When you hear the company name “English Retreads” you may imagine getting your tyres upgraded in England. But actually, the company makes its home in the American state of Colorado, and the name comes from the founder, Heather English, the subject of Garments Without Guilt’s continuing spotlight on individuals who have made a positive impact on the environment.

Heather English
(photo from English Retreads)

It all started with an inner tube. That’s what Heather was using at the time to float down Colorado’s Boulder Creek, when a spark of inspiration set her creative ingenuity alight. Being a dedicated vegan, Heather was in need of a non-leather handbag that was not only durable, but fashionable as well. Her inner voice pointed her to her inner tube.

Quoted in the company’s media kit, Heather explains how it all got started:

“I needed a new handbag but I was a hardcore vegetarian. I wanted something that was fashionable and invincible—but not made from leather…I didn’t find what I was looking for, so I went to McGuckin’s, [a favorite local hardware store] bought some tools and started my own personal sweatshop—with me doing the sweating.”

And so English Retreads was born in 2002, with local truck stops and bike shops supplying the inner tubes from used tires. The company now has stores all over the United States, offering eco-conscious customers a stylish range of handbags, wallets, bentleys, belts, clutches and other accessories, all made from recycled inner tubes.

Yes, these handbags are made from recycled inner tubes!
(photo from English Retreads)

To Heather, the fact that these tubes have a “history” makes the final product all the more special. “Just think of all the places these tubes have been…Now it’s your turn to add to their miles and adventures.”

As are these, for men.
(photo from English Retreads)

Through it all, Heather has made sure the mission of English Retreads remains true to her own ideals as it continues to be an eco friendly, people friendly and animal friendly venture. As quoted on the company website she points out in the company’s mission that, “Each new design begins with the idea of striving to keep more waste out of the landfill by creating fashionable, yet sturdy items out of recycled materials…And by turning recycling into a bold fashion statement, we at English Retreads can empower consumers with an ecologically sound alternative to animal products without compromising style or durability. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”

Who knew recycled inner tubes could be so stylish?
(photo from English Retreads)

Perusing the English Retreads mission page also brought into light two other facts worth mentioning. The company is working in partnership with Native Energy in order to minimize their carbon footprint and is also committed to the fair and ethical treatment of employees and workers along with promoting healthy communities where it does business.

Vested in achieving a balance as a Triple Bottom Line company (people, planet, profit), English Retreads bears testament to the ingenuity of the human mind and in particular, one Heather English who reminds us that fashion can be eco-friendly, stylishly simple and fun at the same time!

We at Garments Without Guilt are continuing to highlight individuals who have set the world ablaze (pun intended!) with their dogged determination in helping to uplift the lives of those in need. (A quick apology to all you budding arsonists who might have come to this post having been misled by the title.)

In today’s spotlight are Lauren Bush and Ellen Gustafson, the founders of FEED Projects, who we mentioned in our earlier post Fashion Labels With a Conscience - Part 2.

Lauren Bush & Ellen Gustafson
(photo from Feedprojects)

It all started with a bag. In 2006, Lauren Bush (a well-known model at the time) designed the FEED 1 bag in partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). From its humble beginnings, the bag soon became an inspirational symbol of how a simple idea can help change the world.

Writing for Ecouterre, Lauren explains how FEED Projects got started:

“I helped start FEED Projects in 2006 as an “accidental” business. FEED’s true mission was to sell the FEED 1 bag, which feeds one child in school for one year through the United Nations World Food Program. Once it became obvious that the UN could not sell the bag itself to raise money and awareness, my business partner, Ellen Gustafson, and I decided the best route would be to start our own company.”

Lauren & Friends
(photo from Ecouterre)

Read the rest of this entry »

Don’t worry, we at Garments Without Guilt are not advocating arson, but rather giving a shout-out to those individual “sparks” who have tirelessly taken up the cause of those left out in the cold.

Today we take a look at Annie Oakley Waterman, founder of the annie O. boutique.

(photo from annieoboutique)

It all started with a trip to Peru. It was here that Annie came across a women’s cooperative with around 80 members who were engaged in producing traditional embroidered textiles, but were still trapped in poverty.

