Eco Boutique Blog

Veggie Taxidermy

2012-02-07T07:13:00.000-08:00

If you shop in the Paul Smith store in Notting Hill you may have already seen Donya Coward's creations enhancing the walls

Using vintage fabrics, embellishments and laces Donya creates one-of-a-kind 3D artforms called "Veggie Taxidermy" which takes a new slant on taxidermy yet enhances the beauty of animals. Taking inspiration from "the imperfections and histories ingrained in materials" Donya chooses not to wash the fabrics letting the stains and markings that have happened due to age, or by a rusted pin, add character to her animal creations.

"It is important to upcycle and preserve the craftsmanship and skills of days gone and give them a new identity, other peoples rubbish is certainly my gold"

Not bad for an artist who has a self claimed fear of animals!

For information and upcoming exhibitions click here.

Remix the mixtapes

2012-01-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

Do you still have that big box of old cassettes with all those carefully created playlists? How can you throw them away after spending hours lining up the tracks so they don't cut off, skillfully holding down the play, pause and record buttons on the HiFi?

Well here's an answer to your troubles. Scrap Hacker has compiled a list of DIY projects that will give your old cassettes a lease of life. Check it out here.

Now where's that box...

Art thief alert!

2012-01-20T13:30:00.000-08:00

Stik’s infamous piece on Pitfield Street in Hoxton was given a remix last week.
Now it depicts a quick smash and grab from the figure itself. We wonder if the cops will appear on the next paint job...

All photos courtesy of Street Art London, check their blog here.

DIY Art

2012-01-18T13:30:00.000-08:00

Banish the January blues with some bright DIY art.

We're loving this simple idea from 'Bird hearts bear's blogspot

Click here to view the blog (and Ponyo the dog)

George Herms

2012-01-16T06:36:00.000-08:00

George Herms emerged in the Sixties as a primary figure of the California assemblage movement, a movement which sought to unify art with life.
Redeeming civilization's discards to make art, Herms creates two and three-dimensional works that prove the point of cause and effect, and encourage one to consider the economic and environmental impact of a modern "throw-away" mentality.

Back in NYC for his second solo show at the Susan Inglett Gallery, Herms offers a selection of work spanning sculpture and collage with the familiar foundation of found objects.

The collages are sourced from his recent exhibition "Xenophilia (Love of the Unknown)" at Los Angeles' MoCA—are constructed entirely of shredded pieces of Madison Avenue "consumerist propaganda". These seemingly chaotic layered pieces include everything from a "perfect" set of legs to sports cars, referencing society's classification of wants against needs.

George Herms' solo show is on until 21 January 2012.
For more information on the exhibition and the artist visit the Susan Inglett Gallery online.

Qwerty Art

2011-12-15T02:55:00.000-08:00

Check out Sarah Frosts lastest work, sculptures made from thousands of keys from old qwerty keyboards. Looks pretty damn cool to us.

”Each key has a unique history and bears the imprint of the thousands of taps by countless users.”

Sarah´s Qwerty work travels the world, a permanent installation can be found @ The James hotel in NYC.

Stamen (fashion film) by Calum Macdiarmid

2011-12-01T06:57:00.001-08:00

Stamen (fashion film) from Calum Macdiarmid on Vimeo.

Following his critically acclaimed short film Worship, our hugely talented featured artist Calum Macdiarmid has created another stunning, sensual film, Stamen.

Fresh out the kitchen

2011-10-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

Check out our latest batch of Tee's by the very talented Calum Macdiarmid...

Available to buy here

Welcome back sunshine

2011-09-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

Take to the streets and feel that heat.

So that's where my T-shirt went

2011-08-26T05:18:00.000-07:00

Raiding your boyfriend's wardrobe is so last year, now it's the boys turn...

The Silent Evolution

2011-05-16T04:21:00.000-07:00

We probably don’t have to mention the life-threatening conditions natural reefs are under today. However a new phenomenon, artificial reefs, are increasingly popular as an environmentally friendly relief whilst the natural ones regenerate.

Taking this a step further we recently stumbled on Jason deClaires Taylor's lastest art piece "The Silent Evolution". Located off the coast of Cancun, Mexico, you'll find 400 life-size human sculptures installed 9 meters below sea level. Each sculpture is created with pH-neutral concrete, reinforced with fiberglass, which attracts marine life. Also integrated into the sculptures are rescued coral which have been damaged in storms or by humans.

