Years of overstuffed New York closets bore the idea of stitch’T… Where one of a kind, handmade compositions for duvet covers, pillowcases and t-shirt quilts using vintage tees make for a unique and, well, awesome way of putting to use what already exists!

When a t-shirt collaboration this cool comes around, I have to mention it. Not Just A Label partnered with three of their featured designers, Patrick Mohr, Aoi Kotsuhiroi and Spon Diogo for an all organic limited edition t-shirt collection.

Maintaining our strong focus on championing the industry’s eco-fashion sector, our t-shirts are made from organic fair-trade cotton, meaning the fabric is void of any synthetic chemicals. As a company aiming to break the ground for the design of tomorrow, ethical production is the only way to go. 

Get yours from the NJAL Shop!

Italian sparkling water company San Pellegrino has collaborated with Italian fashion brand Missoni. The collaboration allowed Missoni to cover the San Pellegrino bottle label with their signature zig zag pattern. Thirty million units of the special edition bottles are being produced and will be available in the best restaurants worldwide.

The Missoni collaboration marks the start of a series wherein S. Pellegrino will work with leading Italian artists, designers, musicians and companies, providing an international showcase for Italian design, style and culture. I can’t wait to see what amazing collaborations unfold as part of this series, and it certainly helps my enthusiasm that San Pellegrino is one of my favorite little pleasures in life!

One watch- so many ways to wear it…

Discover how to change the color of your TechnoMarine Watch and modify it according to your mind! Have a look at the new Cruise Original video “Change Your Colors”.

In the past week I have received three inputs on wooden sunglasses. By my personal definition I ‘pattern recognize’ this to be the precursor to something on the cusp of becoming big and trendy. Truth is, I can see why. Wooden sunglasses are awesome, different and sustainable. 

These wooden sunnies by Kayu Design are made from bamboo with a 100% UV gradient lenses. 

Cat got your tongue? No sweat- your panties can say it all and then some with the 6 pack from A Lot To Say. Made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. Sweet. (Or should I say naughty…)

I am loving this trend! Lauren Conrad sports a delicate version that sweetly spells out her name. Kim Kardashian and Rihana make a bit of a bolder statement with their double rings that draw the eye. Eco-fashionistas need not been left out- check out  FASHIONmeGREEN to see where to get an upcycled ring that is as original as you! 

I recently dove into the eco-friendly clothing section of etsy.com to discover the latest and greatest from eco- independent designers. Here are my picks.

Above are the super cute, super conscious summer flats from ExtraSeed. The upper fabric is recycle sourced and the rubber soles are made from discarded car tires.

Pretty Birdie does such a wonderful job displaying her eco-fashion designs, and the fashion forward pieces stand on their own. Mountain Girl Clothing is on the verge of being a little hippy for me, but I do like to incorporate some of her very interesting and signature pieces to build original style.

Wedding season is upon us, and Pretty Birdie offers some of the sweetest dresses around. Ethereal and ethical- Pretty Birdie gives your options when deciding just what to wear this summer’s weddings.

So, what about the those steamy summer evenings when you need a dress for a night out? MyDearThing has got you covered! Fresh and fun with flattering cuts that aren’t too revealing- my kind of dress. ;)

I am all about the signature pieces, and these barefoot sandals stole my heart! Creative and different- sport these with some heels and a LBD for a night out and you won’t blend in.

I really enjoyed exploring the work of independent designers designing good fashion. Anyone else I should add to my list?

The children are bored on Sundays. Such a great use of film to portray the newest collection from Oliver Peoples. Fun, quirky and engaging- they nailed it.

With the advent of mobile gaming apps like FourSquare, location-based marketing and social media plug-ins for fashion brands and retailers are taking off. I, for one, like the trend and feel that a few brands out there are being very proactive in this space.

Ready. Set. PLAY!

Jimmy Choo and Marc Jacobs were ahead of the curve when they started offering discounts for customers who gained ‘Mayor’ status at their stores, or created realtime treasure hunts in which the customer who ‘found’ a pair of shoes on their app was rewarded with a real pair of Jimmy Choos.

Pepsi partnered with FourSquare to transform Gatorade from one of the largest sports brands in the world into one of the largest participatory brands through their Gatorade Mission Control initiative. In this way you make the act of purchasing interactive and can generate immensely insightful data. I think their is huge potential for department stores to take this concept and integrate it into their stores- offering checkin options for various areas, rewarding customers for purchases in one section with a discount or giveaway in another.

All About the Barcodes.

As more and more consumers adopt smart phones, barcode scanning features come into play. Wet Seal launched an app in which, once in the store, shoppers can ‘scan’ the hangtags with their iPhones and the application will generate different looks based on the piece of clothing scanned. Awesome. 

In the eco-fashion space, what about an barcode app that allows you to scan an article of clothing and then trace it’s production, as well as be presented with a visual key as to what makes it ‘eco’ (ie: vegan, vegetable dyed, organic cotton, etc).

And, what if you could ‘review’ a product after scanning it? Perhaps add your personal take on how to style it, or state what the fabric feels like…

What About the Future?

“Mobile is definitely the ‘must’ marketing platform for Millennials, where they’re consuming content literally 24/7, instantly and constantly,” states Teen Vogue vice president and publisher Sabine Feldmann. With 75 million members aged 14-29 in the US alone, Millennials are the largest consumer group. 

One thing is certain, don’t create an app just to create an app- Milliennials see right through it. Create something of value. Really ask the questions, “What is missing? What would I want to use?” And, keep rolling out the upgrades. When you launch an app have a timeline for when you want to release the next bit that will make it even more useful or cool. Just like the newest smart phone or Apple gadget garners a certain amount of lustful respect, having the latest upgrade will too.