Most fashionistas know Alexa Chung for her impeccable and effortless style.  But only recently has Alexa Chung been associated with ethical fashion.  In April, Alexa was featured in Vogue magazine for her ethical efforts and also applauded by Tamsin Blanchard in UK’s Telegraph.  Interestingly enough Alexa has been involved in many ethical initiatives even from 2008- she modelled for Oxfam’s 2008 ethical range, and for Stella Mc Cartney in 2011′s London fashion week another notable ethical clothing line. Alexa Chung holds a great influence in the current fashion world and it is truly commendable that she seeks to direct that influence towards a more ethically yet fashionable future.

This one isn’t about clothes, but definitely noteworthy.

Who says that when trying to be ethical you have to dress or act a certain way?  When you think vegan; high end and chique are not necessarily the first words that come to mind.   Steriotypically vegans or green-minded people are stuck with the stigmas of the “modern day hippie” with low quality gear and a lack of style appeal aka with long dredded hair and bright coloured ill-matching ponchos and socks with open toe sandals.

Another stigma, is that being green means we have to give up our desire for style or luxury and those words are generally tied in with being unethical.  But thinking like this limits us from seeing how luxury, quality, and style can come together in harmony with a green life.  Henrik Fisker and Bernard Koehler both decided to address these limitations in the automotive industry and have come together to design the world’s first premium hybrid electric vehicle.

Introducing the Fisker Karma.  After designing several luxury cars such as the Aston Martin, Henrik Fisker has teamed up with Quantum Technologies creating a car with his own name. With a mix of characteristics from the Aston, Corvette, and Maserati, this car will literally make your jaw drop.  Not only is this car electric hybrid, making it a low fuel green vehicle, it also has the option of being completely vegan.  That’s right VEGAN, no leather or any animal by-products anywhere, including the glue or plastic, which not very many products can truly brag about.  Even the wood comes from fallen trees known as “rescued wood” from Michigan.  This is a truly unique vehicle that retails for 110,000+, especially targeted for individuals who have a lot of money but also a great sense of ethical well being and style.

Sweatshop is a short film collaboration between 3 NYU Tisch students, who are working hard to deliver a message about the corruptions involved in running sweatshops, particularly in oppressing young children.  I encourage you to learn more about this film and possibly donate, especially since they only have 10 days left to raise enough funding!

The film was inspired by several articles on sweatshops found within US cities in the last 10 years.  In particular, a Californian sweatshop employing Thai workers caught the director’s attention and inspired him to write the script.

Director: Chin Tangsakulsathaporn is a native Bangkoker from Thailand. After he got a bachelor’s degree in the Performing Arts. He started his film career as an actor and also work as a cable guy on set until he became a Commercial film director. He sold his awards to buy a one-way ticket to New York in 2006. Now he is awarded a full scholarship from the graduate film at Tisch, New York University and a scholarship from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

Cinematographer: Brian Lannin is a director and cinematographer based in New York City.  His short film, AND WINTER SLOW won the best shortfilm at the Cinequest Film Festival in March, 2012.  Brian’s works as cinematographer has shown at numerous prestigious festivals;  BAYOU BLACK (dir. Jonas Carpignano, starring Michael K. Williams), received mention at the Woodstock Film Festival and ANGELS (dir. Zach Kerschberg), received the Cinematography Award at the Montana Internationl Film Festival.  He is currently an MFA Candidate at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Producer: Alexandra Keyes was born in London and grew up moving back and forth between Hong Kong and LA.  She returned to the UK for her undergraduate degree in Chinese Studies at Oxford, where she also discovered her passion for producing with the Oxford Revue, starting point for such comedians as Rowan Atkinson and Michael Palin.  After graduating, Alex moved to Japan, where she produced a government-sponsored education show, Let’s Go EIGO!.  She is currently enrolled in her first year in NYU’s MBA/MFA (Stern/Tisch) producing programme.

Eye-liner is a must in my make-up bag, so when I recently ran out and went into total panic mode, I found something new and great! At the nearest Sephora they had this Buxom Eye Duo, a black eye-liner and gray eye shadow for just $30.  I put it on in the morning, on the way to work, and after a long day of work and meeting up with friends after, I came home looked in the mirror and was shocked.  For the first time ever, my eye-liner looked the exact same as when I left in the morning! THIS NEVER HAPPENS

Of course immediately after this, I had to check if it’s an ethical product.  Turns out, Buxom is from Bare Escentuals.  PETA has sited on their site that they do not test on animals.  But does it stop there? – Nope

They also have a social compliance policy where they comply with the California Transparency in Supply Chain Act.  They specifically address issues of fair wages and human trafficking.  They also are involved in several philanthropic initiatives.

On the BE site it states “Bare Escentuals is dedicated to conducting its business with integrity and the highest standard of ethics and seeks the same level of integrity and ethical standards with its vendor and supplier partners. Bare Escentuals will continue to assess all risks and opportunities to ensure that its approach will prevent any injustice or violation of human rights within its supply chain.”

So the verdict – this Eye-Duo package holds more value than meets the Eye

It’s a simple slogan that implies strength, empowerment, and hard work. Kenya’s Ethical Fashion Africa, a program which was developed by the UN’s International Trade Centre empowers African women who are living in some of  Kenya’s poorest neighborhoods, to work and earn fair wages.  It’s quite symbolic that 2 powerful women who have worked hard for the ethical fashion world – Vivienne Westwood and Stella Mc Cartney are key supporters of this program. This collaboration and cooperative support moves Ethical fashion from being a simple term, to a term that will change the way we create and operate new enterprises.  It is even more significant that women like Stella Mc Cartney, Vivienne Westwood, Safia Minney, and several others are the spear-heads of these movements that empower women all over the world, something definitely to be celebrated on International Women’s Day.

The Artist

Venezuelan-born and Miami-based designer, Valentina Deflino was one of hundreds across the globe who submitted sketches to “Red Carpet Green Dress,” a sustainable couture design competition launched by Suzy Amis Cameron in 2009.

“It’s really about bringing awareness to the fact that we can be kind to the planet and still wear something really gorgeous,” Cameron says about the project, “and to then take that a step further, for people to think about the carbon footprint of their everyday clothes.”

Previous winners include Jillian Granz and Samata Angel.

I am sure after hearing about Natalie Portman’s engagement ring representing her ethical values; you too would want the same thing. Especially for a special piece of jewellery that represents the love in your life, for the rest of your life. This can be particularly daunting, especially when most jewellery companies aren’t even transparent about where they get their diamonds and other precious stones from. Luckily, I found Brilliant Earth! They not only use stones sourced from socially responsible harvesting methods, they are also active in raising awareness, and donating a portion of their proceeds to communities affected by unethical jewellery practises. Below is an overview of Brilliant Earth’s Values.

Brilliant Earth believes that luxury goods need not come at great human or environmental cost.

Awareness

Aware consumers make informed choices. We work with nonprofit agencies to provide comprehensive and objective information about our industry. We believe that through their purchases, our customers will drive the future of the jewelry industry.

Community

We donate 5% of our profits to help communities who have suffered from unethical practices in the jewelry industry. We strive to create a long-term and sustainable approach to community development.

Respect

We believe in promoting socially responsible business practices that respect human beings and the environment. We endeavor to treat all individuals with respect, both inside and outside the company.

Most recently, her engagement ring has garnered lots of buzz for reflecting her eco-friendly lifestyle; the ring is reportedly set in recycled platinum, has an antique centre stone and has accenting pavé diamonds taken from a conflict-free mine. Designer Jamie Wolf comments, “We wanted everything about the ring to speak to things that are important to Natalie.”