Apolis = Niching the Market Right

Hmmm, apparently niching is what happens when you try to make "niche" a verb. And it's weird. Anyway, I mean they rock transparent, well designed, and well executed all the way home. Same same!

For starters, it uses visuals and infographics for its advocacy impact evaluations. Ex.:

Its blog, aka "Journal," brings customers into the lives of the small team as well as the work being done around the world. PLUS, this journal is available on iPad and mobile devices. Clever folks.

(Pic from one such journal post.)

It has well-styled wardrobe examples, so customers can see the Apolis style in action:

All in all, the vibe is great and consistent throughout the website, journal, styling, and marketing. And its transparency/sharing of an obviously difficult task of maintaining worldwide relationships and projects with ease is awesome. Makes customers feel like friends. And that's always the goal, right?

One product with the "this will be cool/last me forever" vibe Apolis owns:

(The Heritage Leather + Apolis Mason Courier Bag, $218 - learn everything you could ever want to know about how it was made and with what on its product page. Go Apolis!)

Oh, and collaboration magic, which may be my favorite aspect of socially conscious fashion? Apolis is all over it.

Visit the Apolis website here, and see all the goodies you can buy here.

OH AND MELE KALIKIMAKA/HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

I can't believe it's almost 2012 -- craziness. Good stuff is in the works, folks.

Simple Is Best: United By Blue

Love these unisex bracelets. Can it get any better than leather and rope?

All of these bracelets are under $30 and made by local artisans, and for each one purchased, a pound of trash is cleaned up from the oceans and waterways. Learn more about United By Blue here. They sell other jewelry as well as Ts. Let's keep that ocean nice and blue!

Scarf Time

Gaaah, it's winter! And present time! Eek. Good thing I've had these scarves on back-up for a  while now -- it's the perfect time to check 'em out. Also, see A Peace Treaty's scarf selection, which is pretty amazing (as is its jewelry).

2. FashionABLE Dember scarf, $32:

 FashionABLE is a nonprofit working with women in Africa who have been exploited due to extreme poverty. Learn more here.

3. L.O.V. Project Varkala Scarf, $85

L.O.V. Project stands for the Live One Vision Project and raises awareness of and funds for people and organizations "who have almost lost hope" (these people also create the scarves)... They organization's first stop was Little Flower Mercy Home in India. Learn more here.

4. Mercado Global Loose Weave Striped Scarf, $25

This scarf was handcrafted by artisans using a traditional Mayan foot loom. No biggie, right? Mercado Global  partners with indigenous women artisans to craft amazing goods, and proceeds go to help mothers lift communities out of poverty and send kids to school, according to its website.

So there you are -- not a bad start, right? And each company offers a selection of scarves and accessories beyond what I just shared. Visit away: A Peace Treaty, FashionABLE, L.O.V. Project, and Mercado Global. And of course, feel free to contact me if you know of any other companies or organizations I should share!

If Look & Good Were a Scarf, It Would Be...

Guys, I'm freaking out. This A Peace Treaty scarf is L&G's masthead to a T. Seriously. Look:

A Peace Treaty Madeleine Beige Scarf, $350

I know, right?? Good thing the missions/stories of A Peace Treaty and L&G are like blood sisters and stuff.

Anyway, scarves are a very popular doing-good accessory, and they're looking good too. Not to mention it's, what, winter you say? Eek! So if your neck's a tad chilly, or your wardrobe weary, hold out for Monday, when I'll be sharing three additional (and much more affordable) finds doing good in all sorts of ways.

In the meantime, visit A Peace Treaty, which offers all sorts of lovely scarves as well as incredible jewelry. Another scarf (or, in fact, stole) example:

Daphne-Tan Stole, $340

And of course, feel free to contact me if you know of any other companies or organizations I should share!

Until then, Happy Aloha Friday all -- will be spending the A.M. working on a features piece about the local slaughterhouse and catching Pipe Masters up on North Shore.

(P.S. I guess posted on Lloso today as well -- if you don't know it, now you have no excuse. And will be spending even more time on awesome blogs.)

