For those who don’t know, Livia Firth is an eco-fashion warrior champion badass who happens to be married to Mr. Darcy Colin Firth.

She first caught our eye when she announced her Green Carpet Challenge where she proclaimed that all her red carpet dresses for the year would be sustainable – and she did it! (Beautifully, no less.) When I heard that she was planning on debuting a line of sustainable dresses, I was more than impressed. I’m definitely please to see that her Green Carpet Challenge was a success! (I definitely get excited when I see a sustainable designer’s dress on the red carpet.)

She’s working with one of our favorite websites, Yooxygen, and Reclaim To Wear - an system that aids designers in using reclaimed fabrics, saved from the trash! Recently, she debuted a dress from her line, inspired by a vintage dress from her grandmother.

Gorgeous silver! Not into it? Well, it comes in five colors. Five. 

In case you’re still not impressed, her line is also charitable.

I love this dress in the dark brown!

Yep! – it benefits an organization in Livia’s native country, Italy, called Cooperativa Rinascere. All of this heartwarming stuff is making me start to wonder if Livia is trying to compensate for something. Maybe she’s an ex-assassin who is trying to seriously realign her karma. Maybe. She’s probably just a really nice person. And, yeah… probably not an assassin. (Damn.)

Here line definitely falls into the “eco-friendly luxury fashion” category, as the price is $832. Ouch. But, hey… It’s good fodder for my daily afternoon fantasy, aka the only place where I could actually afford this dress (and trust me – if I could, it would be on me right now).

What do you think of the dress? How would you style it?

eco

…life would be pretty sweet.

EDUN Oversize Fairisle Cardigan

If Edun is one thing, it is Africa. The company was founded to encourage and develop trade with Africa; their mission is to continue to encourage trade with Africa; its founders (Ali Hewson and Bono) have a serious love affair with Africa. The company’s overreaching hope is to get other fashion brands to trade with Africa, to build Africa up as a thriving, self-sustained continent.

I love their clothes.

EDUN Handkerchief Hem Silk Dress and Silk Asymmetrical Hem Dress

In fact, a dress by Edun was one of the first things on my sustainable wish list. It was soft, and pale, and flowing. It was sort of sheer and had a striped slip beneath that faintly showed through when one moved in the sunlight. I never bought that dress – even after it went on sale for under $100 – and I regret it to this day.

EDUN Zipped Sweater Skirt and Twisted Waist Mini Skirt

In 2008 Edun developed The Conservation Cotton Initiative Uganda (CCIU). Along with the Wildlife Conservation Society and Invisible Children, “CCIU provides funding, training and enterprise support to cotton farmers to help build sustainable businesses in Northern Uganda, one of the poorest areas of Uganda which is recovering from 25 years of civil war.” The program supports four thousand farmers and strives to reach eight thousand in the next two years. You can support this project directly by purchasing anything from the Kenya Kids Tees or Edun Basics collections.

EDUN Crewneck Sweater

Speaking of which, the other name for the Kenya Kids Tees is the Bidii T-shirt Project.

“Edun worked with primary school students from the Bidii School in Kiberia, Kenya to draw their world. Their pictures are then brought to life through graphic tees. All profits from these tee-shirts go back to the school and help to provide continued supplies and support. Kibera is home to one of the largest slums in Africa with 1.5 million people.”

EDUN Ruffled Suede Jacket and Lace Print Dress

Guess how much this dress is? $88. I think I’m having a similar conundrum to the one I mentioned above…

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Let’s drum up a couple of statistics to start your Tuesday, shall we?

• The cosmetic industry, dominated largely by women, generates $170 billion annually.
• Of the over two million human beings trafficked each year, 80% are women and girls.

Nicole Marett figured out how to put those two numbers together and make something amazing.

After her dream of becoming a beauty editor in New York City wasn’t all she’d hoped it would be, Nicole moved overseas, where she began to hear rumblings about human trafficking. She got connected with an anti-trafficking organization in Thailand, where she became immersed in working to help the women caught in the crossfire.

After she moved back to the US, Nicole created Radiant Cosmetics, a makeup brand that donates a percentage of each purchase to fight human trafficking. Radiant Cosmetics is currently partnered with Free the Captives, an organization based out of Houston, Texas. They donate 20% of each sale to Free the Captives, and as Radiant Cosmetics grows, will get more involved by helping with events and raising awareness.

