If you head north from New York City and hang a left on Route 28 up near Woodstock you’ll find yourself on a very scenic drive through Catskill State Park. Verdant hills dotted with lakes and ponds seem to roll on forever in between the forested mountain tops.  It is here, up in the trees, that Linda Aldredge, the owner of LuLu Organics, built her weekend getaway. We came across Linda’s blog about her experience in the woods via a profile of her friends on The Selby. We immediately thought that Inhabitat readers would appreciate Linda’s treehouse as not only a sustainable shelter, but as a reminder of how functional and rewarding small and simple can be. Lucky for us, Linda graciously answered some questions and invited us for a treehouse weekend.


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Post tags: catskills treehouse, linda aldredge, linda aldredge treehouse, lulu organcis treehouse

One Bryant Park, better known as the ‘Bank of America Tower’, is set to be the greenest skyscraper in the world when it opens later this year. Designed by Cook+Fox Architects, the glossy glass structure is the only skyscraper to achieve LEED platinum – the highest LEED rating. It racks up green points with rainwater cachement and reuse, greywater recycling, recycled and sustainable building materials, energy efficient building systems, and high performance glass which maximizes daylighting and minimizes solar heat gain and loss. I had the opportunity to talk to lead architect Serge Appel about the finer points the tower’s design and construction – read on for our exclusive interview >

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Post tags: bank of america building, bank of america tower, cook+fox, eco green building, green architecture, green skyscraper, one bryant park, serge appel, Serge Appel + One Bryant Park, Sustainability, sustainable design

Natalie Chanin has launched her newest endeavor, Alabama Chanin, which produces a small collection of housewares, jewelry, and apparel. True to her attention to community, one of the first products she created benefits post-Katrina reconstruction. All of the profits from the organic cotton, US-made Alabama Builds Shirt go to benefit Architecture for Humanity in their work with the Gulf Coast Region projects, mixing sustainable style with real social responsibility.

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Post tags: alabama chanin project, Fashion, Jewelry, Natalie Chanin, Organic, pillows, quilts, recycled sustainable craft

Designer Behnaz Sarafpour showed a capsule collection of organic pieces at the recent NY Fashion Week. The collection utilizes natural dyes derived from such non-traditional, or shall we say traditional, methods involving insects (cochineal) and sawdust. We met up with Behnaz at her showroom to preview the collection and she was gracious enough to answer a few questions for us.


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Well readers, you thought fashion week ended weeks ago, but we are here to tell you that it is always fashion week somewhere. Here is some reportage on the latest green fashion events from around the globe.

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Post tags: Earthpledge, eco organic, eco-fashion, econouveau, ethical earth pledge future, fashion style portland, FutureFashion, Jill Danyelle, Oscar de la Renta, sustainable cotton, Sustainable Fashion, sustainable style, sustainable style sunday

Viridis Luxe is on a mission to provide sustainable luxurious clothing to those who want to tread lightly on the planet while continuing to enjoy fashion, luxury, and style. They fulfill their effortless chic aesthetic with wonderful knits in their signature fabric, a blend of the finest cashmere with long-fiber hemp. In addition the line is comprised of bamboo t-shirts and a collection of sheer silk-hemp jersey tops.

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Post tags: eco-fashion, green fashion, hemp cashmere bamboo, Jill Danyelle, long-fiber hemp and cashmere blend, sustainable style, sustainable style sunday, viridis luxe

We’re happy to report that Nordstrom has begun to embrace organic style. The company is blending in organic cotton into some of their namesake brands while buying new brands that include sustainable fibers. The range cannot be characterized as expansive, but it does include one of our new favorites, Viridis Luxe, whose sustainable cashmere hemp knits are seen above.


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Post tags: bamboo, Eco, james perse, nordstrom, organic cotton, organic hemp, style viridis, Sustainable Fashion

Kirsten Muenster is a jewelry designer committed to ethical production. Her designs allow the stones’ natural beauty to take center stage, supporting without overwhelming. Similar to good food, when you find something beautiful in nature, a minimal approach is the best way to let it shine. I discovered Kirsten’s jewelry last year and wasn’t sure about the environmental slant, so I inquired. Kirsten responded and I’ll let her following words speak for herself….

