Stay tuned!

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One of our hoodies that is in the process of re-design! Re-do, er-do, re-do, until you get perfection!

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We're so excited to share the pictures from our photoshoot last week with Concept Photography, that we thought that we'd share a few raw shots from our iPhone! Stay tuned for the "Real McCoy" this week! Photo featuring Rikki Cargo and Franklin!

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Look at this beautiful Mademoiselle Dress Form that I bought today! Get one for yourself at Home Sense! 

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Cargo_Royale_-_Shaw_TV_Nanaimo_Channel_4_[SaveYouTube.com].flv Watch on Posterous

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Well, I made the final plunge and I just a dropped a chunk of change at the health food store... I'm now 80% converted in bath products to that which are NOT going to give me cancer... and are mainly made in Canada... They are eco-friendly and free of this, that and the other terrible thing. "Sodium lauryl sulfate" to be exact. That was one of the top of my list to climate, in addition to formaldehyde, sulfates, parabens, aluminum, fluoride, petroleum, propylene glycol and glycerin. There is significant research that indicates the chemicals used in body lotions have been linked to breast cancer. Many women and girls are using these scented body lotions lathering them all over their bodies, including their breasts. The skin is the largest area of the body. If the immune system is not able to detoxify these chemicals disease can occur... Chemicals can easily be absorbed through the skin. Watch your excitement level in regards to nano-technology. Some is great, and some... not so much. All my household cleaners and soaps are pretty much at the same capacity being 80% converted! This is one product that I'm especially excited about... http://ht.ly/8umFm The lady at the lady at Naked Naturals said that just recently she had started noticing the "vibration" that she felt when using it! Well, hey... if writing "white light" on your water bottle puts forward a good intention, then why not a bottle of cancer free face cream with the word "ohm" and the symbol "ohm" on it? Apparently it works, so if I receive any added kicks to the application and use of it, then that's a nice surprise!

I've been embracing this journey of eating better, and clearing out the bad products in my home since November. I've always eaten well, but have noticed that my hair is quite sensitive to my eating regimen. Nothing will motivate a women to embark a journey to the vitamin store, quite like her hair thinning!

The biggest breakthrough in my week has been sourcing the right company and person in Vancouver to make my trims. I have had some huge breakthroughs here. I can't tell you what I'm going to "seal" my trims, notions and embellishments with, but I will tell you that I'm strongly considering brass as my main element. I have discovered a rare and unique process to seal the brass to prevent it from oxidizing-and I'm really excited about it! It's an old process that some traditionally used to lacquer brass telescopes! So you can see, I really care that this product is elementally compatible for as many people as possible. Should anyone have any better ideas, I invite you to comment below!

I'm sure I'll have more to report on soon as this month is set to unveil the answers to all my unsolved mysteries!

Rikki Cargo

(pictures below are Nicole Bridger's designs)

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After well over two weeks of trying to source a local company that could make fashion trims for my line (eyelets, zipper pulls, stops, clasps) I have finally found my match. An innovative company that is able to work with my eco-friendly requirements, and produce a product that is not carcinogenic or non-toxic, but also one that can produce a sophisticated "glam" product. There is  huge demand in Canada for this niche market; especially in Vancouver with it's thriving eco-fashion sector, in lieu of Vision Vancouver 2020. After embarking on this journey, I have come to realize that there is a huge demand in Canada for at least one company that can do this under one roof in the garment industry. In theory, a company as such could win awards and press for such an eco-initiative. -Rikki Cargo

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It's been an inspiring week and I've started making changes before New Years. Though I've never given up the gym and jogging-it does take the back burner at times. This week I've been getting back out there again-fully realizing how happy I am just to have my legs. It's not enough anymore to use "mind over matter". As much as "thoughts become things", your thoughts and the appearance of a healthy body are not enough anymore. I've seen many with compromised health this year-and they are usually on top of thier game when it comes to choosing the right thoughts and words. We have to think right and pay attention to the products we're buying and consuming. I know many of you think that organic or "wild" options are more expensive, but I think it's worth the price of a clean bill of health. Are actions today can be well worth it in the long run. I mean seriously-do we really need formaldehyde in our shower gel? Or how about "wood" being approved as a filler in our food? (used in a roster of food products, from crackers and ice creams to puddings and baked goods) http://ht.ly/8cLVm. Well, I'm stocked up on all my vitamins, I've jogged 4 times this week... and I'm fully committed to getting to bed earlier!

