Eco Week: Agave Denim
Today we’re featuring a brand that hits close to him. Literally. Agave Denim is actually designed right here in Portland by Jeff Shafer and his wife, Lauren, both of whom draw inspiration from their surrounding areas. Agave is, in fact, described as embodying “West Coast Life.” The folks at Agave stands by their word and promise to produce in a sustainable way and use only the finest materials they can get their hands on. They’re all about making a product in the most authentic and ethical way possible, while manufacturing in the USA.
We love Agave for their incredibly luxurious and soft fabrics and anyone who makes it a point to create comfortable jeans gets an A+ in our books. Another standout quality of Agave is the richness of the colors in their denim. Whether it’s dark indigo or bright red, their jeans have that quality, saturated looking color. But while most other brands of denim require heavy use of chemicals to achieve this richness of color, Agave puts their products through the ozone washing process, eliminating toxic chemicals. They also use an enzyme wash, which is a more environmentally conscious way of stone washing jeans.
“Rather than using pumice stones, organic enzymes (proteins) are used that eat away at the indigo. Jeans finished using enzymes tend to be stronger than those broken down by traditional stone washing, as the fabric is not subjected to the same level of abuse.”-Agave Glossary
Below are some of our current favorites, but be on the lookout for Agave skinnies in a rainbow of colors coming soon to Shop Adorn.
The Chica de Amour in Beach Glass
Eco Week: Amour Vert
One of the new lines we’ve picked up and are so excited about is Amour Vert, an environmentally conscious women’s clothing line based in San Francisco. Their mission is to provide sustainable and Earth friendly products that are incredibly stylish and affordably priced. Eco fashion has come a long way and Amour Vert is a perfect example of why.
At first glance of the line, we were practically giddy with the gorgeous pieces, in particular the silks. But Amour Vert doesn’t use the average silk. They use peace silk, since the silk we’re so familiar with has become unsustainable over the years due to mass production of the natural fiber. The peace silk process is a cruelty-free alternative, which allows the moths to emerge from their cocoons naturally rather than killing the silk worms.
They also use several other eco-friendly fabrics including organic cotton, bamboo, modal, and even recycled plastic bottles, which are crushed and spun into thread to create an ultra soft material. All of their clothing is made in America and done so in a way to create as little waste as possible. Going green never looked so good.
The Alicia Blouse made from 100% peace silk
The Diane Dress also made from 100% peace silk
The Dawn Poncho Top made from a blend of organic cotton and bamboo
The Drew Dress made with luxurious modal fabric
Eco Week: Prairie Underground
Today we’re featuring one of our favorite brands, Prairie Underground. The Seattle based women’s line features sustainably crafted clothing from organic cotton and hemp blends. Known for their long and short hoodies, Prairie is best described as everyday pieces that are both unique and wearable. Think basics with a twist, like an edgy zippered front panel on a pair of skinnies, or flirty ruffles on a sweatshirt pocket. Feminine silhouettes are paired with utilitarian details, which appeals to a wide range of ages and styles. And best of all, the wash and wear fabrics are meant to last forever.
Prairie Underground Resistance Vest in Oyster
Prairie Underground Short Cloak Hoodie in Peacock
The beauties behind the brains of the operation, Davora Lindner and Camilla Eckersley, are a pair of friends who’ve known each other since they were teenagers living in Nebraska. Hence, the Midwest inspired name for the label. With backgrounds in sculpting and fashion design respectively, their talents worked together to create the perfect mix of art meets fashion. The two moved to Seattle in 2004 and launched Prairie Underground, which quickly gained a huge cult following. Since then, tons of women all over the country have become self-proclaimed Prairie junkies.
We’re huge Prairie Underground fanatics at Shop Adorn and are thrilled that what’s great for our wardrobe is also great for the Earth. Check out some of our favorites.
Prairie Underground Prairie Hoodie in Oatmeal
Prairie Underground Denim Girdle Leggings in Graphite
Prairie Underground Draper Jean Dress in Olive Wash
Prairie Underground Long Raincloak in Navy
Prairie Underground Retreat Dress in Peacock
Eco Week: butter LONDON and Scotch Naturals
With Earth Day approaching (Sunday the 22nd to be exact), we couldn’t think of a better time to spotlight some of our eco-friendly brands that are doing great things to help save our planet.