You can follow Taylor’s installation and watch how the coral (eerily) takes over sculptures on Facebook

Also Taylor's installation has now been featured on Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder's solo album 'Ukulele Songs'

Guitar Pick Punch

2011-05-06T05:45:00.000-07:00

Check this out, a stylish black and metal guitar pick punch. Create picks from just about anything, destroying those credit cards just got fun.

The Guitar Pick Punch is available from Cool Material for $25

Levi's Commuting Cycling Series

2011-05-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

So with the nice weather (and the newly fresh threat of upsetting Al Qaeda) a lot more of us are back on the cycles for the daily commute.

And for those taking a more casual approach to cycling gear or just anti-spandex, check out Levi's lastest cycle friendly range. We were quite impressed, not only does it look great in the Levi's signature style but some real thought has gone into the design. The Trucker Jacket ($128) based on a 1967 design has a slight drop tail with ipod pocket, extra fabric under the arms for mobility, and a lip off the cuff to partially cover hands whilst riding.

And for the bottom half, we have 511 Skinny Commuter pants (available in denim or khaki, $78). These have ingenious features such as the back ipod/wallet pocket, a built in cycle lock loop on the belt line and reflective tape on the inner seam, so once you roll up the legs you have a neat bit of night time reflective safety. You'll also be please to know that Levi's have also reinforced the crotch area, which means more miles for you and for your wallet.

All the pieces in the line feature antimicrobial odor-protection and 'Nanosphere Technology', an application developed that makes materials resist water and dirt, as well as offer more protection and longer lifespans.

The Commuting Cycling Series is due to hit the shops this Summer, in Levis and Urban Outfitter stores.

The Mine Furniture

2011-04-20T09:32:00.000-07:00

Fed up of decking out your pad with Ikea's latest offerings? Fancy something a bit different? How about some recycled mines from a former military facility? Yes you did hear right, check out Estonian sculptor Mati Karmin's creations.

Karmin creates mind blowing furniture made from remaining First and Second World War sea mines, found on the island Naissaar, located in the Gulf of Finland. By adding modern textures of leather and glass, the brutally of the mines are softened; creating something altogether stylish and unique.

To see the whole range click here.

Guerilla advertising, skate style

2011-04-11T05:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you come across an idea which makes you think why on earth hasn't someone done this before?

Well lets all hail designer Beto Janz. Janz came up with cool way to improve the afterlife of old skate decks - by using them to advertise a new skate shop. Janz transformed the dead decks into skulls (which also act as nice RIP tribute to the boards themselves) which were then left around skate parks in the city of Curitiba, Brazil. Each skull had a sticker with the new address of the Ultra Séries Skate Store.

We're sure with the skulls looking as cool as they did they probably didn't get a chance to hang around that long...

Corner Store Leather Bags

2011-04-05T05:47:00.000-07:00

Bored of the reusable canvas totes and fancy something über stylish? Check out the latest collection from Cast of Vices

The Corner Store [shopping] bag is cut from super-smooth, high-grade lambskin and hand embossed and sewn in L.A. Available in familiar Have a Nice Day, Thank You, I HEART NY and Recycle patterns, getting a tote that’s this fancy might ensure that you actually remember to bring it with you…

Dominic Gubb

2011-03-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple of years we've come across some interesting upcycled art pieces, but seeing Dominic Gubb's work bought a big smile to our faces. With an evident ethos to 'unlock the promise of discarded and devalued materials and breathe new life and purpose into them' we really think Dominic is flying the flag for eco art. Not only is Dominic extremely talented but whoever can create a cool hound from plastic bags, a stylish Pug from an old sofa, or a cute Westie from old gym rope gets a huge high five from us.

Check out his latest exhibition 'The Brothers Gubb' at Turner and Thom until 1st May.

Spraydio

2011-03-08T09:27:00.000-08:00

We're huge fans of street artists at EB, and have often fancied being nifty with a spray can. (But not having the guts like Banksy to do it, we've only watched from afar) Although the artform is very cool, a downside is not being able to recycle the actual can. Well that's what we thought until stumbling upon this:

Introducing the Spraydio, cool FM radios converted from old, used up spray cans that never made their way to a landfill by artist Mike Ballard.
In addition to a radio inside each can, Ballard also applies his brilliant artwork to the outside. Creating a piece of art in itself.
Unlike a set of ipod speakers we think this is quite a nice retro slant on portable music, (and we could maybe pretend it was from a can we once sprayed a wall with a la Banksy)

Civic Duty

2011-02-17T03:48:00.000-08:00

TyVek. Completely indestructible they say. So is it just us, or does everyone have a go at ripping the envelope open; like we could win the worlds first Tyvek Ripper Award? Maybe it's just us.