Writing on her company’s website on what got her started, Annie says, “I traveled down to Peru about three years ago, where I made the connection. I was drawn to their work because it is women run and supports women who are often victims of domestic violence. These women are living in impoverished conditions, and I saw such a chance to help, seeing they produce vibrant and irresistible embroidered textiles.”

…And so the spark was lit!

She saw an opportunity to help these women find sustainable livelihoods by incorporating modern designs with the hand woven creations they were producing. The result of this collaboration is a flamboyant range of embroidered belts, clutch bags, handbags, scarves and other accessories that blend contemporary style with the vibrant colors of Peru.

…And the spark became a flame!

(photo from annieoboutique)

The end result was more than just an exchange of ideas or monetary transactions, but rather a start of a close partnership that brought financial stability to these women and their families, while helping them sustain a better way of life.

The annie O. boutique has branched out from its humble beginnings and apart from supporting “fair trade practices which promote healthy lifestyles and financial independence” for the women’s collective in Peru, it now works with female artisan cooperatives in other parts of the world as well.

…And so the flame became a fire!

Through it all, Annie is quite clear on what the company’s objectives should be:

“The goal is to create beautiful accessories, with a conscious and a story. To help these artists create financial stability and a sustainable income. To empower these women and support traditional artisan craftsmanship…It’s a collaboration and these women are my inspiration.”

And you are one of ours. Thank you Annie for showing us yet another example of ethical, eco-friendly, sustainable Garments Without Guilt that make the world a better place.

Women runners rejoice! It’s finally here, an organic sports bra that not only feels great, but has a non-invasive pocket up front for your iPod (or for cash or credit cards). You can forget about those pesky (and sometimes itchy!) armbands for your mp3 player and now run with the freedom and comfort that comes from a sports bra that is made from 90% organic cotton.

Freedom! (Photo from Girlhabits)

Called “Mi-bra”, this eco-friendly sports bra is the brainchild of Carolina Baker, who as a regular marathon runner was not happy with the existing products in the market. Quoted in Eco-Chick, she explains the circumstances that led to the creation of Mi-bra.

Creator of Mi-bra, Carolina Baker
Photo from Girlhabits

“I was having chafing issues with my other sports bras and running with my music was becoming a nuisance because my armband kept sliding down my arm. I started putting my iPod in between my sports bra and tank top and it stayed put quite well. I started searching the internet for sports bras with pockets and couldn’t find any! That’s when I knew I had an idea I could run with (no pun intended) and so I did.”

And so Mi-bra was born!

Writing for Eco-Chick, Starre Vartan also points out that while this sports bra retails at an affordable 20$, the label behind the brand is a socially conscious one as well: “…a portion of the proceeds of the bra benefit Back on My Feet, a charity organization that uses running as a means to get homeless men and women back into jobs and school.”

Who says you can’t stay in shape, look good, be eco-friendly and help those in need at the same time!

(Photos from Treehugger)

Mi-bras can be purchased via the girlhabits.com website which is also a great site to find out more on its creator, Carolina and get her interesting insights into life.

“Remember those awe-inspiring moments you had as a kid? When you believed you could do anything, be anything, and that nothing could/would ever stop you? You CAN do anything, BE anything, and nothing IS stopping you. If you can overcome the mental hurdles that life throws at you, you CAN and WILL achieve your dreams.”(Carolina Baker)

Thank goodness Carolina followed her dreams. Women runners everywhere thank you whole heartedly!

Mi-bra has a facebook page, while those interested in the latest developments concerning the humble sports bra, should definitely check out the Garments Without Guilt blog post regarding a bra that could actually generate its own electricity–enough to recharge an ipod!

In a previous post, we mentioned an eco-friendly and fair trade clothing and accessory shop called Global Girlfriend (a Greater Good Store). Having seen the phrase “Greater Good” on some Burt’s Bees products lately, we thought we’d delve deeper into what this Greater Good might be.

First, we went to Greater Good.com. They tell us that they have “simple online ways to protect the health and well-being of people, animals and the planet.” Well we’re behind all that. Below the words “Helping People” we saw a list of organizations that include Global Girlfriend, but also the Pink Ribbon Store.com, The Museum Shop.com. Apparently, much like Care2.com, you can click on the link to have sponsors pay-per-click to a chosen charity.

