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Mariclaro Upcycles Car Upholstery, Air Bags Into Durable Carryalls
Where do exploded air bags go to die? If you ask Mariclaro, they don’t. The Toronto-based accessories label salvages truck tarps, leather upholstery, seat belts, bicycle inner tubes, boat sails, and yes, exploded air bags, to create a range of road-tested laptop sleeves, messenger bags, briefcases, and backpacks. Of the materials that comprise each piece, roughly 99 percent was landfill-bound, according to co-founders Sven Schlegel and Willa Murray, who intercept the materials within 300 miles of their workshop. (“1 percent is made of notions and our logo, still unavailable in recycled,” Schlegel says.)
Greensleeve: A Plastic-Free iPad 2 Sleeve Made With Zero Electricity
The Greensleeve iPad 2 case by Gone Studio is devoid of many things. Clad in all-natural wool felt with a steel-button closure, it’s completely plastic-free, a conscious decision by LEED-certified designer George Elvin in the aftermath of the Gulf Coast oil spill. The case is also made entirely …
Levi’s, Swans Island Collaborate on Limited-Edition Organic Wool Scarves
From the Swans Island studio in Northport, ME, comes an ultra-edition, très exclusive set of scarves designed exclusively for Levi’s. Handwoven on wooden shuttle looms from 100 percent organic merino wool—spun in one of only four Global Organic Textile Standard-certified mills in the United States—each scarf gets its rich denim hue from plant-based dyes whipped up at the …
Represent Your City with Hanger 3′s Recycled Subway Token Necklaces
Fashion and transportation history collide with Hanger 3′s line of quirky necklaces, which designer Dustin Wood fashions using vintage subway tokens from around the country. Representing cities from Conestoga, PA, to Beaumount, TX, each piece of ephemera bears a unique, city-specific design, …
Vuzix’s “Smart” Sunglasses Merge Virtual Information With Real World
Augmented reality—the ability to superimpose virtual data onto real-world environments—is appealing in theory, but typical head-mounted displays have the subtlety of a sledgehammer to your forehead. Vusix, a video-eyewear company from Rochester, NY, has invented an electronic headset that looks—and works—like a pair of designer sunglasses. Unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, the Internet-connected “Smart” device uses holographic film to serve interactive content right before your eyes. Besides changing the way you work and play, not to mention interact with your assorted gadgets, the Smart also has potential applications in military ops, emergency response, and disaster management.
PETA, Nail Couture L.A. Collaborate on Bunny-Patterned Nail Wraps
Give your fingertips a cruelty-free makeover with a set of easy-to-apply “nail skins” by Nail Couture L.A, designed exclusively for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Featuring the group’s signature bunny motif in a whimsical black-and-gray houndstooth pattern, the limited-edition wraps eschew toxic chemicals like …
Hot Off the Presses: Necklaces Made From Vintage Letterpress Type
Typography geeks, wordsmiths, and lovers of the alphabet will fall for the charms of Gwen Delicious, a Canadian accessories label that fashions necklaces from vintage printing-press type. Burnished with scuffs and other imperfections that make each piece unique, the repurposed brass blocks are strung from a gunmetal chain and secured with …
3D-Printed Necklace Features Slots For 100 of Your Shiniest Pennies
Pennies are good for more than squashing on train tracks. Dutch designer Michiel Cornelissen likens them to “little industrial gems”—the perfect components for statement jewelry, in fact. His do-it-yourself coin necklace is a three-dimensionally printed bauble with slots for holding 111 5-cent Euro coins, which are made of copper like American pennies were pre-1982. “Copper …
YumaLite’s LED “Visor” Uses Light Therapy to Banish Winter Blues
If winter’s lingering state of gloom has you down in the dumps, you could be prone to seasonal affective disorder. The most effective way to nip it in the bud? Light therapy (also known as “phototherapy”) for the months when sunshine is in short supply. For folks who prefer the do-it-yourself route, there’s YumaLite, an LED-equipped “visor” that claims to alleviate the symptoms of those pesky winter blues, which can lead to overeating, oversleeping, lethargy, and a general malaise. Unlike light boxes, which can cost up to $600 and force you to be stationary, the $99 head-mounted device accommodates a wide range of motion. Sure, it looks goofy—make that really goofy—but if wearing the YumaLite for minutes a day leads to a cheerier disposition, who are we to argue?
