Shoe designer Cheyenne studied sculpture before going on to open a vintage shoe store and study shoe making at FIT. After working as an assistant designer for Delman, she decided to go out on her own and named her label after the town where her grandmother grew up. Tashkent has received accolades in a short period of time and participated in Gen Art's Fresh Faces 2006.

These Italian-made beauties could be the most stylish vegan-friendly shoes I have seen in awhile, if not for the fact that they typically have an insole made of leather. I like the woven raffia styles, which were done in wool last season. Any long-time reader knows that leather is not a huge issue for me, but if the fabric was organic cotton, hemp or linen, I'd award more kudos for ecological design. Sometimes investing in a beautifully constructed piece can be just as important, but I am always left wondering how things were made. Is the glue toxic? Are the dyes azo-free? Is the leather vegetable tanned?

Katharine Hamnett, a long time advocate for fair-trade and organic cotton, has some more pieces from her organic collection available on her site.

Thursday I attended “Project Earth Day”, an eco-friendly fashion show at the Teknion showroom. The event was organized by Emerging Green Builders of New York (EGBNY), the local chapter of USGBC and co-sponsored by o2-NYC, and Green Drinks.

In addition to the fashion show, which was comprised of looks from NYC's eco-fashion designers, the night also featured a student competition. The organizers graciously invited me to be one of the judges, which was no easy task. Overall, I was impressed by the level of work that went down the runway. The students were able to use any eco-friendly material they wanted, but also had donated eco-friendly interior textiles at their disposal.

Having been a fashion design student not too long ago, I know the toil that goes into producing a garment. In that regard, I appreciated all of the students efforts, but there were clearly some standout pieces. While some may have been strong in construction, others excelled in ingenuity. When the time came for myself and the other four judges to confer, however, we had to evaluate the full package: use of eco-friendly materials, marketability, construction, innovation and overall esthetic.

There was some heated jockeying for favorite designs among the five judges, which included Jennifer Busch (Contract Magazine), Christian Larsen (MoMA), Randy Fahey (Gensler) and Margaret Lydecker (GreenDrinksNYC). I might have been the only one of the judges that has sewn, but it didn't take a designer to notice pins in a couple of the garments. All of a sudden I had echoes of Project Runway in my head. "Nice concept, but terrible execution." "It wasn't finished!" On the other hand, I felt compelled to point out to my compadres that indeed it takes a long time to give an entire jacket a Hong Kong finish and making jackets and pants in and of itself are more complex construction tasks. While I think each of us may have ordered the winning line up a little differently, finally, we all felt comfortable that the front runners were acknowledged.

Xay Xiong took the first prize for her empire waist dress and vest (above). The design should be noted for it's flawless execution. Xay also made her garment from all interiors fabrics, but did so in a way that did not make the model look as though she was wearing her sofa down the runway. Xay will graduate from Parson's School of Design next month.

Kacie Rushton took second place. Kacie made a three piece ensemble (above) that included an organic cotton t-shirt, a hemp cropped jacket lined with hemp silk and finished with organic wool topstitching and a re-purposed leather detail on the back and pants made from Terratex Sol dyed and recycled polyester. Kacie's designs gave special attention to detail, were well finished and completely wearable. She is currently a student at The Fashion Institute of Technology.

Jennifer Kim's futuristic third place entry (above) represented "a juxtaposition of modernity and back-to-nature." She used eco-friendly Maharam fabrics to create a fantastic hooded dress. The design was intentionally kept minimal to recognize that beauty can be achieved with frugality. Jennifer is currently a student at Parson's School of Design.

Caroline Hur and Tiffany L. Pek received honorable mentions. First-year design student Caroline was recognized for the honeycomb inspired, black and white checked jacket (above) made from eco-friendly Maharam textiles. Tiffany, a student at Parson's, created an impeccably tailored menswear ensemble (below - apologies that there is no photo) that included a hemp herringbone peacoat with interchangeable front panel, hand-dyed organic cotton bias finished seams (a.k.a Hong Kong finish) and tencel hemp-lined sleeves. She completed the look with a pair of flat front wool trousers in wool by Kvadrat.

