Do you like the look of leather but feel guilty about its rather large carbon footprint and potential animal cruelty issues? Well, like our new Veledo recycled leather flooring, Ashley Watson products are the perfect compromise! Ashley Watson is a Vancouver-based designer who specializes in recycled leather items. Watson started with a line of un-dyed recycled leather handbags in 2005. The eco-conscious and innovative styles quickly became popular and the company grew to also include lines of wallets, belts, make-up bags and other accessories. Her bags and accessories are sold around the world through various high-end environmentally focused retailers like Vert & Vogue in North Carolina, Glore in Munic, Germany, and The Green Life in Vermont. There are also a few websites where you can order the bags (which is what I will probably do since there isn’t a Ashley Watson store in Massachusetts):
beklina.com
candystorecollective.com
ecomom.com
ecoutrement.com
grasshopper510.com
shopfatal.com
The bags are beautiful and a great way for eco-fashonistas to still get a cute leather bag. I particularly like the Tote Bag with Leather and Fabric because it has a very chic, clean look that is perfect for summer.
And since fall is right around the corner, I might also consider purchasing the Tern Bag because its darker, but still fun, color will look great with autumn browns, yellows, and reds.
Who knew that someone’s old leather jacket could be recycled into something so fun and new?! The insides of the bags are also a highlight of Ashley Watson’s designs because they are lined with some of our favorite eco-fibers like hemp and organic cotton. The bags are a little pricey, but are high quality and will last for a long time. Plus, leather bags are classic and will likely never go out of style. Ashley Watson bags are the perfect way to have your cake and eat it too!
It can be difficult to walk into an average department store and easily find eco-friendly stylish clothes. And even harder to find them for a good price. Many consumers don’t even think about the impact clothing has on the environment while they are shopping. However, there is one blog that is trying to remedy this issue of making green design accessible to consumers. Ecouterre is a thorough, current and fascinating website/blog that focuses on environmentally sustainable fashion. Ecouterre was started by a well known environmentalist, Jill Fehrenbacher, who previously founded InHabitat (Green homes and design at its best! http://www.inhabitat.com). Ferhrenbacher shows stylish ways for consumers to get passed greenwashing and get a truly sustainable wardrobe of clothes. Ecouterre is the perfect balance, and doesn’t get too “crunchy granola”. This balance has struck a chord with consumers leading Fehrenbacher to be profiled in Vogue, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal.
Its easy to see why Ecouterre has gotten so much attention, the blog has a clean design making it easy to read, and splits off into different pages for: Women’s, Men’s, Shoes, Accesories, Beauty, Textiles, Tech, Designers, DIY, and Vegan Style. The Do-It-Yourself (DIY) section is particularly fun and includes articles about how to sew old tank tops into reusable grocery bags, or how to sew old zippers into fashion-forward bracelet cuffs. I’m also a shoe addict and love that there is an entire section of this blog that is dedicated to different types of sustainable shoes – including a variety of designers and price ranges. I am dying for the “Twist of Fate” vegan sandals by Olsenhaus as featured in Ecouterre’s article “7 Eco-Friendly Sandals To Kick Off Summer in Style“.
Another reason we love Ecouterre here at Merida is because of their focus on sustainable fibers and textiles. Part of MeridaMeridian’s mission is to make sustainably and ethically produced fibers available to consumers, so the “textiles” section of Ecouterre really jives with Merida’s overall message. They write articles on organic cotton, hemp, wool and issues regarding dyes. So, check out Ecouterre and let us know what you think.