Today we’re featuring two brands of non-toxic nail polishes, butter LONDON and Scotch Naturals. Nail polish isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind when discussing environmentally friendly products, since they’re mostly made up of harsh chemicals. But many brands have decided to make “three free” products, meaning they don’t contain formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), three of the most harmful ingredients commonly used in nail polishes. These toxic chemicals have been known to have negative impacts on the environment and people’s health, so brands like butter LONDON and Scotch Naturals decided to put their foot down and come up with safer and more Earth friendly alternatives.
butter LONDON is the trailblazer for non-toxic nail polishes in the US, as it was the first “three free” to be sold in the states. Like its name, the lacquer paints on smooth like butter and has a rich hue that stays put. butter LONDON has gained a huge following not only in the UK but also in America, as the nail polish of choice backstage at the catwalks for various fashion weeks. Arguably the best characteristic of Butter is the names of the lacquers, which are inspired from British slang, history, and tongue-in-cheek expressions. Some favorites:
Yummy Mummy: Brit slang for impossibly slim, beautiful, “stay-at-home mums.”
Rosie Lee: Cockney Rhyming slang for a cup of tea. “Put the kettle on Love, I fancy a Rosie Lee.”
La Moss: Adding the prefix “La” to anyone’s name implies that they are a diva. A Fashionista’s nickname for England’s most famous model.
All of the meanings of the cheeky names can be found in the butter LONDON dictionary. It’s best to read them all aloud in a fake British accent.
Scotch Naturals is also a “three free” company and their polishes are made with a water-based formula that is biodegradable. If that’s not enough, they’re also vegan, gluten-free, cruelty-free, hypoallergenic, and free of all fragrances. While their polishes are free of harmful ingredients, it’s no coincidence that they’re named after a strong liquor. The “single scotch” colors pack a punch and give your thirsty nails the drink they’ve needed. And honoring the Scottish theme, the colors are appropriately named including Queen of Scots, Flying Scotsman, Velvet Kilt, and Loch Ness Mystery.
Spring Dreamin’
As much fun as it is to complain about the horrible weather, I've decided to do something better with my time and start fantasizing about what I'll be wearing the second that sun peeks through and the rain stops for ten minutes. Sheer printed tops, whimsical braids, and cat eye sunnies for the win!
House of Harlow 1960 Chelsea Sunglasses
Prairie Underground Denim Girdles in Olive
House of Harlow 1960 Sage Cross Body Bag
Diane von Furstenburg Tan Zip-Back Leather Gladiator Sandals
butter LONDON Nail Lacquer in Yummy Mummy
Waterfall braid a la Pinterest
The Making of a Lookbook Photoshoot
You may have seen some posts here and there about our recent photoshoot for our Summer and Fall lookbook, so we wanted to give a little behind the scenes look at how it all came together.
The first and most important step, which also turned out to be one of the more difficult tasks, was getting our hands on samples of our incoming inventory. While our vendors love us very much (to whomever may be reading 
), we were right in the peak season of trade shows. Meaning, these samples were needed all over the country to be shown at various markets, hence our recent adventure to Las Vegas.
Getting these samples also required us to put in all of our orders for the next eight months of inventory, which added a bit more pressure. But it was worth it to shoot product that we’ll have in the store, rather than a random assortment of samples. That way, everything seen in the lookbooks would be at your fingertips in due time.
But in the short time frame we had, our reps pulled through and we got some amazing pieces from Pendleton The Portland Collection, Prairie Underground, Ms. Wood, Clair Vintage, Quiksilver Women’s and more. And thanks to Miss Rachel Robichaud, we were so lucky to have an abundance of Plume Jewelry to accessorize with.
Next up was the fitting, where we had the amazing Sara Dahlquist-Dimke of Dahl Style put her styling expertise to work. With our stellar models on hand, she blew through the racks of clothing and styled some killer outfits in no time and even styled a few of our models that couldn't make it to the fitting. She's a rockstar!
Post-ftting/stying, wine and h'orderves are a must
Photoshoot day arrived and the crew assembled bright and early at Studio Christy for hair, makeup, and most importantly, mimosas.With the outfits prepped and what seemed like 1,000 pairs of shoes on hand, the shoot was executed with great success. Our outstanding photographer, Melissa Tomeoni, was the main reason for the stress-free day, thanks to her incredible directions and keen eye for beautiful shots. Partial credit may have also been given to the mimosas for providing our models with a little bit of liquid courage to work the camera like nobody’s business.
How do you tell which glass is yours? Check the lipstick
A few of our models patiently waiting to get their "Blue Steel" face on
Our model couple, in the shoot and in real life. Adorable.
Ms. Wood dress looking smokin'
Search
VISIT US
Stay in the know
Categories
@shopadorn
- More adorable lockets have arrived! @ Shop Adorn http://t.co/ZHauXtcv
- So excited for lunch! http://t.co/TQFHxPZr
- Everyone Loves Yosi Samra Ballet Flats!: We love high heels as much as the next girl, but what we don't like is ... http://t.co/IAMyHsv6
- Us too!"@arnojenkins: I had an awesome time working with the ladies from Adorn today. http://t.co/YIp9MpTe"
- @LindsayRae19 more sunbathing! Just for you http://t.co/rmMXVXiD
Shop With Portland Picks
Blogroll