And, since Nicole’s previous dream was to become an NYC beauty editor, the makeup isn’t just charitable – it’s gorgeous.

See that sparkle? That’s my favorite Radiant Cosmetics product, hands down. Along with the products below, Radiant Cosmetics sent me their Ultimate Eyeliner Pencil in Mythology, and damn, it’s perfect: glides on smooth, has a warm color and just a touch of shimmer, and it doesn’t eek down into the creases of my eyes like so many other liners. If you want to play it safe, the Ultimate Eyeliner Pencil also comes in Gravity – aka black.)

Lastly, do you see that pretty pink pout? It’s Radiant Cosmetics’ Lipslicks in Autumn. I have just a touch on in these pictures, which adds a nice, soft hint of color (and lots of shine) without being too fussy.

Along with the above products, Radiant Cosmetics has a full line of foundations, powders, shadows and brushes – as well as pretty much any other makeup product you could think of buying. Not all of their products are paraben-free…yet. As the company grows, their ability to use the most ethical products available will also grow.

Radiant Cosmetics is super new – like, launched July 25 new – and deserves all your lovin’. You can purchase their products at RadiantCosmetics.com.

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This week, Awakened Aesthetic is being featured as a Tastemaker on our favorite ethical sample sale website, LovingEco!

Like most private sale sites, LovingEco offers deep discounts on beautiful fashion and beauty products…but they’re revolutionizing the realm of limited-time fashion discounts in two ways:

1. Everything item on sale is ethical. From clothing to accessories to beauty products, LovingEco is ethically on-point. Their products are eco-friendly and healthy, and they even offer a full-page Product Key to explain the merits of each green product.
2. Proceeds are donated to an eco-related charity. Three percent (net) from each purchase supports a vetted charity – either social or environmental in nature – including national eco-awareness charities like Global Green and worldwide community organizations like Village Empowerment.

Lindsay and I were asked to work directly with LovingEco to choose our favorite items from this week’s sales, as well as a charity to support with our choices. Here are our favorites:

Charity: Farm Sanctuary

Farm Sanctuary “works to protect farm animals from cruelty, inspire change in the way society views and treats farm animals, and promote compassionate vegan living.” As Lindsay and I learn more about ethical eating, we’re excited to have the opportunity to support an organization that works to promote those values.

ecoSkin

LovingEco doesn’t know this, but they have great timing: we both love ecoSkin, and it was hard to choose two favorite styles from them as our Tastemaker choices. We decided on the Magpie Top and Lyrebird Dress, which are both fair trade, organic options for your staple wardrobe this fall.

Essence of Vali

Lindsay and I keep making promises to our bodies: she’s promising to start running, I’ve promised to start getting eight hours of sleep each night…yeah. No. Not happening. When we saw the offerings by Essence of Vali, she was immediately drawn to a balm that would sooth her sore muscles, and I went for a soothing mist to help me get away from the computer and into bed.

farrah b jewelry

Look at these cute necklaces! farrah b jewelry takes vintage finds and combines them with new products to create beautiful, old-timey pieces with an interesting kick. The poet in me loves the Wish Necklace, and Lindsay gravitated straight to the Cherished Vintage Locket Necklace.

Check out our Tastemaker picks on LovingEco, as well as all of the other gorgeous options available this week. What are your personal picks?

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It’s always refreshing to see fashion designers promote charitable projects. With the sustainable movement still going strong, giving back is not only in vogue, but almost required in order to gain attention from the eco-loving media.

For Fall 2011, the biggest names in fashion have come together to support not just one charitable project, but a host of them, through a new venture called Runway to Green.

Selections from the Runway to Green collection are featured on Net-A-Porter.com. Trying to name every featured designers would be exhausting, but here’s a list of some of them:

Prada, Gucci, Balenciaga, Burberry, Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen, Diane von Furstenberg, Manolo Blahnik, Oscar de la Renta, Stella McCartney, Jason Wu, Alexander Wang, Tory Burch, Derek Lam, Notte by Marchesa, Marni, Michael Kors, Rachel Roy, Rag & Bone, Thakoon, Osklen, Pringle of Scotland, Aurora Lopez-Mejia, Tabitha Simmons, Kara Ross, Sergio Rossi, Timex 80, Tommy Hilfiger

Intense, right? Here’s how each designer-priced purchase makes a difference:

• Each designer has promised to investigate sustainable manufacturing practices as put into place by put forward by the NRDC’s Clean by Design initiative. (Designer awareness is always a good thing.)
• A portion of each sale of a Runway to Green design (at least 10%) will go to one of the following charities: Alliance for Climate Protection, the Natural Resources Defense Council and/or the United Nations Environment Programme’s Billion Tree Campaign.
• Proceeds from the Bid to Save the Earth event, which launched the collection on March 29, 2011, were donated to Conservation International, Oceana and Central Park Conservancy.