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Post tags: 'Kirsten Muenster ecological jewelry, eco acessories, eco jewelry, green jewelry, Kirsten Muenster ethical jewelry, Kirsten Muenster sustainable jewelry, sustainable style, sustainable style sunday

While other major brands have seemed to jump on the green bandwagon with underlying marketing goals, EILEEN FISHER has been quietly expanding their organic line over the last couple of years. Along with increased sustainable fibers, including a new natural cashmere collection(!!), the company is also well-known for its social responsibility and wellness initiatives. The elegant basic styles, which can be mixed together season upon season, are also a subtle statement on necessity and consumerism.


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Forget solar powered backpacks and panels – Ermenegildo Zegna’s Solar-Powered Jacket is hands down the most practical and best-looking way to charge your mobile gadgets that we have seen in a while. The jacket is slated to hit stores in November, but one New Yorker gave it a test drive and appeared to become a little obsessed with charging every small gadget he could find… including a mini refrigerator.

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Post tags: green fashion, solar fashion, solar jacket, solar panel jacket, sustainable style, zegla solar jacket, zegna solar, zegna solar powered jacket eco fashion

Following the successful launch of their 100% organic line this spring, we are excited to announce that H&M is expanding its organic cotton range this fall! We frequently receive comments about ’sustainable style’ not being stylish, affordable or easy to find, so we are hoping this news will please the thrifty eco-fashionistas out there. Additionally, we are happy to see a fashion retailer as big as H&M making a real commitment to organic cotton. To support this initiative and help kickstart the organic fashion movement, get yourself to an H&M and bundle up in cozy organic cotton this fall.

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Post tags: Fall 2007, H&M Organic Cotton Childrens Clothes, H&M Organic Cotton Line, H&M PUSHES ORGANIC FOR FALL, Organic Cotton T-shirt from H&M, Organic H&M Cotton Sweatshirt

C.L.A.S.S., which stands for creativity, lifestyle and sustainable synergey, is a new platform for the textile industry. A C.L.A.S.S. show is being held this weekend at WHITE, the cool new fashion trade show in Milan, and is dedicated to showing eco-friendly textiles.

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Post tags: c.l.a.s.s., Eco, Eco Textiles, Milan, slowhite, style, Sustainable Fashion, white

I don’t know if I can sum this up any better than Australian fashion journalist Patty Huntington did: “Move over Gareth Pugh – there’s a new freak in town.”

London is typically the experimental comma between the more sedate New York and Milan fashion weeks and the appetizer to what might await in Paris. So NOKI did not disappoint at the Fashion East show with a melange of thrift that appeared to be styled by Edward Scissorhands – don’t try this at home kids.  Or wait, DO try this at home, seems to have been the message. 

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Post tags: London Fashion East, Noki crazy anti-fashion, Noki eco recycled noki house of sustainability, Noki sustainable fashion, Noki WarDeRobe

Estethica is a sustainable fashion exhibit celebrating its first year anniversary at London Fashion Week. It is a special space inside The Exhibition where designers will display collections founded on ecological and organic principles. Maintaining the highest standards in design and craftsmanship, all the labels here are creating high end fashion without compromise. Some of our favorite designers from home and abroad will be participating. The exhibition will feature Ciel, Davina Hawthorne, Enamore, From Somewhere; Gary Harvey, Katharine Hamnett, Noir, Nature vs Future and Veja to name a few. Stay tuned as we will highlight some of the best of these sustainable designers this fall.

+ Estethica @ London Fashion Week

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Post tags: Add new tag, eco sustainable, Estethica, London Fashion Week

Ekovaruhuset, which translates to ‘House of Organic’ in Swedish, is an eco-boutique founded by Johanna Hofring. She opened the first Ekovaruhuset shop in Stockholm in 2004 to bring one-of-a-kind, hand-made eco-creations to Sweden. The second boutique opened up in NYC last year and has quickly become one of our local favorites. Ekovaruhuset carries a few brands, like eco-sneaker favorite Veja, but stocks the shop mostly with their own designs crafted from a collective of select designers.


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Post tags: eco-fashion, ekovaruhuset, ekovaruhuset organic, Fashion, house of organic, Sustainable Fashion