Finding a use for all that tacky costume jewelry your grandmother had seems impossible … or is it? All it takes is a little creative ingenuity to turn an old accessory into an eye-grabbing piece for the center of your wardrobe. Michelle Kendrick, founder of the Strong Girl Inc non-profit, recently started a new side project, called Recycled Rings. Reusing old pieces of jewelry, she hand-sews and embroiders unique “gems” from thread, beads, and wire.

Would anyone really wear something like that? Apparently so, since her first collection sold out in a matter of days. Not only a testament to the beauty of recycling vintage materials, Recycled Rings is also proof that taking a risk and following your curiosities is more than worth the personal investment of time and money. Read on to find out more about the approach behind Recycled Rings, its environmental message, and what the future holds for the brand. (more…)

Where your heart on your sleeve, or around your neck! That’s what Los Angeles-based green fashion brand Annatarian is encouraging fashionistas to do with their new line of recycled sterling silver necklaces. Peace, Love and Earth was designed “to inspire positive change,” according to company founder and designer, Anna Mkhitarian.

Established in 2001 after the events of September 11th, Annatarian is best known for its eco-couture dresses and bridal gowns. Sold only on the company’s website and at special events, Anna’s one-of-a-kind (”because you are”) designs have been featured in numerous publications, such as The Knot and Women’s Wear Daily. Vintage and organic fabrics, including kimonos and muu muus, are a key element of the sustainable line.

Along with her new line of recycled silver necklaces, Anna also has a line of luxurious shawls and scarves made from the same collection of fabrics as her well-known dresses. The Annatarian website also hints at a shoe line in the works, with more info to come.

It was my pleasure to recently interview Annatarian founder Anna Mkhitarian about her new jewelry collection, future plans for Annatarian, and the importance of green fashion in the overall environmental movement. Keep reading for her responses, as well as an exclusive, limited time discount for all Victoria-E.com readers.

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The month of August shall be quite exciting for me because my writing will be premiering in two national magazines. :O

First up is CRAFT Magazine’s fourth issue, which is all about costumes. My particular piece can be seen on page 48 - a profile of San Francisco’s own Annie Weinert. To make my debut all the more special, my article is also mentioned on the cover.

CRAFT 04 will be available starting August 7th, but if you have an itching to read my piece, CRAFT has uploaded a PDF of it here.

My second national piece is a green knitting article in the September issue of Yoga Journal Magazine. Unfortunately, all I know so far is that the issue will also hit stands on August 7th.

If you’re going to inspire “young people” to be green, visual stimuli is a must. A new style of pop culture has been flourishing for years, now available at your local newsstand thanks to magazines like Juxtapoz and Giant Robot. Tapping into the heart of this visionary social culture, Giant Robot’s San Francisco gallery is opening its third installment of the Tree Show this weekend in the Haight.

“The concept for the tree show was originally conceived by Eric Nakamura, owner and publisher of Giant Robot Magazine and stores. Artists that we worked with inspired the concept, trees and nature are universally beautiful and appreciated across all cultures,” Myleen, GRSF’s manager and curator for Tree Show III, told me yesterday.

As with its two previous incarnations, TS3 is a group exhibition featuring “arbor-inspired pieces by painters, illustrators, and other creators from street art, indie comics, printmaking, design, and crafty art backgrounds.” For an extra eco-element, this year’s show is also a fundraising effort for SF non-profit Friends of the Urban Forest, donating a portion of artwork sales to the organization’s tree planting efforts. “The partnership is a new development. It’s a great way for us to connect
what we do in the gallery with the local community,” mentioned Myleen. “[Art is] an important factor [for the green movement]; documenting, re-interpreting and informing people about the issues that threaten our environment.”

Returning contributor to the Tree Show series, Bay Area artist Bigfoot’s work has a consistently unique green theme. “My love of Nature is and has always been an inspiration and propelling force in my work. I depict a lot of trees with my bigfoot characters, so it was natural to be in all 3 shows,” he told me today. “[Eco-change] is the main drive of my art. The human powers that be are trying to destroy the planet; humans are lies and Nature is the truth! The more I can spread that vision of respecting Nature and seeing the magic, the more somebody might try to do something to change it. I wish everybody would stop how they have been living and start healing the earth.” A recent visit to his studio was featured on Fecal Face and pictures of his March solo show in LA can be seen on Juxtapoz (both are a visual treat).

Running until August 8th, an opening reception with many of the contributing artists attending is being held this Saturday, July 14th from 6:30pm-10pm. I hope many of you will be able to stop by and see this gorgeous exhibition; I’ll also be at the reception this weekend, so make sure to say hi! Giant Robot SF is located at 618 Shrader Street, between Haight and Waller Streets.

Art created by Maxwell Loren Holyoke-Hirsch

A few less synthetic chemicals being absorbed into our bodies is a good thing, no? Nearly every aspect of eco-lifestyle has been profiled in major magazines recently, and now green beauty can be added to that list. The July issue of SELF Magazine, one of the best selling women’s health magazines in the world, has a great six-page feature called “Natural Beauty for Everyone”.

We all want to look more natural and be more earth-friendly. But as with everything else, when it comes to beauty it’s a matter of degrees. Whether you’re the Al Gore of the cosmetics aisle or you’d slather on toxic waste if it made a headlight-sized zit disappear, we’ve found natural options for you.

Three different “green theme”s are covered, giving any and all consumers a wide variety of sustainable choices and substitutes. Personally, my favorite part of the piece is on the last page, where SELF put green, and not so green, versions of the same products up against each other in a test. Out of the five different types of products compared, the natural versions won out over the “conventional” ones in four.

Nearly all of the products mentioned in the piece are featured in an online buying guide on the magazine’s website, as well as a few extra goodies. A standing ovation goes out to the SELF crew for the beautiful display of intelligent information, and to Beth Janes for writing the piece - wonderful job folks!

Image by Robert Erdmann/featured in Self

I’m a knowledge dork and I openly admit it. As a kid, the most likely place to find me would be a) the library or b) the bookstore. While I am no Stephen Hawking, I can’t help but delve into the hows, whys, and what-ifs of the world. As my concern for the environment has flourished in the past ten years, I can’t help but feel a bit of a shiver when I walk into my favorite book seller these days - where did all the paper for those books come from?

Though I would like to believe that a large chunk of publishers use post-consumer recycled content for their releases, I’ve found that just isn’t the case. There are over 80,000 different book publishers in the United States, yet only 140 of them (for the math fans, that’s .18%) have signed a treatise to improve their eco-footprint. Let’s not forget that some publishers already use a percentage of post-consumer recycled paper for the printing of their materials, but it is clear that it is not nearly enough. Factoring in all of the US publishers, a total of 5% of all paper used in production is made with some percentage of recycled material.

As consumers, it is our job to help speak out and make a difference … but if that means not buying books, I’m going to have some serious mental issues. Thankfully, a company has recently been established to help the plight of the book industry - Eco-Libris. For every five books that you read and offset via the company’s website, five trees will be planted in developing countries to help maximum the impact. In turn, you will be sent five stickers to put on the books you have offset, letting the world know you have made a positive impact. Let me guess - you are already wondering what the stickers are made of, no? Do not fret, they are made with recycled paper, along with non-toxic inks and glues.

I was recently honored with the opportunity to speak with both Eco-Libris CEO, Raz Godelnik, and Head of Business Development, Eylon Israely. Read on to find out more about Eco-Libris, how they are helping to change the world of books, and how three unique non-profits factor in to their business plan.

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