October is here! Since the month is new, how about a change of pace? Frequent readers no doubt have noticed that most of the fashion here at les violettes is for women. Well, today it’s all about the guys. In 2007, photographer Lawton Ursrey and fashion designer John Van De Wiel decided to create an ethical clothing line for men. Indie Peace is the result. All fabrics are 100% organic cotton, hemp or RPET (recycled Polyethylene terephthalate, a type of polyester) and printed with environmentally sensitive dyes and inks. Special care is taken to ensure a unique shape and cut for the t-shirts. Socially responsible also means creating under special guidelines known as “PEACE GOODS” which “by definition means that every consideration is given to the social and environmental impact of the design, manufacture, sale and distribution of our product.” And ladies – don’t feel left out – a new line for women has just been launched.

Interesting in founding your own company or launching your own clothing line? As you can tell Lawton Ursrey has business savvy; in the next video he discusses the life of an entrepreneur. Remember he had no background in the apparel industry prior to co-founding Indie Peace. What else is in the video? It also contains how to complete goals, assemble a critical support team and the necessary mind set for success. It’s well worth the 15 minute viewing time.

Ethos Paris is an eco fashion house founded in 2002 that only uses materials that are both fair trade certified and organic. The collections are mostly made from cotton, raffia and alpaca. While alpaca is an animal-based product, it is sourced and produced by an Indigenous collective in Bolivia. Zippers are free of nickel. Coconut, wood or seashell are used for buttons. The preference is to design garments that minimize fastening devices to keep clothing wear simple.

In 2007 the company launched the Botanical Impressions collection made from 100% herbal dyes that are ayurvedic or natural. Founders Ann and Leslie Leroux abide by regulatory organizations such as Eko, Ecocert and Bioport. Company goals include “Put an end to the clothing industry’s exploitative sweat shops by establishing genuine partnerships with producers and uniting forces to bring about positive economic and social change.” and “Respect for the consumer through business transparency and product quality.” Look for more Ethos Paris at the Paris Ethical Fashion Show and Portland Fashion Week coming this October. In the meantime, enjoy this short video with music by the Japanese pop group, Yaneka.

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Wish I could have several pieces from this collection, don’t you? Well, wouldn’t you like to see Stella’s new resort line for 2010? Okay. Go here. Since I can’t get enough fashion how about two more slide shows both from treehugger – Stewart & Brown Fall 2009 and 20 Under-the-Radar Green Designers.

Materials used include soybeans, Japanese paper, bamboo and a new threadlike material developed from cornstarch. Here is a video from a fairly recent show in Mexico for the Spring/Summer 2009 season.

Recently, I found about this useful web site. Basically,www.vegan-shoes.com, is a portal for well-known and lesser-known companies that make shoes suitable for veg(etari)ans.  Men’s and women’s brands include: Chinese laundry, New Balance and Inov-8.  There are also some strictly vegan brands such as NOHARM and Te Casan (by Natalie Portman). Prices vary based upon the seller(s) for a specific shoe. Be sure to read the personal stories about the necessity of this site. Vegan Shoes is based in Connecticut, USA. A one-stop shop, cool accessories and some apparel are also available.