Call it your one-stop-shop for up-and-coming, eco-conscious designers. Founded in 2005 by Summer Bowen, a lifelong environmentalist who worked in the fashion industry while studying environmental education and social justice at UC Berkeley, BTC Elements hand-selects each item in their collection of fashion, gifts, and accessories with an eye to the environment and social justice. The result: Fresh, inspiring designs that are both earth friendly and ethically sourced. I love the Market Dress by Ecoganik and the 3-way cowl by Earth & Sky!

How about Obama last night?!!! His speech was amazing!

Monday Monday Monday. I’ve been relaxing all weekend with the understanding that this week is going to be low key… It just so happens that every time I do this, I get slammed with work I either didn’t know about or didn’t see coming. Anyway, enjoy Leananimal!

Leanimal is designed by Leanne Marshall, a graduate of The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco, and recipient of their Levi’s/Dockers Fashion Designer of Tomorrow award. Marshall began designing her own ballet costumes at the age of 12 and has been designing clothes ever since.
Living in green savvy Portland, and becoming a creature of environment, the incorporation of eco-friendly materials has become a more recent evolution of the Leanimal line. While not 100% sustainable, the usage of these textiles such as hemp, bamboo and organic cottons is seen as a sort of necessity in today’s world and will implement them as much as possible.
Creating beautiful, conceptual garments that are ultimately wearable remains the focus of the line. Leanimal’s signatures feature structural tucks and pleats, non-traditional combinations of fabrics and textures, and always figure-flattering silhouettes.

I love how all of these designers are creating beautiful things with an eye towards the environment. If only we could get the “big guys” to be as progressive!

Last night was quite the heart breaker!! I really wanted Moss to get a ring, he was such a great addition to the Pats. I have to hand it to the Giants though, they played really well…
Moving right along (best not to dwell on these things), as you all know, tomorrow is Super Tuesday. I know, I know, its also Fashion Week. I’m quite sure a quick click through the blogsphere will give you all you need to know about Fashion Week. Personally, I’m liking DVF and Lacoste. Anyway, I generally avoid covering this event so I’m going to move on…

Back to Super Tuesday. Fashion label Enstru-mental was one of the first companies to make an Obama shirt. Not only do I like the design, I like the fact that 8% of the shirt’s sales go to the Obama campaign. All of the t-shirt designs at Enstru-mental are great. The purpose of Entru-mental is to make clothing that reaches beyond the masses. Founders Dwamina Drew and Christopher Coutee-Bouyer, are driven by their “lust for creativity” as opposed to the brand itself. This has lead to a line of fresh, unique, thought provoking shirts.
Be sure to check out this great label and be sure to vote tomorrow!

I’ve had so many great site suggestions lately! (For those who have sent them in, I’m still weeding my way through December e-mails so I should be getting to all of them sometime soon).

Nicacelly is one of the most unique urban designers I’ve featured on this site. I adore her line!! Her clothes are fresh, colorful, and super creative. Each one-of-a-kind or limited edition garment contains handpicked fabrics from around the world. I love her “remix project” where she takes hip hop graphics and pairs them with one of kind appliqué and trim detail from exotic fabrics. Her line is truly “sneaker and stiletto friendly!”

One of my moms favorite expressions is, “the best things come in small packages.” In this case, one of the best collections I’ve seen in a long time, comes in a small collection. Designer Alyson Fox takes eco-couture to the next level in her highly wearable collection. She uses sustainable fabric, no zippers, organic elastic, and (get this) her buttons are made from fallen tree branches. A small collection, as is name suggests, is a small collection. It consists of 6 dresses, 1 skirt, 1 pair of shorts, 2 tops, and 1 wrap. Alyson does a great job of displaying them, not only with her gorgeous photographs, but with creative videos that show just how the clothes move. Be sure to check out her highly entertaining site!

I adore fashion designer, environmentalist and author Ma Ke and I’m quite certain you will too. A friend of a friend recommended her and I have to say the moment I clicked on her site I was hooked. One of China’s brightest young designers, Ma Ke delights with flowy fabrics, clean lines, and comfortable feel. Her label, Mixmind is creatively designed and executed with great attention to detail. Don’t you just love that dress on the right??

Inhabitat has a nice little write up about Ma Ke’s use of sustainable fabrics and materials. Additionally, check out Point One by Ma Ke, featuring some of her creative works as well as an overview of past collections.

Life is full of curiosities: chance encounters on the subway, meeting someone for the first time and feeling like you’ve known them forever, or random events that lead to an epiphany. These curiosities always emerge (simply emerge, for those who get the joke) when I think I have everything figured out. I’ll be headed down one path and all then, BAM, of a sudden a look, a phone call, or a conversation changes everything. Anyway, I tend to go with the flow when that happens. As disconcerting as it may be at times, I have really come to appreciate the curious events in my life.

Seeing as Valentines Day is fast approaching, and love is certainly a curious thing, I thought I’d post about The Curiosity Shoppe.

