Tag Archives: Lois Eastlund

April 24, 2015 · 10:58 am

Fashion Revolution: Who Made My Clothes?

Today is Fashion Revolution Day. This day marks the second anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, which killed over eleven hundred people and injured thousands more.

I’m joining others as we ask, “Who made my clothes?” Check out Instagram hashtags for #fashrev, #whomademyclothes, #fashionrevolutionday, and #whomadeyourclothes for lots of inspiring photos. You might see photos of people wearing their clothes inside out to show the labels–transparency in fashion!

I know who made my clothes!

Lois Eastlund made my dress. It looks fantastic (even inside out) because it’s handmade and she paid a lot of attention to detail. She’s a NY-based fashion designer and one of the founders of La Fashionista Compassionista–an awesome (and free) online magazine that you should get your hands on!

Moses made my boots. They’re handmade in a factory in LA. The company, Nicora Johns, is helping to keep the US shoemaking industry alive. When I bought my boots, I got a photo of Moses in the shop where he made these. They’re also vegan–no animals or humans harmed!

Crystalyn Kae made my purse. It’s glazed fabric. Another great leather alternative. I met Crystalyn when she was located in Seattle. She’s based in NYC now, but you can find her amazing bags in stores nationwide and on her website.

Roque from Get Hell Bent made my cuff. It’s made from recycled bicycle tires. I have three of her cuffs. They’re so edgy and tough!

I made my earrings! It’s fun to create. My simple drop-chain earrings were easy to make and have become my go-to pair. They match everything!

I don’t know who made my tights. So it’s not a perfect outfit. But thinking about where my clothing comes from has opened my eyes. I heard 1 in 6 people is employed in fashion. But who are they? What are their working conditions like? How environmentally friendly is the factory? Animal skins require so many chemicals to turn them into leather and not decompose.

Fashion isn’t perfect, but I love knowing where my clothes came from and who made them. My goal is to buy exclusively from sustainable ethical companies. Sometimes that means things cost more. But do I really need thirty $8 tank tops? What if I had eight $30 tanks? They’d last longer, and I’d be putting my dollars where my values are.

Let’s start a revolution!

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Filed under Ethical, Fashion

Tagged as boots, Crystalyn Kae, dress, fashion, Lois Eastlund, nicora johns, style

January 11, 2015 · 9:10 pm

Another Lois Eastlund Dress

I can’t get enough of Lois Eastlund’s designs. Imagine the stroke of luck I had a year and a half ago when my mom and I met her at her pop-up shop in the Chelsea Market in NYC. I bought two of her dresses that day, ordered another online later that year, and bought another dress when I saw her at The Seed last summer.

That would be this color-blocked number:

I love these mod, cotton dresses, and I appreciate that they are made in the US. Supporting a vegan-designer is the icing on the vegan cake!

Dress: Lois Eastlund
Tights: Fred Meyer
Faux suede booties: Old Navy

I liked this dress because it has long sleeves (my others by her are sleeveless). It’s perfect for winter in Seattle.

If you like Lois’ designs, you might want to check out the new online fashion magazine she launched recently: La Fashionista Compassionista. It’s a fantastic look at the latest from the world of cruelty-free fashion and beauty. And it’s free–so get your subscription today!

I’m joining Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet and Fun Fashion Friday at Fashion Should be Fun. Check out what everyone else is wearing!

11 Comments

Filed under Ethical, Fashion

Tagged as dress, fashion, Lois Eastlund, style, tights, vegan

September 9, 2013 · 10:28 am

Visiting Chelsea

During the recent New York trip I took with my parents, we visited the Chelsea neighborhood. We spent the morning in the Chelsea Market, a multi-story building that used to be occupied by the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) commercial bakery. When production methods changes required a single-floor layout, the bakery moved out. It’s here, where the Oreo was first created.

Inside the market, we found One Lucky Duck. They offer all-vegan, raw organic juices and take-away, and happen to have amazing desserts. It’s part of the Pure Food and Wine establishment so you know you’re going to be wowed.

Next door, Beyond Sushi truly satisfied. This all plant-based sushi establishment incorporated flavor, color and presentation like no other sushi place I’ve seen. Their rolls were scrumptious and fueled us as well.

I was thrilled to stumble into a pop-up shop in the market, where several vendors had set up their wares. One of them was designer Lois Eastlund.

While I was trying on a dress, my mom and Lois struck up a conversation and they discovered they’re both vegan! Lois even shared some of her home-baked vegan cookies with us! (And yes, I bought that amazing blue and black zigzag dress.)

I liked the shop across from Lois’ store too. My mom was sweet enough to buy me one of their screen-printed tops.

There’s more to Chelsea than just the market. One evening we met my friend Shannon, a recent New York transplant, at Blossom vegan restaurant.

We ate delicious food and even had authentic (and dairy-free) New York Cheesecake!

Another Chelsea gem is the popular High Line, an elevated former rail line that was transformed into a greenway. The rail line used to bring animals into the city for slaughter. I prefer its use as a park!