Recycling Skateboards With Style

Looking to get rid of those old skateboards? Rather than throwing them out with the trash, put them to good use and give them to Beck Hickey.  She’s the creative mastermind behind the innovative line of skateboard handbags called Sk8bags.  Hickey began her company after being fired from a waitressing job.  Inspired by her love for skateboarding and its surrounding lifestyle, she envisioned combining old skateboards with posh fabrics to make hip and stylish handbags, and already had some ideas of what it would look like as a final product, but needed a little help.  She called upon a few friends to get a prototype together, and it ended up looking even better than she had imagined.

A lot of work and effort goes into each individual bag, which is really what makes them so unique.  Each bag originates from its own board, making it a one-of-a-kind product - essentially, no two bags are the same.  Hickey makes sure that during the process the skateboard’s design withholds its original character, which is really, the main part of each product.  From her New York workshop, she uses tools such as drills and large table saws to cut and put skateboard parts together, and a sewing machine to stitch it all together with fabric.  She hand-produces each product, which is very time consuming in the end.

Business has quickly picked up for Hickey in the three years since beck(y) was established, mainly because of her distinct style and because she uses recycled goods. As of right now, beck(y)’s Sk8board line consists of three women’s handbags, two messenger bags, and an assortment of belts, belt buckles, and money clips.

Recycled skateboards are what keeps beck(y) going, so in order to keep them coming in, Hickey has established a program called Boards 4 Bowls, whereby for every used board she is given, she donates to a non-profit organization dedicated to building and maintaining public skate parks.  It began for the sole purpose of getting access to more boards, but now she feels good about being able to do something positive and give back to the community.

beck(y)

Algae Shines Bright on our Clothing

We all know that traditional fabric dyes are toxic (heavy metals, synthetic chemicals) and wasteful (by-waste, and run-off). In the past couple of years, this problem has posed serious environmental issues in the textile industry. In the last year alone, prices on fabrics have risen due to efforts to mitigate environmental pollution in China.

Well fear not, help is on the way. British scientists and researchers at Oxford University have developed a way to color fabric with algae. The single-celled algae organisms, called diatoms, are composed of tiny little iridescent shells. Depending on the porous nature, these silica based shells reflect different colors that remain constant over time.

“As the paint dries, they will all align themselves horizontally at the surface, all reflecting light the same way,” said Andrew Parker, of Oxford to Wired Magazine. “So, even though you have completely transparent paint and completely transparent silica shells, they will produce a very strong color.” Thus color is created naturally without having to rely on any environmentally harmful synthetic chemicals.

Your Cell Phone Will Never Run Out of Battery Anymore

Noon collection of Solar cell powered bag is an excellent idea, combining fashion accessory –they propose models for men and women – and latest solar cell technology + battery bank, it enables you to charge cell phone or ipod whenever and wherever you need, and especially far from any electric source.

The company doesn’t just focus on providing solar cell, all materials used in their products are sustainable.

“Noon carefully chooses materials for their sustainability, longevity, and beauty, to design and create the next generation of totes and satchels. Using natural pigments, we hand-dye our hemp and cotton fabrics in house and feature only chrome-free leathers which have also been naturally dyed and tanned. Because natural dyes can vary from dye bath to dye bath, each bag is one-of-a-kind.
Our Noon Solar line integrates a flexible solar panel into the body of each bag, allowing it to charge your cell phone or iPod. By integrating solar panels into our bags, we offer not only the convenience of portable power, but also a means to incorporate renewable energy into your daily life.
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“Our bags are made with materials that can either biodegrade naturally or be reclaimed and re-used for generations to come”

KAIGHT NYC Weaves Fashion and Sustainability

Opening their doors in 2006, KAIGHT NYC brands itself as “Smart, Ethical, and Eco-friendly Clothing and Accessories”. The store was inspired by founder Kate McGregor’s ’search for stylish, ethically produced clothes made from environmentally friendly textiles, a search that ended quickly at a few online stores.’ Unsatisfied with what she found, Kate fulfilled her dream of opening a ‘green boutique’ that houses ethically and environmentally conscious fashions.

The designers featured at KAIGHT use materials such as end-of-run fabrics, shoes from water-based glues and nickel-free hardware, reused T-shirts and leathers, bamboo, and paper pulp.

www.kaightnyc.com

MUJI, Mass Customization and DIY

The MUJI department store in Kyoto, Japan, illustrates how others interpret the reusable bag outside the United States. In this case MUJI offers the bag, a set of stamps, ink pad, and in-store work area; the rest is up to you. Customers carefully consider their stamps, a message to print (some made words or phrases, others used type as image), and the placement on their bag. The result? A typically bland MUJI object becomes a fashionable, one-of-a-kind bag unique to the invidiual carrying it around.

Please let us know if they have this same product in the upcoming New York City MUJI store.

Update: Core77 coverage of MUJI opening