a green melbourne fashion fling

I just had a fabulous long weekend in Melbourne (we took the train of course).  The past couple of months all my spare time has been spent working on my book and all I wanted to do was eat, drink and relax, oh, and shop, of course. What would a trip to Melbourne be without shopping?  I wanted to keep everything as green as possible, too, and Melbourne was the perfect destination.

Here's a rundown of the eco-fashion highlights of my weekend:

hunter gatherer
I scored 2 dresses, 1 skirt, 1 poncho and 1 amazing retro jumper for the hubby between the Fitzroy and City stores.  I will certainly be back next time I'm in Melbourne. Actually, I may have to make up an excuse to get back sooner than planned I love this store so much.

 

Fitzroy/Collingwood
I was overwhelmed by the range of vintage clothing and furniture in this corner of Melbourne, suitable for a range of tastes and budgets. I also loved the pride for local fashion in this area. The Rose Street Markets are held every weekend featuring handmade pieces by local artists, and Tomorrow Never Knows is a funky, friendly shop filled with Melbourne-made pieces, mostly made of 100% cotton, and they also sell Otto and Spike scarves and beanies knitted from surplus materials of the wool industry.

I was disappointed to discover The Social Studio was closed when I arrived on Sunday afternoon, though, I should've planned better. In this studio beautiful, unique pieces are created by young refugees in the area using recycled and excess fabrics -  a wonderful shop with a wonderful ethos - luckily I can shop online!

And after wandering along Johnston and Smith Streets, I know where I'd be buying amazing secondhand furtniture if I lived in Melbourne.  I'm slightly jealous . . .



Zoologie
Located in Manchester Lane next to Design a Space for local designers, Zoologie creates modern fashion pieces designed to stand the test of time, aiming to be the antithesis of fast-fashion.  The label also relies solely on local manufacturers in order to guarantee good work conditions and to treat people fairly - a very socially sustainable business practice not present in many modern fashion labels.  I bought these fabulous equestrian-inspired pants and a mod-fab mini and I'm definitely hooked.

Gorman
I've long been a fan of Gorman, and it rates really well on How Big Is Your Eco, too.  I was thrilled to find this bomber jacket made of Tencel plus a beautiful cotton and silk dress for a wedding I'm in later this year at the outlet store in Richmond.  As I was in the fitting room the hubby graciously used his iPhone to look up Tencel and its eco-credentials: it's made of wood from sustainably harvested forests, which you'd never guess when you feel its silk-like texture; the chemicals used in production are less harsh than those required for bamboo; and 99% of the chemicals are reused so it's essentially a closed-loop production process. Pretty amazing for such a luxurious fabric.

I try to reduce and reuse as much fashion as possible, but every now and then I just have to buy some new items - I love fashion too much to give up all the new stuff.  But I was a conscious consumer the entire weekend and ended up with some fantastic eco-fashion finds.  I have none of the guilt of my previous shopping sprees (both my wallet and the environment were less damaged this time around), and I'm even left feeling optimistic about the state of the eco-fashion world after easily finding so many sustainable options.  Thanks Melbourne for a gloriously green weekend!

Stay tuned for my next installment of Melbourne in a few days - a green food special.

a green surry hills fling

A couple days ago I popped over to the South Side (of Sydney Harbour) on an eco-shopping excursion. Destination: the ethical shop I Ran The Wrong Way.  Unfortunately, I hadn't looked up the store's opening hours and was left staring wistfully through the closed shop's window, devastated. 

Even from my window view (and the amazing online store) it's obvious this place stocks the best of the best for the conscious consumer plus all your eco-essentials.  This store of eco- and ethical-wonders is only open Thursday through Saturday though, so plan accordingly because this is one eco-hangout you don't want to miss. I for one can't wait to run the right way back to this store very soon.

Cushion with crochet from black plastic bags,
created in Burkina Faso, Fair Trade

Plastic Fantastic by the amazing Supercyclers

Never one to waste an afternoon in Surry Hills, I got a quick vintage-shopping fix by popping across the road to David met Nicole. I've long loved this shop's styling and the beautiful reused items filling every nook and cranny and hadn't been inside for a couple years.  I didn't make any purchases, but I did enjoy examining the eco-luxurious secondhand furniture, lighting fixtures and miscellaneous bits and pieces like ceramic dolls heads, dice, tin cars, rubber stamps and scrabble squares. 

I did come across the below piece for my kitchen - what do you think?

Vintage food storage cabinet, circa 1890s-1900s

All in all, my excursion was a nice reminder that eco-shopping never goes exactly as planned, but I always enjoy the discoveries that I make along the way.  And, of course, I'll be running back to Surry Hills and very soon indeed.

a green artwork fling

I enjoy art, and I enjoy having pretty things in my home; I've also been known to spend a bit of cash updating my home accessories to keep my apartment in the latest style. 

This is why I LOVE my chalkboard wall - a wonderful reusable canvas that allows me to change the artwork in my home on a regular basis.  It's the perfect home accessory for this fickle fashionista. 

Okay, I'll admit the chalkboard paint itself was not environmentally friendly - those VOCs could have been detected from two blocks away, and the clean up was extremely difficult - but now that the wall is complete it saves me from buying new things for my apartment every few months because I can update the design whenever I feel bored.

Here are some of my favourite pieces over the past couple of years.

