madagascar: a fashion blogger's most wanted.

every once in a while i find a product that makes me stop in my tracks... the sparkly ariel t-shirt at the disney store when i was five. the glittered, maroon patent leather airwalks when i was 12 (god, i wore weird stuff even then). the baby louis vuitton speedy i begged for - and received - on my 21st birthday. the watercolor-printed, sari-inspired dress by rachel rachel roy i wore for my bridal shower.

but these intricately gorgeous scarves made me stop for a different, more powerful reason, however beautiful they are. it was the inspiring stories of craftsmanship shared with me at the junior league of the palm beaches' sip n' shop event earlier this year that made me pull out my wallet. 

* note: the photo here doesn't do it justice, making it look more 

like a fishing net than the pretty purple accessory it is. 

federation sahalandy is located in madagascar (no, not the dreamworks movie) and made up of seven silk and cotton-weaving co-ops and associations, all to empower women and communities in this other country through a global market - with a skill they've had for generations. all products are hand-woven and naturally dyed, which i learned about from the mother of the american woman who started the grassroots effort to help these women and men make their own living. 

i'm a sucker for anything with a meaningful story like this, especially when it's sustainable too. i picked out a purple scarf among the sea of natural colors for my sister in law knowing that she'd like the eco-conscious, worldly nature of it (not to mention its soft texture and perfect design). i purchased it a couple months ago but am only writing about it now because i gave it to her for her birthday tonight. it was a hit...with her and apparently with my husband too:

the organization's website tells the whole story better than i can, so if you'd like more information or want to purchase your own visit it and be sure to read about the farmers and weavers too! 

p.s. this really has nothing to do with the story, but i thought this text conversation with my husband about heading to the birthday dinner at dada in delray beach was worth sharing. listening to too much rihanna, maybe? and this was before the drinks...

 

behind the seams: peace, love & locally grown

with the 40th anniversary of woodstock coming up this year, everyone could use a little peace, love and music in their lives.

from its classic concert art t-shirts and organic cotton onesies, to the original 33lp record coasters and album jacket magnets, the tunes co. can certainly bring all three. the booth caught my eye a few weeks ago at the local palm beach gardens green market and rather than inspecting the fruit of the week or deciding whether i really needed chocolate pasta, i spent most of my time with this vendor picking out my burnout british invasion tee and "le pirate musique" tank.

week after week i found myself going back to see what they had in store and this past weekend i was interested in the background rather than just the designs...

now living in the era of the ipod, the owner of the tunes co. couldn't stand the thought of his albums - and memories - being tossed out the door. after collecting thousands of albums and much trial and error, he found a way to keep the rock alive by using colorful, recycled album labels to make coasters and clocks, authentic album jackets to create magnets, and original concert artwork to inspire t-shirt design.

though most of the products are recycled art and therefore already fit into the "green" category, the tunes co. also offers organic cotton onesies for the kiddies and keeps it home-grown by producing its designs on clothing by american apparel and next level apparel. 

the tunes co., which is based out of south florida, can be found locally at boutiques and the rest of this season at the abacoa green market in jupiter apr. 11, at the delray affair apr. 17-19 and back at the palm beach gardens green market apr. 26. for everyone not lucky enough to see the merch in person, you can check it out on www.tunescompany.com, and urban outfitters also sells the coasters.