We don't want to be the ones to break it to Kermit, but it’s gotten a lot easier being green. Thanks to a growing number of high-end fashion designers and skincare companies, you can now look good and feel good, too. April was Earth Month, so we’re honoring some of our favorite eco-friendly fashion and beauty brands.
Started by a former Miami editor Melissa Cantor and her sister Carolina; Ethica is the online mecca for all things fashionable and earth friendly. From the selection of clothing, accessories and jewelry designers that use responsible materials and sustainable production processes to Ethica’s free, carbon neutral shipping and eco-friendly packaging, high style with a conscious is a click away. A few items in our shopping cart include a satin-stitch hand embroidered Popinjay Anfa envelope clutch that is big enough to fit all essentials, even an iPad. Plus the colors will pop against Daniel Silberstein’s Palm Dress that is perfect for balmy Miami nights. Silberstein, a former Fashion Star contestant, has zero-waste fashion policy and manufactures in the U.S.A. Lastly, Valentine Gauthier’s matching floral organic cotton Aube Tank and Motel Shorts (the cotton is grown in chemical-free soil without toxic pesticides and fertilizers) will be a wardrobe staple.
Others doing the Earth and style some good is Edun, a line designed to promote trade in Africa by sourcing product throughout the continent. Ali Hewson and Bono (yes, U2’s front man) founded Edun, and Bono, we’ve found what we were looking for, in the Geometric-weave Faux Leather Jacket and Triangle and Chevron Intarsia-knit Pants in the Spring 2014 collection.
Over in the skincare department, Tata Harper (who once lived in Miami), is a luxe line to lather on. Using 100% natural and non-toxic ingredients the products are created in Tata’s Vermont laboratory and created in small batches in order to keep them as fresh as possible. It’s hard to choose a favorite, because the line has so many power packed products – there are between 9 and 29 active ingredients in every bottle – but we have yet to try a serum we didn’t like. And in honor of Earth Month, check out this limited edition set that benefits the The Better Beauty Project Earth Day Collection.
Another green line we love, Amala, which means “most pure” in Sanskrit, is plant-powered luxury collection of products. The recently launched Brighten collection uses all natural, organic plant based ingredients to correct the appearance of dark spots (hello South Florida sun) and dull, uneven skin tone. Brighten contains 6 products that each harness the power of anti-oxidant rich Narcissus, to slow down synthesis of melanin and keep skin youthful.