DRUMROLL PLEASE…

The results of our Green Halloween Costume Contest are finally in! Thank you to everyone who entered – we couldn’t be more psyched about the amazing homemade entries we got pouring in. It wasn’t easy, but we finally narrowed it down to 15 fabulous finalists and then left it up to YOU to choose your favorites. So with out further ado, here are the winners!

GRAND PRIZE GOES TO…IT’S A TIE!

Due to a glitch in our voting system, we had two outstanding costumes that had such a close number of votes that we had to declare it a toss-up. So congratulations to both Cheshire Cat AND Optimus Prime!!!

GRAND PRIZE GOES TO: OPTIMUS PRIME

Congratulations to Optimus Prime! You dazzled our readers with your incredible rendition of the world’s most popular autobot and got a whopping 309 votes by making a costume that actually transforms!

GRAND PRIZE GOES TO: CHESHIRE CAT

You bewitched us with your sly grin and clever costume made out of all recycled materials. This was honestly one of the most expertly executed costumes we’ve ever seen. Congratulations!

Both of our Grand Prize winners will receive a $100 Gift Certificate to the Inhabitatshop and a BoGolight solar-powered flashlight – with every BoGolight purchased in the U.S., another one will be donated to people in developing countries.

2nd PLACE GOES TO: WALL-E

One of the world’s most famous and beloved robots came to life in this super-detailed costume – we almost couldn’t believe our eyes at how closely this resembles Wall-E in the movie! We guess our readers agreed that Wall-E deserved some accolades because 122 of you voted for him.

EDITOR’S CHOICE AWARDS

HEADLESS MARIE ANTOINETTE

Could there be a more haunting and lifelike Marie Antoinette costume? We think not. The gown, the gore and even Marie’s expression caught our attention and made this costume a winner.

CORK TREE

This superbly-crafted costume gets extra points for sheer level of difficulty. We’re not sure how many hours you spent on your costume but, it’s absolutely ingenious (especially the squirrel placement)!

BEAKER

Oh Beaker – what can we say? You won us over with your simplicity and your master crafting skills. Thank you for bringing our favorite Muppet assistant to life!

Congratulations to all of our runners-up and editor’s picks! You’ve each won your choice of an Inhabitat women’s or men’s T-shirt or bag!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who entered our Green Halloween Costume contest. To look through the whole array of ingenious DIY entries, check out the Inhabitat Green Halloween website and the photo gallery below… Enjoy!

Our Green Halloween Costume Contest ends TONIGHT at MIDNIGHT!

Today is your LAST CHANCE to vote in our Green Halloween Costume contest, and the competition is fierce! Our top 15 amazingly crafted submissions are currently vying for fame, glory, and some great green prizes – and we’re leaving it up to you to pick the winners! The competition ends tonight at midnight, so without further ado, here’s your chance to check them out and weigh in on who you think deserves the coveted title of “Inhabitat Best Green Halloween Costume 2009” not to mention some incredible prizes like a sweet solar-powered Bogo flashlight, an awesome $100 gift certificate to the spectacular Inhabitatshop or supercool Inhabitat t-shirts and tote bags.

VOTE HERE>

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And if you want to check out the adorable kid costumes that were submitted to our kids contest, check out our finalists for the Inhabitots Green Halloween Costume Contest here >

LAST DAY TO ENTER OUR HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST!

The fun and frenzy of Halloween are officially over, but you still have one LAST CHANCE to submit your creative homemade costumes in our Green Halloween Costume Contest! We want you to blow us away with your handcrafted, eco-inspired Halloween costumes, so upload your pics TODAY!

The best and most imaginative costumes will win fabulous prizes like a sweet solar-powered Bogo flashlight, an awesome $100 gift certificate to the spectacular Inhabitatshop or supercool Inhabitat t-shirts and tote bags – not to mention the fame that comes with having your expert costume-crafting skills showcased on Inhabitat for the world to see!

ENTER OUR CONTEST HERE!>

And for those of you who have kids, don’t forget to enter their costumes in our kid-oriented INHABITOTS HALLOWEEN CONTEST >

Need some inspiration? Check out our gallery of last year’s winners:

Is that the vampire dude from Twilight?

Eeeeek! These taxidermied toppers and pigeon-wing pendants may get your gag reflex going, but they’re actually much more humane than the horrible and cruel mink coats and furs that we’ve been brainwashed to think of as “luxurious.” RP/Encore, with the taxidermy expertise of Reid Peppard, who happens to be vegetarian, makes their skin-crawling collection of jewelry and accessories out of rat bodies, guinea pig feet, and preserved pigeon feathers. The cool part? The “materials” that make these pieces extra “unique” all come from animals who have gone to that big vermin graveyard in the sky as a result of natural death, pest control or car accidents. If you ask us, that makes these artfully preserved necklaces, hairpieces and coin purses WAY less disgusting than animals carcasses that have been slaughtered just to sew them into fur coat.