Thanks to all of the students for entering and helping to elevate eco-fashion. There are limited opportunities in the fashion industry to work for a company committed to sustainability, which is likely why most of the looks that followed in the second part of the program were from young designers who are forging their own way. However, as more people are educated about sustainability in the apparel industry the more avenues there will be for change. Only last summer was I seated next to a designer who told me that you couldn't make high quality garments with organic cotton. There is still a lot of misunderstanding that persists in the industry, so these students might be given the task of educating their future employers. As the market begins to tip and change, knowledge of sustainability as it relates to the apparel industry may also become an asset that sets these students apart.

I am quite late reporting on this and you have likely already read about these polos designed by Tom Dixon as part of a new annual series where a designer from outside the industry reinterprets the classic polo for Lacoste. I was first sent the news last year by a friendly magazine editor and then again by my editor at Inhabitat, both suggesting I might want to write about the Eco Polo. However, I feel the reason I was reluctant to write about the shirts was perhaps two-fold. One, there was no real commitment to organic cotton usage by Lacoste for this. I did not see it as part of any eco-embrace by the company. Secondly, and perhaps more-so, I was uncomfortable pitting 'eco' against 'techno'.

Eco Polo is made from natural indigo-dyed organic cotton with a slightly ‘distressed’ worn or handmade appeal and packaged in an embossed box made from recycled materials. On the other hand, Techno Polo is composed of lurex fibers and cotton amalgamated with high-tech weaving techniques vacuum-packaged in aluminum foil.

My argument is this. Why can't Techno also be Eco? From where we stand now, on the eve of Earth Day 2007, when people are building skyscrapers like One Bryant Park and inventing technologies to capture carbon dioxide from the air and batteries that allow cars, not horse drawn carriages, to go 200 miles on a charge and 0 to 60 in 4 seconds, isn't it clear that eco and techno are actually more often sitting on the love seat holding hands than facing off against one another? It would have been more impressive to me had the Techno Polo been made from recycled Lurex woven with organic cotton and packaged in recycled aluminum. The design would have been much more compelling had it questioned people's notion of what eco means and how, in order to progress, ecology is often dependent on technology. When it comes to energy this could not be more clear. However, even technological innovations in the apparel industry have allowed us to recycle cotton and nylon into new textiles, could lurex be that far behind?

After a period of unrelenting gloom. The clouds and rain have dissipated. I am happy to report that today I saw the sun. Immediately both people and trees seemed to blossom in celebration. I was moved to document the event from my window as shown in the above and below photographs.

Yesterday afternoon I met the car of my dreams... well, if I actually needed to own a car, true sustainable style, the beautiful Tesla Roadster. I will be writing more on this groundbreaking electric car coming up.

In the evening I ran off to the Project Earth Day event at Teknion. O2NYC's Jennifer Van De Meer rocks her (and my) new favorite organic denim, the high waisted Aoki jeans, while catching up with Inhabitat's Jill Fehrenbacher. Jill is wearing a great dress from Organic. You can check out Jill in this month's issue of Vogue. While not entirely a green issue, they did devote many pages to being green. Below is a sketch of Kimberly Pizarro's very creative Rags-to-Riches entry in the student competition portion of the show. There will be more coverage of this event to come as well. Stay tuned!!

I caught a glimpse of what was billed as an organic cotton top from Stella McCartney in the latest issue of ELLE. Could it be that she has started to realize that cotton uses 25% of all of the world's pesticides? Stella is frequently billed as an eco-friendly designer when I have often felt her stance on not using leather or fur was really based more against animal cruelty and not the environment. Vegan, vegetarian, environmentalist... they are not always the same thing. They are all positive things, but often conflated and confused.

