and plant native Hawaian trees there. This is a great organization to hook up with if you want to reduce your carbon footprint for your event.
To find out more, visit their website,
www.trueoffsets.com
The be ECO CHIC Global Launch Event
Time/Place: @7PM, Thursday, September 4, 2008
The Milstein Hall Ocean Life at the Museum of Natural History
79th Street and Central Park West
WHAT IS “BE ECO CHIC”? - A campaign dedicated to raising awareness of environmentalism through fashion”.
It's realizing that we can live green without giving up our sense of style. Living eco can be chic.”
After watching the celebrity walkers in eco designer fashions by the likes of Donna Karan and Carmen Marc Valvo, we agree!
We were so looking forward to this event that we skipped the La Perla party [the line was ridiculously long] and took a bike taxi over to the Museum arriving just in time to watch supermodel ANGELA LINDVALL introduce the first look. As at the Vogue/CFDA/Earthpledge the season before, some of the world’s top designers participated and made an eco garment for the show. Some of the designers who participated were: Chado Ralph Rucci, Carmen Mark Valvo, Nicole Miller, Donna Karan [DKNY] and Christian Cota, one of our favorites of the week. The sponsorship was equally stellar: Mercedes-Benz, Lycra, Neutrogena, Aveeno, the Sierra Club, and the Eco-Mom Alliance, to name just some of the many sponsors who got behind this very well attended event.
To learn more about be Eco Chic, visit their website,
www.beecochic.com
A VISIT TO THE GEO ART by CYNTHIA GALE SHOWROOM and a chat with designer, CYTHIA GALE
We love Cynthia's I LOVE GREEN eco jewelry, but she does much more. Cynthia is famous for the product development she does for the Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as a lot of museum and gallery work for the Jewish Museum and the Museum of Natural History.
The I LOVE GREEN Collection
Said Cynthia, “As a designer you have to be out there interfacing and interacting with the people you’re selling to. The line extension includes some new pieces that feature more stones.
We’re not fans of treehugger.com but there’s “the sterling silver “treehugger pendant necklace on a silk robe cord.
They always incorporate fashion in the line, such as a big jade cocktail ring and the big bangles."
WHAT’S HOT: the resin bangles. There’s sand bamboo, banana leaf and bamboo set into the resin. You can currently get the antique batik for the $25 – 35 a bracelet. One looks great, three look even better. The spring bracelets will available in stores in March 2009.
WHERE TO GET IT:
Browse the collection at www.geoartnyc.com
Items from the Green Collection are also available at Practically Green, Down to Earth Goods, in Ridgefield, CT
Tel: 203-431-3000