READ MORE AT ECOUTERRE>

CALLING ALL HOMEMADE HALLOWEEN COSTUME CRAFTERS!

The deadline for our annual Green Halloween Costume Photo Contest is approaching so fast that it’s scary! We’ve gotten some awesome submissions so far, but we still want see yours so get your pics in NOW for a chance to win some sweet prizes like a handy solar-powered Bogo flashlight, an awesome $100 gift certificate to the Inhabitatshop or our fabulous Inhabitat t-shirts and tote bags!

ENTER OUR CONTEST HERE!>

And for the little ones in your life who are dressing up, you can enter pics of their costumes in the kid-oriented version of our costume contest.

ENTER INHABITOTS GREEN HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST HERE!>

CALLING ALL NEW YORK ECO-FASHION CONNOISSEURS!

In about 24 hours, you could be nibbling on delectable vegan morsels by Rabbit Mafia, sipping refreshing organic drinks courtesy of 44 North Vodka, shopping the racks of sustainable fashion at KAIGHT NYC (15% off everything for one night only), and discussing the future of eco-fashion at the OFFICIAL LAUNCH PARTY of our brand new eco-fashion website, Ecouterre! But you have to RSVP first so send us an email at rsvp@inhabitat.com today to let us know you’ll be there!

rsvp@inhabitat.com

SEE THE DETAILS OF THE PARTY HERE>

P.S. We’re going to be raffling off this gorgeous Circle Cascade necklace by the Andean Collection at the party, so don’t miss your chance to win it!

CALLING EVERYONE LOOKING TO GREEN THEIR CITY!

In less 4 hours, we’re going to be jumpstarting our LIVE conversation at City Hall with San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and we want YOU to be there! This will be the exciting finale to our Green Talks series where we’ve been inviting you to discuss the hard-hitting green issues that matter most to you with the leaders that are changing the game. Mayor Newsom is at the top of the list of influential people spearheading environmetal awareness and he’ll be sharing his thoughts on the cutting edge eco initiatives he’s implemented in San Francisco that have made it one of the greenest cities in the U.S. There’s also been a huge amount of buzz about him being in the race to be California’s next governor, so you’re not going to want to miss this amazing opportunity to ask him YOUR questions.

BE THERE AT 12PM PST/3PM EST TODAY!

To encourage your participation, we’ll be selecting our favorite responses to win a FREE INHABITAT T-SHIRT and a Hymini wind-power charging device, so sign up for our green talk and submit your questions today!

SIGN UP HERE TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION >

SUBMIT A QUESTION TO WIN AN INHABITAT T-SHIRT! >

CALLING ALL ECO-FASHION FOLLOWERS IN NYC!

Just in case you haven’t heard by now, the official launch party for our new eco-fashion website Ecouterre is THIS THURSDAY! That’s right, in just two more days you could be indulging in yummy vegan cookies and snacks by Rabbit Mafia, enjoying organic cocktails courtesy of 44 North Vodka, perusing sustainable fashions at KAIGHT NYC (15% off everything for one night only), and talking eco-fashion with Ecouterre editors and other readers. We’d love to see you there so send an email to rsvp@inhabitat.com today to let us know you’ll be there!

rsvp@inhabitat.com

SEE THE DETAILS OF THE PARTY HERE>

P.S. We’re going to be raffling off this gorgeous Circle Cascade necklace by the Andean Collection at the party, so don’t miss your chance to win it!

For little ones, no other night of the year can quite match the fun and energy that comes with Halloween! And if you’re interested in teaching your tots to grow up greener, this magical holiday is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate to them that you can have a jaw-droppingly cool costume while still respecting the Earth and keeping waste to a minimum. From homemade cow outfits to eco-friendly baby monkeysuits, here are our favorite picks for great, green Halloween costumes for kids!

Halloween is almost here, and if you’re a little spooked about going green with your little one this All Hallow’s Eve, we want to show you that there is nothing to be frightened of! From green kids crafts to healthy treats that your tot will love, here’s our comprehensive, one-stop guide of all the best tips and tricks for a green Halloween to remember.