The Curiosity Shoppe is owned and operated by the adorable Lauren Smith and Derek Fagerstrom. They left their super fun, kinda crazy lives in New York City and went home to the San Francisco Bay Area to start up the Shoppe for the simple reason that they are obsessed with beautiful things. (As you may have gleaned from some of my older posts, I’m mildly obsessed with the Bay… if I didn’t have to take the Cali Bar, I’d almost consider packing up and moving out there!)

They’re thrilled to be sharing the objects and ideas that delight and inspire them. Whether it’s a favorite art book, a vintage find, a carefully hand-crafted piece of jewelry or a one-of-a-kind painting, they guarantee everything you’ll find in the Shoppe is special.

As soon as Chloe sent me a link to this site, I considered keeping it myself. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen such a great collection of vintage fashion! I kind of wanted to keep it under wraps, at least until I ordered what I wanted (specifically, I’ll be very upset if any of you score that adorable Moschino jacket she’s putting up on Thursday!!). But that’s not why I’m here. Plus, you all are so good about sharing wonderful samples and products with me, that of course I had to tell you all about the URBANcollection. Aptly named for readers of the site and generously shared by the infamous New York Chloe, this site is an Urban Socialite’s dream. Its so rare to find people who do vintage right. Dree does a fabulous job of not only finding great clothes, but shoes and accessories as well. She’s having a HUGE apparel update this Thursday, so be sure to stop by, or browse before you buy here (but seriously, that jacket is mine!).

In the spirit of sharing, MAC sent me samples their Moisturelush collection and I must say I’m more than pleasantly surprised. I’m really picky when it comes to moisturizers and though I’m a big fan of MAC makeup, I was skeptical (to say the least) about this new collection. I’m completely hooked on the eye cream. Living up to its promises, this cream rejuvenates, reconditions and refreshes. It visibly lifts and firms skin around the eyes and works wonders on early morning puffiness.

I’m having a highlight dilemma this morning… do I go sit in some stuffy salon for 3 hours or do I attempt the dreaded “home highlighting?” I’ve never attempted such a thing at home, but with some practice I have been able to master the salon blow-out on my own (with a little help from Fantasia’s Frizz Buster — I know, it looks scary, but the stuff works like magic and even works in the rain!). Anyway– I’m sure I’ll figure it out!

Speaking of decisions, some decisions come easier than others. Like buying clothes from designers with a conscience. That’s why Stewart and Brown is sure to be at the top of your list.

In 2002 Karen Stewart and Howard Brown, partners in life and work, realized their destiny; They gave birth to a baby girl named Hazel Stewart Brown and a baby brand named Stewart+Brown.

Design for Karen and Howard is a passion and a way of life. Their professional journey stems from a union of creativity and purpose. Karen, a trained painter and New York native, and Howard, a graphic artist and Montana native, oversee every aspect of the product and brand themselves. Each Stewart+Brown collection, at an elemental level, is a fusion of experiences and insights filtered through their creative core and rendered into their own unique and personal aesthetic. While finding inspiration in all aspects of life, their collaborations are primarily influenced by art, design, culture, travel, and nature.

Stewart+Brown believes in optimizing their designs and lives to attain the highest standards of quality and functional style while extracting the bare minimum from Earth’s precious capital.

Stewart+Brown practices and promotes a symbiotic and harmonious relationship between business, community, and nature. They aspire to apply the wisdom of sustainability to everything they do while inspiring others, just as they have been inspired, to do the same.

Be sure to check out and support these adorable designers!

* Ahhh the memories!

Happy Holidays!! I’m still on vacation for the rest of the week and I have to say I’m finally starting to feel like a normal person again. As you know, New Years Eve is right around the corner. If you’re anything like me you’re reflecting on the past year and thinking ahead to to the new one. Its nice to actually have time to do that… I feel like I’ve been moving at warp speed for the past year and half.

I already have a list of goals for 2008… I’d love to hear some of your resolutions as well!

Besides completing my never-ending novel, I’d like to take this site in some new directions as well. My consultant is working with me on that — hopefully we’ll come up with something you like!

Speaking of things you’ll like, Delias Thompson Designs is an Urban Socialite tested designer that I’m sure you’ll love.

Delias Thompson designs art jewelry from her studio in Atlanta, GA. She works with sterling silver and 18K and 22 karat gold. Each piece is first hand sketched and manipulated to perfect the design before fabrication begins. Working often with both gold and silver in each piece the gold highlights specific details and offers another layer of dimension and contrast.

Her design concept focuses on a high level of embellishment and texture which gives her work a heavily detailed and ornate appearance. Each piece of her work is hand fabricated and never cast.

Delias Thompson currently offers two collections, Edge and Organic Luxe. The Edge Collection was designed to create an affordable alternative to the Organic Luxe while maintaining the same artistic integrity and feel. The Edge Collection is a hand fabricated line of production pieces that have little variation. The Organic Luxe Collection is a compilation of unique and abstract designs with heavily detailed hand chasing, wire work, and organic shapes and structures. Often the pieces are mysterious and can be described as a number of symbolic images. The Organic Luxe Collection is a hand fabricated one of a kind portfolio offering rich colors and many layers of dimension, contrast, and texture.