MuKee Recycles Broken Skateboards Into Edgy Wooden Jewelry
Any skateboarder worth his deck goes through boards faster than bullets slice through butter. Rather than let them go to waste, Denver-based label MuKee transforms castoff boards into one-of-a-kind wearables that are as much a feast for the eyes as they are to touch. From earrings to belt buckles, …
Help Special Olympics U.S.A. Outfit Every Participant With a Hand-Knit Scarf
With the 2012 Special Olympics Winter Games due to touch down in chilly (and some not-so-chilly) wonderlands across the country, Special Olympics U.S.A. is seeking to outfit every athlete, coach, family member, volunteer, and supporter in a cozy homespun scarf as a symbol of solidarity and community. Sponsored by Red Heart Yarns, the aptly named “Special Olympics Scarf Project”, invites knitters and crocheters to donate a handmade scarf to one of 39 participating Special Olympics programs from Alabama to Wyoming.
Upcycle Broken Christmas Lights into Sparkly Holiday Accessories
MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES
Old Christmas lights
Pliers
French hooks
Necklace chain
Jump rings
Thumbtack
Wire and beads (optional)
TO MAKE EARRINGS
1. Remove lights from Christmas strand. Take your tack and poke a hole through the plastic end part of the light.
2. Thread a jump ring through the hole.
3. Thread the French hook through the jump ring and close up with a pair of pliers. …
Peace Bomb’s Resolution Wrap Helps Post-War Laos Get a Fresh Start
Bike to work. Unplug on weekends. Binge less. Floss more. No matter what your New Year’s resolution, Peace Bomb’s vintage-silk wrap offers a tangible reminder of your pinkie promise to yourself. Crafted by Laotian artisans, each wristlet comes with a hand-cast tag derived from Vietnam War scrap metal, along with a card …
3D-Printed Tapestry Eyeglasses Bring Technology, Tradition Together
Applications for rapid prototyping in fashion abound but few are as charming as Chloë McCormick and Nicholas O’Donnell-Hoare’s tapestry eyeglasses, which combine the magic of three-dimensional printing with traditional needlework. Laser-sintered from nylon powder, the frame includes a grid of holes for weaving thread in and out of—perfect for personalizing with a pattern of your making (we …
HJ Designs Upcycles Used Plexiglass Into Glittering Cocktail Jewelry
Hazel Studstill had always loved creating jewelry, but she never expected a cruise past a dumpster to prove so serendipitous. After discovering a cache of discarded plexiglass on its way to destruction, the industrious metalsmith decided to transform the hard, clear plastic into baubles fit for a fancy soiree. The …
Snap Up a Pair of Handwoven Suspenders From NYC’s Textile Arts Center
These suspenders aren’t just for holding pants up. Handwoven by staff members at the Textile Arts Center in New York City, the one-of-a-kind pieces also support arts education at the organization, which hosts classes, workshops, and events for fiber-obsessed and fiber-curious alike. Each one is fully adjustable with an elastic back piece for extra stretch. They’re also available …
Thermochromic “Jack Frost” Scarf Reveals Snowflakes as Mercury Drops
No matter how frightful the weather outside gets, Diana Eng’s “Jack Frost” scarf will delight with snowflakes that magically appear as soon as temperatures drop. A magical spin on technology in fashion, the scarf uses thermochromic inks that react with cold to produce the awe-inspiring effect. At 65 degrees Fahrenheit, tiny flurries begin to materialize, becoming progressively larger as the mercury falls further.
N-Product Turns Discarded Backpacks, Inner Tubes Into iPod Watchbands
Transform your iPod Nano into an eco-friendly timepiece with the Deckster Re:Class series of wristbands by N-Product. Created in partnership with Mountain Equipment Co-op, an outdoor-apparel manufacturer based in Ottawa, each casing comprises discarded, damaged, or unusable backpacks, bicycle tires, and inner tubes—durable materials with adventurous pasts that would otherwise languish in a landfill.
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