Click here to read more about the Runway to Green launch, and keep reading to see some of my favorite designs, now available for purchase (if you have designer dollars, that is).

RtG Rachel Roy Embellished Trench Dress and RtG Kara Ross 14K Gold-Plated Necklace

(…seriously, these designs are not in our usual price range. What they ARE in range of, though, is gorgeousness. The dolman sleeves and printed skirt are killing me.)

RtG Jason Wu Tulle Maxi Skirt and RtG Marni Bib Necklace

 
RtG Notte by Marchesa Ruffled Silk Dress and RtG YSL Cropped Jacquard Pants

 
RtG Jason Wu Embellished Silk-Chiffon Blouse and RtG YSL Metallic Cotton-Blend Pants

RtG YSL Silk-Satin and Twill Tuxedo Jacket and RtG YSL Silk-Chiffon Blouse

What do you think of this designer compilation?

Do we need projects like Runway to Green to continue to create awareness in the high fashion community?

I have a soft spot in my heart for companies that are created out of love. The origin of Farofa Nation is so infused with love – for a woman and for her people – that it drew me in immediately. As it moves forward with purpose, and with that same show of love, its purpose and products have kept me there.

“The seed of Farofa Nation was sown in 1998 when [designers Serge Castagna and Ana Testa Castagna] met. As their relationship grew, Ana, who is from Rio de Janeiro, brought Serge to her hometown. Having been born in Switzerland and living in the United States for many years, it was in Rio that Serge witnessed true poverty for the first time. That harsh reality made a huge impression on him.”

At that point, Serge and Ana started talking. How could they help these kids, struggling in poverty – young, hungry, sometimes pregnant – in a meaningful way? They joined their powers of advertising (both worked as advertising art directors for years) and created Farofa Nation.

Mood For A Day

The Mind of Tao

“Our mission is to have a collective of t-shirt lovers, designers and human beings who simply want to help the children of Brazil escape poverty. We want to mix the creativity and goodness of people from all walks of life to help these kids get off the streets and onto the path towards a brighter future. Together we become a great nation. Together we can become Farofa Nation.”

Farofa Vaodor

Here’s how the t-shirts help: Farofa Nation has partnered with TASK BRASIL, which teaches street kids self-reliance and responsibility, and offers them the tools to become productive members of their society. It supports all children living on the streets, including pregnant teen girls, with the help of donors from around the world, including rock icon Jimmy Page.

Mimushi Nation (yes, they sell mimushi too!)

Ten percent of each t-shirt sale still goes to TASK BRAZIL, and at the same time, Farofa Nation continues to work toward finding even more ways to make the world a bit better. To purchase one of their t-shirts, click any image, and to donate to TASK BRAZIL directly, click here.

I don’t believe money buys happiness, but it does boost my serotonin levels, albeit briefly, from time to time. So if I seem a little too adamant, lately, about working a few extra hours at the office, or trading my latte for a cup of drip coffee, or not buying that cute, cheap top at Marshall’s so I can save just a little bit more money, it’s only because this new ethical collection by Vivienne Westwood, which is now available at Yoox.com and is juuuust* out of my price range, makes me very, very happy.

“Fashion notoriously loves a good cause, but Vivienne Westwood actually delivers on the premise. The famed designer—Dame Vivienne to you—has always followed her own rules. Here, once again, she is setting the agenda with an innovative and bold initiative that goes beyond the realm of fashion and luxury.

The idea is disarmingly simple, and yet something of a first: Westwood traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, not simply for a week and a photo op, but to teach a craft. Under Westwood’s tutelage, African women have learned how to use locally-sourced, recycled materials to produce fashionable bags and accessories. The result is a series of attention-getting pieces that will endure in every sense; they are the fruition of work, not charity, the culmination of the mastery of new and important skills—skills that are sure to sustain these women both now and in the future.