Photo by Chelsea Guglielmino

With the economy in the shambles that it’s in, who knows when you’re gonna be forced to find shelter on the streets? If things do get that bad, you’d feel a lot more prepared sporting the “Wearable Shelter” collection of fashions that actually transform into sleeping bags and tents. Designed by a trio of Philadelphia student designers, these smart clothes/homes were a hit at the So Re Fa (Socially Responsible Fashion) eco-fashion show in Philadelphia this past week and are a commentary on these uncertain times.

READ MORE AT ECOUTERRE>

Pretty? Or pretty scary? These insane looking LED lashes by Soomi Park are definitely not for those who consider argyle socks to be a “risky” accessory. If you do get pulled over for by the fashion police for having the gall to rock these, freak them out even more by demonstrating the inclination sensor technology that tracks the movements of your pupils, turning the lights on and off simply tilting your head.

READ MORE ON ECOUTERRE>

Halloween is undoubtedly one of the most fun holidays around, but it can also be stressful to try to come up with a clever costume that doesn’t require too much work. With all the awesome halloween contests and parties, finding that special costume with the perfect balance of intrigue and cleverness can really drive a person to their wit’s end! Don’t fret! Take a deep breath, and step away from the costume aisle at your local big box store, and let us inspire you with 8 awesomely green halloween costumes from Inhabitat Green Halloweens past.

CALLING ALL CREATIVE COSTUMERS!

It’s that time of year again when all the boys and ghouls come out to play – Halloween!!! With the big night swiftly approaching and not much time on your hands, it may be tempting to head to your local big box store and pick up a lame, generic costume straight from the shelves – don’t do it! This year, why not get into the creative fun that All Hallow’s Eve is all about, and entering your one-of-a-kind, green-themed, DIY costume into our spectacular Green Halloween Costume Photo Contest???! Not only will you able to flaunt your mad costume crafting skills to everyone reading Inhabitat, you could also win exciting prizes like a sweet solar-powered Bogo flashlight, an awesome $100 gift certificate to the Inhabitatshop or our fabulous Inhabitat t-shirts and tote bags!

ENTER OUR CONTEST HERE!>

And if you are dressing up your kids, and you want to win cute kids’ schwag, consider entering your little ones’ costumes in the kid-oriented INHABITOTS HALLOWEEN CONTEST >

Need some inspiration? Check out our gallery of last year’s winners:

CALLING ALL ECO-FASHION MAVENS IN NYC!

We’re gearing up to ring in the launch of our fabulous eco-fashion site Ecouterre with our first official party and we want YOU to be there! Join us, the Ecouterre editors, as we munch on vegan cookies and snacks, sip organic cocktails, peruse green goods at KAIGHT (15 percent off everything for one night only), and of course, talk about the future of eco-fashion!

CHECK OUT THE DETAILS HERE>

How well do you know YOUR eco-fashion?

Put your sustainability savvy to the test and get the best Ecouterre news of the week in easy-to-swallow, bite-size morsels with our eco-fashion pop quiz.

1. Playing off “farm to table,” what designer is bringing “ranch to runway”?

2. What suede-like, renewable fabric has more bark than bite?

3. What is Zegna’s hot new solar-powered jacket made of?

4. What does Popomomo stand for?

5. “Consciousness is the new hip” is what vegan shoe maker’s motto?

Answers right after the jump!

READ MORE >

Who knew that toilet paper couture could look so darn good?! Some of Canada’s fashion elite rolled out their hottest designs for Cashmere Bathroom Tissue’s Sixth Annual White Cashmere Collection 2009: Fashion with Compassion Runway Show to raise funds and awareness for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Check out all of these imaginative and plush ensembles made from Cashmere’s signature pink toilet paper at our eco-fashion site Ecouterre!

READ MORE AND SEE THE WHOLE GALLERY AT ECOUTERRE>

Want to win this dazzling $170 recycled vintage chain necklace? We’re giving it away to one lucky reader on Ecouterre to celebrate the official launch of our dedicated eco-fashion website, Ecouterre! We wanted to do something extra special for our very first giveaway so we got the talented designer and founder of Dirty Librarian Chains, Susan, to whip us up a ONE OF A KIND eco-necklace out of recycled chains and charms. So what are you waiting for? Enter now for your chance to win!

ENTER TO WIN HERE >

Be still our hearts! These captivating wool-felt toppers handcrafted by artisan Claudia Schulz are enough to make us abandon our disdain for the cold weather and welcome it with open arms (or bare heads?). From coy 1920s-esque cloches to modernist caps adorned with poppy starbursts and poufy pom poms, check out our yummy gallery of these wearable artpieces.

