TheClick

Green Gifts that Won't Leave You in the Red!

Here's two ways to do your (big) bit for the environment this holiday season: Don't use your car to buy gifts. And give the gift that keeps on giving: An eco friendly present from TheFindGreen.com. TheFindGreen.com has all the same things you would conjure up to buy your friends, nieces, nephews, boyfriend, husband, parents: Slippers, wine glasses, candles, sweaters, baby clothes – but they let your nearest/dearest know you – and they – are mutually participating in doing good for our weather and our world. And a couple of clicks and you're set. And surfing TheFindGreen is an adventure all its own: it's amazing what's out there that's eco-friendly and organic, since the green industry is sprouting like – well, like green things do – wildly. Your friends will be both pleased and surprised  - and, optimally, newly educated about what's available to make our lives – and our weather – a little more comfortable for all.

The following is my own personal list, but you can make your own.

BURNING TORCH RECYCLED CASHMERE WRAP IN GREY $370.00
Okay, this is going to your sister or best friend – or perhaps that gift you decide to give yourself! Made from panels of slightly disparate tonal cashmeres, it's a short sleeved wrap top or jacket that slips over dresses, t shirts and jeans, or a turtleneck. It's chic, it's cozy, it's warm and soft – and on top of that, it's actually practical.

JOSIE MARAN COSMETICS
Model Josie Maran has just launched her own eco-friendly "green" cosmetics line – and not only do we all want to look like her, it's lovely to be as earth conscious as the very green Ms. Maran. You could purchase a selection or basket of her concealer ($20), lipstick ($18), eyeliner ($16), and plumping lipgloss ($20) for one friend, or buy a bunch of pieces and pack them in your Christmas stockings.

TIERED MERMAID DRESS
This is one of the best dresses I've ever seen on the internet and it's only $150.00 – it's going to make somebody very happy on Christmas or New Year's Eve. This long dress, ribbed and long sleeved in the body, ruffles into long gypsy tiers of organic cotton, and can be ruched this way and that – and comes in dark army green (how cool is that?) or pale pink. And since it's cotton, you can take it on your European trip this summer – it's very flamenco/Stevie Nicks, but it's still simple.

RECYCLED GLASS COBALT GOBLETS
Great color, great shape, they even have an etched school of swimming fish on their edge. They were produced from reclaimed wine bottles, so their perfect for vino, and are dishwasher and microwave friendly – and only $12.00 for a set of three. A great gift for anybody.

ORGANIC COTTON TIGHTS for babies, toddlers – and adults
Everybody needs warm tights in the winter, For babies and toddlers, NATUREWEAR ORGANICS has some cozy ones for $20.00. For the grownups, MAGGIE'S ORGANIC COTTON TEXTURED TIGHTS are $25.95 and come in patterns and tons of colors.

SILK RUCHED SCARVES
Stretchy and fringed, striped and pale, these organic silk scarves from India work in all seasons and cost only $35.00.




SOLAR BACKPACK
The perfect gift for an adventurous student or the outdoorsman in every guy. The reactor solar backpack has an integrated solar charging system to your blackberry, phone, iphone, or computer in the wilderness. $115.95.

ORGANIC COTTON PAJAMAS – who doesn't need these for a midwinter's night dreaming?
For babies: $23.00 
For men:  $32.00, organic men's pajama pant bottoms
For girls and women:  $5.99 – what a bargain! Striped jersey knit pj's

CANDLES

Soy candle scented like a pear! Pearly Pear candle, $75.00
Lavendar aromatherapy candle in lavendar color, $7.95
Fresh currant and vanilla citrus soy candles, $32.00


AND IF ALL ELSE FAILS:

TheFindGreen has a fantastic selection of beauty products for everyone from BURT'S BEES, that smell amazing (particularly for the price) – the body lotions, lipwax and all their recyclable products are great and available in baskets.

Welcome to The Click! Spring 08 Fashion Round-up

Welcome, visitors to TheFind.com. You’ve come to search and find something very particular, no doubt – and you’ve stumbled across me!

Every week, as a fashion journalist, I’m going to share my own notable finds with you, as it’s my job to find what’s new, inspiring and world-changing in the fast-spinning world of fashion, and translate it into a language we can all decipher and get a handle on.

As the spring 08 collections have just concluded in New York, London, Milan, Paris – and now Los Angeles – I can tell you that biggest among the spring trends of billowy soft dresses long and short, pleating, and the ruffled one shoulder cocktail dress is COLOR. We saw peppermint pinks, sun yellows, corn yellows, pop purples, shocking blue – and often, in wild combos of each, in a season that announces the return of PRINTS: floral and fine art-inspired. But by far and away, the biggest color trend for spring is, very simply, GREEN.

Fashion is inspired by everything on earth. Designers have fertile minds that soak up the zeitgeist of all kinds of ideas and thoughts vibrating out there in the ether. Right now, the earth is what’s on everybody’s mind, from Al Gore to Leo DiCaprio to Adrian Grenier. The Environmental Media Awards will honor Sting and Trudie Styler on October 24 at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in L.A., and pay tribute to the organic food and light bulb and household item brands that are eco-friendly. (You can find all these items on TheFindGreen.com).

But fashion’s going green, too. L.A. based designer Linda Loudermilk, who showed her spring 08 collection at a BP gas station outdoors in L.A. during Mercedes Benz Fashion week, was the first notable designer to use all organic fabrics. And she’ll open an enormous eco-friendly L.A. emporium this February on Melrose Avenue, with her spring 08 collection of evening dresses as well as day clothes, and new spa products in conjunction with Origins.

Mercedes, the major sponsor of L.A. Fashion Week, decided this season to present new-to-the-market “green” designers, and chose the spring 08 collection of Evidence of Evolution for this runway honor.

Evidence of Evolution? The name evokes things like fossils, skeletons and memories of Darwin. But the modern Evidence of Evolution is individuals who care about the future of our planet - and photographer Ali Alborzi and former Dolce + Gabbana, Prada and Gucci design consultant Andrew McCarthy are two such individuals. Together, they've found ways to specially dye organic eco-friendly fabrics so that they have rich pigments (electric blue, chartreuse, yellow, red) and satin shiny finishes.

At their runway show last week at the Smashbox Studios in Culver City, they showed mini-dresses and long voile poet dresses for the ladies, and colorful slim deconstructed suits for eco-conscious gents. And the audience and runway were filled with both; Adrian Grenier sat in the front row with famed fashion stylist Maryam Malakpour, who served as a consultant to the line and who dressed the Rolling Stones for years. Also in attendance was environmental advocate and actress Q’Orianka Kilcher.

Walking in the show were indie actor Vincent Gallo, famed LA club promoter Brent Bolthouse, and model Josie Maran, who donned Evidence of Evolution's "bridal" look: a long ecru romantic poet gown. Maran's new green line of cosmetics – Josie Maran Cosmetics - was used on the models and tucked into the gift bags - which only makes sense, since she is Ali Alborzi's girlfriend. She took a lovely turn down the runway between the two designers for the show's big finish.

Barneys New York has commissioned the Evidence of Evolution collection so look for it soon at a website near you! Green isn't about envy anymore - nor is it necessarily about big bucks. It's about consciousness and caring - and that never goes out of fashion.  MG