-Yoox.com (emphasis mine)

While I don’t knock companies like TOMS for their charity work, I think that “teaching a man to fish” is always better than “giving a man a fish.” By partnering with the Ethical Fashion Programme, Vivienne Westwood is not only giving back to women in Kenya, she’s creating a long-lasting trade that will support and uplift an entire community.

And, of course, the bags themselves are gorgeous. This is Vivienne Westwood, after all.

I promise: I will forsake all other laptop bags.

I think I’d love this laptop bag even if it wasn’t ethically made. Along with every other bag I’m about to show you, this one is made entirely of recycled materials, including roadside advertisement banners and safari tents. This specific design is exclusive to Yoox.com, and costs $118. (Is it weird that when I saw the price I thought, “That’s it?” I really am entranced by it.)

Take a close look at the side view of this purse. The almost-hidden-but-not-quite contrasting brown zipper is what makes it perfect.

Why hello, cute little clutch of adorableness.

Have you noticed that Westwood’s logo – which is a punk, planetary take on the orb of the British crown jewels – looks a little like a spaceship here? I have. And I love it.

Vivienne Westwood in space. Stay tuned.

Take that to the grocery store, and see what happens. (Actually, I’m more inclined to bring the above bag with me to the library. It’s begging to be filled with interesting books.)

This is it. Right here. All I ever wanted. It’s $325, so as soon as I finish writing this, I’m going to pen a letter to my day job bosses telling them exactly how much I need a raise.

Apparently, these are eagles. To me they kind of look like parrots. No matter, because they’re gorgeous (and they also come in that pretty blue we saw above).

“The Ethical Fashion Africa Project has been backed by the International Trade Center, a joint effort of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. On June 15th, Westwood’s initiative will be celebrated by yet another international audience, courtesy of a launch party hosted by yoox.com. Against the enchanting backdrop of Florence, Italy, glamorous guests will experience Westwood’s Kenyan project up close and personal via a series of short films shot by the legendary photographer Juergen Teller.”

One of the short films by Juergen Teller is available at Yoox, as are all of the above bags.

What do you think of this collection, and of  Vivienne Westwood’s decision to travel to Kenya and teach this craft, instead of just donating the proceeds of her own designs?

*By “just,” I mean completely. Totally. Out of my price range.

Remember the delicious, coat-lusting we collective did while staring at pieces from Vaute Couture? Get your kleenex ready because VC is back, and with a new, adorable line of sweatshirt tees.

The Friends Series Favorite Sweatshirt $64

Animals Are Friends. I know Poochie will be all over these.

Made of eco-heather fleece (recycled polyester & organic cotton) and printed with water based ink in the US, this oversized off the shoulder piece with kangaroo pocket will be your favorite go to sweatshirt, with leggings, skinny jeans, or opaque tights, keeps you comfy & chic at once. The Friends not Entertainment Sweatshirt (elephants), Friends not Test Subjects (rabbits), and Friends not Food (chicks) join our original Friends not Fashion Sweatshirt to show others how sweet it is to be compassionate & cruelty free.

While I was hunting for photos of Edun’s Ready to Wear runway show this morning, I came across a slideshow of designers’ inspirations for their Fall 2011 collections.  I scrolled through quickly, looking for my favorite eco-designers, and found this:

The caption is “Storytellers,” and after taking it in – the frayed gold ribbon, the black cord attached to weathered metal, all partially obscuring the phrase: “hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil” – it was all I could do to not hinge my hopes on this collection as an ethical favorite for 2011.

Edun, created to support economic development and trade with Africa, utilizes ethical manufacturing practices and a commitment to expanding their African-made fashion line to create both high-fashion garments and retail lines that spread awareness about African struggles, hardships and the ways we can help.  Though I like Edun’s concept and enjoy their designs, I don’t own anything by them.  For me to fall in love with something that high-end (and, ahem, expensive) it needs to be both exciting and easy to wear…and while Edun’s designs often fit one of my tenets for fashion, they rarely fit both.

Luckily, my hopes were not misplaced: Edun’s Fall 2011 Ready-to-Wear collection is both exciting and wearable – for the most part.

Like: Leather and Knit

Click any photo in this post to see it full-size.

Edun focused heavily on knits this season, and the best of the lot were body-skimming dresses and skirts mixed with silky patterned tops.  The dress on the right is really interesting: it’s completely shredded, essentially destroyed, but in an almost uniform way, and the skirt is left in tact.  (We have to have some modesty, don’t we?)

