And, as if that weren’t enough fuzziness, many of the models carried adoptable puppies down the runway.

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Puppies were provided by the Humane Society.  The fashion was gorgeous, but these little guys stole the show: What do you think?  What’s your favorite outfit?

A portion of purchases of the following items will support HeartSleeves’ mission to improve the fashion industry:

Elsabet: Triple Silver Tube Necklace
from: Fashioning Change

Earth Four Wrap Vintage Sari Bracelet
from: Pure Citizen

Relax Pink Himalayan Sea Salt Scrub
From: JP Selects

Zoey Vegan Bag in Plum
from: Pure Citizen

So, what are you going to get your mother this year?

Garage sales can be fun, but who has time these days?  That’s where Krrb comes in.  Pronounced “curb” (get it?) it’s an online garage sale: Craigslist meets Etsy.  Users can shop based on their locations and view images of the merchandise in their neighborhoods. It’s a safer, more attractive and more personal shopping experience.

Why?

“Krrb’s mission is to create a fun, friendly and safe online venue that enables better and more personal face-to-face dealings between neighbors.”

Krrb gets personal, in a good way.  Instead of a posting ID and randomly generated email address, sellers on Krrb use their pictures/logos and post short bios.  When you buy second-hand, it’s nice to know the story of where your stuff comes from; nice to meet the person that crafted your necklace or owned your armchair for 3 decades.

Krrb was founded in 2010 by AREA 17, an interactive agency based in NYC and Paris that believes in the power of the internet to foster community.  How à propos.

How It Works

To post a listing, you need credits, which can be earned for free by being active around the site, or purchased.  The credit system is also a way to control posting capacity which in turn reduces fraud.  Krrb is striving to be a safer, more personal Craigslist, so they’re all about fraud protection.

Once you’ve posted, your item will be searchable by keywords and location.  If someone buys it, you might make a new friend!  If you’re listing on Etsy, Craigslist, or eBay, you can use the Krrb browser button to cross-publish your products quickly and directly to their site.  Easy peasy.

The Stuff

So, what can you actually find on Krrb?  Right now I’d say its strongest (at least in the NY area) in furniture and crafts.  It hasn’t quite reached Etsy levels in terms of fashion accessories and vintage finds, but I have no doubt that it will get there as it gains users.

The Good, Bad, and Vintage

I’ve been putzing around Krrb for a few days now and found some nice stuff.  The site is easy to use, the layout logical and familiar, and the copy pleasantly cheeky.  They’ve also got a kick-ass blog and some cool partnerships with the likes of Apartment Therapy.

The interesting thing about Krrb’s search function is that it starts with location.  This is a little counter-intuitive to those of us used to Etsy, Pinterest, and Google.  We want the world at our fingertips, but Krrb’s engine forces us to enter our location before we can search for a keyword.

They did it on purpose.

“Selling online is great, but buying from your neighbor is better,” explain the Krrbers.  ”It’s not only about investing in your local community. Actually seeing the item you are buying and hearing first hand the backstory adds a layer of richness to the transaction that cannot be replicated online.”  

I agree.  And, if you’re really looking for something specific and willing to travel a bit farther or pay for shipping, you can widen your search from your hometown to your state, country, and “planet earth.”  No matter what, though, you always have to start with the location.  It’s a constant reference to Krrb’s characterization of itself as “hyperlocal and curiously global.”

More Stuff.

Some other fun things I found in NYC:

“Hand Knitted Necklace” (East Williamsburg)

“unusual two foot tall Horse – brass and solid wood” (Upper West Side)

“Schwinn Stingray Lowrider Bike w/ Banana Seat” (Carroll Gardens)

 And a little bit of: 

Sustainability

Regular readers of HeartSleeves will know that I’m a huge proponent of shopping vintage, thrift, second-hand, what have you.  Giving new life to garments and furniture keeps them out of landfills.  Krrb is fostering the second-hand market, and doing it on the local level, which of course has the added benefit of saving the energy costs of shipping.  So, dear readers, go forth and Krrb it!

p.s. The site is currently running a contest to win a $1000 shopping spree.  Check it out

~

Disclaimer:  I was compensated for writing this review, but in no way did that affect my opinions, which are and will always remain my own.

Click here to shop the designs and here to read more about Daniel’s sustainable designs.

I’m currently in the midst of some eco tourism adventures here in Nicaragua, so this year, in honor of the day, I’ll be visiting San Simian Eco Lodge on the Laguna de Apoyo.

Here’s a little preview of the eco spots I’ve visited so far:

Technically, every day is Earth Day.  But I would encourage everyone to use this specially-designated one to make a little extra effort, whether it’s picking up trash on the street, making a donation, or activating your community around environmental issues.

What are you doing this Earth Day?  Leave a comment and let me know!

I recently went back to Aqua to experience the resort itself and was not disappointed.  Each room is its own small treehouse.  Some of the tree houses have ocean views, but all have nature soundtracks.  You fall asleep to the slightly threatening but very cool calls of the howler monkeys and wake up to a symphony of bird songs.

