See Y'all Later

I'm off to North Carolina today to visit the Hickory Chair factory and showrooms! After hearing Suzanne Kasler talk about how she designed her new furniture line, I can't wait to see how it's made. Cassandra of Coco + Kelly and Franki of Life in a Venti Cup took the tour last time and I was sad that I couldn't join them on that trip! I am looking forward to getting out of town and will definitely take lots photos and report back next week but right now I'm off to finish packing. See ya'll later!

Victoria's Secret Camouflage Printed Pants

The essence of ease. More comfortable than ever in soft, double-washed cotton poplin. Front zip with hidden button closure. Drawstring tie at waist. Two front slant pockets.
Victoria's Secret Camouflage Printed Pants

A cool, casual piece perfect for sunny days. The essence of ease, specially treated for a softer, worn-in look. Back flap pockets with snaps. Two front pockets. Two side cargo pockets. Drawstring waist. Adjustable tie hem.
Victoria's Secret Camouflage Printed Pants

Cargo details toughen up an oh-so-skinny leg. Side cargo pockets. Back welt pockets.
Victoria's Secret Camouflage Printed Pants

The Sport of Kings and Hot Men

If you need something to do Saturday, May 30th, then I suggest you head over to Governors Island for some champagne and divot stomping at the Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic. Usually polo is played in more bucolic settings like Bridgehampton or Argentina so a match in Manhattan seems a bit out of place but not completely without precedent. Apparently, they used to play polo on the island in the 1930's and 40's. Who knew?! Britian's spare heir, Prince Harry will be playing, as will the only man capable of upstaging royalty, the muy caliente Nachos Figueras. Better start brushing up on your Spanish now ladies because where there is one handsome Argentine polo player, there are many! Adios Amigos!

3 Summer Eco Outfits for the Weekend!

READY FOR NEW YORK

1. Uhuru Dress - (Edun Online 197 euros). Made in Peru from organic cotton
2. Fireball Fedora Hat - Livity Outernational (Fashion Conscience £22). 'Made under a Fair Trade project' from sustainable seagrass with hemp and organic cotton lining.
3. Coupe Bag - English Retreads (Feel Good Handbags £65). Made in Boulder, Colorado from tyre inner tubes
4. Kate T-strap Flat Vegan Sandals - Cri de Coeur (Nimli $102). Made in Europe from vegan materials
5. Ashley Large Bangle - (Made £34.25). Made in East Africa from brass (fair trade).

AFRICAN GETAWAY

1. Vintage 1970s Izod Lacoste Peach Orange Shorts - Greasy Waitress (Etsy $58)
2. Organic Coffee Shoulder Bag - The Wren (Etsy $58). Handmade in Cape Town from recycled jute coffee sack with an organic hemp canvas lining.
3. Vintage 80s Sunglasses - Back to the Vintage (Etsy $10)
4. Julia Warm Burgundy Stripe Vegan Shoes - (Charmone $99). Made in Italy
5. Peaches Unicorn Pendant (Made £49). Made in East Africa from 'recycled brass door handles, bath taps and padlocks'. Designed by Peaches Geldof (I just noticed this is currently out of stock at Made, sorry but perhaps keep checking Made's site or check out their other great necklaces).

LAID BACK IN LONDON

1. White Long Henley Tank - (Stewart + Brown $34). Made in Portugal from organic pima cotton.
2. Calla Low Rise Organic Jeans - Del Forte (Adili £60, reduced from £120). Made in the USA from organic cotton.
3. Ethletic Olive Green Low Top Vegan Sneakers - Autonomie Project (Nimli $58). Made in Fair Trade certified workshop in Pakistan with FT / organic cotton and sustainable rubber.
4. Organic Chai Mandarin Lip Balm - All The Better To Kiss You With (Content £4.50)

Williams Sonoma at Home

I was leafing through the March 2008 issue of House Beautiful when I saw a photo of chairs on a stair landing that reminded me of the new Williams-Sonoma Home store in New York. When I looked closer, one of the names of the designers, David DeMattei, sounded familiar. Then I realized that he is the group president for Williams-Sonoma and I actually met him at the opening party last fall. The home has a Williams-Sonoma feeling but is not a literal translation of the store. I'm swamped with work so for more information, you can check out the details at House Beautiful online. Bon Weekend!

Photos by Jose Picayo

New vs Vintage - 2 Eco Outfit Ideas

Have a little fun dressing up and try combining two clashtastic colours next time you get your party on. Here are two outfit ideas for those in the mood for something new and those hard-core eco girls only interested in vintage purchases.