When I saw the center dress (which came up first in the slideshow available at Vogue UK) I was skeptical, but as I continued through the collection the idea grew on me.  Of course, leather isn’t the most ethical choice for some – dead cow clothes! – but because Edun’s ethical focus is to support and encourage economic development in Africa (not to create a vegan line), I don’t take issue with it.  I especially like the use of leather under and alongside patterned knits, and I love the tights (leggings?) in the right-hand photo.

Hate: Turtlenecks, Oversize and…Huh?

Speaking of knits, some of them were just unnecessary.  Shapeless, oversize, single- or two-color knits do absolutely nothing for me, and the overuse of bulky fabric in the arms of these designs seems less interesting and more disproportionate to me.

I don’t understand why everyone is putting tight turtlenecks under every. damned. design on the runway. (By everyone I mean Edun and BCBG Max Azria. Those white bodysuits were all I could see.)  If you click the right image, you can see that the dress itself is quite pretty, with an interesting, asymmetrical neckline and a sleeveless design – but the turtleneck underneath hides all that.  Why, Edun, why?

As for the middle image: it looks like a gaping maw.  That’s all.

Adore: Bold, Mixed Patterns and Feminine Flow

Even considering my above frustrations, there’s so much to love about this collection that it’s hard to narrow it down to less than ten images.

These outfits took my breath away.  If you click each image, you can see that they’re separate pieces: a semi-sheer, body-hugging blouse, a full skirt with panels upon panels of fabric, and in two cases, a gauzy scarf with leather and gold wrapped around the throat.  This is exactly what I was hoping for.

After the simple, solid tops and bottoms we’ve seen trending throughout the past few years, I’m really, really excited for patterns.  With a little confidence and the right color scheme, almost anyone can wear them.

…and it’s not like you have to wear them all at once.

If I could, I’d make this set my entire work wardrobe.  I love the combination of those same bold patterns with a classic straight-cigarette pant and a neutral-toned jacket.  And there’s that leather and gold necklace again!

Last but not even remotely least, EDUN’s stunning, silky and sleeveless dresses.  They’re shown in three different ways – alone, belted and even with another damned turtleneck (though, in this case, I don’t mind) – and again, the patterns are divine.  I don’t even mind the socks.

What do you think of EDUN’s Fall 2011 collection?

Do you like the bold patterns, or are they too much?

Images via Vogue.co.uk.

I love it when charity-related events entertain me.

Crowdrise, a crowdsourcing fundraising community launched by, among others, Ed Norton (who is my dream man and you can’t have him), is the most fun way ever to donate to, and run donations for, charity projects.  Case in point:

“Crowdrise is way more fun than anything else aside from being all nervous about trying to kiss a girl for the first time and her not saying something like ‘you’ve got to be kidding me.’”

Yeah, that’s on their website.  And their slogan?

If you don’t give back no one will like you.

So, there’s that…

Anyway, I was emailed about a specific campaign going on until January 15: a chance to win the 2011 Pirelli calendar.  For those, like me, who had no idea what that was, here’s the deal: the Pirelli Calendar is a trade calendar (read: only given as a corporate gift to a restricted number of customers and VIPs) that has been published since 1964 and features, typically, glamour photographs and artistic nudes.  It’s swank, and you can’t get it unless you’re “on the list.”

Departures – a magazine published for select American Express customers – got one, and they decided to use it to raise money for Nothing But Nets, a UN Foundation charity that provides insecticide-treated bed nets to African men, women and children at risk for malaria.  Nothing But Nets also provides awareness, education and prevention training for malaria.

Essentially, this money does some serious good.

This year the calendar was photographed by Karl Lagerfeld.  His inspiration was Greek and Roman mythology, and the idea of goddesses as the “first liberated women.”  I’ve interspersed images* – the cropped-so-they’re-safe-for-work ones – to taunt you a bit.  Stunning, right?

I also set up a donation page** to make things easy: head in, create an account (or don’t – it’s not necessary, but it is worth it for the hilarity) and donate a minimum of $25 before January 15 for the chance to win.  Read more about Nothing But Nets here.

*All images were nabbed from the donation page.  Yet another reason to go over there, right?
**I get a big fat nothing, whether or not you donate.  No personal gain here – just love for those in need!