It is well known that natural occurring phenomenon bound by the confines of nature exists within the scope of divinity and omnipotence. Nature is mystifying, powerful, yet fragile. It serves to inspire and enlighten; it helps grapple with mortality in a system of reciprocity rooted in life and death — the circle of life.
Laguna Beach based artist, Mikayla Gierut explores natural oceanic and seaside geographical theme using epoxy resin. It is a direct nod to her coastal upbringing and environmental science background. She creates one of a kind cheeseboards using renewable materials such as ethically sourced wood, diverting almost all studio waste from the landfills via reutilization, and using a non-toxic, no VOC, natural based/food safe resin. Please read our exclusive interview here to learn more about Mikayla Gierut and her art.
If you tuned in last week on Art & Social Activism’s Instagram Live for their online socially aware art and fashion festival, which Jejune was honored to be apart of, you would have gotten a chance to meet the lovely Misa Miyagawa, designer and owner of sustainable fashion brand Botanica Workshop. I got the pleasure to ask her about how Botanica Workshop is weathering COVID-19, and how she is taking the opportunity to change directions, for a little bit, to focus on making zero waste masks for the population and essential workers.
If you didn’t, you missed out on seeing our beautiful faces, but you are lucky, because Misa was kind enough to answer her questions here as well. Please read further to learn more about Botanica Workshop and how they are making the world a little safer right now.
We are talking a lot about how fashion brands are being affected by COVID-19, but what of their workers? Factories around the globe have been closed down and orders are being cancelled and unpaid for. If garment workers are still working it is to make masks, and they are often not given PPE. What can be done? How can we help? Learn more here.
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When I had the pleasure of meeting Daniel Kahalani, earlier this year at Coterie, I was thrilled to see his booth filled to the brim with a neat, colorful assortment of trainers that resemble a hybrid cross between Vans and Keds. However, most intriguing, was a sign with the image of a shoe and a plastic bottle, emblazoned atop read the text, “This Was A Bottle.”
Daniel is charismatic, knowledgeable, and, most importantly, passionate in his work. He excitedly spoke to us about DNA Footwear and their new sustainable collection “This Was A Bottle.” From up-cycled textiles, including plastic bottles, ethical manufacturing, recycled packaging, and much more, DNA Footwear is a product of love, pride, and hope for the future of ingenuity regardless of profession or industry. Please read here to learn more about DNA Footwear.
Right now, we might be wearing less make-up than ever before. With shelter in place, humans are putting less and less work into their appearance. We can give our faces and bodies a break, and when we go back to putting on make-up, let’s make better choices. Let’s move this planet towards a kinder more sustainable direction. Your face has been healing. Let’s only put on clean, natural, organic, vegan make-up brands! And if this editorial isn’t convincing that those type of brands are nothing but beautiful, I don’t know what is!
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While the Corona outbreak is threatening to become an over-engulfing pandemic, many people are panicking and stocking up on essentials in case of an impending quarantine. Social distancing and staying home as much as possible are thought to be the best ways to keep from contracting the virus. To help quell some of these worries, I came up with some tips for your pantry essentials to stay healthy at home.
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Jejune is excited to put out The Ultimate Guide to Your Best Diet in eight “digested” parts. We are starting with Part 1: What to Eat in 2020
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We all know by now that the fashion at large has, and remains, a continuous threat to our ecosystem. Carbon emissions, non-biodegradable polyesters, factory wastewater runoffs, etc., are just a few of the many issues plaguing the industry.
Our neglect of nature is rapidly changing our environment for the worse. Many lake waters across the U.S. are suffering from high levels of toxic algae, both to humans and wildlife.
This is where Bloom comes in, combating algae and creating sustainable footwear and shoe foams from bioplastic material derived from algae. Bloom is working to solve the algae crisis and restore the environment.
Please click here to learn about Bloom and their work.
Many people worry about ecological challenges we face nowadays such as global warming, plastic pollution, biodiversity loss, glacier melting and many others. How does climate change reflect on contemporary art? Natalia Kapchuk is an artist, art ambassador for The Parliamentary Society of Arts, Fashion and Sports (UK), ambassador for Monaco Better World Forum (MBWF) and philanthropist, supports charity organizations dedicated to protecting the nature and oceans, and creates environmental-centric artworks about our world and ecological problems. To learn more about the eco art movement and Natalia’s art project ‘The Lost Planet’ read further in our interview here.
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Nestled unassumingly between two volcanoes, Volcán Concepción and Volcán Maderas, on the infinity shaped inside of Ometepe, Nicaragua, El Pital Ometepe, aka The Chocolate Paradise, thrives, sprawling within the abundance of wildlife. Much like its name suggests, El Pital visually looks like a naturally occurring paradise, think The Promised Land or Garden of Eden except there's chocolate - a lot of chocolate.
El Pital is multipurpose, a getaway, hostel, vegan cafe/ cacao, raw chocolate factory, and cacao farm all in one. Workshops are offered daily, varying from yoga to meditations. Meals are all plant-based and vegan. In addition, tours are given around the farm. Visitors are taught about the history of the cacao plant medicine and learn the process of how chocolate is made. Please read our interview here with one of the partners of El Pital Ometepe - The Chocolate Paradise, Justin Waxman, to learn more.