READ MORE AT ECOUTERRE>

This autumn, why not use the chilly weather as an excuse to up your wardrobe’s sustainability quotient with a durable, quality fall jacket? Now, we know that eco-friendly threads for guys aren’t always the easiest to come by, which is precisely why we commissioned new writer Dan Mendes to gather up his top six picks for sustainably made jackets, blazers and parkas – complete with slick images of each one. Now all you have to do is choose which one will look best on you!

READ MORE AT ECOUTERRE>

At first glance, Graft Lab’s dazzling complex in Dubai may appear to have a cluster of sparkling geometric pools at its base. But upon further inspection, the web-like structures are actually something even more desirable than a place to take a dip in the hot desert – a means of collecting the scorching rays of the sun and transforming them into energy. Dubbed the Vertical Village, this multi-use building and accompanying massive array of solar collectors was designed to work smarter, not harder, which is expected to earn it a LEED Gold certification when it is completed.

READ MORE >

On the chic streets of Paris, a woman wearing a purple cardigan zooms by on a chunky, mocha-grey bicycle. The woman fades from mind, but the retro bike lingers on as a memory with its decidedly unique styling. Strangely, an older gentleman with a bouquet of flowers tucked into his bag now rides by on a bike that looks just like the last one. And now, yet another man is walking the exact same bike down the street too. Coincidence, or something more?

READ MORE >

Do your old shoes need a serious facelift? With fall starting, you may be tempted to toss your tired treads and splurge on some brand new ones – but wait! Before you go out and spend any money, check out our 7 simple and cost-effective ways to give your outdated pair a makeover that will have them feeling like new again.

READ MORE AT ECOUTERRE>

Showing at New York Fashion Week is every aspiring fashion designer’s dream, and having your line on display during this prestigious event is a sign that you’ve really made it. Well, in a way, eco-fashion as a whole is very much like a promising, young designer – a select few know about it, but it’s really just starting to make a name for itself and get noticed. That’s why we’re ecstatic to report the birth of The GreenShows, a two-day lineup of amazing designers which allowed the sustainable fashion movement to have a dedicated stage during New York Fashion Week this year for the very first time in history. Watch out world – sustainable fashion has arrived!

Check out our favorite runway looks from this truly momentous occasion including Lara Miller’s dramatic and architectural stylings, Bahar Shahpar’s proud and triumphant warrior princess wear, element-inspired frocks from Bodkin, groovy garb from Izzy Lane, the mathematical “squares” concept behind Study by Tara St. James, Mr. Larkin’s revolutionary mint and copper-dyed wearable vestments, and the defiant, true to self garments of House of Organic as well as two in-depth videos with all of the designers, garments, makeup and behind the scenes soundbytes for your viewing pleasure.

READ MORE AT ECOUTERRE>

When you’re living the life of a city slicker, it’s not always easy to embrace nature with quite the fervor you want. As an attempt to get people thinking about the ways in which we can interact more intimately with nature, designers Ben Landau and Brittany Veitch dreamed up “Bio-Accessories”, a collection of couture adornments that is part wearable art, part thought-provoking statement. From a head-mounted bird perch to a flora-filled facemask, we’ve got pics of all of these zany wearable contraptions for your viewing pleasure.

READ MORE AT ECOUTERRE>

Eviana Hartman, the designer behind Brooklyn-based eco-fashion label Bodkin

Did you ever set out with the goal of making your wardrobe more eco-friendly only to be severely discouraged when you scoped out the triple-figure pricetags? As a poor writer, I too, have found myself feeling that way, but then I realized that there is a really good reason that eco-fashion is more expensive. As a special treat, Bodkin designer Eviana Hartman tells us, in her own words, what makes sustainable clothing a bit more pricey and why it is actually worth every penny.

READ MORE AT ECOUTERRE>

Yesterday marked the start of a very crucial time – the beginning of Climate Week NYC. World leaders are gathered TODAY, as we speak, at the United Nations to discuss what we, as the most influential nations on the Earth can do to solve the problem of global warming. The clock is ticking – there are only 15 working days until COP15, the United Nations Climate Change Conference starting on December 7, so decisions need to be made quickly and effectively. If you want to learn more about the issues we are facing, we highly recommend that you see the groundbreaking film The Age of Stupid about a man who looks back from the future and laments what we as humans could have done to prevent the ravages of climate change.

+ COP15

+ Climate Week NYC

A lot of you have asked us to cover simple, practical, sustainable pieces in addition to our couture eco-fashion coverage and we think that makes a lot of sense. But there’s no reason that utilitarian has to mean dowdy. Case in point, these slick and super durable Killspencer bags made from recycled military truck tarps and coated cotton canvas. Our very own Mike Chino brought them to our attention, and we love the fact that each bag is handmade in LA, features top-caliber hardware, and can withstand the beating that our modern lives are sure to put them through.