Anyway a entrepreneur that uses his time more wisely has developed the TyVek Trainer. Steven Weinreb launched the brand 'Civic Duty', as stylish yet recyclable trainer range. The range includes 5 different styles and endless colour ways, giving Converse a run for its money (excuse the pun).

Plus each year Steven, being the nice guy he is, designs an exclusive shoe for an American social cause each year, and donates 100 percent of its profits to the charity. He definitely gets a big thumbs up from us.

Check out the range and the Civic Duty site here

From Somewhere With Speedo

2011-02-08T03:02:00.000-08:00

We heard this morning that H&M are doing a new collection called 'Waste', using unsold stock from their Lanvin collection. A range that proved to costly for their high street customer base. Hopefully this will receive a better reception from the PR industry after the firestorm last year, when it was discovered that the company threw away its unsold clothes in New York City.

This reminded us of last year when Speedo found itself with 18,000 unwanted LZR Racer swimsuits. Fina, the swimming world's governing body, banned it from major swimming championships after it was proved that it gave swimmers an unfair advantage.
(A phenomenal 91 world records were broken by swimmers wearing the LZR swimsuits)

Speedo gave the swimsuits to From Somewhere a label founded by Orsola de Castro, who specialises in recycling textile waste.

The sneak preview of the range is a stunning and unique result:

The full ‘From Somewhere with Speedo’ collection will be revealed early 2011. A percentage of sales from the collection will go to charity. Details of the auction, charity and the sale date are to be announced.

How To Sell A Banksy

2011-01-27T03:39:00.000-08:00

By exhibiting straight on to walls, you could say that street art is the most eco artform out there.

So at EB we've always been a fan of Banksy but a little miffed in how an artist who founded his art on not being based on "elitism or hype" now seems completely engulfed by it.

Finally two talented film makers, Christopher Thompson and Alper Cagatay are about to gatecrash the murky and protective world of Banksy.

Going up against the art establishment, critics, auction houses, gallery owners and authentication boards in a quest for the elusive meal ticket; “HOW TO SELL A BANKSY” raises questions of ownership, authentication and the true value of art itself.

A film not to be missed. Check out the trailer below:

Check out the website here for screening dates.

Money To Burn

2011-01-19T03:42:00.000-08:00

So we're nearly coming to the end of January, and soon (after payday) we can breathe a sigh of relief and loosen back up the purse strings.

One person that doesn't seem to have that problem is the legendary Scott Campbell. Owner of Brooklyn's vaunted Saved Tattoo studio and the artist who's inked the skin of many celebrities, supermodels and Hell's Angels.

Campbell's latest fine art masterpieces are ornate latticed designs and cursive phrases "tattooed" with lasers into dollar bills.

As you can see Campbell's signature illustrative style translates seamlessly.

Check out Campbell's other work on his blog here

Nike Premium Print Pack

2011-01-10T07:24:00.000-08:00

Who said print was dead? Certainly not Nike.
Check out their new limited edition range, the Premium Print Pack.
Taking recycling to a new edge, Nike shred glossy magazines then pre-treat them with a clear solution to ensure durability. Because of this unique process each trainer is completely one-of-a-kind.

The Nike Sportswear Women’s Premium Print Pack will be available in limited number at premium retail locations in Europe and China as part of the Nike Sportswear Spring 2011 Collection.

Worship

2010-12-09T05:54:00.000-08:00

Last night EB headquarters had a field trip to see an exclusive screening of Worship, a short film by the very talented Calum Macdiarmid.

Winner of the Promax Film Awards Calum's 'Worship' was described as 'a poetic love letter to life with a fearlessly confident blend of clarity and ambiguity. A pleasure to experience.'

We were completely blown away, and also left feeling that sometimes short films should be much much longer!

Check out the trailer here

As an exclusive collaboration, Calum's 'Greed' tee, inspired by his short film, is available from our online store here

Oil And Water Do Not Mix

2010-11-08T05:53:00.000-08:00

At EB headquarters we're suckers for spending all our (not so) spare cash on prints. Our latest purchase though has made us feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Check out Happiness Brussels latest project. A Limited edition screen printed poster by graphic designer Anthony Burrill

A Limited edition run of 200 posters, all screen printed with oil from the Gulf of Mexico disaster.

All benefits go to CRCL, (Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana) a non-profit organisation dedicated to restoring the Gulf of Mexico’s coastal wetlands.

Posters can be purchased direct from Water and Oil Do Not Mix for €150 each poster is signed and numbered.