A lot of cleaning and personal care products on the market today contain harsh chemicals that are overtly toxic to us. Disinfectants like bleach, preservatives such as parabens, antibacterials such as triclosan, and synthetic fragrances and colorants, just to name a few - are ubiquitous. These ingredients can act as endocrine disruptors, inflammatory mediators, and even carcinogens. In addition, they are released into the environment and linger in the air, contributing to pollution and airborne inhalation by other people and living things. So, what should we use instead?
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There are very few fashion brands as dedicated to sustainability as ECOALF. In every step of the process, from production, manufacturing, fabrics, to packaging, ECOALF (and founder Javier Goyeneche) have carefully considered their impact on the environment. They even started a subsidiary non-profit organization called The Ecoalf Foundation. The Ecoalf Foundation’s main objective is to promote the recovery of waste in order to recycle it for their clothing and avoid its harmful impact on the environment. In layman’s terms, one of the things this incredible brand is doing is pulling plastic trash out of our oceans and turning it into beautiful fashion! They are doing this “Because there is no planet B”, which is also one of their collections. I’m totally obsessed with it. Please read more to learn about ECOALF, its founder, and their efforts towards sustainability.
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Plastic can easily be seen as a strong contender for the most blatant and obnoxious source of waste and hazard to our environment and wildlife. Despite this, plastic is still a common mainstay in our society because of its multifaceted practicality. According to the UN, today we produce about 300 million metric tons of plastic waste every year. Researchers estimate that more than 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic have been produced since the early 1950s. About 60% of that plastic has ended up in either a landfill or the natural environment. Plastic lids produce an estimate of over 20,000 tons of waste each year.
Unocup is actively facing the battle against plastic in the form of a small foldable paper cup and does away with the lid. Unocups origami-like design enables the cup to serve dual functions as a cup and lid. In addition, the lifecycle of the Unocup from production to waste is fully sustainable. Please click here to learn about Unocup from our exclusive interview with its founders: Tom Chan and Kaanur Papo.
Transfixed in her own realm, Romanian designer, Bianca Georgescu challenges common sense, creativity, and design. Her specialization is within handcrafted footwear and accessories using traditional materials, such as leathers and suedes, often finished with Georgesu flair — incorporating intricate embroidery, semiprecious stones, and a myriad of other unconventional elements.
Georgesu's most recent collection, D-Cycled, is an intimate shared duty towards sustainability between consumer and designer. D-Cycled is about zero-waste and sustainable fashion. The denim heavy collection sources premium discarded and consumer sourced denim to create new, original, and fully sustainable designs. Please read the Jejune exclusive interview here to learn more about Bianca Georgescu and her work.
On Netflix’s V-WARS, Kimberly-Sue Murray plays an aggressive Vampire with chaotic origins. Her character, Danika Dubov exudes power and feminine strength - especially when she gives into her vampiric instincts. Comparatively so, Murray displays her strength and passion through her advocacy and works in support of environmentalism.
V-WARS overarching plot tackles heavy real world issues, metaphorically, such as climate change in the form of a vampire apocalypse. Coincidentally, Murray is a huge climate change and wild life preservation advocate. She works with organizations such as CN Tower Climb for Nature and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) every year.
Please click here to learn more about Kimberly-Sue Murray and her work.
Alysia Reiner is so much more than a warden in Orange Is The New Black, as a typical New Yorker, she does it all: influential actress, activist, producer, eco-momma, sustainable designer, feminist, and so much more! To learn more about her and she our 100% sustainable glamours cover editorial, please click here!
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It is designers like Article22 that really make me thankful for starting Jejune, which lets me be aware of and share with the world these amazing people! Article22 goes to Laos and takes the old bomb scrapinal from the Vietnam war and, while working with the local artisans, turns it into beautiful jewelry. They then sell this jewelry and help the communities in Laos come back from the incredible amount of damage this war had on it’s people. What a beautiful idea. I don’t think I need to say more. To learn more about Article22 and Peacebomb, please read our exclusive interview here with founder Elizabeth Suda.
Read More![To [Period] Cup or Not to Cup By Marina Buksov](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a678b247131a5f7e3269988/1570744849309-8NXUO2C483VRWPIFQ8GW/gettyimages-950489704-2048x2048.jpg)
It’s the new fad for sustainability, for saving resources and ridding our planet of non-biodegradable (and blood-soaked) materials, one period and one woman at a time. While Thinkx and similar platforms has revolutionized period-absorbent underwear, period cups go a step further in satisfying your cyclical needs. Learn more here!
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You may have guessed that Jejune is all about finding excuses to get creative with sustainable fashion! Check out our latest editorial, where we take an old classic and reworked it to have a modern feel! Vintage jeans!
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When Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants meets Marie Kondo method, what do you get? I daresay this is one of those things where you get to eat your cake and have it too. I’m talking about cleaning out your closet and simultaneously getting new items for the newly-created space in your wardrobe. I introduce you to: clothes swapping parties with your friends.
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