You can also shop at any of the stores, where, “by purchasing one of the 4500+ products that we carry, including jewelry, apparel, and gifts…a charity royalty of from 5-30% [is] paid on every item purchased.” Global Girlfriend has a whole range of clothing and jewelry, bath & body products and accessories, and gifts too!�
But you can also be really specific about where your money goes with their Gifts that Give More™. So we went to Global Girlfriend and clicked on Gifts that Give More™ link to see what we could choose. First, we chose between issues: Hunger & Poverty, Children’s Health and Well-being, Literacy & Children’s Education, Protecting & Restoring the Environment, Care & Feeding of Rescued Animals, and Breast Cancer & Women’s Health. Clicking on Literacy & Children’s Education gave us choices like “Send two girls to school in Afghanistan – from $20” or “Liberate Girls from Indentured Servitude – from $50”. See? Really specific, so you can choose a situation that really matters to you. Or you can click on GreaterGood.org to go straight to the charity portion of the whole organization to learn more.

The Greater Good that Burt’s Bees is talking about is their Greater Good Foundation. Burt’s Bees, as you probably know, is an “Earth friendly natural personal care company” that creates products for lips, face, body and hair. Their Greater Good Foundation is an extension of their corporate ethics. The video above is clearly proof of the American company’s global reach.

“We look to help empower non-profit initiatives whose efforts resonate with our own mission, particularly in the areas of natural health and well-being, the environment and social responsibility. The Foundation is run by volunteer employees and funded by a donation of 10 percent of our burtsbees.com website sales, Bee-utify Your World tour sales and employee orders. Learn more in our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report.

What else might be a Greater Good? A search on Wikipedia told us that “The Greater Good” may also refer to:

• The Greater Good (comedy group), an American sketch-comedy trio
• A Greater Good (History 1998–2008), an album by Neuroticfish
• The Greater Good, or the Passion of Boule de Suif, an opera by Stephen Hartke
• Greater Good Science Center, a research center at the University of California, Berkeley
• ”The Greater Good”, a song by Nine Inch Nails from Year Zero
• The Greater Good, the unifying philosophy of the Tau in the table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000
• Television episodes from CSI: NY, House, Lost, or Stargate Universe.

So clearly, whether it’s from the realm of fashion, beauty, comedy, music, science, video games or TV, The Greater Good is likely to be pretty good, and guilt-free!�

Not to be gossips, but in our last post, we at Garments Without Guilt took what Treehugger said about Ecouterre and told you. But that’s called “Word of Mouth” when it comes to promoting good companies and good causes, right? Now we’ll give you a few more fashion labels that have built corporate giving in to the way they do business.

• FEED Projects – Dispelling any doubts that one person can truly make a difference, Lauren Bush helped start FEED Projects which look to “create good products that FEED the world.” Funds are raised through the sale of organic FEED bags (consisting of natural burlap and 100 percent organic cotton) made into fashionable and useful totes, in order to achieve the organization’s main goal: “…to FEED and educate the world’s 400 million hungry children.”

See the bag? (Photo from Ecouterre)

• Satara – Satara is a non profit organization that looks to empower underprivileged women in India. Employed as seamstresses, these women are instrumental in putting together Satara’s unique fashion designs and in turn are provided with, as they say on their foundation site, “…training, entrepreneurial support, and access to the global market under fair conditions.”

(Photo from Satara.com)

• EDUN – Founded by U2’s Bono and his wife Ali Hewson, EDUN’s mission according to the company’s chief mission officer, Christian Kemp-Griffin, is to “…create beautiful clothing and sustainable trade in the developing world, in particular, sub-Saharan Africa”. EDUN’s mission focuses on increasing trade with Africa and looks to “…build sustainable farming communities and provide a fair trade market for their cotton.”

Photo from Ecouterre.�

Sure, every fashion label out there wants “in” on the eco-ethical bandwagon these days, but do they really practice what they preach? Well the good news is that socially conscious fashion labels that take their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) seriously, do exist! Giving them the recognition that they deserve, Treehugger.com rounds up Ecouterre’s “Best of Ecouterre: 7 Fashion Labels With a Conscience”, and now we’re going to pass the good news on to you.