-Rikki Cargo

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But, if you’ve spent any time looking at some eco-friendly fashion, you’ve probably asked, “why does it cost so much?” Honestly, there’s no specific answer as to why it tends to cost more, but there are some characteristics of eco-fashion that make it so: It takes more time (3 years) and energy to convert a conventional cotton crop to an organic one. Not paying sweatshop labor prices costs designers much more. Designers who engage in fair trade practicesmake sure that every worker from the beginning to the end is paid fairly and works under suitable working conditions.

Eco-fashion is still not as available as “conventional” fashion. There is significant demand for eco-friendly clothing, shoes & accessories, and until supply can catch up with it, and there are more competitors in the market, prices will remain higher. If you buy your eco-fashion from an independent designer or smaller boutique, you’re likely purchasing items made locally, in limited quantities, possibly handmade, and from companies who engage in ethical business practices. It’s the right way to do business, but it’s not always the cheapest. Some companies, like EDUN, produce their clothing in developing countries as a way to drive sustainable employment and lift their citizens out of poverty. This can have significant costs up front, but the benefits are well worth it. I also believe that designers/retail stores have taken advantage of all the “green” hype the last several years and have basically charged whatever they wanted for their organic cotton/bamboo/hemp products. And we bought them! Now that consumers don’t have as much disposable income, it’s my opinion that prices will come down to a more realistic level, and then start lower than they did before.

So, what’s a girl to do? How can you make it easier on your wallet to support your environmental and ethical beliefs and be more eco-fashionable? I’ll tell you! Even though I mentioned ethical consumerism before, being eco-fashionable isn’t all about consuming new items. Buying vintage/used is eco-friendly. As is swapping, making your own clothes, and shopping your closet: don’t forget about what you already have! Maybe you can alter it, or turn it into something you would wear more often. Although this may sound counter-intuitive, choose quality over quantity, and be willing to pay more up front. Choosing one more expensive, superior quality item that will last many years, over 10 items made to last only a few seasons is much more wallet-friendly AND environmentally-friendly!

Shop online. I’m admittedly biased on this, I ONLY shop for clothing/bags/shoes online, but it’s nearly always cheaper, especially if you know where to look! Not only can save a little money by not paying sales tax (in some states), most online boutiques have free shipping now, and many offer exclusive discount codes. With a little searching, you can find all of the same designers sold in the clothing section at Whole Foods (like Under the Canopy) online, and for much less than retail price.

Read source article on "Green & Chic" here.

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Made my label templates today and had to share this http://ow.ly/i/nPvo and this http://ht.ly/83wuf with you! Eco friendly label ideas complete with Adobe Illustrator formats! It's coming along with finding the right company in Vancouver to make my sustainable injection molds like this http://ow.ly/i/nPw0. I'm happy to be doing all the footwork myself instead of hiring a production agent! It's all part of the passion of being an entrepreneur and bringing your first born to life! I'm learning much about eco-friendly tapes and notions. A year ago I really didn't know what a notion was;) I will say, there is very little in the world in the way of eco-friendly molds. But if you demand it, you can source just about anything somewhere and work with brilliant minds to make it happen. I'm hoping to find out tomorrow about the die-cut and mold manufacturer in Delta, Vancouver. They still haven't gotten back to me. Working with a company in Montreal on an alternative; I hear that polymer thermogenic plastic is quite sustainable. Lets see what my research tells me!

-Rikki Cargo

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I thought my carbon footprint would be greater to ship eco-friendly fabrics from Carson, California to Vancouver (2,078km = 0.69 GHS) then it would be from Montreal, Quebec to Vancouver (4,902km = 1.64 GHS). What a shocking different, and according to the freight calculator, It only costs about $100 (based on lowest price) in shipping to bring these fabrics from Eagle Fabrics up from Cali to Van. I am pleasantly suprised and greatful that milling our own proprietary fabric in the US won't cost the environment like I orginally thought. *GHS = Green House Gases. Carbonfund.org is voted one of the best by TreeHugger if you want to check out what they are doing! We recommend "Maersk Line" for your #green shipping needs! http://ht.ly/7Tgmn @MaerskLineMedia @Maersk_Line @Maersk and I love these #eco #green shippng boxes on @Inhabitat boxes provided by @ebay http://ht.ly/7TgG8!