This Malia Designs Clutch Is L&G Lovely

Malia Designs Agatha Clutch, $36

This clutch is made in Cambodia, fair trade certified, and according to Fashioning Change, supports the fight against human trafficking. How? Malia Designs employs women workers in Cambodia and donates a percentage of sales to nonprofits working in the area. Scrutinize for yourself here.

Fashioning Change provides a thorough and pretty well designed background of Malia Designs, and I'm guessing other such companies that they stock. The online shop just kicked off in the last week or so officially, and is still in beta design, but it's looking pretty good.

Happy Monday! If you have a little extra energy, feel free to send it my way. Shoots!

Beulah London Supports Survivors

Beulah London Tigris Dress, £356

Yesterday, I spoke with a friend who has lived and worked for a nonprofit in the red lights district in Amsterdam about the complications of the sudden upswing in awareness and campaigning against human trafficking. While awareness is important, she said, the movement isn't necessarily offering up answers for those who survive the industry after brothel raids.

These people who survive sex trafficking have been hardened, or don't know where to turn. They may have even been "freed," and are sending money to impoverished families in home countries.

The women, an acquaintance of my friend said, consider themselves survivors, not human trafficking victims. And to take any means away from someone empowered enough to believe they have the will to survive is a dilemma in itself. There has to be another option, one that offers long-term surviving.

This is where I find the Beulah London model interesting. While the clothing reads a bit more mother-in-law than hot new style (and is a bit above my price range, of course), the mission behind it is worth a gander. Here is what its CSR states:

"Alongside every purchase of Beulah, a canvas bag is given which has been made by women victims of trafficking in India through a project based in Kolkata. The women are provided with fair wages, health insurance, and training schemes that help them start their journey towards freedom. Currently the project employs circa 150 women. Natasha and Lavinia's vision is to further the women's textile skills so that one day they can be involved in the whole process from start to finish. In the meantime, all the clothes are being made through ethical means on a separate production site."

Peony Skirt

With some wedges and a chambray tank?? Just maybe ...

Plus, all kinda British celebs are lovin' up on Beulah London:

Pippa Middleton wearing the Shibani scarf

Learn more about Beulah London here. And please let me know if you have heard of a company or mission that you think addresses this issue as well!

Skyping with the Fam = Happy Holidays! + Bhalo

Consecutively,

1. Happy Thanksgiving from the Harmon family in Colorado!
2. Happy Caesar named brother Robert, with lil sis Alyse! (All the single ladies, line up. He's a keeper. All the single men, bummer. That pretty lady's been snatched up. Though she's also a keeper.)
3. Happy Anna winning 30 piece of gold on Dark Tower!

There's a bit of a story behind #3. See, back when I was a wee thing, my dad had this amazing game. It was called Dark Tower, and it made all fantasy lovers' dreams come true. Brigands, dragons, warriors, gold. And then he gave it away, and forever regretted it. For his 50th birthday, we bought it for him on Ebay (and it was not easy -- there are apparently a lot of nerds in the same boat) and then we coded a book so he had to guess what was coming in the mail for him.

It finally showed up when I was already back on the islands, and they've been Dark Towering away. But today, it's my turn! Thank goodness for Black Friday.

Oh, and yeah. I won. Above is a Reese's cup on top of the Dark Tower, because chocolate can only make things better. Here are a couple of quotes from our Skype sesh game:

1. Mom: Who am I? I'm so confused. Oh, there I am.

2. Conversation about haggling over the price of soldiers at the bazaar (the bazaar kicked me out):
Mom: Tom, did you tell her to haggle?!
Me: No, I wanted to.
Dad: See! She's her own person!

Gotta love 'em. As for your L&G find (as if that's not enough. Really.) ... check out the Thursday skirt from Bhalo:

100 percent handwoven cotton (don't judge me for not spelling out the 100 because it's at the beginning of the sentence ... it's my blog, I can do what I want to! Anywayyy...), cross stitch inspired by traditional Bangladeshi pattern, made in Bangladesh.