THE NEW ECO LOOK

This New Eco look oozes sophistication and modernity thanks to the colour combination of regal plum and summer yellow. The unique Nature vs Future Cut Out dress is made in the USA from hemp and tencel (1. Nimli - $203 or Nature vs Future) while the handwoven raffia clutch bag is made in Madagascar/Kenya from one of my favourite labels, Mad Imports (2. Mad Imports - $75). Complete this elegant look with Charmone's opulent black vegan Cinnamon shoes (3. Charmone - $179) which are made in Italy and then keep jewellery delicate and simple with this brass bracelet designed by Sarah Rhodes and made in East Africa (4. Made - £25).

SPECIAL NATURE VS FUTURE DISCOUNT
Green Lashes and Fashion readers will receive a 30% discount on the above purple cut out dress or any other Nature vs Future item on their website when using the code: GLF30 (valid until Friday 12th June).

THE VINTAGE LOOK

This vintage look is fresh, light and ideal for those simmering summer months. The purple zipper dress from Lola Vintage is definitely a sultry little number but it would look so stunning day or night (1. Etsy - $30). Flaunt the bright mustard yellow vegan clutch from Nikita Jade (2. Etsy - $21) and tip toe around in the clear rhinestone purple fabulousness of these vegan shoes from Decades (3. Etsy - $45). Finally, finish your look with a strong piece of jewellery such as this gorgeous cuff bracelet from Beatomic Beauty which perfectly compliments the bold and playful dress, clutch and shoes (4. Etsy - $30).

Technorati Tags: Fashion, Vintage, Charmone, Vegan Shoes, Mad Imports, Vegan Clutches

Gryphon

I'm a sunny day kind of girl. There is nothing I love more than one of those top 10 weather days that are 75 degrees and without a cloud in the sky but I have a confession to make. I secretly enjoy gray days like the one we had in New York today. It has to be the right kind of gray day though. Cool but not humid. Cloudy but not rainy. One that feels Parisian and allows me to wear my favorite Gryphon trench. The one with the collar that can be turned up and has three quarter length sleeves. It makes me feel chic and so it's no surprise that the Gryphon showroom is also chic. The founder and designer behind the company, Aimee Cho, was a fashion writer at Vogue so that might have something to do with it or it could have something to do with her very chic parents who you can see on her blog. Aimee also designs a clothing line perfect for the sunny days so rain or shine, she's got you covered!

Green Summer Dresses 2009 by Victoria's Secrets

Short green summer dress 2009. Summer dresses 2009
Green Summer Dresses 2009 by Victoria's Secrets

Short green summer dress 2009. Summer dresses 2009
Green Summer Dresses 2009 by Victoria's Secrets

Short green summer dress 2009. Summer dresses 2009
Green Summer Dresses 2009 by Victoria's Secrets

Trying to be Green in Maastricht

I've just returned from a long weekend away in Maastricht, situated in the south east of the Netherlands and wanted to share some of the ways I tried to make my mini break as green as possible in this pretty little Dutch town.

TRANSPORT

Travelling by Eurostar

How to get to Maastricht by train
Take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels Midi, then take an IC train to Liege-Guillemins, then another train to Maastricht (sounds fiddly but it was a relaxing and pleasant trip). On our return trip we took a direct train from Maastricht to Brussels (purchasing a ticket beforehand from Maastricht to Vise).
Time: 1 hr 50 to Brussels, then approximately 80-120 min to Maastricht

Did you know?
A Eurostar ticket to Brussels will cover your travel anywhere in Belgium (within 24 hours and not on Thalys or ICE trains).

Why take the Eurostar?
The 'Eurostar emits a tenth of the CO2 of flying' to their core destinations and their website indicates that a trip to Brussels by rail equals 8.2kg CO2 per passenger compared to 140.6kg CO2 per passenger from flying.

More Environmental Actions from Eurostar
- They offset carbon emissions from all journeys
- Aim to reduce their emissions by 25% 'per traveller journey by 2012'
- 'Work with Friends of the Earth on their climate campaign'

Recycling bins on the station platforms in Brussels


Um, where did I leave my bike?
The Dutch certainly popularise and glamorise the greenest mode of transport, the bike! I saw ladies looking ever so chic in heels and skirts riding bikes along the river. How do they do it? And how on earth do they find their bikes in a sea of bikes like in the picture above?

ECO SHOPPING


Dutch label, Kuyichi have wonderful edgy eco fashion such as these Organic Low Rise Skinny Jeans £115 at Asos

Most shops in Europe seem to close Sundays and Monday mornings and Maastricht was no different. Great for locals but not so great for credit card clutching tourists. We did a mad dash around the shops Saturday afternoon when we arrived knowing that was our only chance to see the shops of Maastricht.