Rikki Cargo
CEO

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You thought you were pretty eco-cool with your designer hemp shirt and organic cotton jeans, but did you every think about your zippers? In fact, all the little metallic bits and bobs that give the finishing touch to your beautifully cut trousers are often produced in terrible conditions with polluting materials. So, in their search for the most eco friendly materials to create their looks, companies like Loomstate , Mana Clothing and Levi’s have turned to a new player in the green fashion market: San Francisco-based trim supplier, TYT Trend is now leading the charge to help apparel designers and brands develop truly 100% earth-friendly products for their earth-conscious customers.

Their products include zipper tape made up of 100% recycled polymer fabrics that color match very effectively with standard tape. Metal hardware’s with non-electroplated finishes are another way to lighten the impact that shank buttons, snaps, rivets and zipper pulls have on the environment. Non-electroplated finishes are available in brass, aluminum and nickel for a range of categories spanning from denim to outerwear.

The “Green Gear” line includes a full set of zippers, including plastic, coil and metal, and is even capable of producing water-resistant zippers for performance garments. TYT is a world-class supplier of zippers, fasteners and metal hardware’s, with customer care offices in Hong Kong, and a wholly-owned manufacturing facility in Dongguan, China. By owning their own factory, TYT is able to control all parts of their production process, from material procurement to shipping. This control over the supply chain allows TYT to ensure that their customers are getting the absolute best, cleanest materials that the market can offer. This is just another step in ensuring that your apparel supply chain is as efficient and eco-friendly as possible. Source article on Eco Fashion World.

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In our fast-moving world, it's more important than ever for businesses to be savvy about responsible long term growth and sound sustainable practices for both profit and the planet. But it's difficult to know where to start. GOOD is excited to announce The Green Side of Business program, presented by UPS, that will help one company take the first steps towards becoming a more sustainable, environmentally-sound business. Whether you're a company's owner or employee, enter your business now to win advice from green business experts and $10,000 to invest in its long term sustainability efforts.

Through this program, we hope to start a dialogue about smarter steps a business can take to help align smart business practices with sustainability principles. Whether it's diversifying supply chains or creating a weekly carpool program, sustainability experts will offer ideas and advice about where a business can start.

Enter by December 6 and your business will have a chance to navigate the growing sustainability business sector with advice from experts—and $10,000. The chosen company will be selected based on its potential and commitment to improving sustainability growth. The business will also win a feature on GOOD for six weeks to document the experience and inspire other companies through its successes and challenges. See here for official rules.

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Kids eco friendly apparel retailer Eco Plum has a set of really cute hoodies for kids. The eco hoodie is unisex which means your boy or girl can use it and because it comes in several cool colors your girl or boy should find a hue they like. What’s cool about these particular hoodies from Eco Plum is that each one is made with 50% post consumer recycled cotton and 50% post consumer recycled polyester making them both fashionable and sustainable.

Read source article here on "Keetsa" via @eco_clothing on Twitter!

#ecofashsion, #ecomonday, #kidsclothes, #sustainable, #hoodies, #fashion, #eco, #ethical

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"The Italian clothing company has been known to push the envelope in the past. Anybody remember their fabulously controversial 2007 ‘Global Warming Ready? Diesel takes on global warming as only they can… making their latest campaign poignant yet subtle, stylish yet absurd. Focusing on people and places… and claiming in their video that “GLOBAL WARMING CANT STOP OUR LIVES”, and thus begins the series of images below, about how although the polar ice caps are melting, etc you can still look good and embrace the heat… Above we have the overgrown tropical gardens in Paris… below there are the macaws who have replaced the Venetian pigeons, warm oceans in Antarctica, the tiny island of London, a post-great-flood Rio and NY, the giant desert that surrounds the great wall, the tropical paradise of Mt. Rushmore… gorgeous imagery from the great Terry Richardson. Global Warming… as approached in a way only Diesel can. Complete with links to stopglobalwarming.org and an inconvenient truth".

Read source article here.

#EcoMonday, #blogchat, #ecofashion, #fashion, #Diesel

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The Rise of Eco and Indie Luxury
Designers asked to work with a luxury brand know the general rule of thumb: make it look twice as valuable with half the budget and a fraction of the tangible materials.

