By
Janet Gyenes
| Image:
L'Jon |
Published: May 12, 2009
When the sun breaks through the veil of grey that typically shrouds Vancouver, it’s tempting to turn our faces skyward to soak up the rays and a dose of serotonin.
Wide-brimmed hats, long sleeves and the shady cover of trees aren’t always practical. And many sun seekers are equally wary of the sun’s damaging rays and the harmful ingredients lurking beneath the intoxicating aroma of coconut-scented sun-care products and the oft-touted “natural” on labels that seem to muddy more than make clear.
Longtime Vancouver-based skin-care company L'Jon boasts a loyal following of clients that swear by its four-step natural skin-care line, which was developed more than two decades ago. “It replenishes the natural health of the skin,” says company owner Bruce Shaver, claiming that the products help bring back the skin’s natural pH (acid-alkaline) balance.
One of the company’s other offerings is LunaSoy Sun, an organic sun-care product that “actually fractures the rays of the sun. It prevents you from burning,” according to Shaver. LunaSoy Sun is free of harmful parabens, petroleum and mineral oils.
Instead, it contains a soy polypeptide that company founder Lisa Nicholson says works in conjunction with other food-grade quality vitamins and ingredients, such as aloe vera, shea butter, and green tea, which act as a natural sun protection.
By
Janet Gyenes
| Image:
Nixxi |
Published: May 12, 2009
Nixxi's summer clothes are 'flirty and light, great for day and great for night'
When self-taught designer Jada-lee Watson started hawking her handmade wares at Saltspring Island’s weekly market, she used the experience as a litmus test for figuring out what fellow fashionistas were looking for when it came to fit and fabrics.
“I definitely design with the body in mind,” says Watson, who later launched Nixxi, a line of clothing made from natural and renewable fibres. “I try to design clothing that works for many different women and different lifestyles.”
The curve-flattering clothes (knee-grazing knickers, sexy ruched tops and loose linen pants) are fashioned from bamboo, soy and linen – each blended with organic cotton.
Watson describes her summer line as “flirty and light, great for day and great for night,” and each mix-and-match piece has been designed to transcend the seasons, too. On beach-bound days the fringe wrap dress is a must-match with bikini and flip-flops.
For cocktail-sipping nights, it’s easily glammed up with an armful of bangles and a pair of wedges. Come fall, don some tights and tall boots, and top it off with Nixxi’s newest offerings: organic wool shawl cardigans and coats, which will be in store next season.
By Janet Gyenes
| Image: Sven Segal |
Published: June 03, 2008
When the weather warms, fashionistas and beach bums alike can be seen sporting the ever-present flip-flop, and now Vancouverites can skip the rubber flip in favour of one that’s a lot more planet friendly. Po-Zu (the name is taken from the Japanese word for “pause”), has introduced a new line of summer sandals, which includes Ziggy and Flynn, adjustable flip-flops fashioned from organic hemp or leather.
These chic sandals can easily maintain a foothold in the ecofashion market. The organically grown hemp is hypoallergenic and mould resistant, and inhibits bacteria growth. The Hemp Rose hue comes from low-impact dyes that are free of heavy metals, and long-lasting leather is organically tanned with vegetable extracts from the bark of the mimosa and quebracho trees.
The flip-flops’ comfy “foot mattresses” are made from coir, a combination of coconut fibre and pure vegetable latex. And Po-Zu sandals come in a coir shoebox that doubles as a decomposable seed tray, which can be planted right into the ground.
Po-Zu even scores points in the strange-but-true department with its newest creation: an edible shoe cream. Comprised of natural ingredients, it can be used as a skin moisturizer, lip balm, hair conditioner or—if you dare—a spread for your morning toast!
Whether you’re lithe and light on your feet, or someone who strides with a purpose, this summer, take a little time to po-zu, and lighten your footprint on the planet.
Find Po-Zu sandals at Holt Renfrew and Granville Island Organix, or online at www.po-zu.com.
By Janet Gyenes
| Image: Rob Gill, Tangent Design |
Published: December 01, 2007
Mark Trotzuk, president of Ecoapparel.ca, acknowledges that the garment industry is very damaging to the planet, but the high-tech gear guru knows there’s no time to waste by laying blame. Instead, he’s firmly focused on making change.
Like a whirling dervish, the high-energy Trotzuk is on a full-circle journey to better his biz from the bottom up, and show other companies how to do the same.
Synthetic technical fabrics, like polyester, are all derived from petroleum, says Trotzuk, who spent two years researching and testing materials in his quest to find sustainable fabrics with the same hard-working qualities as their synthetic counterparts.
Ecoapparel.ca boasts a seven-fabric layering system (made from both natural and recycled fibres), which includes a bamboo base layer that has natural antimicrobial and wicking properties. Another inventive fabric, dubbed Cocona, uses naturally activated carbon derived from recycled coconut shells for moisture management.
Recycled plastic pop bottles are spun into yarn and woven into fleece jackets, but the company’s Eco Plasma-Schell jacket combines the best of natural and recycled fibres. “Let’s use this stuff that’s already on this planet, that’s already made,” says Trotzuk. “It’s all about recycling.”
Though his clothing is made from natural fibres such as bamboo and coconut, you won’t find Ecoapparel.ca manufacturing its wares in a banana republic. All the company’s high-tech gear is manufactured in Vancouver, right in the company’s Hastings Street offices. A third-party auditor visits the premises and interviews staff, assessing its sustainability. Though Ecoapparel.ca passes the audit every year, Trotzuk says there’s always room for improvement.
And improve he does. In 2008 Trotzuk plans to set up an in-house recycling program so that when your eco-apparel gets tired, the energetic entrepreneur will happily recycle it for you – and turn the fibres into next year’s gear.
Ecoapparel.ca clothing is available at Grouse Mountain Outfitters. Look for the Ecoapparel.ca and 1% For the Planet labels.
By Janet Gyenes
| Image: Bazura Biz |
Published: December 01, 2007
Larry Duprey has converted waste into wealth by supporting a Filipino women’s co-op in its effort to transform juice boxes and aluminum cans into stylish and functional tote bags and purses. Frustrated by Western society’s wastefulness, the Canadian founder and president of Bazura Biz wanted to give garbage a new life and support environmental stewardship and fair trade at the same time.
The so-called Bazura bags get their name from basura, the Filipino word for garbage, but thanks to an entrepreneurial women’s co-op in the Philippines, materials are recycled before they can be sent to the landfill.
“We hope our bags will inspire others to recycle post-consumer products into beautiful utilitarian items,” says Duprey. “The positive economic and environmental impact on the Filipino communities we work with has been profound.”
Bazura continues to turn waste into wealth in poorer countries. Its latest innovative offerings include recycled billboard advertising banners from Vietnam that are cleverly crafted into yoga-mat carriers and tote bags.
Bazura bags are available online at www.bazurashop.com and are also available at The Funky Little Shop on Granville Island, and at Flying Fish International at North Vancouver’s Lonsdale Quay Market.
