Sonic Fabric Ties

In collaboration with Julio Cesar artist Alyce Santoro has created a men’s tie made out of recycled cassette tapes.

Not only is sonic fabric eco friendly (it is made from 50% recycled audio cassette tape and 50% cotton) it is also audible, the sounds are contained in the weave and can be heard by running a tape head over the surface.

For information on where to buy the ties (or any other clothing made from sonic fabric) check out Sonic Fabric

Recycle your Bra for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

I love my home country (the UK) for so may reasons but one of things that I am so proud of is how eco-fashion forward the market is. Particularly when it comes to the creative ideas for recycling your wardrobe. The latest - recycling bras in partnership with Breast Cancer Awareness.

For those of us who don't live in the UK fortunately there are still ways. There are several companies who recycle bras, take Arizona based Bosom Buddy Bra Recycling who will give away your discarded bras (in good condition) to a new owner.

The Uniform Project

It's the ultimate inspiration for being sustainble. In May 2009, Brooklyn-based Sheena Matheiken raised funds for the Akanksha Fund by pledging to wear the same dress for an entire year, reinventing it daily with sustainable accessories.


To keep up with Sheena's creative looks for her chosen dress The Uniform Project

Getting Feedback on your designs

If you are a new designer who has just entered the eco market and are interested in getting feedback on your line/brand then read on.

I have worked with many producing co-op's and artisanal designers and as their eco advocate I want nothing more than to see them succeed onto mainstream brands. However nobody ever gets it perfect first time round, and business is about accepting some defeats in the pursuit of success.

Some of these eco brands do always have what we fashionistas are looking for. This is mainly because such producing co-op ultimately hope that people will be buy (and should buy) their product because it is eco or socially responsible. Whilst that may be responsible for a new customer, rarely will such a strategy turn into repeat orders/sales.

In this increasingly competitive environment, spurred on by the "survival of the fittest" in the economic downturn, I feel it is important for new designers as well as exisiting designers to re-evaluate how their lines compare to mainstream labels, with respect to price, wearability and current trends.

If you are interested in have a discussion about your brand and getting feedback from fashion buyers, fellow designers, customers and marketing experts please email info@avaniribbon.com