Dead beautiful

2010-10-06T01:42:00.000-07:00

Who'd have thought dead animals could be so beautiful? If you were one of the 300,000 people attending the London Design Festival last week you may have seen work from the very talented Alex Randall.
Alex manages to create beautiful works of art that are not only functional, but are eco-friendly too. Raiding salvage yards and taxidermy shops, the British designer creates truly innovative bespoke lighting installations.

Pigeon Pendants, created for a store in East London. Can be hung alone or in any quantity.

The Gramophone Chandelier, made from antique brass horns

A table lamp made from 50 butterflies, hovering above a pesticide canister

Squirrel Wall Lights

Timeless style

2010-09-29T12:59:00.000-07:00

Today we stumbled upon WEWOOD's philosophy:

"The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now"

Interesting we thought, and our intrigue led us further to their stylish and sustainable watch collection.

Each timepiece is beautifully crafted from high quality reclaimed wood. No dyes are used, which gives them an organic take on the metal and plastic watches currently on the market.

Watches are available from WeWood, with every sale resulting in a planted tree.

Now, if these watches are a bit to mainstream for you liking, check out Rogan's Timeless pieces.

As you can tell from the name, these creations are great for those who have the conundrum of analogue verses digital. Or for those who live in constant stress of being late for the modern world.

Created with sustainability in mind, old watch parts are upcycled by hand in NYC, resulting in each piece being completely unique.

Watches, or shall we say bracelets, are available in either matt black or silver from Rogan

Beautiful plastic

2010-09-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

Plastic, it always gets a bad rap, mostly down to the sheer length of time it takes to breakdown in a landfill. But today we've discovered that when it's recycled it can be astonishingly beautiful.

Check out these sculptures, we've no idea who created them, (that's the beauty of the internet sometimes) but the artist gets a huge kudos from the EB headquarters.

Eco has never been so cool

2010-06-17T13:03:00.001-07:00

Check out our latest write up:

http://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/89678/eco-has-never-been-so-cool.aspx

Eco has never been so cool

Published date: 15 June 2010 | Published by: Reporter

It wasn’t so long ago that the word ‘eco’ was associated with hippies, but in the past few years it’s gone from a buzz word to a part of every day life. Fashion labels are even trying to change our shopping habits to be more eco-friendly, and none more so than Eco Boutique.

Frustrated with the effect disposable fashion was having on the environment, Hayley Power and Lynsey Dickenson launched Eco Boutique with the aim to promote ’slow fashion’ – key pieces that last for more than just one season. By creating unique, limited edition clothing they hope that people will cherish their garments more, making them less likely to end up in the landfill.

Individuality and creativity is key to the brand. Their ethically produced, unique, organic t-shirts are limited edition to 200 in a backlash against the high street production line. Eco Boutique understand how nothing can take your love away from a new purchase like seeing someone else wearing it, and hope that people will start to make statements with their clothing again, rather than just being sheep and following the latest hot trend.

What’s more, its founders, Hayley Power and Lynsey Dickenson believe that being eco-friendly and stylish shouldn’t come at a cost. Lynsey says “We keep our boutique collections at high street prices because we don’t see why eco and ethical fashion should only be available to people who can afford it – it should be for everyone.”

Why organic?

So why should we be buying organic clothing? Cotton is one of the most widely used fabrics in the fashion industry and is considered the world’s ‘dirtiest’ crop. Insecticide is the most hazardous pesticide to human and animal health and cotton uses more insecticides than any other single crop.

Approximately 1/3 of a pound of synthetic fertilizers are used to make one non-organic t-shirt. When you think that our skin is the largest organ of our body and that it can absorb chemicals into our bloodstream, we really should be thinking more carefully about what we are putting onto our skin.

It’s not only our own health we have to consider. The chemicals used in manufacturing of clothing have some very serious side effects on the workers, including poisoning, allergies, eczema and even cancers. This is the biggest drive for Eco Boutique using organic cotton, as Hayley says, “People think that as long as workers are treated well and given acceptable payment for their work then this is ethical, but how can this be when these people can be working with hazardous chemicals that will more than likely have some sort of long term negative effect on their health? There is no way we would ever wish to profit from something which could have potentially harmed another being.”

So next time you’re looking at a lovely new top, think about where the top has come from and how it could have been made, and perhaps that it may not be so beautiful after all.

To learn more about eco fashion and to see Eco Boutique’s full range, including vintage clothing, accessories and homeware visit www.ecoboutiqueshop.co.uk