I'll be sharing more about Bhalo on Monday, so if you don't feel like researching, just hold out until then for more loveliness! (PS Thanks to Lloso for this find.)

Until Monday, happy aloha Friday and start of the holiday season, everyone.

peaceBOMB Jewelry - Bomb Shards Gone Good

peaceBOMB's silver bomb shard necklace, $400. 1 Necklace : 30 meters of bomb littered land

Oh, you know, that's just a Secret War bomb shard made into a necklace. This is as real as fashion can get. peaceBOMB's line of jewelry is all hand-cast from bomb shards discovered in Laos, then cast in sterling silver in NYC. The idea stemmed from a group of ten families who learned to reshape scrap metal into spoons to supplement their farming incomes. These families now also collaborate on peaceBOMB jewelry with Article 22 and the nonprofit RISE Project.

Peace Ribbon Bangle, $298 - 12 meters of land

For each piece of jewelry purchased, the socially conscious business Article 22 also makes a set donation equivalent to clearing a set amount of land in Laos of undetonated bombs and bomb materials (which is why the meters of land are listed). Because during the Secret War, between 1964 and 1973, 30 percent of the bombs did not detonate, and remain cast about the country, along with littered shards.

Tribal Spear Necklace, $190 - 16 meters of land

Tag Wrap Bracelet, $46 (interchangeable, differently colored wraps are also available for $12) - 6 meters

See the rest of the rest of the jewelry options or learn more about the peaceBOMB mission. It has a pretty impactful, visual website -- another study in how mission and design meeting for good and good looks.

Oliberté Mustache for Movember = Awesome

I've drooled over Oliberté's shoes enough in front of you all already, but its mustache key chain is pretty effing awesome, so I had to revisit. The perfect key chain version of the ironic mustache necklace (if you haven't already tatted one on your finger), everyone from daddio to your hipster GF would love this as a Christmas gift. (Did I say Christmas?? Yes I did! Aggh! It's not that soon, but there's no such thing as too soon to start stockpiling gifts.)

The Tan Nubuck Oli-Mo, $11, for all us blondies out there who would like to don matching facial hair.


One-hundred percent of the proceeds of the key chain, which is made ethically in Africa with African-sourced materials while adhering to some of the most amazing standards I've seen, go to Movember South Africa. Movember, which is a worldwide movement, raises awareness of men's health issues, primarily prostate and other types of cancer. It's like pinkwashing, but for dudes who are ready to monopolize on their facial hair for a good cause (and/or any excuse they can get). And the marketing campaign/following is super hip. You can find who proceeds fund here.

And if you're as obsessed with Oliberté's shoes as I am and are dying for a pair, snatch 'em up now -- 10 percent of the proceeds go to Movember of South Africa, AND you get an "Oli-Mo" (as the key chains are so cleverly named) if you buy them via oliberte.com or ethicalocean.com.

Here are some of killer options:

Men's Zimbo in Dark Grey Nubuck, $150

Men's Narivo, Brown/Yellow, $150

Men's Gando, Black Red Pullup, $170

Inside detail

I'm rooting for a women's Oliberté wedge -- I would snap 'em up faster than I ate my bag of candy corn. Which is really, embarrassingly quickly. I don't want to talk about it.

Anyway, get your mustache on! And happy Aloha Sunday/Monday!

Just Say Yes to Maiyet

Not only are Maiyet creations beautiful, but the story behind it, and its actions, are beautiful as well. I'm going to save some more pictures and the fleshed-out version of my Maiyet talk story for tomorrow, since there are so many great visuals and things to say.

Who can complain about a little pretty to start your week, (or, for me, to kick off my week's Sunday)? Tada!

Men's Shoes via Brave Gentle Man and Novacas

Why oh why do I have to love men's shoes so much? They just don't look the same on me, but gosh darnit, I keep trying. I'll stick with the women's wannabe versions for myself, I suppose, but that doesn't keep me from eyeing beauts when they come my way. Today, exhibit 200 via Brave Gentle Man and Novacas:

Brave Gentle Man's Mastermind, in collaboration with Novacas, $250

Novacas's Benjamin

Novacas's Troy F.