READ MORE AT OUR NEW ECO FASHION DESIGN SITE ECOUTERRE!>

We’ve known about eco-fashion line Mr. Larkin for some time, but did not expect to be as blown away by the skill, innovation and sheer beauty of Casey Larkin’s Spring 2010 collection as we were at last week’s Green Shows. With a refined color palette of dusty pinks, silvery greys and breezy whites (hand dyed from natural materials like berries, twigs and leaves!), and innovative-yet-flattering silhouettes, Mr. Larkin is so seductive and fabulous that even the most non-sustainable fashionistas will want to be his Mrs.! Check out what we loved most about Mr. Larkin and see all of our fabulous photos of the styles we predict will be next spring and summer’s most coveted garments at our new eco-fashion design website Ecouterre!

READ AND SEE MORE ON ECOUTERRE >

New York Fashion Week is finally drawing to a close, and we’re psyched to report that the presence of environmentally savvy fashion was fiercer than ever before! The launch of The GreenShows last week – an event showcasing seven different eco fashion designers under one roof is proof that eco design is finally starting to make an impact on mainstream culture. If you missed the green runway shows, don’t fret – we’ve got the scoop on all of them, and pics of our favorite eco fashion designers right after the jump.

READ MORE >

Holy leaping legos! This cratalicious creature may, at first glance, appear to be some kind of primitive transformer, but he actually deserves a lot more respect that. For this is none other than Crate Man! As his name implies, his mysterious erectors lovingly built him and a whole clan of crate peeps out of primary-colored crates – you know, the kind used to ship milk jugs in. As large and in charge as Crate Man may seem, he’s really a bit shy so not much is know about him. Read on to see the facts that we have gathered and ogle other personified crate creations.

READ MORE >

WIN FREE TICKETS TO THE PREMIERE OF THE AGE OF STUPID!

In case you haven’t heard about The Age of Stupid yet, it’s the climate change film that everyone has been buzzing about – and the grand opening is next week! We’ll be at the opening at the Chelsea Cinema in NYC to witness the nationwide opening of this fascinating movie on Monday, September 21 and we want YOU to join us. We’ve got free tickets to give away to 2 lucky winners – to enter, just leave a comment on this post by Saturday, September 19th, stating what you think are the most important things we need to do help fight climate change. Good luck and hope to see you there!

We’ve been fans of trailblazing eco fashion designer John Patrick Organic for years, and were thrilled to get a sneak peek at his latest collection at New York Fashion Week last Thursday. Summed up in two words, JPO SS 2010 is classic Americana. These are clothes that would have looked oh so right on Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde – flowy and flattering organic cotton and silk dresses cinched with structured recycled polyester trenchcoats and organic cotton twill seersucker blazers. Read on to see pics of our favorite pieces and a special celebrity guest!

Dear Inhabitat readers…. the time has come when we need your help!

We provide a lot of free great editorial to you, day in and day out, and we don’t usually ask for too much from you. Now, however, is a time that we could really use your help. We’re excited to announce that Inhabitat is a nominee in the Shine a Light competition to recognize a small business that inspires individuals and makes a positive difference. The grand prize for this competition is $100,000. We could really use $100K to grow our business, expand our audience and get the word out to even more people about environmental issue – AND WE NEED YOUR HELP! In order to continue on in the judging, we need at least 50 endorsements IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS, and we are only halfway there…

Please help us by giving us an endorsement – it’s super easy, and takes about 2 minutes of your time. All you have to do is visit the site, register (we know this is annoying, but we really appreciate it), and hit the big blue ENDORSE button on the left hand side our profile page.

If we make it to the next round, we will be eternally grateful to you! After all, it is you guys that make Inhabitat the awesome site that it is today.

CLICK HERE TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT, AND ENDORSE US >

With the current economic climate, “frugalista fashion” on the lips of everyone from VOGUE to Target, and people are using more of what they already have, and realizing that we don’t need to spend a lot to get a lot. TRAIDremade Boutique, a new collaboration between online ecoboutique Fashion-conscience.com and the charity TRAID, is manifesting both of these philosophies with their exclusive collection of bespoke clothing and accessories inspired by the latest couture looks right off the runway! Crafted from upcycled donated clothing, scrap fabric and vintage hardware, these high-fashion pieces will be extremely covetable and so will the price – starting from £20!