Designers also know the dirty, dark secret of marketing luxury goods: quality of design can trump quality of materials. Quantities may run low and costs-per-piece high, since you have a limited audience and a limited quantity. Products may be outsourced to factories overseas and only cost incrementally more than their regular brand cousins. The product always includes a premium markup, to create an aura of value.

And that aura of value is morphing into something new.

The idea of Old Luxury (high fashion, high quality, high touch, high price) has fractured over the past ten years into a number of new and surprising categories that make it even harder to market a product as Old Luxury, but even easier to draw an audience into considering a purchase at a higher price point.

With the coming recession, there is going to be a shift from the New Luxury or "masstige" market into Eco and Indie Luxury:

Old Luxury will never take a major hit, because people who purchase Old Luxury products have enough wealth to support their lifestyle even if their portfolio drops 50%.

But people who consider New Luxury products as part of their lifestyle will seek a greater meaning for their purchases. The new categories that I've noted, Eco and Indie Luxury, provide that meaning above and beyond what an Old or New Luxury brand can provide.

The old thinking went like this: If you want to simplify your life -- if you really want to do more with less and own things that no one else owns -- then be prepared to spend a premium, have fewer options to choose from, and defend your piece of ground with the (limited) members of your tribe. Go to Wal-Mart if you want to get the most for the least. Never mind that the same factory may have made your fancy Coach bag and those Wal-Mart briefs.

The new thinking is much more complex. And exciting.

Eco Luxury
I recently found myself fingering a Jil Sander wool jacket at Barneys Co-op that I could easily see myself wearing. Ten minutes later, a very similar jacket was at Banana Republic for one-tenth of the JS jacket "sale price". Old Navy around the corner, another similar jacket that was one-sixty of the BR price.

The major difference between the three, other than a slight difference in percentage of wool and the cut? The Jil Sander jacket had no label inside it and was the simplest, most minimal design.

This seems pretty obvious to a New York fashionista--they'd know the jacket was Jil Sander when they saw it because of its styling and notch it in their little mental black book. And when you're in that kind of community, you're part of a semi-closed circle that amplifies the value of your lifestyle choices (or devalues them, depending who you run with).

But then I walked over to the Nau store. Welcome to Eco Luxury. Their black jacket that costs the same as the jacket at Banana Republic was made through sustainable practices. It looks sleek and different from all those other jackets. (Full disclosure: I drool regularly over their clothes but have not made a purchase... yet. I also critique them regularly because it's hard to be play luxury and sustainability at the same time...)

This single piece of clothing brings up all sorts of considerations I didn't have when I was shopping at Williams-Sonoma or Tiffany's. Do I want a high-end necklace that's biodegradeable? A high-heat spatula that's recyclable? It doesn't sound so far-fetched in 2008. In 2018 it'll be an assumed part of the buying decision.

In clothing, travel, and a host of other markets, Eco Luxury is poised in the wings to infiltrate and overtake the New Luxury category. In ten years, it's likely that Eco Luxury won't exist as its own category anymore and will be absorbed wholesale into New Luxury -- only because it can be factory produced and has the potential to be marketed on a mass scale. Call it New Eco Luxury, which hopefully will never go out of style.

Indie Luxury
Generate your own fashion. Design your own products. Take it open source. Generate a global audience in a matter of days. It's all possible and it's happening every day. Products can be priced for their scarcity, originality, and impact, and sold within a community that's outside of the traditional purview of corporations insistent on controlling their brands.

A mere decade year ago, the context of the store environment created the tangible value--that was the only place you could get the product. Is that Jil Sander jacket less valuable if I buy it on eBay? Er... what's eBay? Nowadays, sites like eBay and Bag, Borrow or Steal are hammering down the value of Old Luxury and New Luxury brands in mid-size retailers like Nordstrom and Tiffany's.

The old thinking here:
The story I tell about how and where I purchased the product creates the tangible value. Especially if the product is on parity with others in its market. The tribe protects the brand value. Luxury marketers dictate the rules of the game. The cost of entry is the cost of the product. Don't play the game if you aren't serious about being vocal to protect your "investment." Cults and communities online and in the real world defend or destroy the brand value. This happens quickly in the fashion community as different houses veer into and out of style.