My post on Stella kicked up some heated comments over at Inhabitat in November, especially when I mentioned wanting a sweater in organic wool, which really riled up some vegans - although McCartney uses wool that is not organic. So, you see how the dichotomy of no leather, but non-organic wool can be confusing. The fact is we live in a world where people cannot be defined by labels, thank goodness, but yet in order to understand one another we must at times use them to describe ourselves.

McCartney recently introduced a beauty line, Care by Stella McCartney.

a unique luxury line of certified organic skincare, formulated with 100 percent organic active ingredients and zero percent petrochemicals or silicones. Inspired by Stella's personal philosophies, clear vegetarian principles, and commitment to help protect the environment.

Hopefully, her commitment to protect the environment will continue to spill over into her clothing line. While most of her line seems to be in traditional fabrications, she has started using some organic cotton and bamboo. I applaud any integration of eco-textiles by designers, as the name and project fiftyRX3 definitely makes it clear that I am not a purist. However, to keep things in perspective let's not forget the designers who likely have less resources that are doing their lines with 75 - 100% eco-fibers.

Another dichotomy I find is price. I love Stella's designs and feel that the beautiful bamboo dress above is surely worth the price, but also find it hard to understand the $350 organic cotton t-shirt below.

I found this article in National Geographic to provide a really comprehensive look at the fish crisis. I have known about this issue for some time. I used to sail on old fishing schooners and heard tales of the Grand Banks. It used to be full of fish. I also recently saw A Fish Story which follows two women who lead their communities in a battle for control of the ocean.

In the 1970s, enormous international fishing fleets decimated the waters off New England leaving local fishermen struggling to survive in the wake of this environmental disaster. Decades later, New England fishermen and environmentalists remain locked in an intense battle over the current health and future management of the ocean.

The National Geographic feature also includes good news in a story on how New Zealand has created marine reserves that are helping to replenish the ocean's fish population.

You can download the first episode of this series for free on itunes. Addressing some of the most important issues facing humanity, this original documentary series focuses on environmental topics. The first episode is all about alternative fuels, featuring Chelsea Sexton, she was one of my favorites in Who Killed the Electric Car.

This arrived in the mail yesterday, ELLE's second green issue. In terms of actual clothing options and a better understanding of what constitutes green, I give the issue two thumbs up and see improvement from last year. (some of you may remember my Ponyland post).

It was nice to see them involve Danny Seo. If I think I have been at this for awhile, well, he definitely has me beat. While his focus seems to be more interiors and entertaining, he has been preaching and practicing the sustainable style gospel for quite some time now. Does anybody remember Organic Style? The magazine folded at the end of 2005, but I still have some of my old issues. Danny was one of the editors-at-large, he also has some Simply Green books out.

Anyway, check it out.

Loyale organic cotton and hemp dress.

Patagonia sneakers have hemp uppers, partly recycled rubber soles.

John Hardy silver bangles. Bamboo seedlings are planted on a deforested island off Bali for each purchase made. Mauri Pioppo's LiveGreen necklace uses recycled gold and she donates 30 percent of all proceeds to the Natural Resources Defense Council, visit their cool new site.

Leave it to the clever waste-minded eco-designer, Anna Cohen, to make bikinis from leftover scraps of fabric that were used to create Olympic speed-skater uniforms. Available at BTC Elements.

Thomas Friedman's cover story for this Sunday's NY Times Magazine is on The Power of Green. Friedman is a columnist specializing in foreign affairs and a well known advocate for environmental initiatives. In his final column of 2006 he stated that one of the most important things to happen during the past year was that 'green' had hit Main Street. "Green: The New Red, White and Blue," a documentary featuring his reporting on green technology, premiers on the Discovery Channel this coming Saturday, April 21 at 9 p.m. Read the article here for his take on why 'green' makes good politics, among other things.