Organic and eco fashion was unfortunately hard to find but I did notice de Bijenkorf department store had a small selection of clothing labelled 'Pure' which had organic pieces that all carried the Made-by label (which ensures the 'brand produces its collection in a people and environment friendly manner').

The Dutch are certainly helping to clean up the fashion world with their certifying organisations such as Made-by and Clean Clothes (both have headquarters based in Amsterdam). Hopefully Maastricht and the rest of the country will start opening some great eco boutiques soon!

Fashion observations
It's all about white right now in Maastricht. I'm not sure if it was the beautiful summer weather or perhaps some European fashion tome recently declared 'white is the new black in the Netherlands' but women, men and children were all seen wearing white oh so well from head to toe!

Kuyichi's Lisa Skinny Leg Organic White Jeans
Available at Adili for £90

Fashion note to self:
Cute shoes and European cobblestone streets do not mix. Don't be daft like me and wear uncomfortable shoes if you plan on walking around Maastricht. I am now one blistered sister! Go for comfort and remember to have an outfit ready that is suitable for all seasons. I had no idea it was going to be so hot in Maastricht and while all the breezy white clothed beautiful people ambled by, I was hobbling along in an unintentional gothic / biker outfit of head to toe black! If only I had looked as glam as the Kuyichi model below!

Kuyichi Organic Raw Denim 70s Flare Jeans
On sale at Asos for £35

One fair trade shop I had read about was Wereldwinkel, but I unfortunately ran out of time to find it. I had hoped to find some amazing vintage or at least one vintage store too but was limited again by the shopping hours.

DINING OUT


Organic muesli and fruit for breakfast at the Crowne Plaza

Vegan Pizza

This was from a small but popular Italian restaurant near the Crowne Plaza. This was actually my first cheese-less pizza (I haven't been vegan that long). I had a little chat to the chefs (as you do) and asked them if they could hold the meat and hold the cheese and they were more than happy to hand over this tasty pizza with artichokes, broccoli, onions and mushrooms.

Mushroom Ravioli at Crowne Plaza

I've never been on such chatty terms with chefs as I was on this trip. Granted, I did converse my vegan needs via the waitress when I saw nothing on the menu and again the chef was really accommodating. I had a lovely mushroom, herb filled ravioli served on a bed of sauteed green vegetables and mushrooms with balsamic vinegar. Very delicious!

Vegan dinner on the Eurostar

We slummed it in second class travelling to Maastricht but decided to return in style in Leisure Select where the seats are roomier and a meal is included in your ticket price. My vegan dinner was effectively a plate of vegetables doing weird and wonderful things I'm sure they didn't even know they were capable of (see the zucchini acting as a bowl to contain the ratatouille, while some white vegetable is wrapped around the carrots with a neat little knot). All in all, the meal was tasty and fresh and it was good to learn that Eurostar 'use organic produce sourced in the country of departure and Fairtrade products' in their food where possible'.

SLEEP

View from our hotel room, overlooking the Meuse river

I was unable to find any green hotels online in Maastricht and eventually opted for the Crowne Plaza which was situated by the river and close to everything. I did ask about the hotel's recycling policy and found out that rubbish from guest's rooms is sorted and recycled and that during quiet periods the hotel saves energy by not filling 2 floors and keeping the lights and air conditioning off in those rooms.

My hotel kit
I took my own organic and SLS and paraben free beauty products with me such as:
- Green People's Intense Repair shampoo
- Dr Bronner's Citrus Orange Organic soap
- Akamuti's Kalahari Watermelon Body moisturiser
- Coconut oil (to remove eye makeup and moisturise)
- Eucalyptus spritz bottle (water and a few drops of eucalyptus oil to freshen the room and disinfect).

A cute boutique I thought would make the perfect apartment with its little balcony and enviable riverside location!

Maastricht was a relaxing and mellow place to visit in the Netherlands. Staying green was difficult in terms of shopping and accommodation but that's still the case in the majority of towns. I loved travelling their by train and am already planning another rail getaway soon. I just hope to uncover more eco boutiques, organic and vegetarian restaurants and green hotels! I'd love to hear how you try and stay green when travelling or if you have made any great green travel discoveries! Just drop me a line.

NOT EXACTLY GREEN BUT WORTH A LOOK..

Selexyz Dominicanen Bookstore - situated in a former church

Drielandenpunt
Three land point is the highest place in the Netherlands and the spot where 'three lands' converge (Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands). Very fascinating for an Aussie like me! I still get awe-struck that you can pass through 3, 4 or more countries in one day!

Technorati Tags: Maastricht, Kuyichi