Pretty in pink! My apologies for not posting recently; it’s been a busy time. Pink is great for summer. Much thanks to Scottish fashion designer Henrietta Ludgate for her successful adult interpretation of the color pink and her polished, stylish fashions. Add in a few pops of color with accessories or basic black and white for a look that is whimsical and fun yet also mature and sophisticated. You say that pink just isn’t your color. Let’s be truthful, pink takes guts to wear. Okay, other colors are available for some styles and this designer is well known for her bespoke work.

Henrietta Ludgate combines the avant-garde with the practical. Clothing is sourced and produced within Britain. Her influences include: “Fashion as architecture. Elsa Schiaparelli.” Structure. Minimalism. Endeavors also include Workshop, a community shop that focuses on art and installation in addition to fashion. Stockists are global and include: Martha, Beam (Japan), UK Style (Moscow), Yoox.com and a shop on Big Cartel. Her luxury eco-fashion is at once modern and vintage, futuristic and retro with a nod to her Scottish heritage. Her clothes express a self-assured and confidently feminine aesthetic with an edge. Slow fashion plus modern glamor equals Henrietta Ludgate.

images: Henrietta Ludgate

It’s makes me happy to bring you Live Good Inc. an environmentally friendly housewares company. All Live Good Inc. products use 100% certified organic cotton with all materials (including the fillings and buttons) sustainably sourced and made in California, USA. Live Good was founded to celebrate and live the good life. That means “making a positive contribution to the world and living with physical and mental balance.”

Colors and materials are soothing, relaxing and comforting. This is a fairly new line with a small collection of pillows, a duvet, a sheet set and blanket in a variety of soft colors. Families who have babies or small children will be happy with the blanket and cute pillows. Prices reflect a luxury line that is designed to last for years to come. This is a must have collection for those who are environmentally sensitive, vegan, want environmentally-friendly bed linens and/or are concerned about the safety and quality of materials.

Just for the babies below.

Here’s to Live Good Inc. and hoping to see more from this beautiful, luxurious line.

images: Live Good, Inc.

Welcome to May! Can you believe that it’s here so soon? Ready for clothes more suitable for the weather at hand? Want to see my favorite black dress of the season? Marcia Patmos eponymous line M. Patmos is one of my favorite sustainable lines. She was once part of Lutz and Patmos formed more than a decade ago with partner Tina Lutz to address issues around sustainability in the fashion industry. The two are known for their knitwear, have collaborated with West Elm, Leny and Coach among others. They also founded another line Leroy and Perry in 2008. 2010 marked the last line for the two. Patmos, a Rhode Island School of Design graduate, continues to create fashions that last for years, use zero waste where possible, support artisan communities and use eco-friendly materials where possible.

M. Patmos uses organic cotton in some instances. Quality materials are used including silk and cotton and technology is combined with handmade techniques. She is also the 2011 Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation winner. Shoes for both collections are from a collaboration between Patmos and Manolo Blahnik. The super stylish footwear is made from leftover tilapia skins, cork and raffia. Everything in the collection is incredibly stylish, functional, polished, sophisticated and comfortable IMHO. What do you think of my favorite black dress of the season below as well as the rest of my favorites from the collections?

Just in case the weather changes to something cooler, the Pre-fall 2012 collection.

thank you to: source Style.com

Just a very short and quick note to remind you that Earth Day takes place on April 22, 2012. Earth Day 2012 has many activities lined up just for this special day. I hope that you like this beautiful photo from NASA. How do you plan to celebrate the earth on Sunday?
HAPPY EARTH DAY TO YOU!!

Hello all. Please check out these wonderful leather-free handbags from Bay Area resident Joe Dienza. NOAH is an acronym for No Animals Harmed. NOAH has been in business since 2008. Each of these handbags is designed to last. Quality materials, classic shapes and noticeable graphics are staples of this line. Which materials are primarily used? Straw, cotton, nylon and wool. What I like is that these bags can be used on a daily basis for work or just to carry around. My favorite is the lasercut Swan Lake handbag that can also be used as a clutch. Which is your favorite?

thank you. images: noah

Don’t you just love beautiful spring flowers? Blooming, colorful flowers are what makes spring so enjoyable and new. Each of these beauties has been photographed by Kaldari. 1/ Creeping Jacob’s Ladder, 2/ Nashville Mustard, 3/Pyne’s Ground Plum, 4/Virginia Spring Beauty, 5/Birdseye Speedwell, 6/ Wood Anemone and 7/Virginia Bluebell. Which flowers have you noticed in your area lately? Welcome to spring!

thank you to: wikimedia commons / Kaldari

Who wouldn’t want to wear the clothes that Italy is known for? What about adding eco-friendly to Italy’s fasihon tradition? Sound good? Good, because Federica Martin Wedard continues the Italian tradition of beautiful, stylish, well-made apparel with her sustainable line, Cosi Nero Quasi Blue. Wedard asserts that her line appeals to a “dynamic, refined, tasteful, feminine woman” embodied circa the 1950s. She decided to create Cosi Nero in 2010 after 10 years of fashion industry experience including work with Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Tod’s and Derek Lam.

Cosi Neri Quasi Blue combines “elegance, timelessness and craftsmanship with green, avant-garde techniques. All fabrics are natural and include Bio-satin made from organic cotton, organic wool, jersey made from Crabyon combined with Chitosan and mixed silk hemp.” Opposites such as warm and soft, dynamic and ethereal work together effortlessly. As an extra bonus Federica Martin Wedard adds an expressive quality with fine art methods: hand painting and rubbings from leaves and metal plates.

After viewing each of the collections from S/S 2011 to A/W 2012, I certainly wouldn’t mind having most of the pieces. What about you? Find Cosi Nero at Le gallinelle Studio in Rome or Casa di Moda in NYC.

Vogue, Cosi Nero Quasi Blue