Sometimes I only run eBaybe™ features after auctions end. Yes, I may be selfishly holding out because I want to bid on something. However, today's eBaybe™ post has all live auctions and is brought to you by Showdown Vintage. In an effort to curb my apparel appetite and conserve closet space I will kick up some bidding competition for my picks...

this motorcycle jacket is fantastic

I'd like the high rise shorts and cute Spring coat please

Who couldn't use a summery red and white dress?

I love the minidress, which would also be a cute tunic top. The perfect simple design with a shirred sleeve detail. The raincoat/cape is fantastic. Why, oh why, am I posting this? Looks like this really maybe be Showdown Vintage!

I wrote about Martin Margiela's Artisanal line awhile ago, but recently came across another image I had to share. So, don't throw away all of your singleton gloves, if you lose enough you can make a top. Genius.

As many of you know I write a weekly sustainable style column for Inhabitat, a blog focused on green design. So, I am encouraging you all to get your creative juices flowing and enter the t-shirt design contest that is currently underway. Read more here...

It seems you cannot turn around without hitting a green issue in the month of April and now it is WWD's turn. Today's edition is chock full of green goodness.

the designers from Ekovaruhuset

a look from Linda Loudermilk

Emily Deschanel

“Project Earth Day” is an eco-friendly fashion event that will celebrate Earth Day. The runway show will be held at the Teknion showroom on April 19th and will feature a stunning display of the latest eco-friendly designs by up and coming designers. The night will feature a student competition, judged by a panel of industry leaders, with the winner awarded a cash prize of $1500 and a mentorship opportunity. The organizers have graciously invited me to be one of the judges. I hear that there is some stiff competition brewing and look forward to seeing all of the entries. In addition, several emerging fashion designers will put together small collections made from donated textiles.

The event is being organized by Emerging Green Builders of New York (EGBNY), the local chapter of USGBC. EGBNY's mission is to create a network of emerging green building leaders and develop opportunities for involvement through the USGBC New York chapter to further generate momentum for the green building industry.

The show is co-sponsored by o2-NYC, and Green Drinks.

Project Earth Day

“I believe we can contribute to an ethical fashion revolution. By sourcing fabrics and raw materials that have literally been thrown away, you can look good and be good too. Too many garments are deemed aesthetically redundant and discarded at the end of a season, when there are still many years of wear left”.

Gary Harvey, who for nearly ten years was the Creative Director of Levi Strauss and Dockers Europe, began designing his dresses out of creative frustration during his freelance work on fashion campaigns. “I needed some really dramatic pieces for a shoot I was working on and the first design evolved using 42 pairs of Levi’s 501’s”. Since that time his passion for creating recycled couture has taken over, and he’s produced a stunning design using 18 Burberry macs, a fishtail corset dress using 28 camouflage Army jackets, and a body-contouring gown using discarded baseball jackets. Gary’s latest creation is the newspaper dress, made from 30 copies of the Financial Times. He comments: “The desire behind this collection is about re-contextualising iconic, everyday garments to create dramatic new silhouettes”.

His collection of dresses was inspired by the silhouettes and techniques used in vintage couture, each garment is made entirely from recycled iconic garments. The silhouettes conjure up the refined elegance of vintage ball-gowns. The challenge to create a couture-inspired dress collection using recycled clothing has grown from a simple past-time to a serious message that recycled garments can be made into something beautiful.

Gary’s first collection showcased nine of his stunning dresses during London Fashion Week. The collection together creates a dramatic display designed to change people’s perception of second-hand clothing and create fashion with a conscience.

Gary Harvey Creative

A temporary flood sent avatars scrambling for the rooftops in several virtual places. David de Rothschild, founder of Adventure Ecology, staged the global warming related flood in the popular virtual world Second Life. Read the National Geographic account for the full story. Apparently avatars were calm, some pub going avatars just climbed into boats and continued on with their pints while the conversation shifted to global warming.

p.s. don't forget to sign up for Sea of People, you cannot send your avatar for this one.