• TOMS Shoes – For every pair purchased, the people at TOMS Shoes will give: 1) a pair of shoes to a needy child, and 2) to another Charity: Water. Their latest project: building a clean water well in a village in Ethiopia. Funds for the well will be raised through the sale of two exclusive, limited edition shoes.

• 141 Eyewear – The philosophy of 141 Eyewear in donating eyewear to those in need, is similar to that of TOMS Shoes. In their own words “For every pair of 141 Eyewear purchased, we give a new pair of prescription glasses to a person in need. No portions of proceeds. No percentages. You buy, we give. One Four One.” Get it? 1-4-1?

Photo from Ecouterre

• FIGS – The “threads for threads” philosophy at FIGS is quite simple: “With every tie purchase, FIGS gives a uniform to a child in order for them to attend school.”

Photo from Ecouterre

• The Red Rail – This unique Dutch initiative requires those wanting to own one of the designer ensembles on offer, to pay in blood! Founded in order to “…create a new generation of blood donors by promoting the act of giving,” this limited, one of a kind collection will be given away on a lottery basis only to those who are registered blood donors.

Photo from Ecouterre

More in our next post!

The Great American Apparel Diet began with 18 women who decided to diet, (it’s more like a fast, really), and not buy any new clothing for an entire year. From there, it has grown to be a global sensation.

It’s good for those who have been hit by economic challenges, and good for the environment, two of the biggest hallmarks of the current global climate. Making this commitment encourages people to use what they have, and to perhaps even creatively up-cycle items for use as accessories or new wardrobe pieces.

After a year of examining the underlying reasons they feel the need to shop, they were ready to be unleashed upon the shopping malls once again. But now they had created new criteria:
• Choose items that you really love
• Choose high quality items that can be worn repeatedly
• Choose… well, basically, Garments Without Guilt – clothing made ethically, ecologically and sustainably.

Their blogs follow the experiences of those have made the one-year commitment. For the original 18, it ended on Sept 2nd, 2010, but you can join in at any time. And for those who have completed their consumer-diet-boot-camp, the site has added a section called Conscious Shopping.

“Every one of these lines is fashionable, eco-friendly and made in the US or fairly traded. This way you can rest assured you are not hurting the planet on your shopping excursions…at least not too badly. Enjoy!”

Their list includes many labels we’ve told you about before like:

Loomstate Organic - mentioned in How Jeans and T-Shirts Can Save the World and Are Eco-Ethical Clothing Lines Taking Over?

Popomomo - mentioned in L.A.’s (Eco-Friendly!) Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week Greenshows

Playback Clothing mentioned in Playback Clothing Recycles Hues Too

Vaute Couture - also mentioned briefly in New York Fashion Week Greenshows .

And some we’re happy to tell you about now! Like:
~Indigenous – fair trade and organic

~Global Girlfriend (a Greater Good Store)

~c. marchuska

~Degree Six (ºVI)

~Ashley Watson Recycled Leather

~Liv Grn

~Good Society

~reMade USA

~ecoSkin

~ Doie

Check out The Great American Apparel Diet’s Conscious Shopping section for the whole scoop!

It’s all over the eco-ethical fashion blogs – sustainable designer John Patrick decided to host an event rather than a runway show, and it’s gotten quite a bit of attention. This low impact interactive event took place in a small room at the Ace Hotel in Manhattan, where the models posed for photographs in front of a white backdrop.

ORGANIC by John Patrick Spring 2011 (photo: Abigail Doan of Ecco Eco)

The designer told Treehugger’s Emma Grady, “There’s zero footprint with this presentation; people motor in, we don’t have any trash on set, and no bottled water.”