Delias Thompson trained at the Spruill Center for Arts for five years before beginning instruction with Helen Blythe-Hart, inventor of the acclaimed Heat Zone method. She credits her mentors, Helen Blythe-Hart and Judie Raiford, as instrumental in offering her both the confidence and instruction required to establish her work locally and design a unique and confident collection of art jewelry.

Be sure to stop by Delias’ amazing Etsy shop (where I actually found one of my favorite Christmas presents this year). Among her unique and creative designs, she also gives you the option of personalizing some of her pieces with your own creative words. A truly thoughtful and personal gift idea!

It just dawned on me that there are only a few days left before Christmas!! All my talk about great places to shop on this site and I’ve done almost nothing for the holidays! I guess its a little late to give you gift hints at this point, although I can say I gave MAC to my co-workers and it was a big hit!I have the entire week off next week. I’m super exited. I’m still working out my New Years Eve plans (leave it to me to put everything off ’till the last minute). Anyway I was trying to figure out what to wear when I was reminded of socially conscious designer Ciel.

This modern collection is both environmentally and ethically produced using 100% Azo free dyes, re-cycled fabrics or fabrics certified by ‘Oekotex’ & ‘Confidence in Textiles’. Reach up, ‘the Sky is the limit’, is the philosophy of Sarah Ratty, the designer behind Ciel. ‘I design clothes for hip, stylish and fashionable people who don’t want to sacrifice style for content’.Working in harmony with factories to ensure they comply with fair labour laws as set out at labour behind the label Ciel has the empowering feel good factor of knowing YOU have made a difference.

I’m loving the gold skirt and Tania Dress.

Ugh! Running late again! Plus, my cell phone battery is almost dead… and I know I’m going to need my iPod at work today! Good thing Noon Solar had me in mind when they designed their cool Cortland purse. 

All of Noon’s collections continue to be inspired by the need to reduce our culture’s use of non-renewable resources, such as oil and coal. By integrating solar power into a bag — something you already carry — Noon Solar offers a transformative way to introduce renewable energy into your daily life. The more we can integrate solar power into our daily lives, the faster we can move away from our dependence on non-renewable sources. Noon Solar helps you take the first step. [Their fall] line is also an expression of the simplicity and elegance of classic forms. Each bag is designed to allow you to place the solar panel facing the sun, or facing your body. The natural colors, textures, and feel embody sophistication –with an edge.    

Ok I’m really late. More later!

Are you a woman who loves Streetwear? Are you sick of labels like Baby Phat, Rocawear and Apple Bottoms telling you what to wear and how to look? Let me inroduce you to a true women’s Streetwear label, Hellz Bellz. Created by former Rocawear designer, Lanie Alabanza-Barcena, HB is my answer to this generally-male dominated style. Each piece in her line tells a story– evokes a feeling– and stands decidedly against the mainstream conception of women’s fashion. Her clothes are for the stylish individual– I should know, I’m not only an advocate of the brand, I’m also a client! Check out her website and watch her explain her brand here on YouTube.

You know what this time of year means, holiday parties! Some, I’m really looking forward to… others, not so much. Either way the parties are an excuse to dive into the depths of my closet and break out some of my favorite dresses. They’re also an excuse to shop for more (although I am starting to realize how broke I am more and more every day). MINT by Jodi Arnold is a great place to start. Jodi, a Birmingham, Alabama native dreamed up MINT over tea in Paris (how dreamy). Since then her line has been thriving. She even won the prestigious Innovators Award from the Cotton Counsel of America in 2000.

Her designs are carefully constructed, decidedly edgy and completely wearable. You do want to stand out this holiday season, don’t you?

Check out an interview with Jodi on Brand Habit.

If you’re in NYC:

Get up to 75% off MINTTuesday, November 13th through Thursday, November 15th.Tue, Wed 9am—7pm; Thu 9am—3pm.230 W 39th St between Seventh and Eighth Aves, second floor212-997-0252

Every once and a while I come across a designer who is both super creative and socially aware. Such is the case with Somy Ali and her line So-Me Designs. I love her t-shirts, especially the “be different” and “check other” designs. In addition to making thought provoking shirts, Somy takes her activism to the next level, donating 10% of the profits from her company to the non-profit “No More Tears.” No more tears was founded by the designer to help build schools, clinics and women’s shelters nationally and internationally. From her site:

It’s true – “Fashion doesn’t have to be stupid” – and a new line of clothing created by former Bollywood star and activist-journalist Somy Ali proves that it also can bring to light, and help ease, the problems of domestic abuse, rape and women’s rights in the Third World.

The clothing attempts to connect all people and religions to one source: their common humanity…. Both the clothing and No More Tears are products of Ms. Ali’s career and diverse background. Born and raised in the largely Muslim population of Karachi, Pakistan, she later moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, with her family before embarking on a modeling and acting career in India.She successfully transformed her Bollywood film industry success into a college career in the United States, and a growing love of journalism through social and political activism.

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=0HPdJbY3E9I]

Be sure to check out her great t-shirts and the worthy causes they support!