Heyo, and a women's find!:

Novacas's Ricky K.

Novacas sums up its goodness on its About Us page: "Novacas is committed to providing animal-friendly, environmentally-friendly, and worker-friendly products. Novacas—taken from Spanish and Portuguese for "no cow"—produces products that are made from the highest quality synthetic microfibers available and are 100% PVC-free. Shoes are ethically manufactured in Portugal at worker-friendly factories according to labor standards set forth by the European Union."

Happy Aloha Thursday!

Baby Donkey Happiness, Freaker USA Update

So I'm in desperate need of some zen time (I know, I know, I live in paradise. But hint: I'm looking forward to the day I'm live car-free again. Which may be soon), and went on the hunt for a faraway landscape that would soothe my nerves. However, nothing was working until I went to my Tumblr and revisited this picture:

Because awwww - baby donkey! Lying in the grass! Naps!

ANYWAY, heard back from the lovely Freaker USA team, and good news - you can get your buy on for realz now. Here's how they responded to my email:

" Freakers are made in a little family owned factory in Troy, North Carolina . We also purchase our yarns from a distributer in the NC. We try our damnest to source everything in the USA and try our best to make sure we are producing and selling social conscious products. "

AND THEN they left this awesome comment that I thought you all may enjoy:

I'm just waiting for the day that they show up in Hawaii with some grilled cheese for meee.

I myself can't get over The Lumbersmack, but there's also The Adrienne for you ladylike type:

Visit Freaker USA to see more.

Oh and Stanford Social Innovation Review has some great podcasts available for free right now, check 'em out!

One-Stop Shop: Beklina

While it has been my M.O. to share specific brands and items that I'm diggin' at the moment, these finds have, several times, led me back to online shop Beklina. A shop dedicated to organic clothing and sustainable fashion, it boasts everything from Feral Childe to Bodkin to the Pendleton/Portland collection.

TIME OUT. I just found this Lizzy Fortunato iPad case while perusing the designers it offers:

Gaaaahmazing. Want. Need: $345. ANYWAY...

Yes. So. Beklina. This store offers everything from dresses to footwear to jewelry to wooden animal home decor (this falls under the "Paper and Nest" category). The selection is, well, selective so you won't be overwhelmed by options -- just don't expect to find exactly what you're looking for. It's a quirky collection, so can be hit or miss depending on your style (and budget). However, everyone should be able to find at least one thing that tickles his/her fancy. Here are a few more things that worked for me:

Mociun Bustier Top, $350, made by hand in Brooklyn, NY. (Give this one a minute. It will grow on you.)

Kathryn Bentley Enamel Cuffs, $160, "handmade with integrity in the United States."

Rachel Comey Gloves, $350, made in Peru.

Juniper Ridge Sachets, $12, made in Northern California. (Background: Everything is handmade using locally wild harvested native plants, and 10 percent of profits go to groups that defend western wilderness.)

Peruse Beklina for yourself here.

Gems for the Good and Loaded: Pippa Small

Let's pretend like we've all got money trees for a second. Close your eyes. Picture thick, twisted, honest trunks reaching to laden branches, greenbacks floating to the ground, landing in a dappled shadow. Muahahaha. OK, now open your eyes and look at these glimmering goodies:

Spectral Hematite Tibetan Ring, $7,900

Geode and Gold Pendant Necklace, $8,975

Labradorite Single Stone Bracelet, $1,800

Labradorite Fish Earrings, $5,600

Turquoise Double Greek Ring, $4,165

Pippa Small Jewellery is a luxury jewelry line, and the founder (Pippa Small, you guessed it) kicked it off with the mission to use ethical trade to benefit, raise awareness of, and make sure respect is maintained for, traditional communities and artisans. (Complicated enough sentence your you? It's late! I'm copping out!)

See all her lustrous, gemmed creations here.

Oh yeah, and just keep envisioning that money tree. Who knows, maybe one day it will pay off.

Happy Aloha Thursday, all!