The New York International Gift Show returned to the Javits Center this year, and I spent a day combing the isles looking for new and interesting products. Good news is that handmade and sustainable still seem to be growing trends, and many vendors are incorporating environmentally sound practices into their production. Below are some of our favorite green finds from the show.
1. Textiles from Nell & Mary: their line began with pillow covers and has quickly expanded to include tea towels, aprons, napkins, and placemats. Each piece in the line is cut, sewn and screen printed in their studio in Portland, Oregon. Materials are either deadstock or organic, and they screenprint with water based inks.
2. Terrarium Bottle, $38 from Potting Shed Creations: complete kit comes with all you need to start a terrarium in a repurposed wine bottle. Available in moss or sedum.
3. Doormat, $50 from Reed Wilson Design: made from coir, this clever doormat comes in other designs including "MERICAN DREAM", "HOLA", "HOLLA", and "HAPPY HOLIDAYS".
4. Bedding and Table Linens from Mia + Finn: inspired by Victorian decorative elements and antique French linens, the linens are sold individually so you can mix and match pieces. They use low-impact, fiber-reactive dyes, which don't contain any heavy metals and are AZO free and formaldehyde free. Hand printed in India.
5. Baba's Berry Bowl F/W 2012, $65 from Robert Siegel Handmade: porcelain tabletop handmade in Los Angeles, California. Berry bowl is offered in limited edition glaze combinations seasonally.
6. Baskets from Medina: handwoven baskets made in villages in Morocco, Ghana, Mexico and Bangladesh out of renewable palm fibers.
7. Mini Mice, $20/set of 5 from Kitty Jones: handprinted fabric with water based inks, jute tail. Filled with cotton and catnip.
8. Eco-friendly Stickers from Box Play for Kids: custom designed children's stickers that turn old boxes into new toys. Printed on 100% recycled uncoated paper. They have a free printable for back to school.
9. Mariner Lamps, $200 and up from Fleet Objects: hand-cast in porcelain from fishing floats. Available in 2 shapes and 4 colors with a 14' braided cord with plug or 8' hardwire set.
10. Growlight, $1250 from Siemon & Salazar: conceived for the individual who is limited by light, space, or temperatures outside. The lights from the LED Grow Light Pendant are microcosms complete with their own suns. They are especially suited for Epiphytes, fresh herbs, and Succulents. Hand blown in lead free crystal. Made in California.
Related: 2013 Home Trends at NYIGF
(Images: as credited above)
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Love the mariner lamps!
Hehe! The doormat. :)
Those lamps are awesome!
I love the doormat! And the growlight...or I did love it, until I saw that it's' $1200. Yikes!
All of these look great. I'm assuming the cost of the growlight comes from the mouth-blown glass (still astonishingly pricey).
I have to say, while I am a big supporter of sustainable/green practices and handmade products, these terms can be over used for product that does not truly fit this description. While I think the Mia and Finn linens are beautiful linens I do not think they are particularly eco-friendly. I work in the textile industry and produce many collections in India. Fiber reactive dyes are pretty standard to use if you want to achieve a soft hand finish, which most people do want for bedding. Yes, fiber reactive dyes are AZO and formaldehyde free, but most bedding you're buying is also printed this way. Also, these linens are being made in India and have to travel half way around the world to reach New York before being distributed to stores. What I would be more interested to know is are they paying workers a fare wage? I think that it is very important to learn about how the products we consume are made, so that we can truly understand the value and impact.
Kate - glad you found some good examples of companies doing nice products with a sustainable angle. We need more! But you missed one....us! Highlighted here (http://bam-bu.co/InhabitatBlog) and featured in the SustainAbility exhibition, I am sorry you didn't visit - we are a truly green with some really fun products.