The restaurant, which sits right on the beach, is tastefully decorated and its thatched roof blends right in with the forest.  The locally sourced food is delicious, and includes organic greens grown in the resort’s garden.   The cocktails are creative and refreshing; I especially recommend the hibiscus-ginger-rum.

I’ll let the magic of Aqua speak for itself through a few photos I took (though they don’t do it justice):

The dining room at Aqua’s main restaurant

The yoga platform looks out on the bay – classes are included

Stunning flora

The view from Aqua’s beach, morning

Looking up at a treehouse on stilts

Howler monkeys are frequent visitors

Sipping my hibiscus cocktail

BUT, I’ve dedicated my final week in the country to gathering some quality  blog material.  Plans include:

• A visit to the women of the Telares women’s weaving cooperative near Matagalpa
• Exploring the organic and fair trade coffee plantations of the northern highlands
• Lots and lots of nature and hiking
• Stays at an eco hotel or two – TBA

I realize that not all of these are fashion-related, but my aim is to expand the blog (just a bit) to other areas of sustainable living.   I’ll file these stories in my Eco Life category. So stay tuned!

Hasta la vista,
Ariel

Daniel overcame substantial obstacles and turned his luck around this week.  I’m impressed, but not surprised.  Can’t wait to see what he comes up with next episode!

For more on Daniel’s sustainable, zero-waste fashion line, 100%NY, check out the HeartSleeves profile.  

Shop his winning look on Saks

Click here for more info

is made entirely of recycled and ethically-sourced materials and produced locally in California.

The designer

is a Hong Kong native turned LA transplant who studied jewelry design and history, and draws on multicultural and architectural inspirations for her work.

The collection

is: Elements.  Past Hovey Lee collections have been more literal references to nature, but with Elements, the designer has gone back to the basics and used her designs to mimic its fundamental shapes.  Viewing the world through an architectural eye, she’s captured the curves and angles we see around us, and give them a certain elegant flair.  I’m enraptured.

I often find it difficult to choose which jewelry to wear on a given day, and if I had this entire to collection, I’m not sure I’d be able to.  So I asked Hovey about her personal jewelry-wearing habits and which were her favorite “Elements.”

“I’m a minimalist,” she told me, “and I wear a mix of my own and a couple special gift pieces from important people in my life.”

As for her favorites?  The Vantage Earrings and Vertex necklace.  Though, she added, it’s hard to choose among her babies!

Vertex Necklace
from Fashioning Change

Vantage Earrings
from Fashioning Change

The Eco

No HeartSleeves profile of HL would be complete without elaborating on the extensive sustainability credentials of the brand.  Here’s the breakdown:

Metals: Hovey Lee works with a local jewelry manufacturer that sources 100% reclaimed metals (recycled brass and silver) from certified recycle centers. The jewelry is free of toxic chemicals such as mercury, as well as lead, nickel and cadmium. The goal of using recycled metals is to reduce the need for additional mining of precious metals which is often harmful to the environment.

Gold: Yes, gold is a metal, but it deserves a section of its own because it can be a very controversial, unethical metal.  You’ve probably heard the term “blood diamond” (popularized recently by the film starring the one and only Leo DiCaprio).  Like those diamonds, high-karat gold often comes from conflict areas as well, sometimes funding violence.

Hovey Lee only uses vintage gold and supports No Dirty Gold, a campaign to end destructive gold mining practices.  According to the campaign’s website, the production of one gold ring generates 20 tons of waste.  Clearly, besides the potential human impact, gold can be very bad for the environment as well.

Gemstones: These shiny little things are also not as harmless as they look.  In the mining and distribution of these too, there is rampant exploitation of human and natural resources.  There are, however, ethical alternatives, and Hovey Lee works with gemstone suppliers that adhere to fair trade sourcing standards, eschewing practices such as child labor and unfair wages, and being conscious of the environmental effects of their industry.

For more on the gemstone and metal supply chain protocols, read Hovey Lee’s post on the subject.

The Philanthropy

Hovey Lee supports several charities, including UNICEF, Project Angel Food and Stand Up To Cancer.

Timeless Design

Since its launch in 2006, Hovey’s line has embodied timeless design, not relying on passing trends to stay relevant.  Ultimately, the sustainability of any piece of jewelry or clothing is determined in part by its longevity, and her pieces are timeless classics that are sure to be passed down for generations.

You can shop Hovey’s designs, including past collections, on her website, as well as at sustainable fashion e-retailers Fashioning Change, JP Selects, and Pure Citizen.

Oh, and stay tuned for the Fall 2013 collection, the sneak preview from LA Fashion Week looks pretty tantalizing!

Please note: some of the product links in this post are affiliate enabled, meaning that should you make a purchase, part of it will go to support HeartSleeves’ mission of promoting sustainability in fashion.