Her story continued by explaining that water is an environmental issue close to John Patrick’s heart. “When I reached John through the crowd he was already speaking passionately about how the United Nations adopted water as a human right and to the idea of the global village. He said, ‘We’re all drinking the same water,’ and continued, ‘if you really want to understand me, go and look at the water fountain that the mayor put on the street for me….’”

photo of John Patrick at the fountain from Ecouterre

John Patrick Organic was the winner of the Ecco Domani 2010 Sustainable Design Award who say that “John Patrick is one of the pioneers of ‘green’ fashion and designs his Organic Collection with a vision of raising the profile of the sustainable areas of the industry. He has since helped to increase the use of botanical dyes, recycled fabrics and organic wool yarns and has resurrected traditional eco-conscious practices … He works with vendors and factories around the world to create next-generation sustainable textiles and adopt more sustainable manufacturing methods with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality for his brand.”

“Beautiful is beautiful is beautiful. The simplest things in the world are the most precious,” says Patrick. “I was inspired by the majesty and power of water for this collection in all of its purity.”

Ecouterre writes, “Even the models’ hair echoed the aqueous theme, with Aveda lead stylist Jenn sculpting their tresses into “wilted waves.” The undone, wavy look, is sexy and unrestrained, notes Patrick, inspired by a girl’s hair after she’s been underwater.

You can see in these photos from Ecouterre how casual and interactive the event was, with the designer interacting with both the press and the girls.

photo of John Patrick talking from Ecouterre

photo of John Patrick “tweaking” his Spring 2011 classic trench – by Abigail Doan for Ecco Eco

And at some point, each model had a turn in front of the backdrop alone – as you can see in this montage of photos taken from the slideshow on Treehugger by Emma Grady.

We love how Ecco Eco summed it up – so here it is:

“Lessons learned: Sustainability is not about materials alone. Sure this is a significant part of the equation, but it also high time to look at the whole picture when it comes to ethical sourcing, de-centralized manufacturing, and even the greener lifestyle choices of celebrated designers. It’s not easy to walk away from the fashion parade of jet setting, urban life, but John Patrick has done just this and consequently created a way for us to experience refinement in our day-to-day lives while also smartly updating the past for a brighter future.”

To see all the photos we’ve seen, check out the following slideshows by clicking on these links:

~Ecco Eco

~TreeHugger

~Ecouterre

And we’re sure you’ll agree that certainly, these are Garments Without Guilt!

One of the newest fixtures to be part of New York Fashion Week is The GreenShows - the premiere fashion event exclusively committed to eco-friendly, ethically sound, fair-trade fashion during New York Fashion Week. The GreenShows produces full-length runway shows featuring a selection of designers invited to show their entire collections to an audience of influential editors, buyers and fashion VIP’s. They believe fashion can be considerate of the earth, animals and mankind and their mission is to share that vision.

Now in its third season, ten designers have been chosen once again to share their own interpretations of green and sustainable fashion. The video above shows you the show from the February NYFW 2010, where you’ll see designs from Samantha Pleet, Popomomo, Joann Berman, Ekovaruhuset, and Vaute Couture. (For more info check out Inhabitat’s coverage.)

On Sept 13 – 15 2010, the designers will be, in the order of the shows themselves:

Susan Cianciolo - Artist-cum-designer

Luis Valenzuela - mixed-media artist and designer aimed at creating “a more promising and sustainable future with recycled and upcycled materials.”

Auralis with timeless yet contemporary styling of free-flowing fabrics like hemp gauze, organic-cotton dobby, and bamboo jersey

JoAnn Berman with her sizzling colors and clashing textures

Ashton Michael - with his Hollywood label made up of handmade pieces for men and women that juxtapose hard edges with theatrical silhouettes

Milliners Guild — a collective of small and independent milliners working within the eco/sustainable/local ethos present “Heads Up” which will feature hats made from organics, recycled or re-used materials.

Lavuk offers sweatshop-free, locally made garments of organic cotton, Tencel, hemp, and deadstock silk designed to have multiple styling possibilities. Every item bought means one tree gets planted!

Dress Reform designer Krystal Hoffacker creates natural-fiber, handcrafted pieces drawing from nature, ethnic clothing, quilted textiles, and Japanese Shibori.

Bright Young Things by Eliza Starbuck may be familiar for those who admired her work with Sheena Matheiken on The Uniform Project.

Samantha Pleet has been charming eco-fashionistas for a while now, as you can see above.

For more info and photos, check out Ecouterre’s coverage!