Floral inspiration

Owls courtesy of 'guest artist' Nat Boog

Fireworks

 I'd love to hear from any artists who want to inspire my next design!

a green iPhone fling

So far I've resisted upgrading to the iPhone 4.  My current iPhone was less than a year old when the new version came out, so in the spirit of 'de-materialisation' (translation: buying only what I need), I've stayed strong.  After all, about 70% of all metal waste is from e-waste, in the US anyway, and I don't want to add to the problem (of course I'd recycle my phone when the time came - but reduce first, right?)

I even stayed strong after dropping my iPhone one too many times, and a tiny crack appeared in the base; instead I decided it was time to get an iPhone cover, so I began researching eco-friendly covers.

If I had an iPhone 4 I would absolutely purchase a gorgeous, artistically designed bamboo cover like this one by Grove.

Birdland

Isn't is divine?! Sadly they don't make them for iPhone 3 anymore.  I'm devastated. 

Instead I bought an Incase Bamboo slider made from 40% reclaimed bamboo shards - this means the bamboo pieces are being saved from the landfill and protecting my iPhone at the same time. Love it!

Like Grove, Incase appears to have discontinued iPhone 3 covers, but I found some on eBay and promptly ordered one in Eggplant.

I didn't think I'd like having a cover on my phone, I've always loved the sleekness of the original design. But when I hold it in my hand and feel the tiny bamboo pieces I'm reminded that I've done the best thing for the environment.  Actually, it's sort of like having a whole new phone after all - a fantastic fix for this still-recovering shopping addict!

a green reading fling

My book club meets in a couple weeks time and we're reading The Help.  

Never one to miss an environmental opportunity, I've made my hunt for this book as green as possible, but I'm hitting some roadblocks.

In an attempt to reduce my consumption of new products, I tried to borrow the book, checking the library first.  Unfortunately The Help is too popular, and between my two libraries there are nine copies out and all are on reserve when they get returned. I also asked my usual book-lender, Erica, but her copy is with someone else right now.

My next preference was reuse, but when I checked my local secondhand book shops last week they, too, were out of the book.  It better live up to the hype after all this 'shopping' around!

Photo credit Maggie Smith

I haven't yet made the leap to e-readers.

Truthfully, I'm not thrilled at the prospect of staring at yet another screen; I already look at screens for 10 hours a day, my eyes prefer the comfort of paper pages for my leisurely reading.

I'm also not convinced they are better for the environment.  An Op-Ed piece in the New York Times last year considered the life-cycle assessment of e-readers versus paper books and revealed that:

With respect to fossil fuels, water use and mineral consumption, the impact of one e-reader payback equals roughly 40 to 50 books. When it comes to global warming, though, it’s 100 books; with human health consequences, it’s somewhere in between.
All in all, the most ecologically virtuous way to read a book starts by walking to your local library. (Daniel Goleman and Gregory Norris)

New versions of e-readers (be they Kindles, iPads or others) come out all the time, so readers must consider if they'd really have purchased that many new books in the time frame they own the e-reader before upgrading to a newer version.  For me, the answer is no; it would take me years to buy that many new books. For now I'm content with my library cards and secondhand shops, and the occasional new book.

I still don't want to buy The Help brand new, though, so if anyone has a copy to lend me please let me know - I promise to take very good care of it!

product of the week: funkis clogs

You may not know this about me, but I'm a total Swedophile.

I love Swedish music - from ABBA to Peter Bjorn & John to my latest obsession with Lykke Li.

I love Swedish furniture and its ability to remain functional and stylish all the time (including, but not limited to, IKEA).

I love Swedish architecture, like this amazing one room micro home that's definitely 'at one' with nature.

I love my Swedish friend Örjan and his wry sense of humour.

My latest Swede-infatuation is with my clogs. Our love affair has been going strong for about six months now and I don't see it ending anytime soon.

I'd wanted a pair for years, and when I finally brought them home I quickly learned they added that certain something that had long been missing from my wardrobe.  I wear them with denim, with minis, with tights, with shorts, dressed up and dressed down - I'd never imagined such a unique style would complement so many outfits.

As an added bonus, they're kind to the earth, too.  

Funkis clogs are produced using only natural products including sustainable plantation timber and leather treated with vegetable dyes.  The Funkis label has embraced a range of other sustainability practices that include packaging reduction, use of 100% green power and development of an organic cotton range of fabrics; they are also working toward carbon neutral status. You can read more about why Funkis is an eco-amazing company at one of my new favourite websites, How Big Is Your Eco, or on the Funkis website.

As an eco-savvy shopper I have resisted the urge to buy a dozen more pair (Reduce, Reduce, Reduce!), but I think I may crack soon - how can I possibly resist these gorgeous pieces of wearable art!?

All photos copyright Funkis

product of the week: mario badescu toner

Now that winter's settling in it's important to exfoliate regularly to keep your skin looking its most radiant.  Revive your dry, dull skin with this divine Mario Badescu Alpha Grapefruit Cleaning Lotion, and save yourself from the harsh chemicals of other beauty brands.  Containing 100% natural ingredients, you'll love the naturally exfoliating citrus extracts, and the aloe and seaweed make this toner perfect for sensitive skin as well.

Ingredients:

• Deionized water
• Aloe gel
• Seaweed extract
• Lemon extract
• Grapefruit extract

I love truly natural beauty products filled with recognisable ingredients.

Mario Badescu does not test on animals, and with celeb endorsements ranging from Jennifer Aniston and Eva Longoria to Natalie Portman and Sheryl Crow (true greenies themselves), you know the stuff really works!

In Australia: buy Mario Badescu at Kit Cosmetics; an 8oz bottle is $40.

In America: buy direct from the website and enjoy the cheaper price of only $15 USD for an 8oz bottle.