The new thinking:
But for the rest of us, the unwashed, the cost of entry can be seen as a psychological barrier, a badge of your inclusion in the tribe, and the only perceived result of the purchase in the physical store.

The purchase is also influenced by economic and social factors. Right now, there's a buzz in the air as banks and investment firms take multi-billion dollar hits to their bottom line from underestimating the risk of sub-prime investment. Why would I blow $5k on a jacket when everyone is suffering?

The Internet has created many more opportunities to access and purchase luxury goods, but also the seeds of their destruction. As more people create online communities around their favorite brands, these communities will communicate about "online deals" as well and further dilute your product value. These communities will also start producing the luxury goods themselves.

I'm paying more attention to this category than Eco Luxury, because it brings the thinking of the long tail into an industry that's always been tight-lipped and inaccessible. And there are people that are doing sustainable work in this area to go head to head with people like Nau, which is exciting.

Of course, companies will try to monetize Indie Luxury by generating communities that ease fulfillment and promotion of product sales. But Indie Luxury as a category will always resist being under a corporate thumb and will generate its own communities and spin-off products that trickle up into the mainstream.

Read original source article on Change Order here.

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A recent New York Times article documents marketers' shift from "treat yourself; you can afford it," to "the planet can't afford for you to spend less." As even the well-heeled take their belts in a notch, excess is no longer trendy - and savvy marketers in the luxury-goods game are tailoring their messages accordingly. The new buzzwords? "Sustainable luxury" and "slow fashion" (a take on the "slow food" movement toward fresh, local ingredients).

"Today, more than ever, people want a return to genuine values, such as timelessness, sincerity and exemplary standards," Francois-Henri Pinault, chief executive of French luxury brand PPR, explains. "And these are all qualities which-as we have seen-are inherent in sustainable luxury." What's more, says industry consultant Jem Bendell, "Luxury brands have the margin and the mandate to create the most environmentally responsible products." High-end labels say they are responding to consumer demand as they implement responsible sourcing policies and other sustainability programs. Earlier this month, the U.K. launched a carbon footprint label for the fashion retail market. Read source article on Sustainable Life Media here. www.SustainableLifeMedia.com

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A press release from O Ecotextiles states, “The textile industry has been condemned as being one of the world’s worst offenders in terms of pollution…” This is because the manufacture of textiles requires two important components: chemicals and water. This press release goes on to describe that, between dyes and transfer agents, there are as many as 2,000 different chemicals used in the process. Then there is the overuse of water, an already finite resource, being employed at every step; from helping transmit the chemicals, to washing them out in preparation for the next stage of production. “The water becomes full of chemical additives,” says O Ecotextiles, “and is then expelled as wastewater; which in turn pollutes the environment.” This toxic runoff wreaks havoc on our ecosystem, entering at unnaturally heightened temperatures, with an increased pH, and saturated with dyes, detergents, bleaches, brighteners, equalizers, and hundreds more. It doesn’t stop there though. The finished product, the clothing we wear, yet harbors many of these chemicals, which then evaporate into the air or become absorbed by the skin. Read feature article here on Eco Lux Living.

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According to Cecile Simon, MD of public relations company Sidhu & Simon, the luxury industry needs to overcome the challenge of becoming accessible without losing out on exclusivity. In a changing world, firms that deal in luxury must quickly learn the art of balancing accessibility with exclusivity. Jimmy Choo and Karl Lagerfeld have already joined the accessibility bandwagon. They have created ranges for high street stores attracting disapproval from various quarters. Even high-end jewelers Theo Fennell and Tiffany have created cheaper lines. But not everyone is selling out. Former Gucci designer Tom Ford who barred photo and video cameras from his spring/summer 2011 show in a bid to protect exclusivity.

LVMH seems to have hit upon a winning formula. The luxury conglomerate has turned Louis Vuitton into an accessible brand. However, Louis Vuitton’s Bond Street store is still a study in luxury. Pernod Ricard’s MD of creativity and luxury, Vadim Grigorian, believes that the luxury industry will have to develop better shopping experiences, if it is to maintain its exclusivity.

The Internet is connecting luxury brands with many more people. But these people may not be the “ideal consumer” group for the brands, admits Martin Jobin, digital marketing director of luxury car brand Infiniti. These are changing circumstances for the luxury industry. And the exclusivity-accessibility debate is likely to stick. Read source article here on www.EliteChoice.org.

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