Eco-Stylista

One of the hardest things about riding your super cute cruiser around town in the summer definitely isn’t getting from A to B. It’s finding the perfect bag to throw over your shoulder that won’t slip in front of you while you’re riding like a traditional handbag, but will hopefully look a bit cuter than your old high school backpack. Thankfully, Looptworks has just released a bag that will surely meet all the necessary criteria to complete your summer cycling style.


Using excess durable, water-resistant nylon fabric rescued from China, the Weilong Travel Bag is made from completely upcycled materials that otherwise would have gone to waste. With two summer color options to choose from right now – Green Zebra/Planet of the Grapes (shown above) and Orange/Floral Print- you don’t get a lot of choices, but there are more coming in the fall. Each bag has an adjustable strap so you can tighten it for your ride, then loosen it when you’re just walking about. They also come standard with a leashed coin purse combined with a cell phone patch pocket and a zipped lined pocket, so nothing will tumble out while you’re riding and you can keep the necessities handy without getting lost in the jumble of other things you can fit in there.

More pics of the orange bag and the upcoming fall designs after the jump!

(more…)

Laura Lombardi‘s beautiful jewelry pieces are a complete rarity for a number of reasons.

#1: Like I said, they’re beautiful. And I mean like every single piece. Her collections aren’t the kind of thing where you pick and choose a few pieces that you like, but try to forget about the rest. Instead, it’s hard to choose just one favorite (or 5 or 10 for that matter). Some of the necklaces and earrings are simple and sleek, while others drape several layers of intricate metal. There is not set formula to them and that’s one of things about them.

#2: She uses almost entirely repurposed or vintage materials in order to make every piece, but you’d never know it. They look just as high end as anything hand-crafted from brand new metals. In her own words: “Sourcing components that spark my interest is the first part of my process…. My inclination in both art and design has always been to start with objects that are already in existence and present them in a new context.”

#3: They’re affordable! Hold the presses everyone. You can actually purchase these and not break the bank, even in this economy. You could – if you shop just right – purchase 3 completely different pieces and not even break $100 total. And your friends won’t know the difference. You’ll own several amazingly unique pieces of jewelry that no one else you know will have and you’ll probably garner tons of attention for them. And you can still afford your rent!

The world is a crazy place people. So crazy, that not everyone knows about Laura’s designs yet. Well congratulations, now you know. Check out a few of my favorite pieces (with prices and links to buy) below!

(more…)

Flipping through the pages of any glossy fashion magazine for the perfect handbag, you’re likely to find many made of leather and plastic and all kinds of things you can dream up which are harmful for the environment, may have resulted from the (brutally painful) death of some innocent cute and furry animals, but are of course oh-so-pretty. Luckily Matt & Nat saw how nasty a trend this was and created their eponymous handbag company which is totally animal-friendly and always made from recycled materials! Each collection is not only 100% vegan but fashion-forward and shows heavy influence from modern art and architecture.

You’d have no idea just looking at it, but these bags are made from recycled plastic bottles. They use them to create new fabrics each season – like canvas, felt, and this time around, a synthetic leather made to mimic ancient Japanese Washi paper that has a natural gentle crinkle to it and light shine.

MORE PHOTOS AFTER THE JUMP!

(more…)

While I am strongly against fur and leather for both ethical AND environmental reason – plus the fact that it just plain grosses me out – I can really get behind anyone who is able to make use of what would otherwise be discarded, even if it’s made of leather. The fewer animals that need to die in the name of fashion, the better. So with that in mind, check out a couple of Etsy sellers who are doing this in a really awesome way, making fun updates to discarded leather bags.

Handmade in Canada, and named after the designer’s Norwegian grandparents, Hoakon/Helga makes cute recycled leather bags with big bows, funky prints, and…. plaid? And almost all the bags for sale right now are under $100!

(found via Ethical Style Blog)

A bit on the more expensive side, there is also Vivien Cheng, who brings old handbags to life by painting on new designs to spruce them up and give them a whole new personality.

(found via Green Grechen)